Bargain Audio CDs & Priceless Collection (series)

I'm From The Country

by Tracy Byrd

Description by OLDIES.com:

There's a lot you can say about Tracy Byrd, but one thing is for certain - he's made some darn good albums. Over time, Byrd has visited the charts quite a bit. This release, the last of his MCA Nashville albums, found its title tune, "I'm From The Country," reaching the No. 3 spot and pretty much becoming an anthem. The two-step dance track "I Still Love The Nightlife" is a great lyrical blend of contrasts with the singer endorsing his old lifestyle, though he apparently never leaves the house anymore. "We're from the country and we like it that way..." - a line from the chorus of his hit title tune - best summed up his direction and determination. From Texas to Nashville...to the top of the charts...Tracy Byrd played good ol' country music every which way...and you sure can't take that fact away.

Product Description:

Personnel: Tracy Byrd (vocals); Larry Byrom (acoustic & electric guitars, electric tic tac); Mark Casstevens (acoustic guitar); Brent Mason, Randy Scruggs, Steve Gibson (electric guitar); Scott Sanders, Paul Franklin, Robby Turner (steel guitar); Stuart Duncan, Johnny Carpenter, Glenn Duncan (fiddle); Steve Nathan (piano, keyboards); Glenn Worf, Mike Brignardello (bass); Lonnie Wilson, Owen Hale (drums); Harry Stinson (tamborine, background vocals); Tom Roady (percussion); Liana Manis, John Wesley Ryles, Larry Marrs, The MCA/Decca Nashville Staff (background vocals).

Engineers: Steve Marcantonio, Steve Tillisch.

All tracks have been digitally mastered using HDCD technology.

Listening to I'M FROM THE COUNTRY is like spending the night in a Texas honky-tonk--it's a mix of uptempo, boot-scootin' tracks and slow dance numbers, all highlighting Byrd's warm, resonant voice. He switches easily from pleading ballads like "I Want to Feel That Way Again" to playful tracks like "Walkin' The Line," in which a misbehaving man swears that all he needs to make him shape up is a good woman's love. Highlights include "I Still Love the Nightlife," about a man who enjoys a different kind of nighttime activity now that he's settled down, and "On Again, Off Again," a character study of a man who refuses to commit.

The standout is "Back to Texas," in which the Texan narrator chases his girl to Oklahoma and declares he won't return without her. It's got a killer chorus, and Byrd gives a swooningly romantic performance. While Byrd's overall choice of material shows a new maturity, he does include one flat-out ditty: "I'm From the Country," a "we're proud to be hillbillies" anthem complete with goofy backup chorus. But when Byrd starts extolling the virtues of sawed-off shotguns, coonskin caps and sleeping in the hay, you can't help but sing along.