Disco de Brooks & Dunn: “Red Dirt Road”

For most of the 90's, there seemed to be no stopping the country duo of Brooks And Dunn. Hit album after hit album. Hit single after hit single. They were invincible. Then, in 2000, their 6th studio album, "Tight Rope", seemed to put a halt to their golden streak. It was not received well and didn't do the business on the charts like they normally did. Then along came "Steers And Stripes" the following year, and re-energized the guys and made them the kings of the charts like they once were. It seems that the new found love of the craft and the music wasn't a fluke on that album, because the fun that they re-discovered comes thru on this solid new set of songs. While many of their fellow artists don't take a whole lot of risks and don't really branch out much, Ronnie and Kix do. The music here might seem like familiar B&D, and a lot of it is, but at least there is rich diversity among the mix, as with their last album. The stylings might jump all over the map, but that's because it's eclectic. They try to do all things and to not stick to only kind of music. Thank god for that. The opening number, "You Can't Take Honky Tonk Out Of The Girl", is a perfect number to start the CD off with. It has a classic sounding B&D sound to it, and is a great mover. It also features a cool Rolling Stones/Keith Richards type guitar intro. "Caroline" is even better. It has a great groove to it and Ronnie displays that great falsetto in the chorus. Groovy and sleek. "When We Were Kings" is a pleasant song, but nothing to make you rewind. The title track, "Red Dirt Road", which is the only song the duo wrote together, might be one of their best, down home, rootsiest songs they have put together. Nostalgic lyrics with a warm musical sound. A top notch track. "Feels Good Don't it" is a happy, put a smile on your face toe tapper. Nothing more, nothing less. A jaunty little tune. One of the nicest tracks on here is "I Used To Know This Song By Heart". This will fit nicely as a single on the radio for sure. Another strong vocal performance by Ronnie, and it has am R&B-ish vibe to it that is silky cool. A wonderful track. The rest of the disc is nothing but cool fun. "Believer" is a another pleasant ditty, but nothing as memorable as earlier tracks. "Good Day To Be Me" is a fun song with lyrics that are fun to listen too. How you might not be this, and you might not be that, but you are who you are and you are just happy with that the way it is. There is a hidden track on here called "Holy War", and it may be one of the more prolific songs the duo have recorded. A nice song. Others include "She Was Born To Run", "Till My Dyin' Day", "Good Cowboy", and the real country swing of "My Baby's Everything I Love". Another gem. Kix still hasn't become an overly satisfying singer, but he gets the job done. Thankfully, as always, Ronnie masters most of the songs on the disc. This is just product?. Far from it. It's rich, it's soulful, it's sunny, it's harmonious, and it has wonderful grooves and beats. It may not be as rollicking as "Steers And Stripes", but it's a mostly up tempo collection of songs that will no doubt please fans and critics, and keep this duo as the reigning country duo of all time.

From the opening rocker "You Can't Take the Honky Tonk Out of the Girl" to the hidden track "Holy War," Brooks & Dunn's latest CD is something new and exciting. More rockers include "Good Cowboy", "Good Day to Be Me," and "Till My Dyin' Day."

The downhome feel of "Caroline," "Feels Good Don't It," and "My Baby's Everything I Love" add to the atmosphere of a great album. The reminiscent tone of "When We Were Kings" and the title track provide an in-depth look at these guys' hearts and souls. The emotionally charged "I Used to Know This Song By Heart" is another major highlight.

Like always, Kix Brooks and Ronnie Dunn know how to take you into the heart of their music, using brilliant production, excellent songwriting, and rugged-yet-listenable voices. "Red Dirt Road" is for B&D fans and newcomers. That basically means it's a great country music CD from a great country music duo!

Well, by golly, this is my first country CD. Red Dirt Road is not too bad of an introduction to contemporary country music. Country western purist may flinch at the influence of rock n roll on new country but as an aging Baby boomer I like it. That influence is seen on the first cut, You Cant take the Honky Tonk Out of the Girl. If I am not mistaken, the opening guitar riff is straight from the Rolling Stones Honky Tonk Woman.

Brooks and Dunn avoid the corny sentimentality that plagues much of country western music. When We Were Kings, is a nostalgic look back at youth with its wild excesses. They capture the longing for the lost days of youth without being overly sentimental. The pace slows down with the love ballad, That is What She Gets For Loving Me. They deal realistically with life as it is, accepting the little things, rather than sacrificing the present hoping for a future that may never been. This ballad could have easily been overly sentimental, but thankfully, they avoid this pitfall and made an pretty good ballad out of it.

I was disappointed that the music notes did not include the title or the lyrics for the last cut. I suppose it is titled: Holy War is Coming. As a pastor I really did not know what to make of it. They seem to characterize TV preachers as preaching Armageddon. Perhaps local preachers in the south do so, but I do not know of any TV Evangelists with a national audience that do. Perhaps, Brooks and Dunn got stuck in the 1980s on this one. Great tune, but I could not figure out all the lyrics.

Yeah, it is a good CD. If you are have not a country western fan and are thinking about taking the dive into country western, this is not a bad CD to start with.

I have always been a Brooks and Dunn fan. I bought this album for "Red Dirt Road", hoping that the other songs would be great and they are! This album has a nice combination of fast and slow songs. Kix and Ronnie have a knack for keeping thier original country-rock sound while continuing to move forward with new styles. I admire them for not becoming "sell-outs" and staying cool and true to country music. This is one of the best country cd's I've bought in a while. I'm always skeptical of buying a cd after hearing only one song, but Brooks and Dunn always deliver the best so I'm glad I purchased thier latest masterpiece! My personal favorite on this album is "That's What She Gets for Loving Me." I think every woman can appreciate this song! Great job, boys!

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In my opinion, a band releasing an album naming a road is, perhaps subconsciously, making an effort to release their best material in years. When this album came out, I immediately picked it up, wary about B&D's recent tumultuous career path before the release of "Steers and Stripes." "Red Dirt Road" does not fail.

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It's less of a country album than many country fans seem to suggest (as I've read on the reviews here). But to a standard guy like me, this is as country as it's gonna get, at least for now. And that's good enough.

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Each song has riffs and musical twists that grab you and make you sing outloud, or tap a rhythm on your jeans while listening. And I like the formula they use on several songs: an off-EQ'd or reverbed guitar (12-string, slide, etc.) jamming by itself, before the music kicks in and takes you away.

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This has become my favorite B&D album so far. I wonder if fans consider S&S and Red Dirt Road to be "new Brooks & Dunn"? I feel a sort of different spirit in these albums than with their older releases, which are just as kickin' with the catchy tunes, but a little lacking with slower songs.

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The Beatles released "Abbey Road" and the songs were thematically and musically linked. The same goes with "Red Dirt Road," a more Western approach to small town living, dirt, sunshine, beer, good friends, and lost loves...and this album seems to be haunted as well. Listen closely...they both sing frequently about the past, memories, things that once were...

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Of all those "road" albums (Peachtree, Cross, Car Wheels on Gravel, Golden) I think it's fair to say Red Dirt will become an iconic album for this band.