Josh Turner Album: “Your Man”

More than just appealing to country fans, this great collection from Josh Turner has something for almost all music fans. His deep, warm voice is reminiscent of Johnny Cash but certainly possesses a style and quality all his own. A variety of tracks will keep you interested in playing this in heavy rotation on your CD player or ipod.

It should be noted that not only does Turner have a great vocal instrument, his song styling and earnest lyrics elevate these songs beyond traditional country fare.

I truly love this album. Not only did I fall in love with the title song, but the Would You Go With Me and Angels Fall Some time are especially great. I sincerely hope more people tune in and turn on to this young man and his music. Shirley

Josh opens up with a fast tune with what we call in the bluegrass world as "driving" music. Jeff Surratt really brings it in with his dobro throughout the song. Josh delivers ranging his voice with "Would You Go With Me" and drives deep into the bass vocals with "never shut it dooownnn". This song is true traditional country music that just reminds you of being on a hay wagon with the one you love driving through the hollers of the Appalachian Mountains during the fall time.

Baby's Gone Home to Mama is a funny upbeat song about Josh sitting around while the one he loves has went home to her Mama because she is fed up with his way. You feel like you are sitting there in the trailer or old house with him and has that "redneck" feeling to it.

No Rush is probably one of my favorite slow songs of all time. It is just so powerful and soulful. You totally relax to this perfect love song. I am reminded of those love songs that Conway Twitty sang in his day. Now this is one of those songs that is destine to be a hit.

Your Man is the first hit single off of this sophomore release. Already a top 20 hit heading up to the #1 spot on the charts with the country cha cha feeling.

Loretta Lynn's Lincoln is a fun tale of "J. Otis" (Josh Otis Turner) who thinks he is driving Loretta Lynn's Lincoln, even driving with Dolly Parton to meet up with Loretta at Tootsie's Orchid Lounge. At the end, he realized that it was all a dream. The funniest saying is at the beginning with Josh going "Loretta Lynn's Lincoln?" to the salesman at the carlot.

Get your cowboy boots on when you hear White Noise sung with John Anderson. I smell a country line dance being made with this tune. This song reminds me of my high school to college days with the crowds and the good times shared with friends. The interesting element is "It's Johnny Cash and Charley Pride...talking about the white noise coming from the real McCoy's."

Angels Fall Sometimes is an instant love song that Josh wrote for his wonderful wife, Jennifer. He cannot believe that someone like her that is a pure angel could ever fall with a guy like him. The acoustic notes on the guitar dance around the vocals that intertwine a love story like the one told by Josh.

Josh succeeds in executing a great cover song with Lord Have Mercy On a Country Boy. It is a hit in his shows and a hit on his record. It really reflects how the country boy from South Carolina moved to the big city of Nashville to make a living. Don William would be proud of this version, which is right to the exact of the original.

Gravity is an excellent tune reflecting of childhood falls due to gravity up to growing up and falling in love due to gravity. It is in the same slow manner as "I Had One One Time" from his previous album. The song really shows Josh's vocal talents.

Me and God is an uplifting tune about how God is a huge part in Josh's life. With Diamond Rio filling in background vocals, and a duet with Ralph Stanley, this is a good old fashion country gospel tune. You can feel it being sung at a country Baptist church deep in the hills of the mountains with Ralph's and Josh's voices.

Way Down South is an excellent way to tie the ending to the record with the extended "jamming" version towards the end of the song. It points out all things southern that are also the best things in life. Back at the show in Owensboro, Josh mentioned that he just played the song to folks in Las Vegas and they had no clue what he was talking about. He said that he thinks he will only play it for southern folks like us. Haha

The album overall is a piece of recording art. This is the type of album that Josh wanted and it truly shows. I know that it would be something to be proud of because there is not one bad song on it.

Congrats to Josh, Jennifer, and the band for producing a product that is superb in quality!

Another great spin from Josh Turner. By the time I'd listened to this a couple of times, the tunes were stuck in my head and I had to have MORE! From the first track to the last, there is something to enjoy in every cut. Of course the title track was already a big favorite before the CD was released and I still pick it as my fav off this CD. However, "No Rush" is just right for any guy to put on when trying to set the mood with his main squeeze. "Loretta Lynn's Lincoln" is good fun and bound to cause a smile. Josh shines with his own penned "Me & God" and I would really like to see an all gospel CD from him - when he gets time. It's just like the Long Black Train CD in that the more I listen, the more I like it and I'm sure I will end up knowing every word to every song on this latest release. I hope Josh continues to reap great success from his ventures. In addition to being a fabulous singer and songwriter, he's just plain cute and a good guy. Since I'm old enough to be his mom, I'd just like to adopt him and pinch his cheeks! Buy his CD, you'll be glad you did!

Josh Turner, the twenty eight year old country boy with a voice carved from solid granite, invites you to take a trip with him to the South Carolina Low Country, a genius phrase he recently coined to describe his playful neotraditional sound and the name for the Myrtle Beach region of his home state. Trust me, ya wanna go with him.

Turner is a ladykiller at 6'1" with dark hair, sparkling blue eyes, a big megawatt smile and a strategically placed cross nearly lost in a spattering of dark chest hair that reaches his clavicle. Not only that, he also posesses a rich, commanding voice that moves easily between both baritone and bass registers and drawls and rumbles in the bass register when speaking. This guy's got sex symbol written all over him, even with the knot firmly tied to his beautiful wife Jennifer, Turner's co-star in the video to the title track and keyboard player in his road band.

The album opens with "Would You Go With Me", a rolling Gospel tinged bluegrass gem with an ethereal lyric. Next is "Baby's Gone Home To Mama", a hilarious redneck romp that finds Turner in his trailer house on a rainy day, laying around in his "po'jammies" and saying good riddance to "the little Chihuahuah".

The first major highlight of the album is "No Rush", a four minute waltz of seduction with the first verse spoken. The song finds Turner "right on the edge of fallin'" and wanting to slow down and enjoy every second of it with the object of his affections. It is the closest thing to heaven a single girl can get!

The lead off single and title track just gave Turner the first #1 of his career. It sounds like something out of the Johnny and June era, with an electric, steel, and fiddle all contributing to the "boom chika boom" type melody, and finds Turner all twitterpated at the thought of being his girl's man and having some time alone with her.

Another major highlight of the record is "Loretta Lynn's Lincoln", a trippy journey into the subconscious of a man that dreams he bought Miss Loretta's old Lincoln from a dealer and pays tribute to her, Dolly and Tootsie's Orchid Lounge, and gives a nod to truckin' song singer Red Sovine. Ya gotta hear this one for yourself. It even comes complete with a gaggle of backup singers that models what Ray Charles used to do with his songs.

"White Noise" is a honky tonkin' tribute to country and the people who listen to it, co-written by Turner and big ole John Anderson, whose voice still cuts through like a hot knife, and "Me And God" shows us Turner's Gospel roots again, featuring bluegrass pioneer Dr. Ralph Stanley, who still forges ahead and sings on the record despite having a triple bypass ten weeks prior to the recording!

"Lord Have Mercy On A Country Boy" is a fitting reworking of the Don Williams song, since Turner hails from Hannah, a tiny town in eastern SC that Turner claims doesn't even have a ZIP code.

"Angels Fall Sometimes" and "Gravity" are two ballads inspired by Jennifer. "Gravity" is a sweet, unique lyric, claiming that it's responsible for bringing the couple together.

"Well, I never really liked it much

Always left me all scraped up

Never really saw it as a good thing

It changes tides out on the sea

Pulls your body close to me

First time I ain't been afraid to fall

Don't guess it's so bad after all

Gravity."

"Way Down South" is Turner's catchy, bluegrassy tribute to the Southland and it's people. You can practically smell the clothes hangin' on the line and see Turner wave at people while he mows the lawn. After Turner bellows the last "Way on down", the band fades out, then comes back and breaks into a bit of "Dixie", which gives the guys the giggles and ends the album on a fun note.

Since the album has just reached Gold status after only four weeks and given Turner a #1, it's safe to say that the sophomore blues are nowhere in sight and Turner's career is gonna go full speed ahead. Come join the rest of the Train Gang and head down south for a spell.