Montgomery Gentry Album: “Tattoos & Scars”

Description :

Montgomery Gentry: Eddie Montgomery, Troy Gentry (vocals). Additional personnel: Charlie Daniels (vocals); Biff Watson (acoustic guitar); Brent Rowan, Chris Leuzinger (electric guitar); Dan Dugmore (steel guitar, electric dobro); Glen Duncan (mandolin, fiddle); Steve Nathan (piano, organ, synthesizer); Gary Lunn (fretted & fretless basses); Paul Leim (drums, percussion); Anthony Martin, Joe Scaife, Jim Cotton, Steve Marcantonio, Steve Fox (background vocals). Principally recorded at Ocean Way Nashville, Nashville, Tennessee. Montgomery Gentry won the 2000 CMA Award for Vocal Duo Of The Year. Male duos--from the Louvin Brothers to the Bellamy Brothers to Brooks & Dunn--have always been popular in country music. With their excellent debut album, Montgomery Gentry have carved out their own place in that diverse duo category. On TATTOOS & SCARS, Eddie Montgomery (John Michael Montgomery's brother) and Troy Gentry have come up with a winning formula of well-written, melodic songs mixed with some Southern rock attitude. The duo share lead vocal duties, and their gruff style works well on rowdy songs like "Hillbilly Shoes." Montgomery Gentry are tough-yet-sensitive guys who can admit to their romantic shortcomings ("Self-Made Man"), mourn a lost lover ("Trouble Is"), deliver a cautionary tale (the title track) and suffer the pain of busted relationships ("If A Broken Heart Could Kill"). The duo's vocal delivery and the muscular arrangements keep songs like "Lonely & Gone" and "Daddy Won't Sell the Farm" from becoming maudlin or mushy. The CD ends with an old-fashioned Southern rock rave-up, "All Night Long," complete with a guest appearance by Charlie Daniels. Like its title, TATOOS & SCARS makes an indelible impression.

I probably should have written this review a long time ago, This album is GREAT, if you love kick you in the ...** country then this is the album to get, no filler tunes here. You get what you pay for. More albums should be like this. Brings back the feel of the 70's outlaws "Waylon, Johnny, Willie, and Kris" among others. Want good music then pick this up....NOW!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Ok, so this is waaaay past due, but I was just looking through the comments on this CD and was dumbfounded by the main editor's comments. This has got to be one of the best debut albums that I've ever heard in my life. I will often listen to it several times through in a row, especially if I'm out driving. "Trying to Survive", "Self Made Man", "Tattoos & Scars" often get played multiple times on each pass, and of course there's the several that got big air play as well. I just don't get tired of this album. Like one of the earlier comments, "All night long" is probably its only flaw. While not a bad song, it doesn't really fit in with the rest. Overall, this is a must-have CD for any country fan...and even non-country folks would like a lot of it. It helped me transition from all rock to country, and I've never looked back!

I am a fan of all types of music...I saw the Video of "Daddy Won't Sell The Farm" on TV and knew I had to have the CD...Their clear, true voices can bring you to tears (Tattoos & Scars) and their harmonies and band are superb...You can pump it up on all of the tracks or turn it soft to get a different feeling on all the songs...most "hard-core" Country fans probably think it is "too rock"...just the combination I like...Favorites are "Tattoos & Scars" (thoughtful); "Hillbilly Shoes" and "Daddy Won't Sell The Farm" (good pump up the sound and stomp yer shoes)!