Toby Keith Album: “Honkytonk University”

I am a die-hard Toby Keith fan! I love this album because it is reminiscent of some of his earlier music. Although I love all of Toby's music, I really enjoy his ballads. Most people don't realize how great his vocal range is. This album is AWESOME--every song is great!

I had not decided to purchase this CD and was reading some reviews. All the usual music industry suspects - Rolling Stone, etc - hated it. They are all especially lathered up by Toby Keith referring to "his boys in Afghanistan and Baghdad City..." (If you, too, understand why they are upset, stop reading this review and try a different style of music.)

I came out to these forums, kids hated it. People who listen to country casually hated it.

I knew I had to get it.

I have not been disappointed. This is a return to more traditional country while not slipping into the twangy sound of the 70s none of us want to go back to.

This is a very good CD. You may not like it a lot on the first listen. Stick with it. It really grows on you.

"Honkytonk University" is a fantastic country set. The thing that strikes me most is that Keith is hilarious. His sense of humor is so dry but so clear that even when he's sad, he puts a smile on my face. "Take your frown, turn it upside down, Oh you never know who might be fallin' in love with your smile," he sings on the weeper "Your Smile." "Where You Gonna Go" is a great ballad with Paul Franklin's steel guitar, "June fell for Johnny on the 4th of July as the fireworks popped in the summer sky." "As Good As I Once Was" shows his self-deprecating sense of humor that is charmingly modest, "I used to be hell on wheels back when I was a younger man, Now my body says, 'You can't do this, boy,' but my pride says, 'Oh yes you can!'" His duet with Merle Haggard on "She Ain't Hooked On Me No More" is an ideal tune for the last call @ the honkytonk. I like "Big Blue Note" because it shows his sense of humor in the middle of a heartache, "No, no, no, no don't throw it away 'cause tonight I might need it; It gets real lonely around here at night sometimes & I have to read it." "Just the Guy to Do It" is a catchy tune about a knucklehead who flirts with a redhead in front of his girl. "She Left Me" is a full-throttle rocker with the wry lyric flouting the obvious, "We'd still be together but she left me." Perhaps my favorite track is the lovely "Knock Yourself Out" with its gorgeous melody and Keith's powerful vocal, "If you wanna go back to him, baby, git up & go; I'm tired of being a clown caught up in your sideshow." "You Ain't Leavin'" is another heartbreak song with Keith's great dry sense of humor coming through in the lyric, "'Til death do us part is what she told that preacher man; Now she says this ain't worth dyin' for; She's had all she can stand; She's boxed up momma's china, it's loaded on the truck; She just got started packing & I'm thinkin' this could suck." "Honkytonk University" is an excellent set combining witty intelligent lyrics, a good mix of ballads & toe tappers, and Keith's expressive vocals surrounded by crackerjack musicians. Enjoy!

I've been a Toby fan for a long time. In fact, my first country albums I ever bought was Boomtown. To this day this remains my favorite Toby album and this new one reminds me of that. Toby puts a lot of heart and feeling into this one. Vocally this is his best one too. You Caught me at a Bad Time and Your Smile gave me chills. I love everything that Toby does but this one is something special. It is really something different from his last couple albums but I don't think you'll be disapointed.

Side note - Is it just me or is Toby looking better and better as time goes on? He is Hot! :)

I am not a big Toby Keith fan. I like some of his songs but I have never been compelled to actually go out and buy one of his CDs. I do respect his talent and I really respect how he goes out of his way to entertain our men & women in the military. So, after hearing "As Good As I Once Was", I thought it was a strong song. I had heard some very good reviews about this CD, so I thought I'd take a chance and buy it. This is a very good CD, and it has several strong songs-"Honkytonk U", "As Good As I Once Was", the duet with Merle Haggard "She Ain't Hooked On Me No More", "Where You Gonna Go", and "You Caught Me At A Bad Time." There are a few weak songs on the CD, but none that I'd really call fillers or "Stinkers." One of the other reviews here said that maybe Mr. Keith has matured a bit, so that could account for the material on this CD being better than the stuff I had heard from him in the recent past. I have heard he is mad that DreamWorks has folded and he's now back on Mercury, and he's threatening to start his own label after he fulfills his contract. I hope Toby Keith is able to release new music like the material on "Honkytonk U" in the future-he'd have a loyal fan if he did.