Toby Keith
Honkytonk University
| |
Toby Keith picks up right where 2003's Shock'n Y'All left off. "Honkytonk U" has that familiar '70s outlaw gallop, plenty Telecaster twang, a hearty helping of chest-thumping "I've done it all" lyrics, and, of course, a tip of the Stetson to our boys in the Middle East.
Toby Keith, like any Nashville pro, follows the trends. First, he sang rowdy hits such as "You Ain't Much Fun." Then, in the late Nineties, when country fans wanted sensitive lover boys, he obliged with "Dream Walkin'." When Bush took over and right-wing meatheads were in, he became Mr. Shock'N' Y'All. (Hell, if Al Qaeda invaded the U.S. of A. tomorrow, Toby Keith would hit the radio next week with "Ridin' My Camel
Read More to You.") But with the war in the toilet, Keith sounds lost and confused. Honkytonk University is the most downbeat record he's ever made, with none of his usual humor. Even the yee-haw title track, on which he longs to "get down with my boys in Afghanistan and Baghdad City," is no fun
College for cornballs? No, this isn't a concept country album, but it does find Toby Keith sounding a bit more seasoned. His blend of New Traditional country leans on roadhouse rock (as heard on the title track) and honky-tonk inspirations ("She Ain't Hooked on Me No More").
|
