Back at his best

When I was in the UK recently, I picked up Kenny's new album "Back to the Well" along with his "Live by Request" for a cool £9.99. BTTW is his third all-new studio album since his comeback hit "The Greatest," and it doesn't disappoint. I would say that it's got even more personality than "She Rides Wild Horses" or "There You Go Again," his last two albums. While on those albums the last five or six songs seemed like the B-side of an LP - if you know what I mean - that is not the case with BTTW. It might have helped that Kenny produced the last four tracks on this album himself. The title track is a good down-home country song, full of innocence and charm. The second song, "Listen to the Rain," is almost a carbon copy of his 1980s song "Morning Desire," but this is not a bad thing. The compulsory ballads are here in abundance, but as usual, Kenny has chosen carefully, as each one has a good `hook.' Plus, unlike his previous two albums, this time he has dispersed the ballads amongst the tracks. "Owe Them More Than That" is a fun rollick with Tim McGraw, singing the praises of old-time country singers, with the added twist of the lead guitars throwing in appropriate licks reminiscent of the singers in question. "Prairie Wedding" is a Mark Knopfler song (yes, the Dire Straits guitar sound is retained) that Kenny growls through, demonstrating his versatility and recalling early songs like "Ruby." "Suitcase Full of Blues" shows Kenny dipping his hand in Blues, just like he does at the occasional concert when he gets the audience all revved up by singing "Bo Diddley." "Harder Cards" is by far the blockbuster song on the album, and was his first single. It's a moralistic song, talking about how justice is not always the `legal' thing to do. You have to listen to it to know. Like good cheese, Kenny just gets better as he ages!!

Back To The Well

I have listened to this albun and find is awesome!! I love Kenny's style and love his songs. They tell a story and carry alot of truth.