George Strait – Here For A Good Time (CD Single Review)
Release Date – June 28, 2011
Label – MCA Nashville © 2011 MCA Nashville
Time – 3:02
Writers – George Strait, Bubba Strait, Dean Dillon
Rating (Out of 10): 7/10
“Here For a Good Time,” is the lead off single and title cut from the brand new George Strait album which has débuted this week at Number One on the Billboard Country Album Charts with nearly 92,000 people taking it home with them. This reaffirms the tag “King George” that his loyal fan base bestows upon him.
He sticks to the if-it-ain’t-broke-don’t fix-it-formula which has served him mightily well over a formidable music career. It is written by George along with his son Bubba Strait and prolific frequent writer Nashville Songwriter Hall of Famer Dean Dillon. Together they also wrote ‘Living for the Night’ which reached #2 on the charts in 2009 when it was released from the album TWANG. Dillon who as an “A list” writer is known for his three-and-a-half-minute masterpieces and Strait has tapped into this resource cutting more than 50 of his songs.
At aged 59 Strait is in no mood to hang up his country hat and with a return to true GS form he loosens the reins and kicks out on this one.
“Don’t think for a minute that I am gonna sit around and sing some old sad songs, I believe its half full not a halve empty glass” he sings in the opening verse.
It starts out with some cool sounding funky organ riffs and with a constant toe-taping beat, fiddle fills and pedal steel it makes for a very catchy country work out. The words are a little clichéd maybe with its live-like-you-were-dying approach but overall they do not deter from its joyous sing-a-long melody:
“Every day I wake up knowing it could be my last” and in the final verse “There is no way of knowing what tomorrow brings, life’s too short to waste it” he sings.
George realising his advancing years is determined to soak up the sun and continue to have fun along life’s winding country road, as he puts down a marker in the chorus:
“So bring me on sunshine to hell with the red wine, Pour me some moonshine / When I’m gone put it in stone he left nothin’ behind / I’m not here for a long time, I’m here for a good time”
After 14 weeks on the Billboard Song chart ‘Here For a Good Time’ continues to climb and has now reached #8 – LINK
Of all the singles that George has released a massive 84 have made the top ten, 44 of which have reached the number spot. Could this be #45?
Strait currently trails Eddy Arnold by 8 in the Top 10 Hot Country Songs listing:
1) 92, Eddy Arnold
2) 84, George Strait
3) 78, George Jones
2) 84, George Strait
3) 78, George Jones
It has been quite a week of celebrations for the Strait family with George discovering he is going to be a grandpa. His son Bubba Strait and his wife Tamara announced they are expecting a child, a baby boy, which is due next February. One might say “The King’s” first grandchild will be the new grand-prince of country in 2012.
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