Tracy Lawrence – GOOD OLE DAYS
Tracy Lawrence is a one-man hit record
machine with a bunch of Number One songs, twenty-two songs on the Billboard Top
Ten charts. A Grammy nomination and enough CMA and ACM Awards to make his
mantle sag under the weight.
But he’s not resting on those laurels. With
his new album, GOOD OLE DAYS, produced by Julian King, Tracy is joined by some
of the biggest names in contemporary Country, lending their voices to duet with
him and bring a fresh take on familiar songs.
Tracy and I arrived in Nashville round
about the same time, Tracy coming from Foreman, Arkansas while I hailed from
Brownsville, Kentucky. Our paths crossed
while we both setting out on our careers in Music City. I was interning at
Atlantic Records and even then, I could see ‘star quality’ in Tracy and a
determination to succeed. We have remained friends ever since.
Luke Bryan joins Tracy for ‘Sticks and
Stones,’ his first Number One, back in 1991, shortly after he signed that first
record deal with Atlantic. (On a side
note, Tracy almost didn’t live to see his first chart topper. Shortly before the song’s release, he and a
friend were attacked by three armed robbers. While protecting his friend, Tracy
was shot four times, necessitating emergency surgery. One missing his artery by
a HAIR and one bullet remains lodged in his hip.)
Justin Moore duets with Tracy on one of my
all-time favorites, ‘Alibis,’ penned by the great Randy Boudreaux. The 1993
single was Tracy’s second Number One on the Billboard Hot Country Singles and
Tracks. NOTE: Tracy had actually heard “Alibis” way back before he had gotten
shot. Prior to becoming an award-winning songwriter, Randy Boudreaux used to
‘plug’ songs to artists with his “Bou-mobile.” Many a hit song that car held.
Tracy promised
Randy he was gonna cut that song and he
did! It was also the title of his sophomore album for Atlantic.
Tim McGraw’s voice blends perfectly with
Tracy’s on this album’s lead-off track, “Time Marches On,” written by the
iconic Bobby Braddock. It was both a Number One single and the title of Tracy’s
fourth studio album in 1993. The
trot-along rhythm emphasizes the passage of time in the lives of members of a
country family. I can remember being at one of Tracy’s early concerts and
seeing Tim open up for him.
The title track, “Good Ole Days,” is one of
two new and original tracks on the album.
With a definite ‘2017’ feel, the song reminds us that, right now, these
are the good old days that we’ll look back on when we grow old. “When we’re
young we want to be older / when we’re old we want to be cool.” This cut isn’t just a duet: Tracy rocks along
with Brad Arnold AND Big & Rich!
It’s a barnstormer!
The album closes with the second new song,
titled “Finally Home,” featuring Craig Morgan. A poignant song about the
thoughts of a returning serviceman, Morgan is the ideal duet partner for this
song, having served nine and a half years in the 101st and 82nd
Airborne Divisions.
Other duet partners on the album include:
Jason Aldean (on “Can’t Break It To My Heart”), Luke Combs, (“If The World Had
A Front Porch”), Dustin Lynch (“Texas Tornado”), Kellie Pickler (“Stars Over
Texas”), Chris Young (“If The Good Die Young”) and Easton Corbin (“Paint Me A
Birmingham”).
Here we are, thirty years or so since we
first met, and we can look back on the Good Ole Days as if they were yesterday.
Tracy still leads all Country artists with 19 career opening Top Ten Billboard
Singles and holds the record for the ‘most played’ video on CMT. He remains one
of Country’s most popular touring artists with 1.2 million Facebook followers,
75,000 Twitter followers and 2.8 million YouTube fans.
As Tracy said, “I still see myself as that
kid that came to town and idolized Merle Haggard and George Strait.” He added, “If
you’re a lawyer you put your suit on every day and you go to work. I go to
work. I put my uniform on and I go do my job. I’ve been blessed.”
We sure have, too, Tracy!!
GOOD OLE DAYS has a street date of November
10, 2017.
Full track listing for GOOD OLE DAYS:
“Time Marches On” Featuring Tim McGraw
Written by -Bobby Braddock
Originally released March 1996 on his Time
Marches On album.
Peaked at #1
“Sticks And Stones” Featuring Luke Bryan
Written by Elbert West , Roger Dillon
Originally released November 1991 on his
Sticks and Stones album.
Peaked at #1
“Alibis” Featuring Justin Moore
Written by – Randy Boudreaux
Originally released February 1993 on his
Alibis album.
Peaked at #1
“Can’t Break It To My Heart” Featuring
Jason Aldean
Written by – Tracy Lawrence, Kirk Roth,
Earl Clark, and Elbert West
Originally released June 1993 on his Alibis
album.
Peaked at #1
“Good Ole Days” Featuring Brad Arnold And
Big & Rich
Written by – Chris Destefano, Josh Osborne,
Shane McAnally
“If The World Had A Front Porch” Featuring
Luke Combs
Written by – Tracy Lawrence, Paul Nelson,
Kenny Beard
Originally released September 1995 on his I
See It Now album.
Peaked at #2
“Texas Tornado” Featuring Dustin Lynch
Written by – Bobby Braddock
Originally released April 1995 on his I See
It Now album.
Peaked at #1
“Stars Over Texas” Featuring Kellie Pickler
Written by – Tracy Lawrence, Larry Boone,
Paul Nelson
Originally released July 1996 on his Time
Marches On album.
Peaked at #2
”If The Good Die Young” Featuring Chris
Young
Written by -Craig Wiseman, Paul Nelson
Originally released January 1994 on his
Alibis album.
Peaked at #1
”Paint Me A Birmingham” Featuring Easton
Corbin
Written by – Buck Moore, Gary Duffy
Originally released October 2003 on his
Strong album.
Peaked at #4
“Finally Home” Featuring
Craig Morgan
Written by – Rob Crosby
# # #
Album review by Preshias Harris for Country Music News International