Darryl Worley celebrates the 20th Anniversary of Here And Now
By Alan Shipston for Country Music News International Magazine
The opening snarl of electric guitar on Jumpin’ Off The Wagon quickly lets you know that the unvarnished truth will shine through on Darryl Worley’s 20th Anniversary release of Here and Now. Originally released on longtime friend Neal McCoy’s independent record label, 903 Music in 2006, the album marks a defining moment in Worley’s career and was a creative breakthrough after years of being constrained within the major label system. The album and two songs became Top 40 hits and remain fan favorites, Nothin’ But A Love Thang, written by Worley, Chris Stapleton and Steve Leslie and I Just Came Back from a War.
Nothin’ But A Love Thang is the second track with its loping country funk feel and convincing vocals like, “Rock me baby, take me round the world,” this song only has one point to make. “This kind of thing comes from heaven above and I can’t get enough,” reinforces the single minded perspective of chasing love. Free continues the mid tempo rocker theme that Darryl is exploring while his vocal chops show why he scored so many hits. Track number four, It’s the Way You Love Me with its swampy slide guitar explores, “It ain’t the way you put a twinkle in my eye, talking dirty on the telephone, It’s the way you love me when you turn the lights down low.”
Revisiting Here and Now today, Worley hopes both longtime fans and new listeners will rediscover its heart and range. “Even though I’m a die-hard country artist, you can tell in this project that I had other influences as well,” he says. “It represents some of the lighter side of who I am. Being reissued now gives the album a second act and maybe people who heard just one or two of the singles back then will finally get to hear the whole thing. It’s a great opportunity for fans to take another listen.”
Party Song, with Stones like swagger, recounts a story starting on a tour bus and escalates after passing around the mason jar as Worley growls, “This ain’t nothing but a party song, the kind that makes you wanna sing along, a little bit of old fashioned honkey tonk, that’s what I’m talking about.” Slowing the tempo a little, the band settles into a traditional sounding country groove on Living In The Here and Now leading into track seven with Do You Know What That Is. Simple acoustic guitar and brushes on the snare spell out the lonesome tale of leaving the past behind on the ballad, Things I’ll Never Do Again.
There are many things platinum-selling artist Darryl Worley has come to know in his 20 plus year successful country music career. One of those things is how to recognize a hit song. Worley has scored nearly twenty hit singles and three chart-toppers with his self-penned Awful, Beautiful Life, the patriotic Have You Forgotten? and I Miss My Friend.
The ninth cut is a sparkling mid tempo ballad once again showcasing great production and songwriting with Slow Dancing With A Memory. Whiskey Makes The World Go Round is your prototypical drinking song as “one led to another.” It’s a robust rocker with lots of guitar, piano and driving drums pinned down by a blues moving bass line. More funky country guitars kick off, “Lowdown women who need a lowdown man like me,” as the band handles the song with ease, delivering all the right low down ornaments. Nothin’ To Lose features a concertina and acoustic guitar that quickly introduces a slightly distorted electric mirroring the lyrics that speak of having no place to go, aimlessly drifting through life.
The last cut on the record is I Just Came Back From The War, a deeply personal track, that remains close to Darryl’s heart. “That one came out of one of my trips to perform for troops in Kuwait, Iraq and Afghanistan,” reflects Worley. “Some of those experiences were life changing. When I came home, I thought about how it would feel for those folks when they got to come home, too. As I wrote it, I would play the song for family members who served and the things they shared with me became a part of the lyrics. It was almost like they helped me write it. Songs like that and Have You Forgotten were my way of asking people to think about what our servicemen and women go through when they return and how we might make that transition for them a little easier.” He also recognizes the importance of giving back as seen through his work with The Darryl Worley Foundation, annual charity events and supporting the United States military as well as our nation’s veterans.
Celebrate the 20th Anniversary of the re-release of Darryl Worley’s fine album, Here and Now and give this record a listen that you won’t regret.