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Toby Keith - Toby Keith
Long before Toby Keith developed his current in-your-face attitude, he was simply a tremendous country music singer. With his magnificent, mournful, honeyed baritone, his rich phrasing and solid Oklahoma accent, he had the solid, staggering presence when performing of a George
Jones or a Don Williams. The disc opens with "Shoulda Been A Cowboy," which still stands as one of the truest and most appealing country anthems ever recorded, and with its release, Toby grabbed the edge of neotraditionalism and hanging on, keeping the real country sound as firmly
in the spotlight as contemporaries Alan Jackson and George Strait were doing.
The entire album keeps to that, with Toby's tremendous voice merging his true country style and his powerful presence on such marvelous tracks as "He Ain't Worth Missin'," "Some Kinda Good Kinda Hold On Me," "Ain't No Thang," and "Valentine." He sent four of the 10 tracks
soaring up the charts, from the magic of "Shoulda Been A Cowboy" to the bitter regret of "Wish I Didn't Know Now" to the "next man up" ballad "He Ain't Worth Missin," all the way to the catchphrase jangle of "A Little Less Talk and a Lot More Action."
But through it all, Toby shines on this solid debut. He single-handedly wrote 8 of the 10 tracks, including the greatest of the hits and the finest of the tracks, such as the beautiful "Mama Come Quick" and the lighthearted, fun "Close But No Guitar." Toby waited a long time for
recognition from the industry; but for my money, this was what should have made them stand up and take notice.
Reviewed by Kathy Coleman.
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