Search - Gene Watson :: Then & Now

"Now and Then" Still Finds Watson At His Country Best

T. Yap | Sydney, NSW, Australia | 08/13/2005

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Prime Cuts: I Catch Myself, If I Were You, The Jukebox Played Along



Despite country music's obsession with the latest young pactee, this has not stopped a handful of veterans from putting out records, albeit on smaller independent labels. Though Gene Watson's last charted hit was 1997's "Change Her Mind" (which made it to a modest 44th position on the Billboard chart), this has not stopped this Texas native from putting out solidly country albums awash with those moaning fiddles and keening fiddles. Released under the enterprising independent imprint Koch Records, "Now and Then" finds this 61 year old adept reaching back into his copious catalog and re-recording 13 selections. However, this is not a "greatest hits" record per se. Rather, other than "You Could Know As Much" and "Sometimes I Get Lucky" which were top 10 entries, most of these tracks here were either minor hits or album cuts.



Sitting in the producer's chair, Watson has crafted a sonic landscape that has such a rustic ambiance that you can smell the sawdust and taste the Budweiser of a honky tonk. Enlisting the expertise of Nashville's A-list session players such as Bobby All, Sonny Garrish, "Pig" Robbins amongst others, traditional music awash with moaning steel and keening fiddles has never sounded so good. Reveling in the spirit of the honky tonk is the knockout delight of "The Jukebox Played Along." Though "Jukebox" tells the story of a broken hearted man trying to get over his paramour vis-à-vis country music, the lilting tune with its ear grabbing melody is already enough to make any man (or woman) two stepping away from the blues. Despite his age, Watson still knows how to have fun on the buoyant "If I Were You." And on "If I Were You," Watson still shows how he still knows the right moves to get a girl's heart. With a more jazzy feel, Bob Regan's "Only Yesterday," originally an album cut from Watson's "At Last" CD is worthy of being re-cut. Regret has never sounded more alluring on this unforgettable tune that ought to be a country classic by now.



But it's still on the heartbreak ballads that Watson is nonpareil. Current single "I Catch Myself" narrates the struggles of a jilted lover with a diary-like frankness over a hauntingly beautiful tune. Even though it's over 20 years since Watson first recorded "Sometimes I Get Lucky," Watson's re-take of his top 10 hit still reverberates with the same jolt of melancholy. While the less familiar "I Wonder How It is in Colorado" brings to mind George Strait's number 1 hit "Ocean Front Property." With an affecting élan that pulls on the heartstrings, "I Wonder How It is in Colorado" could have been a surefire hit in Strait's hands.



Nevertheless, there's a sense of safeness in these tracks. Though Watson is advancing his forte in traditional country ballads in its most ambrosial light, one would wish Watson would have taken more chances. Instead of reaching back to his catalog and trying to re-live the past, it would be great to see Watson cut a more contemporary CD with newly written songs. With his vocal sensitivity to reach into the deeper recesses of the heart and with a whole batch of new songs, Watson will be in the right position to knock out some punches across the country airwaves."

Same voice, same kind of style...what an incredible artist!

Ronald Van Scherpenzeel | Madrid, Spain | 07/18/2006

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Back in the 70's I got to know Gene's music through the Convoy

movie, Paper Rosie and some other Country hits. When I stopped

travelling to the USA I lost track of him and other C&W stars

because in Europe Country music is not popular and there are no

radio stations that broadcast it. About two years ago I found

out about Amazon and from that moment on I've started to collect

all the C&W music available and mostly from the 70's and 80's.

I started out with a C&W DVD set of 4 disks where most of the

artists I knew then were represented. One of them was Gene Watson whose "Ultimate Collection" with 23 songs from those

days seemed so fantastic to me that I decided to keep on buying

most of the CD's released through different companies. And each

and every one is a beauty. What a great artist! His singing

carreer of making hits went on to 1989 with a slight comeback in 1997. Again through Amazon I saw that Gene had a new CD from

2005 and without any hesitation I purchased it without any

knowledge of what songs there were on. And here we go again;

what a great and beautiful CD even though some songs are re-

recorded hits from the 80's but with an incredible group of

famous background musicians. This CD is really a must for all

those who like the "real" Country music. Only one song is out

of place here compared to the others and that's "Everybody needs

a hero". If for any reason (that would be a miracle) Gene would read this review I have one request that would make a "dream

come true". Please re-record or re-release a song that I have

never been able to find anywhere and which I consider one of

your best songs ever. It's called "Carmen" and to my knowledge it was never released on CD.

"

You'll never hear this on the radio, but...

Joe Sixpack -- Slipcue.com | ...in Middle America | 08/14/2005

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This is a GREAT country record! This guy's been around since the early 1970s, and just about every record he's made totally kicks ass -- he's one of the great heartsong balladeers of modern country history. For the last few years he's been quietly releasing one, great, unnoticed gem after another -- soulful, finely-crafted records that are cherished by a handful of fans, but outright ignored by radio chains and programming powerbrokers and poo-bahs. This new album follows that pattern... It's a great collection of newly-recorded versions of some of Watson's old hits... Normally that formula is a recipe for disappointment, but in this case, it's just a damn fine record, with a rich, full country sound, packed with plenty of pedal steel and some of the finest vocals this side of George Jones. Watson's voice has changed over the years, but it's undiminished in its ability to convey emotion and bring these songs to life -- it sounds lighter in timbre, but no less expressive or compelling that it ever was. In short, if you like the good stuff, this record is highly, highly recommended... And if you don't already know Watson's classic, old stuff, then this might be a good opportunity to check into that as well..."