John Anderson - Easy Money (11 tracks) +Album Reviews

Solid Effort

Paul W. Dennis | Winter Springs, FL USA | 05/19/2007

(5 out of 5 stars)

"John Anderson and George Strait are about the only two with a high profile left from the generation of male singers that came to prominence in the early 1980s. Obviously Strait has been the more successful but John Anderson is the superior balladeer.

Here, John Anderson returns with his first CD of new recordings in several years, this time with John Rich of Big & Rich serving as producer. Fortunately. Rich stays largely out of the way and lets Anderson focus on that which he does best, as seven of the CD's eleven songs are ballads.

First some consumer advice. Upon inserting the CD into your player, troll over to track 11, "Willie's Guitar" and give it a few listens as John, Merle Haggard (vocal) and Willie Nelson (vocal & a guitar solo) work their magic on this wistful tale which, curiously enough, wasn't written by either John, Merle or Willie. No matter, as writers John Phillips and Ray Stephenson certainly caught the essense of heartbreak and resignation.

First the "bad": the uptempo songs "Easy Money" , "Funky Country" and "If Her Lovin' Don't Kill Me" are merely okay - worth 3 or 3.5 stars each. These three songs are the ones on which the John Rich "Muzik Mafia" sound is the most in evidence.

Now the really good: The fourth uptempo number, however, "Brown Liquor" is really excellent, on a par with John's best uptempo numbers like "Black Sheep", "Chicken Truck" or "Swingin'"

Aside from the John & Merle & Willie offering, John has six really, really good solo ballads; in fact,I don't think John Anderson has ever done wrong by a ballad in his life. For me the highlights are "A Woman Knows", a sensitive John Rich-Julie Roberts penned ballad along the lines of Johnny Darrell's 1969 hit "A Woman Without Love" and John Anderson's song about about a woman's threat to her wayward husband that she'll give him "Something To Drink About". "Weeds" penned by Anderson and his late friend Lionel Delmore, might prove to be the favorite ballad from the CD for many listeners.

All in all, a very pleasant surprise as I was having nightmares about how a John Rich-produced CD might sound. Fortunately, it sounds like John Anderson being John Anderson, and it doesn't get much better than that

"

JOHN ANDERSON IS BACK IN A BIG WAY!!!

ILU | 06/10/2007

(5 out of 5 stars)

"
John Anderson has always been one of the great voices in country music and since his start in the early `80s has racked up an impressive list of great albums. His distinctive country baritone and singing style can hardly be compared to anybody else in the country music business and on his new album "Easy Money" you can hear that John is still in fine voice and remained true to his sound and country roots. 6 of the 11 songs are co-written by John Anderson and although he has giving John Rich full production credits, this album turned out to be a classic sounding John Anderson album.

With this CD John Anderson is giving you everything you are longing for as a true country music lover. A great mix of songs from strong country rockers as "Easy Money", "Funcky Country", or "If Her Lovin' Don't Kill Me", to toe-tipping Honky Tonk tunes like "Brown Liquor", and "Something To Drink About" until outstanding ballads as the wonderful "A Woman Knows", the moanful "Bonny Blue", or heartfelt ones like "Weeds", and "I Can't Make Her Cry Anymore", as well as the emotional "You Already Know My Love" (which is my favourite together with "Weeds") and the Willie Nelson, Merle Haggard collaboration of "Willie's Guitar" make this album worth every cent. There is not a bad song on here and you will love them all!

Florida boy John Anderson has always been an underrated superstar of country music. Now I am hoping that his new album "Easy Money" will help to pick up his career again and give him back the attention he deserves so much.

Do yourself a favor and get you a copy of "Easy Money" right now! If not, you will be sorry for missing one of the best country music releases of 2007.

God bless John Anderson and his wonderful music!

"

He can make me cry

R. G. Lutz | Colorado | 05/17/2007

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This is a great 10 song album. Solid sounding honky tonk, and modern sounding country. What a voice! What a craftsman!

Loved Bonnie Blue, Weeds, I Can't Make Her Cry Anymore and Willie's Guitar.

But there isn't a bad song on the entire disc. Willie and Merl make an appearance"

Anderson Gets Rich with "Easy Money"

T. Yap | Sydney, NSW, Australia | 05/18/2007

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Prime Cuts: Something to Drink About, I Can't Make Her Cry Anymore, A Woman Knows

Anderson gets Rich (that is John Rich of Big and Rich) with "Easy Money." Produced by the godfather of the Muzik Mafia John Rich, "Easy Money" ushers the much anticipated return of Anderson on what is this year's most highly-profiled CD. However, long time fans of Anderson need not fear, "Easy Money" is not your mere gadget for Rich to transmit his high-tech gonzo kind of rock-country. Rather, this is mainly bona fide John Anderson indulgent with Anderson's honeyed drawl and wild-turkey twang. Regretfully, thus far radio has ignored this album's couple of singles namely "If Her Loving Don't Kill Me" and "A Woman's Knows." Nevertheless, radio's tepid reception no way tarnishes the sturdy quality of this 11-track disc.

Hands down, the cynosure of this album is in the ballads. Sophomore single "A Woman's Knows," coming from the pens of Vicky McGehee, John Rich and Julie Roberts, is a sensitive cheating ballad told from the perspective of a woman who through her intuition detects her man's infidelity. "Willie Guitar," with its gently strummed acoustic guitars and mournful-sounding fiddles, is creatively written tearjerker that compares the whole in one's heart with a hole in Willie Nelson's guitar. Recalling Anderson's "Mississippi Moon," "Weeds" (which is co-written by Anderson's recently deceased friend and hit writer Lionel Delmore) is a swampy bluesy fiddle-driven downer. Co-written with fellow Music Mafia Cowboy Troy, "Bonnie Blue" has all the charm of the South with an appropriate touch of racial reconciliation in the closing lines: "Bonnie Blue, is your tattered flag still flyin'/Bonnie Blue, yeah they showed you wrong from right/Bonnie Blue, I'm so sorry that I'm cryin'/But there isn't that much difference between black and white."

Of the uptempoes, "Brown Liquor" is a honky-tonk stomper that calls to mind George Jones' "White Lightning." For unadulterated country without the screeching rock guitars, the barroom weeper "Something to Drink About" is insatiably good. However, there are a few misfires: "If Her Loving Don't Kill Me," formerly a minor hit for Aaron Tippin is pretty mediocre for a lead single material. Also, "Funky Country" and "Easy Money" are more Big and Rich than Anderson. Despite the presence of a guitar solo by Keith Urban, the title track, a bemoaning lament about the hardships of being an entertainer is too idiosyncratic. Though "Funky Country" tries to transport Anderson into the age of ipods, but it fails miserably with its ear-popping drums and ill-constructed melodic lines.

Overall, "Easy Money" is posed for great things for Anderson. As a sonic conduit between traditional country and modern neo-traditionalism, "Easy Money" has enough to please both camps. However, as a departure from most Anderson albums, there are more ballads than usual. Frankly these slowies are the ones that steal the show--they show that after all these years, Anderson still sings with his heart on his sleeve."

JAW Review

Jerald A. Windsor | kansas city, mo | 07/05/2007

(5 out of 5 stars)

"John Anderson is back & better than ever. You can't help missing his sooth voice. Even if you you don't like country, you must get this album."

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