Gene Watson has been singing professionally since the late 1950s and has been a country music album recording artist since the late 1960s.
Gene Watson’s contribution to the country music genre is immeasurable.
It is here where you have an opportunity to read a review of Gene Watson’s ‘Back in The Fire‘ (Warner Bros. Records, 1988), as published in the March 1989 issue of Country Music People.
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Country Music People have long ago nailed its colours to the mast where Gene Watson is concerned.
CMP has rigorously championed Gene Watson’s cause down through the years and have published a number of reviews of his album releases.
All reviews have been reproduced with the kind permission of Country Music People.
‘Back in The Fire‘ (Warner Bros. Records, 1988)
Country Music People, March 1989
This review of ‘Back in The Fire‘ (Warner Bros. Records, 1988) by Craig Baguley was published in the March 1989 issue of Country Music People, and is reproduced here with the kind permission of the publishers.
Album Review by Craig Baguley
(***** out of 5)
‘It’s certainly good to see Gene Watson back on record again. A man who has always remained faithful to his country roots, totally unwilling to compromise the music he loves, Gene has had a bit of a hiatus since leaving CBS last year and his presence has been sorely missed.
Now signed for management with Lib Hatcher (she of Randy Travis), his resurrection on Warner Bros. is a fine piece of work produced by Paul Worley.
Leading off with his current single biggie, ‘Don’t Waste It On The Blues’, a swing-influenced mid-pacer that features jaunty fiddle from Mark O’Connor, Gene works his way through a selection of varying tempoed numbers that prove honky tonk country ain’t dead by a long chalk.
‘Dreams of A Dreamer’ is straight off a true grit Texas dance floor (and almost matches my favourite Darrell McCall version of the song) with its typical nick-nick lead off fiddle, while western swing is well served by Buddy Cannon‘s ‘Ain’t No Fun To Be Alone In San Antone’.
Slow pacers include a good version indeed of the Randy Travis co-written weepie, ‘The Great Divide’, with a plaintive Gene expressing his sorrow over love’s parting of the ways.
The break-up theme is continued with ‘Somewhere Over You’, but this time the man’s feeling a bit better about the new life ahead.
‘Just How Little I Know’ is a little on the funky side with Pop telling son that on the road of life ‘the longer I live, the more I learn just how little I know’.
Fiddle lead-off tells us we’re in for a solid country rendition of Lefty Frizzell’s ‘She Found The Key’ (Lefty Frizzell: Saturday 31 March 1928 – Saturday 19 July 1975) and this country shuffler in no way disappoints.
The medium tempoed cryin’-in-my-beer ‘The Jukebox Played Along’ leads into the soft, meaningful vocalising of the ballad, ‘When A Fool Learns’, to finish off a very tasty set from one of the best country melodists around’.
Craig Baguley
Country Music People
March 1989
