Savin' The Honky Tonk
Released: September 21st, 2004
Vivaton Records
Singles Released:
The Lord Loves A Drinkin' Man
I'm A Saint
Hard Secret To Keep
Released: September 21st, 2004
Vivaton Records
Singles Released:
The Lord Loves A Drinkin' Man
I'm A Saint
Hard Secret To Keep
1.Somebody Save The Honky Tonks
2.I'm A Saint
3.The Lord Loves The Drinkin' Man
4.Would These Arms Be In Your Way
5.You Can't Do Me This Way
6.A Hard Secret To Keep
7.What Are We Doing In Love
8.Don't Ruin It For The Rest Of Us
9.Mama's House
10.Since You Ain't Home
11.Think Like A Woman
12. Then We Can All Go Home
13. Beer Bait & Ammo
14. My Best Drinkin'
15. Honky Tonk Heroes
2.I'm A Saint
3.The Lord Loves The Drinkin' Man
4.Would These Arms Be In Your Way
5.You Can't Do Me This Way
6.A Hard Secret To Keep
7.What Are We Doing In Love
8.Don't Ruin It For The Rest Of Us
9.Mama's House
10.Since You Ain't Home
11.Think Like A Woman
12. Then We Can All Go Home
13. Beer Bait & Ammo
14. My Best Drinkin'
15. Honky Tonk Heroes
Album Review From Billboard.Com
There's a lot of truth to the title of Mark Chesnutt's tenth album, 2004's Savin' the Honky
Tonk. Chenutt began his career as a new traditionalist country singer, indebted to Merle and
George and singing straight-ahead honky tonk, but as his star rose and the decade rolled
along, he moved further and further into country-pop, culminating in his 1999 crossover hit "I
Don't Want to Miss a Thing," a cover of Aerosmith's love theme to Michael Bay's absurd
Armageddon. It might have been his biggest hit, peaking at 17 on the pop charts, but this
wasn't a breakthrough to a new level of success. Shortly afterward, he lost not only that
newfound pop, but he had a hard time cracking the country Top 40 as well. He left
Decca/MCA Nashville after 2000's Lost in the Feeling, releasing a formulaic eponymous
album on Columbia in 2002, yet despite a modest hit in its first single, "She Was," the album
disappeared quickly and, with it, so did Chesnutt's contract with Columbia. Left without a
major, Chesnutt signed with the indie Vivaton and decided to abandon the increasingly poppy,
polished material that characterized his albums of the late '90s. So, he turned back to honky
tonk as much to save himself as to save it, and the results are by and large pretty terrific.
Singing hardcore honky tonk, Chesnutt not only sounds comfortable and relaxed, he's
re-energized, both by the straight-ahead setting and the freedom to pick songs without an eye
on the airwaves. There are still a couple of ballads that are slightly treacly, but in this
unadorned setting, the sentiment doesn't seem so saccharine. Plus, they're primarily used as a
change of pace here, since the heart of this record is in twangy, rollicking honky tonk songs.
Three songs mention drinking or beer in the title, two others mention honky tonks, one tune is
about "Mama's House," and a bunch of others are filled with bad behavior, heartache, and
humor. While Chesnutt's band is a bunch of Nashville pros, the music is none too polished --
it's clear that they're having a good time, and it's hard for listeners not to have a good time as
well. Perhaps Savin' the Honky Tonk will be just a one-off for Chesnutt, and he'll return to
poppier material after this return to his roots, but hopefully not. This album proves that he's at
his best when he sticks to the hard stuff. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine, All Music Guide
There's a lot of truth to the title of Mark Chesnutt's tenth album, 2004's Savin' the Honky
Tonk. Chenutt began his career as a new traditionalist country singer, indebted to Merle and
George and singing straight-ahead honky tonk, but as his star rose and the decade rolled
along, he moved further and further into country-pop, culminating in his 1999 crossover hit "I
Don't Want to Miss a Thing," a cover of Aerosmith's love theme to Michael Bay's absurd
Armageddon. It might have been his biggest hit, peaking at 17 on the pop charts, but this
wasn't a breakthrough to a new level of success. Shortly afterward, he lost not only that
newfound pop, but he had a hard time cracking the country Top 40 as well. He left
Decca/MCA Nashville after 2000's Lost in the Feeling, releasing a formulaic eponymous
album on Columbia in 2002, yet despite a modest hit in its first single, "She Was," the album
disappeared quickly and, with it, so did Chesnutt's contract with Columbia. Left without a
major, Chesnutt signed with the indie Vivaton and decided to abandon the increasingly poppy,
polished material that characterized his albums of the late '90s. So, he turned back to honky
tonk as much to save himself as to save it, and the results are by and large pretty terrific.
Singing hardcore honky tonk, Chesnutt not only sounds comfortable and relaxed, he's
re-energized, both by the straight-ahead setting and the freedom to pick songs without an eye
on the airwaves. There are still a couple of ballads that are slightly treacly, but in this
unadorned setting, the sentiment doesn't seem so saccharine. Plus, they're primarily used as a
change of pace here, since the heart of this record is in twangy, rollicking honky tonk songs.
Three songs mention drinking or beer in the title, two others mention honky tonks, one tune is
about "Mama's House," and a bunch of others are filled with bad behavior, heartache, and
humor. While Chesnutt's band is a bunch of Nashville pros, the music is none too polished --
it's clear that they're having a good time, and it's hard for listeners not to have a good time as
well. Perhaps Savin' the Honky Tonk will be just a one-off for Chesnutt, and he'll return to
poppier material after this return to his roots, but hopefully not. This album proves that he's at
his best when he sticks to the hard stuff. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine, All Music Guide
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