Friday, February 18, 2011

Gary Stewart - Drinkin' Thing

Get it here:  Drinkin' Thing

I don't think Gary Stewart gets enough play among casual country music fans, but he's not a secret by any means to critics.  He had a technically weak vibratto voice, and frankly the vast majority of his stuff didn't really connect with me.  But goodness gracious when he hit one out of the park, he really did.

This song has the exact same subject matter as most of his really great ones.  He's got a drinking thing to keep from thinking about his wife or girlfriend cheating on him.

You can tell his voice really strains on this song, but somehow that just makes it sound even better.  You never hear a voice more perfectly suited to a song than with Gary's big hits.

These songs to me sound like a weird combination of super hardcore honky tonk and late 70's early 80's pop.  I ready somewhere that he actually didn't like these songs but was forced to do them by the record label guys.  If that's the case, then its another example of what I think is a rule in hillbilly music: To be any good, it needs to be hardcore, but it also needs to be commercial. 

Killer Line - "I've got this drinkin' thing, to keep from thinkin things"

If you like this one, a couple more greats are here:

1.  Out Of Hand

2.  She's Actin' Single (I'm Drinkin' Doubles)
 

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