Published on Oct 4, 2000
Dallas Wayne is the stereotypical country artist – namely, a big
man with a big voice. On first glance, he appears to be the kind of
man whom you wouldn’t want to cross in a bar fight, yet you have to
wonder if there isn’t a soft, “teddy bear” side to the man.
I worried about what I would think of Wayne’s debut CD,
Big Thinkin’, and whether he would show up on my doorstep
one morning to do a Texas two-step on my spine if I didn’t have
nice things to say about the disc.
Luckily for me, Wayne’s new disc is so solid that I have nothing
to fear.
Big Thinkin’ is such an impressive album that some people
might be surprised to discover that this is indeed Wayne’s debut
disc.
Of course, Wayne has the scars of years of life on the road that
have helped to shape the sound on
Big Thinkin’ – and there’s nothing that will help shape your
sound than sharpening it on stage. Take that experience, the
assistance of producer and co-songwriter Robbie Fulks, 12
incredible songs and a wonderful mixture of deep thinking and a
sense of humor, and you have Wayne in a nutshell.
Wayne’s down-to-earth lyrics and portrayals of life as it really
is helps to make the songs on
Big Thinkin’ stand out all the more as being something
special in an already crowded field. Yes, there are still the songs
which sing about pain and heartbreak, such as “Rock Bottom, Pop. 1”
and “Old 45’s”, but there is a freshness about Wayne’s approach to
the material that doesn’t make it seem like he’s re-treading on
tired, old ground.
And yet, there is a tongue-in-cheek approach that Wayne takes to
his music as well. “If That’s Country” dares to take a stab at the
more popular form of country music that has found popularity among
the masses… and even refers to Garth Brooks (or, more correctly,
his alter ego). Likewise, you have to smile when you hear a song
like “We Never Killed Each Other (But Didn’t We Try?)”. (Memo to
Pete Levin: Here’s another one to add to your list of humorous
country song titles.)
Wayne proves himself to be a storyteller who is at the top of
his game when you hear songs like “Coldwater, Tennessee,” “The Only
Way To Die” and “Raelene Wheeler”. Wayne is doing everything on
this disc so well, that you truly believe the guy could put a
restaurant menu to music and make it sound great.
In one sense, I marvel at what Wayne has accomplished with just
one CD, and it makes me wonder what further surprises he has in
store for his soon-to-be-large legion of fans. One also has to
wonder if he will be able to live up to the expectations that
people will have once they fall in love with this material. But I
guess we’ll worry about that when Wayne does release album number
two.
Big Thinkin’ is more than an album title; it’s a statement
that boldly claims there’s a new force to be dealt with in country
music. And that force has a name: Dallas Wayne. This is easily one
of the best discs I’ve listened to all year.