George Strait's Strait From the Heart Stays True
Over the New Year's break, I spent some time taking it easy with George Strait's second album, Strait From the Heart, which I consider one of his finest achievements. Released in 1982, the standout track is "Amarillo by Morning" -- still his signature song almost three decades later -- but if you've been following Strait's music for a long time, you'll also recognize "Fool Hearted Memory" and "A Fire I Can't Put Out," his first No. 1 hits. Interestingly, a few tracks on here wound up recorded by other artists, notably Guy Clark's "Heartbroke" (a No. 1 hit for Ricky Skaggs) and Clay Blaker's "The Only Thing I Have Left" (on Tim McGraw's debut album).
Strait also wrote one of the tracks, "I Can't See Texas From Here," which resurfaced on Dancing With the Stars last year as a backdrop to former U.S. Congressman Tom DeLay's Texas two-step. One of my all-time favorites, though, is "Marina Del Rey," written by Dean Dillon and Frank Dycus. As Strait reminisces about the inevitable end of a long-distance romance, it's like a whole movie unfolds in just three minutes. Some people might think the distant echoes of squawking seagulls are a little much, but I guess I'm a sucker because it still gets to me every single time.
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countryiscool says:
“Amarillo” is my fave Strait song.
Joe says:
I actually bought this album down at a guitar convention this past March..Still got to listen to it though
Peacock Queen says:
Well, his SECOND album was released in 1982. Twenty-eight years ago this year. That is thirty years of straight (no pun intended!) hit-making. Beautiful, wonderful, amazing hit songs. How many other artists can say that? Not many. Argue all you want, but George Strait is the KING.
brian griffin says:
Marina Del Rey is a great but underappreciated song. That he has so many hits that this one can be almost forgotten says a lot about his career.
Debra says:
George Strait is the King!! It will be a sad day for country music when he retires. Long live cowboys and he is the real deal and didnt wear a cowboy hat just to get a record deal like some in country music.A Fire I Cant put out is one of his best songs.
Redmaz says:
I’ll have to pass on Strait, but Guy Clark is a genius, and a living legend. I have been a fan of his for nearly 35 years, and he’s still making hits on the charts. his current CD is “Someday’s The Song Writes You” and I believe it’s #17 on this weeks AMA chart.
rodney says:
lol guy clark. you got to be kidding me man, get out of here with that junk. he is descent artists but we are talking about the king here man guy clark cant whole a candle to george. all i got to say is more number one hits than anyone and more gold and platium records than anyone other than elvis and the beatles and in two years he will have that record too. lonngggggggg liveeee the kinggggg.
Redmaz says:
Well everyone is entitled to their opinion, even you rodney, and I was being nice about Strait. Personally, I see him as nothing more than an average cover singer, that is boring as can be. One might say the Pat Boone of Pop Country. If it wasn’t for the songwriters, your so called “King” wouldn’t have any #1’s. After his disrepect for the songwriters during his acceptance speech into the Hall of Fame on TV, and him admitting in an interview that he doesn’t even pick up a guitar, and basically has nothing to do with music until it’s time to make a record, or go on tour, I don’t see him as an artist at all, just a singer. Unlike Guy Clark the only genre Strait is recognized in is Pop Country. Maybe it’s just that your requirements for King are lower than mine. Which is cool. To each their own.
lacey says:
i love georgia streat
Paul says:
I’ll bet you do lacey. Now, who is she?
Tailgatetroubadour says:
Hey Redmaz, I gotta say congrats for knowing all that trivia fact stuff there, but you’re missing the point of music. It’s not about stastics and who does what and the, “Oh, well that’s not real country”. It’s about the song’s soul and the meaning behind.
They’re both great musicians and they’ve got great songs, but they’re not great because they’ve got “this many #1’s” or “that many #1’s”.
Just saying.
Redmaz says:
Hi TGT, thanks for the reply, but you must be new around here, so let me just say I completely agree with you. I’m certainly not missing the point of music, and this has always been my stance. It’s not about statistics, and it’s always about the music for me. My mentioning Guy Clarks achievements was in hope of maybe just one of the people around here would take some time to expand their musical knowledge by checking out more than just Mainstream Pop Music. It doesn’t happen around here very often though. Your opinion happens to be they’re both great musicians, I happen to disagree. Nice talking with you.
Peacock Queen says:
Redmaz,
Au contraire, my good man. It was freezing here yesterday, and I had some down time, so I checked out some of the artists you and Merelfan have been suggesting. Here are my thoughts. Now, bear in mind that I am being completely honest here. I would not insult your intelligence by believing you to be unable to handle an honest opinion.
Joey and Rory – WOW, WOW, WOW! Loved them! They are great. Loved “Play the Song.” I have heard “Cheater Cheater” on my very commercial country station. Imagine that. I will be calling my local radio stations and requesting “Sweet Emmylou.” There is no reason why that song isn’t being played on ALL country radio. Same thing can be said for “To Say Goodbye.” This gal can sing. She can sing. Very Patsy Cline-esq and I never thought I would be able to say that in this day and age! I have to have “The Life of a Song” album.
Amber Digby rocks!!! What a great vocalist. LOVE HER!!!!!! “If You See My Baby”? My second very Patsy Cline-esq find of the day. Thank you, Merlefan! If you love Loretta Lynn, you will love Amber Digby.
Billy Don Burns. Amazing. Sounds as though Kris Kristofferson, Waylon Jennings and Willie Nelson had a child. Not sure how that happened!
Dale Watson (Volume 2 Truckin’ Sessions) – familiar with Dale, limitedly though. Love his voice, it’s outstanding, but the songs on this album do not sound any different from George Strait’s, at least not to me.
Wayne Hancock (“Thunderstors and Neon Signs”) I enjoyed him, but he sounds too much like Hank Williams. Who was the original? Wayne or Hank. How does “She’s My Baby” sound any different from some of the songs Alan Jackson has done? ”Big City Good Time Gal” is 1950s rock! Didn’t Michael J. Fox’s character play a guitar like that in “Back To The Future”?
Miss Leslie’s Between the Whiskey and Wine album is straight-up country and I loved it! “In The Matter of Me and You” is a great-sounding traditional country song.
Loved Justin Trevino (“More Loud Music and Strong Wine”). Great vocals, great straight-up country songs. This may sound strange, but I could hear Marty Robbins in “Loud Music and Strong Wine.”
Liked Roger Wallace (“Hillbilly Heights” album), but once again, I could hear George Strait in “Wishful Drinking” and “Hang On Sally.” I could hear Alan Jackson in “Nobody Loving Me.” All the songs I heard were great, though!
Enjoyed James Hand (“Shadow On the Ground”). One of the best. I loved “Just a Heart” and “Midnight Run.” I was reminded of Vern Gosdin in “Don’t Depend On Me.” I loved Vern Gosdin, so it is not a surprise to me that I really enjoyed Hand.
I guess my point is that I do love the traditional country music, but I like most all of the new artists (relatively speaking because Strait, Jackson, McGraw are not exactly “new”). Don’t care for Swift’s or Ballestrini’s music. Ballestrini has a very lovely voice, but her songs sound like Dido or Spears. But I can understand the very young music fans enjoying these artists.
Tailgatetroubadour says:
Quick question, even if I am new around here, what’s it matter?
And I happen to listen to Guy Clark, Dwight Yoakam, Johnny Cash, and non “pop” artists as well as newer artists. It’s good that you want people to expand their musical knowledge and listen to artists other than the newest ones. But perhaps you should take some of your own advice and listen to older, not so mainstream AND new mainstream artists and expand your musical borders.
Anyway, it was nice talking to you to, and I hope I haven’t offended you at all. I actually do hate debating and arguing. Well, good day.
Redmaz says:
That’s my point exactly TGT. You seem not to know what I listen to. I listen to all types of music from many generations, old, new. From the Bristol Sessions, to the Sun recordings, the the Countrypolitan boom, all the way through to today’s cutting edge Americana/Red Dirt scene. Americana/Roots, Mainstream Pop, Jazz, Blues, Bluegrass, Roots Rock, Roots Country, old and new. During the 70’s and 80’s I was listening to Mainstream music on the radio, however I was already into the Alternative scene by then too. Most importantly I never comment on any music I haven’t taken the time to listen to. I was wondering if you are familiar with the music I mainly listen to? Which would be today’s Americana/Roots music. A few are listed above by Peacock Queen. I have hundreds of other suggestions if you are interested. Thanks.
Schellie says:
i was first introduced to george strait’s music in 1991; i had moved home and found that my Mom loved him!!! She had the movie Pure Country and we watched it all the time. if you were riding in Mom’s car, you were listening to george!! whether you liked it or not!!! And every time a new cd came out, we each got a copy of it. At the time i was 27 years old, going through a divorce and hadn’t listened to country music since i had left home 9 years earlier!!! I stood in line with my Mother, who at the time was in her 70’s, @ 3 am in the bitter cold in cincinnati, ohio to get tickets to the Country Music Festival! i have been fortunate enough to see him in concert 4 times; 3 of those with my Mom!! we have 2 cardboard standups of george, one decorated for christmas and the other major events; he donned my daughter’s cap and gown when she graduated high school; there’s even a picture of four of her five daughters around george!! over the years i learned so much about george and his family as well as his music because of my Mom. She attended 3 roping rodeos, dozens of concerts all over the country. my father passed away in 1991 and she was still so full of life. she looked forward to the tour dates every year; she was planning to see him in vegas again this year. unfortunately, we lost our wonderful Mother to breast cancer this year, January 5th. She was 84. She’d had a grand life, so it’s no secret that it was her request to have “My Life’s Been Grand” played at the funeral, as well as “You’ll Be There” and “Infinite Love”. I’m thankful for George and the fact that he’s still George. and the fact that for almost 19 years after she lost the love of her life, she was happy to live for her family, her God and George Strait. Rest in Peace Mama; i’m sure God likes George too!!!! And thank you George, for being you!!! p.s. redmaz give it up already!!!