Drinkin' Songs & Other Logic

1	Drinkin' Songs & Other Logic 3:17
2	Heartaches 3:26
3	Code of the West 3:43
4	Rainbow in the Rain 2:22
5	Undercover Cowboy 3:48
6	Go It Alone 3:31
7	Too Much Rock 3:01
8	A Big One 2:57
9	I Don't Wanna Tell You 3:12
10	Back Home in Heaven 3:35
11	Thinkin' of You 3:07
12	Longnecks & Rednecks 3:02

Barnes & Noble

Picking up where he left off with 2004's excellent Spend My Time, Clint Black returns with another impressive self-produced album of finely crafted songs, affecting vocal performances, and some note-perfect support from his seasoned road band. As the title suggests, a few of the tunes are in the venerable tradition of country drinkin' numbers, including the title track and the honky-tonk stomper "Longnecks & Rednecks," but the best cuts are classic Black ruminations on time passing, missed opportunities, lost love, and treasured friendship. Black hits some career highlights on originals such as the eerie, galloping "Code of the West" (in which he laments the passing of a world where the good guys were clearly distinguishable from the bad, and seems to comment on the war on terror and how our "moder- day heroes show 'em how the West was won") and the tearful ballad "Go It Alone," in which Black summons a heartfelt vocal tribute to a fellow traveler with whom he shares a twilight moment of rough 'n' rowdy times fading fast in the modern age. A most genial breakup song, "I Don't Wanna Tell You" is a dance hall gem, its loping rhythm spiced by lively fiddle soloing, sprightly pedal steel lines, and interjections of honk-tonk piano and jazzy electric guitar. Drinkin' to forget is the timeless topic of the catchy, mid-tempo heartbreaker "Thinkin' of You," with Black's carefully measured vocal shadings bolstered by a lonesome twanging guitar. In the throes of a Vince Gill–like artistic resurgence, Clint Black sounds like he's just getting started. Amen to that. David McGee

All Music Guide

Partway through Drinkin' Songs & Other Logic, his second album for Equity Records, Clint Black sings about how "there's just too much rock in this country", which is kind of a funny sentiment for a singer who delivered a slick crossover effort called Spend My Time last time around. On this fine straight-ahead effort, Black never addresses that contradiction but rather quietly ignores Spend My Time and returns to the hardcore country that made his reputation. The title alone explains what the album is all about -- it's all about pure country, usually hardcore honky tonk ranging from fiddle-fueled dance tunes to barroom ballads. Occasionally, Black steps away of the sound, as on the anthemic "Code of the West," which may not sonically fit with the rest of the record, but its swaggering recasting of the war of terror as a cowboy battle does fit in with the sentiment of the album. Judged on sound alone, it's a minor misstep -- as is the wah-wah guitar on the riff for "Undercover Cowboy," which is just a bit silly -- but the rest of the album is quite good. There's nothing surprising, but Black has written a strong set of songs and they're brought to life but his crack supporting band, who keep things lean, muscular, and very enjoyable. This may fall short of Killin' Time, but it surely returns Black to the musical ground where he's at his best, and it's his most satisfying album in a long time. Stephen Thomas Erlewine