Southern Rain

1	You Won't Be Lonely Now 3:53
2	Southern Rain 5:05
3	All I'm Thinking About Is You 3:42
4	We the People 4:11
5	I Will 3:58
6	Love You Back 3:56
7	Burn Down the Trailer Park 3:18
8	Everywhere I Wanna Be 3:28
9	Crazy 'Bout You Baby 3:20
10	Without You 4:05
11	Hey Elvis 5:58

Barnes & Noble

Many wrote off Billy Ray Cyrus' bigger-than-life 1992 smash "Achy Breaky Heart" as a flash in the pan and dismissed Cyrus as a one-hit wonder. But the ongoing vitality of the trailblazing country hunk's recording career has proven the naysayers wrong. Cyrus' sixth album, Southern Rain, offers a winsome mix of upbeat rockers and wistful ballads, demonstrating that the artist's star quality is as strong as ever. Cyrus' sensitive side is showcased on the wistful title track, while the romantic "You Won't Be Lonely Now," "Everywhere I Wanna Be," and "I Will" make convincing cases for romantic devotion. "We the People" is a rousing anthem honoring the average working Joe, and the tongue-in-cheek "Burn Down the Trailer Park" and the sung-spoken power ballad "All I'm Thinking About Is You" show the artist's edgier, quirkier side. And the catchy bonus track "Hey Elvis" is a swaggering ode to the King of Rock 'n' Roll that sounds like a potential novelty hit of "Achy Breaky" proportions. C.O. Jones

All Music Guide

Hooking up with Dixie Chicks producer Blake Chancey and with producer Dann Huff, Billy Ray Cyrus made a label debut that showed off his country-rock abilities well. The single, "You Won't Be Lonely Now," which was rising in the country Top 40 and the pop charts at the time of the album's release, properly displayed the artist's sense of determination against adversity, cloaked in the terms of a love song. Similarly, the title song (co-written by Cyrus), which followed on the album, spoke of perseverance despite lean times. The rest of the record was more varied, including heartfelt ballads ("I Will," "Everywhere I Wanna Be") and up-tempo novelties ("Burn Down the Trailer Park," "Hey Elvis"), but the point had been made. Chancey and Huff helped Cyrus pick material that suited his country-rock style. "Southern Rain," for example, sounded like Bob Dylan's "Knockin' on Heaven's Door" as it might sound played by Lynyrd Skynyrd, while "Love You Back" recalled Little Feat's "Willin'." The result was a sturdy collection of average country songs effectively performed by a minor country talent. All of which was fine, unless you were hoping for an album that measured up to Cyrus' early sales figures, which, of course, Monument was. William Ruhlmann