Storms of Life

1	On the Other Hand 3:06
2	The Storms of Life 2:45
3	My Heart Cracked (But It Did Not Break) 2:20
4	Diggin' up Bones 3:01
5	No Place Like Home 4:08
6	1982 2:59
7	Send My Body 3:02
8	Messin' with My Mind 3:07
9	Reasons I Cheat 4:23
10	There'll Always Be a Honky Tonk Somewhere 3:13

Barnes & Noble

If one album signals the rebirth of classic country music, it's Storms of Life. Following the barren urban-cowboy landscape of the early '80s, Randy Travis's major-label debut was like a fresh wind blowing into Nashville and convinced Music Row that country's commercial future lay in its past. Travis's lonesome hard-country baritone, which brought to mind vintage Merle Haggard and Lefty Frizzell, was the perfect instrument to deliver this collection of honky-tonk and heartache. The opening track, Paul Overstreet's "On the Other Hand," is a tale of a man struggling with marital fidelity, while "Diggin' Up Bones" is as fine an example of old-time country as was possible in 1986. Then there's "1982," which finds Travis in full brokenhearted-reminiscing mode. And if your heart doesn't ache a little bit after hearing "No Place Like Home," see your cardiologist at once. Bob Cannon

All Music Guide

His first and best album features astonishing Lefty Frizzell-style pipes, excellent material, and sympathetic production. Easily the most impressive country debut of the '80s, it includes "1982," "On the Other Hand," "Diggin' Up Bones," and "No Place Like Home." Mark A. Humphrey