Single Reviews – Page 107 – Country Universe

Reviews: Barry Manilow & Reba McEntire, “Islands in the Stream” and Dolly Parton, “Drives Me Crazy”

January 11, 2009 Kevin John Coyne 8

“Islands in the Stream” is a ridiculous song. The arrangement is tacky. The lyrics make absolutely no sense. It’s basically a big ol’ hunk of cheese, aged since 1983. So why did it work so

Review: Chuck Wicks, “Man of the House”

January 9, 2009 Dan Milliken 23

You could write one heck of a great song by exploring the complex perspective of a boy who feels obligated to fill the void left in his family by his father’s engagement away from home.

Review: Craig Morgan, “God Must Really Love Me”

January 8, 2009 Leeann Ward 7

In the past, one could credibly argue that while Craig Morgan’s music hasn’t been especially memorable or intriguing, his music had a sort of authentic charm that helped set him apart from some other mid-level

Review: Doug Stone, "Don't Tell Mama"

January 8, 2009 Dan Milliken 17

There are some singers you generally shou ldn’t touch if you don’t want to your rendition to be remembered for second-bestness. You shouldn’t touch Patsy, you shouldn’t touch Connie, you shouldn’t touch Merle, you shouldn’t

Review: Trace Adkins, “Marry for Money”

January 7, 2009 Kevin John Coyne 16

What can you say about a mediocre novelty song? It’s not so bad that Adkins embarrasses himself like he did with “Swing”, but it lacks the self-deprecating charm of “I Got My Game On” and

Review: John Michael Montgomery, “Forever”

January 7, 2009 Kevin John Coyne 3

Single Review: Tim McGraw, “Nothin’ to Die For”

January 5, 2009 Guest Contributor 0

Country music history is littered with stormy relationships. Hank and Audrey. George and Tammy. Tim McGraw and Curb Records. With the seventh (!) single from his 2007 album, Let It Go, Curb is milking the

Single Review: Jimmy Wayne, “I Will”

January 5, 2009 Guest Contributor 16

Miley Cyrus’ boyfriend, Justin Gaston, survived two rounds of NBC’s Nashville Star this past summer; the L.A. underwear model failed to turn his golden-boy good looks into a John Rich recording session. If Gaston’s sniffing

Single Review: Keith Anderson, “She Could’ve Been Mine”

January 5, 2009 Guest Contributor 7

A slow-tempo song rehashing an old romance, “She Could’ve Been Mine” is an exhibition of Keith Anderson’s range; his falsettos that accompany its final fade are impressive, if superfluous. But a little dollop will do

Review: The Raconteurs featuring Ricky Skaggs and Ashley Monroe, “Old Enough”

December 6, 2008 Dan Milliken 16

Country crossovers have been getting a really bad rep recently. The tension is nothing new, of course – only the late John Denver could claim to have his name set aflame on a CMA telecast