K. Coleman | Phoenix, AZ United States | 04/08/2006
(5 out of 5 stars)
"I put my title in quotes because that's what Hank III has called Dale Watson. He isn't far wrong. Dale is one-hundred-percent the real deal, a country music singer the way country music is supposed to sound, without a single drop of Nashville's pop machine touching his pure honky-tonking sound. As a plus, Dale has a powerhouse baritone that doesn't need any fiddling to put it on key (seeing him live is a major treat). "Whiskey or God" may have been culled from older songs Dale's written and other popular cuts from his live shows, but it fits together nicely as a complete album, including several "tear-in-your-beer" songs, a few chuckles, and a couple of just plain fun songs.
Dale Watson is not only a genuine country music singer, he's a very genuine fellow. You'll never meet a nicer guy. Just try any of his discs and if you like country music, you'll like Dale. "Whiskey or God" isn't quite as structured an album as last year's amazing "Dreamland," but it's still Dale Watson, and that makes it better than most. Enjoy."
Real country music with some Texas spice as hot as tabasco
J. Ross | Roseburg, OR USA | 03/25/2006
(4 out of 5 stars)
"Playing Time - 39:17 -- Honky tonker Dale Watson's "Whiskey or God" is the same album formerly released as "Heeah!" but has new cover art with photos by Rob Buck. Watson has put out annual releases for about a decade, and mainstream success has eluded him. "Whiskey or God" has the Texas troubadour telling his stories exquisitely with pure heart and soul. His passionate baritone vocals are delivered with abundant personality, and this makes his songs immediately appealing. Of course, there are a few hooks too in his tightly-crafted and ardent country music.
Top notch instrumental support is provided by Herb Bolofsky (drums), Gene Kurtz (bass), Don Don Pawlak (pedal steel), Don Raby (fiddle), Jon Blondell (trombone), and Floyd Domino (piano). They're an amazing band that encompasses everything that is country. OK, maybe the trombone isn't exactly country, but it adds some nice flavorings. I wonder how many of these guys are part of Dale's band, The Lone Stars, or whether they are just ringers brought in for the sessions. If one thing is missing on "Whiskey or God," it's some stronger background vocals although Dale does lay in a few tenors to his lead vocals here and there.
The compelling and exciting set has a number of winners. "Sit and Drink and Cry," "Darlin' Look At Me Now," "No Help Wanted," and "I Don't Feel Too Lucky Today" are examples of fine songcrafting. They hold their own as distinctive country meat-and-potatoes fare, and some new catchy outlooks are presented in "Truckin' Queen" and "38..21..34." If these songs don't get you grinning, nothing will. Hey Dale, look out for the feminists who might chastise you for the latter.
Speaking of hooks, Cajun fiddle introduces the spirited and danceable "I Ain't Been Right, Since I've Been Left." This album does get the good times rolling. With "My Heart is Yours," Watson proves he can also croon a beautiful love ballad. "Tequilla and Teardrops" would have been enhanced with a more raucous and infectious Tex-Mex mariachi kind of feel. "Whiskey or God" suffers slightly as a result of over-arranged brass lines and the metronomic thumping of snare drum. "I Wish I Was Crazy Again" recalls a dark moment in Watson's life when his fiancée lost her life in a auto accident on 9/15/00. Overcoming depression, the voices of demons, and a suicide attempt, Watson became the subject of Hollywood director Zalman King's documentary film called "Crazy Again" that will premiere at Austin's South by Southwest Festival in March, 2006. Let's hope that Watson isn't outta sorts as badly as he sings about in "Outta Luck." A nod to the western swing style of Bob Wills is given in "Heeah!!," and Jon Blondell's trombone gives it an almost big band essence.
There's a bunch going on in Dale Watson's life. The word is that Dale is moving north to Portland to be near his two kids. There's also a book about his life in the works, and a live DVD filmed in Holland is forthcoming. Did I mention that Dale has a large following in Europe? In the meantime, Watson refers to most of the music coming out of Nashville as "mechanical pop music." It's gratifying to know that guys like him are still racking up miles on the road to introduce audiences from 100 to 5,000 to real country music, with some Texas spice as hot as tabasco. (Joe Ross, Roseburg, OR.)
"
Say it ain't so Dale!
Bt | Parts unknown | 04/14/2006
(5 out of 5 stars)
"Rumour has it that Dale may leave the music scene to focus on his family life. That would be a terrible shame....for us! This guy's one of the saviours of today's real country music. A throwback to the days of Merle, Johnny, & George, he's one of the few remaining true-blue nut-kickers in the business. This disc is fantastic, as are all his releases. It was released (under a different title "Heeah!!") last year overseas, and it took home "Best Country Album" honours in one poll of Americana/roots web-site reviews. Give me a call Dale, I'll do my best to talk you out of it!"
Country Like it Should Be...Honky Tonk Heaven!
C. Jones | West Linn, OR USA | 04/05/2006
(5 out of 5 stars)
"Dale makes great old style country music. He is hard core and does not compromise to make it sound like today's watered down country-pop. If you like songs that could easily fit in with any Merle Haggard classic, then Dale is your man.
While the songs sound like "real" country to me, they also are not dated, dull or uninspired. These songs have a true sense of urgency, quality and are just as fresh sounding today as they would be circa 1968.
Give Dale a try and you will be looking at buying all his CD's (I recommend, "I Hate These Songs" CD as a follow up to this one).
You may even find yourself (like me) making several trips to Austin, Texas to see Dale live at the "Broken Spoke". A true country music dance hall classic. Dale often plays there. You dance, you drink, you sing, you have a great time for five or six hours!
Highly Recommended..."
That WHISKEY-Flavored Voice Is A Gift From GOD
Jef Fazekas | Newport Beach, California United States | 06/09/2006
(4 out of 5 stars)
"Having followed Dale Watson for just his last three releases - starting with 2001's heart-rending EVERY SONG I WRITE IS FOR YOU, thru his upbeat Christmas disc and, finally, his bouyant 2004 effort, DREAMLAND - I may not be as qualified as some of the other reviewers who have posted their thoughts when it comes to deciding if this is his best lbum ever, but I know what I like, and I like Dale Watson! He truly is an original....there's a simple honesty to his lyrics and a unique blend of studly manliness and aching vulnerability to his vocals. That said, do I consider his latest WHISKEY OR GOD (retitled from the European HEEAH!! version) his best release yet? No, I don't; to me, there's an overall sense of filler to much of the disc, like a lot of these songs are exactly what Watson himself said they are...old songs that never made it on to other albums. Mind you, the CD is still very enjoyable....I'm just holding it against what I consider to be the VERY high standards of ...YOU and DREAMLAND. Things kick off with the lilting "Sit And Drink And Cry." Awash with pedal steel guitar and fiddle, Watson's confessional lead vocal is miserably upbeat - if such a thing is possible! - dancing over lyrics about how the world around you continues on, even after your's has come crashing down. A perfect album opener! There's a little more steel in Watson's vocal on the disc's title track, as he paints a picture of a man at the end of his rope, a man who knows he can only be saved by faith....or fluid. This is classic country, something you won't hear (sadly!) on today's radio playlists. Ditto "I Don't Feel Lucky Today".....this swinging, swaying gem could easily be from the late 50's/early 60's (In fact, upon my first listen, my first thought was "Man, Patsy Cline would have NAILED that song!"). Watson's vocal is silky smooth, while Don Don Pawlak's pedal steel fills are once again perfectly placed. "No Help Wanted" is upbeat and pleasant enough, but it also seems some what dated and forced, like Watson's going for an everyman image that he's moved beyond and/or outgrown. For me, this is definitely one of the songs that scream "FILLER!" Not so "My Heart Is Yours (Hell And Back)", WHISKEY OR GOD's emotional core. Based on it's almost naked intensity and vulnerability, I would wager this is an outtake from the EVERY SONG....sessions. Whether that's the case or not, I'd have to say it's the God's honest truth that this is one of Watson's Top Five all-time best songs! Wrapped up in a gorgeous, understated arrangement that's just drippping with emotion, Watson's vocal is honest and unadorned. Said vocal is perfectly suited for the track's achingly raw, just-below-the-surface lyrics: "It's easy to see girl/It still ain't that strong/It's barely beating from being/Beaten for so long/It's been through hell and back/It's been broken and showing cracks/But it's yours, my heart is yours." Stick that in your Stetson, Tim Chesney! Almost as good is the country swing of "It Hurts So Good." This tale of a one night stand - and paying the price in the morning ("Faking love/Faking romance/Doing things could be lovers think they should/We'll get lost in the moment/Regrets come in the morning/It'll hurt tomorrow/But tonight it'll hurt so good")- practically twirls you around the dance floor, and the proverbial wink-and-nudge in Watson's voice is absolutely infectious. Yep, another winner! "Truckin' Queen" is fun in a Jim Stafford, novelty song kind of way, but it's charms (and silliness) starts to wear thin after repeated listens. Once again, filler. Things rebound nicely with the easy-going, easy-flowing "Darlin' Look At Me Now." Musically crisp, lyrically smart, yet vague, you can't help but wonder....is the storyteller in a bar....or an asylum?!? Love can be a one way ticket to either destination! Capping the track off is a sterling lead vocal from Watson. I also really like "Crazy Again", a stripped-down, bare-bones weeper. Punctuated by Jon Blondell's muted trombone, this tale of insanity ("You know they say I went crazy/And by crazy I mean mentally insane") is both captivating and heart-breaking. In a hushed, almost lazy, vocal, Watson makes a strong case for holding on to said insanity; it allows you to keep the present at bay, living in a past "without pain", where "there was no hurting." This is Watson at his best, another of WHISKEY OR GOD's high points. "I Ain't Been Right, Since I've Been Left" has a glorious bayou groove to it, all Cajun fiddles and swampy energy. Watson's vocal is freer and less guarded than usual, which only adds to the party vibe. This style, along with the sexy TexMex of "Tequila And Teardrops" (dig those horns!), is something Watson should play around with more on future releases. Two more winners! "38..21..34" is another cute novelty song, albeit stronger than the others. Featuring some killer understated barroom piano and a sassy lead vocal, this track is fun, fun, fun, plain and simple! "Outta Luck" is classic Dale Watson (I'm sure just about everyone would question the line "Outta date, out of my prime", though!), while the disc's closer, "Heeah!!", is a novelty song with a point...that we all become our parents or, worse, the "old man who lived down the road!" So, all in all, while I personally don't consider WHISKEY OR GOD to be Dale Watson's best release, I'll gladly get on the bandwagon of fans who say it's a welcomed addition to an already strong body of work! Oh....one last thing...I would have also kept the original European artwork. For me, the jeans, leather vest and black boots-clad Watson a top his bike is much more the person I hear singing these songs than the buttoned-up, uncomfortable-looking Watson pictured on the US release. But, once again, just my opinion! (As with all my reviews, I'm giving the disc an extra half a star for including the lyrics)"
Track Listings (14) - Disc #1
