Search - Billy Dean :: Real Man

For the few years leading up to this record, Billy Dean has struggled to find a way to match his talents with the more energized, pop-based sound of ?90s country music. With Real Man, he stops trying to fit into the formulas presented by other singers and returns to the acoustic-based style that originally helped him establish a following. In doing so, he sought production assistance from one of his childhood heroes, singer David Gates, former leader of the ?70s acoustic pop band, Bread. Gates helps Dean bring depth to his overtly sincere songwriting by adding a string section behind the acoustic guitar and straightforward rhythms. The results shore up Dean's strengths nicely. --Michael McCall