Here for a Good Time

iTunes Review

George Strait was one of the few new country singers in the ‘80s who stuck close to the music’s traditions. He proved there was still an audience hungry for the classic country sound and laid the groundwork for folks like Dwight Yoakam and Randy Travis in the process. He’s recorded consistently and frequently, proving after 30 years he can still find the pathos necessary to convey simple, honest truths. His upbeat tunes are joyous and convincing. Al Anderson’s “Love’s Gonna Make It Alright” and the title track, written by Strait and his son, Bubba, kick things into overdrive. However, Strait settles into quite a few ballads and mid-tempos. “House Across the Bay” has a slow-dance romanticism to its sorrow of love gone wrong. “Drinkin’ Man” and “Poison” show the flipside of the party life. There’s gospel (“Three Nails and a Cross”), there’s country-rock (“Blue Marlin Blues”) and there are striking covers of Delbert McClinton’s “Lone Star Blues” and, especially, Jesse Winchester’s “A Showman’s Life.”