Look What Thoughts Will Do

iTunes Review

Lefty Frizzell’s songs are as solidly composed and toughly played as anything by Hank Williams, but where Williams’ music has a fearsome mean streak, Frizzell invested his songs with an easygoing charm. His relaxed drawl was a formative influence not only on Merle Haggard and Willie Nelson but on the generation of crossover country singers that followed them. Frizzell essentially invented the blend of pop songwriting, downhome feeling, and catchy storytelling that went on to be practiced by George Strait, Alan Jackson, and Dwight Yoakam. Frizzell’s 25-year career extended from 1950 to 1975, and Look What Thoughts Will Do encompasses Western Swing (“If You’ve Got the Money I’ve Got the Time”), hard honky-tonk (“Don’t Think It Ain’t Been Fun, Dear”), and even rockabilly (“You’re Humbuggin’ Me”). Although Frizzell brought country music songwriting to a new place and contributed some of the genre’s best tearjerkers, his ability to write an honest love song was his greatest skill. Look What Thoughts Will Do is chock full of gems, but the songs that get inside Lefty’s heart are “I Love You A Thousand Ways,” “I Want To Be With You Always,” and “Forever (And Always).”