Brett Watts Solid Ground by David Pilot
	Honkytonk barnburners. Rousing countrypolitan pseudo-rock stadium anthems. Drinkin' tunes. Texas, Texas, beer, beer, Luckenbach. First row, third coast. These are today's prominent themes in both Nashvegas and Texas country. If you're tired of these cliches, listen to Brett Watts-with the exception of one cut on "Solid Ground," he avoids every last tired one of 'em. Watts, like Chris LeDoux, is an old rodeo cowboy who these days slings a guitar instead of a lasso. He's not polished, his voice goes flat on a note here and there, and the production on "Solid Ground," his first CD, is a bit fuzzy around the edges in places. If you're a music perfectionist, avoid the disc for those reasons. On the other hand, if your imagination allows the occasional lapse to remind you of barren mesas, campfires and beans cooking over open fires, snatch this disc up today. This is pure cowboy music and poetry, with stories of familiar places and people in every song. Watts' publicist says compare him to LeDoux, Marty Robbins and Garth Brooks. Where the Brooks reference came from, or how it's a good thing, is beyond this reviewer's limited mental capacities. There are moments that recall Garth's debut album or "No Fences," but if you liked the Garthster from "Ropin' the Wind" on, this flat out ain't your music. In fact, if you liked Brooks from that point on, or still do, why the hell are you reading reviews on this site to begin with? But that's another argument, better left for me to win later. This is Brett Watts' show, so let's continue. The thing that most consistently stands out on "Solid Ground" is Watts' homegrown Texas voice, accent and inflections. Listening to these songs is like spending a lazy afternoon talking to an old cowboy in the White Elephant Saloon. Everything is understated and concise, pure homespun stories tossed out plain and simple. Take 'em or leave 'em, but there they are. Even a couple of original poems tossed in, obviously culled from the rodeo circuit and cowboy life. The best one, "No Whiskey No Bull," is short and to the point: There's really two things that don't go together On any work day Working cows and drinkin' whiskey No matter what they say. Some cowboys will make up reasons But they're lies under the surface They say they only use it for medicinal purpose. But there's one cowboy who learned his lessons, It almost brought his life to an end. Well he'll never drink that whiskey And try to milk that bull again. Texas in 2001 is losing its hold on its cowboy heritage and the time-tested and proven values of the cowboy way of life. Sometimes there's nothing better than taking a break from our Monday through Friday corporate lives and remembering the hardworking men and women who made Texas a word and a concept and a state that captures imaginations all over the globe. Artists like Watts who sing simple cowboy music and tell the stories of cowboys past and present represent an all-important link to our roots, and they keep alive the flame of a way of life that changed the world. Watts is no Red Steagall or Marty Robbins, and this CD is not "Redheaded Stranger" by any stretch. But it's in that vein, and if Watts keeps honing his craft he has a chance to earn mention in that crowd. There won't be another Willie, or Red for that matter, but Watts and other guitar-picking cowboys like him can carry on the tradition. Remember that there is a distinction between country music and Texas music, and another distinction between cowboy music and either of the above. Cowboy music is typically quieter and more reflective, and occasionally gut-bustingly funny. It's also unfailingly honest and unadulterated, and gets right down to the point. This CD is chock-full of it. The only real downer, from this reviewer's perspective, is the cut that actually sounds like it was probably one of Watts' favorites. "The Light Shined My Way" gets the most production, instrumentation and backing vocals/harmony. It also sounds like a demo for Sony Nashville. Lyrically it's a beautiful song about a man and woman becoming husband and wife for all the right reasons. Musically it sounds like the latest gospel release from Newsong or Point of Grace. It's pretty, and it's poignant, and if Kenny Chesney or Tim McGraw pick it up Brett will make a killing on the royalties. But it feels out of place on this album. The remainder of the tracks cover the adult life of a cowboy who's learned some hard lessons and decided that faith and family are the things that matter. It's not often nowadays that you'll hear a song like "Jesus Is The Reason" on a mainstream CD, or that you'll hear references to a heartfelt faith peppered through a country album. They're here, and it goes back to the cowboy notion that a grown man who makes his own decisions is the best kind of man. And if those decisions include personal faith in a higher power, well, that doesn't make the man a weakling who can't do it alone-it makes him a grown man making his own decisions. That's the underlying theme of this album-grown men doing what they have to do and living lives that are honest and decent. There are also a couple of cuts dealing with the fallout of an outlaw's wrongheaded choices, and those prove the same points. Brett Watts needs some polish, like every artist who self-produces his or her debut album. But he's chasing his dream and telling stories about old Texas and cowboys and real-life things that matter. "Solid Ground" is a perfect CD for a quiet evening watching a prairie sunset, and it also goes pretty damned well in the cab of a beatup pickup rolling down a deserted highway. These are songs you'd make up picking around a campfire on the Brazos-they're not all smooth, and some of 'em sound like they were invented ten minutes ago. But they're good anyway. Check out "Solid Ground," and find yourself listening to something different for a change. Brett Watts plays somewhere in Fort Worth nearly every weekend. Go give him a listen, and say hello. He's a heck of a nice guy, and though "Solid Ground" proves he's got some work to do, you just might find you want to go along for the ride.   You can contact David Pilot at: tailgunner-at-rockzilla.net

View My Guestbook Sign My Guestbook

The opinions expressed by Rockzillaworld columnists do not necessarily reflect the opinions of Rockzillaworld or Rockzilla. All content ©2001 Rockzillaworld. All rights reserved.No part of this site may be reproduced or copied without the permission of the site owner. This includes html code. No animals were harmed during the creation of Rockzillaworld.