Americana Music Reviews

 

Doug Stone
The Long Way
Audium Records

by David Pilot

From a pure dee fan's perspective, I don't know if anybody's wanted to hear Doug Stone make a comeback more than yours truly. Sure, there were all those melancholy, sap-infested ballads and tearjerkers that fueled much of his run to the top in the early and mid-90s, and I'm no fan of those. My wife is, but then she fits the target demographic nicely. No, what piqued my interest in Stone reads at first like the script for Clint Black's career thus far: fantastic debut album, a couple of strong-to-mediocre follow-ups with some shining moments, and then ... oblivion. Difference is that last step.

Oblivion for Black entailed no discernible drop-off in the Houstonian's record sales or loss of popularity. For Doug Stone, oblivion meant heart trouble, and lots of it, compounded by vocal woes and a real sense of doubt as to whether his career would ever get the chance to develop beyond an intriguing debut. So now, with his first effort on Audium due to hit the shelves Sept. 24th, it's time to see if Stone has taken stock of things, learned from the trials, and intends a worthwhile return to the business.

In one sense, much of what's on display as The Long Way unfurls doesn't prove much ­ seven of the ten tracks here are ones you've heard before if you're a fan. Four of these are from his previous effort, the aptly titled Harmful To the Heart. Three are re-worked acoustic versions of previous hits, and three are new. So from a certain point of view, one can legitimately wonder if Audium's getting their money's worth right out of the chute. The answer, if new material like the lead-off cut "Losing You" is any indication, is that Doug's back in tune with the subjects and sounds that made his self-titled 1990 debut a platinum success. The tone, substance and nuances of delivery evoke one of that disc's hidden treasures, the poignant and simply beautiful "Crying On Your Shoulder Again." That cut, perhaps more than any of the singles that made Doug's name in Nashville, signaled the arrival of an artist with his pulse on the heartbeat of rural love and loss and the ability to paint pictures of our lives in his songs. And "Losing You" sounds like he's back.

The title track is a bit of a weak point, the sort of mid to uptempo "rocker" that balladeers like Stone have to trot out now and again to avoid being labeled one-trick ponies. Fact is, Stone's tenor isn't suited to material like this, but he gives a yeoman-like effort nonetheless. Perhaps the strong suit this track unveils is that, after all the health problems, Doug does certainly still have the gumption and ability to pull off a track like this without embarrassing himself. It's not Grammy work, but it's a damn sight better than anything you or I are likely to pull out for karaoke or the shower at any point in our lives. The big down-side is the hook-laden chorus and faded electric guitar that sound a lot like Foreigner trying to recapture the mojo from "I Want To Know What Love Is." But hey, it's Nashville.

Thankfully, the offerings from Harmful To the Heart step right back into the soulful sawdust and lovelorn territory the Georgia roadhouses taught Stone about when he was still a whippersnapper. "One Heartache At A Time" follows the familiar slow two-stepper ballad formula to perfection, while "Poor Man's Blvd" rips into the greasy and driving hybrid formula that made "High Weeds and Rust" a success way back on Stone's first record. When the uptempos sound like this, as a rule Doug succeeds admirably. But the track generating the most buzz in these troubled times is the quiet, understated "POW 369." The subject matter skirts the edges of maudlin, at times a combination of David Ball's recent "Riding With Private Malone" and Steven Fromholz's classic "Man In the Big Hat," but finds a way to bring it into the barn as the tribute it's intended to be. Musically, it's reminiscent of the Trailer Park Troubadours' "Inspector 372," and if you don't know that particular song, take it from me - - that's a compliment.

POW 369
I sure salute you
From this heart of mine
Thank you for placing
Your life on the line
For me
I'm free
I pray the rest of your journey is
A peaceful one
May you take
Your own sweet time
Mr. POW 369

The other much-anticipated effort on The Long Way is a re-worked and largely acoustic visit to Stone's first release, and first hit, the magnificent "I'd Be Better Off (In A Pine Box)." This is a stellar song and twelve years later still plays as a thing of beauty. But, unlike some other stripped-down adaptations of well-known songs, this version lacks the punch and overall dramatic power of the original. Nobody's going to re-work their own personal "Born In the USA" in quite the same powerful way Springsteen did on his Eighteen Tracks CD, essentially giving one of their own songs an entirely new life and treating it almost as an original work. Still, as a fan I was hoping for more from Doug Stone on this cut. Sadly, this might be the one spot on The Long Way where the vocal and health problems rear their head - - it doesn't sound like Stone any longer possesses the pipes to authoritatively redo what he once did so well. That said, if this version of "I'd Be Better Off" is the first you ever hear, you'll like it. It's pleasing, soft, and painful, all the things a country song ought to be. It's just that if you heard Doug sing it back when, well, you'll hear the difference.

All told, though, The Long Way signals a strong, if cobbled together in places, effort from an established artist working his way back into the national consciousness. From an anti-Nashville perspective, it's a triumph, because nothing here sounds remotely like Doug is making an effort to keep up with the Chesneys. No, instead, it sounds like he's largely moved away from even some of his own library - - you'll hear traces of the More Love disc here, but overall the feel and tone of these songs make it clear they'd have fit in fine on Stone's debut or the solid follow-up, I Thought It Was You. Pure neo-traditionalist country, from one of the early 90's strongest artists. If you're a Doug Stone fan already, circle Sept. 24 on the calendar. You'll want this disc. If you're new to this discussion and want to know what country sounded like before Garth started blowing up stages and smashing guitars, you need this one too. Doug Stone is good people, and The Long Way is good music.

Doug's online at, oddly enough, www.dougstone.com. The new label, which hosts Stone and a passel of other artists we like here at Rockzillaworld, is at www.audiument.com. Pay both a visit when you have the time.

Contact David Pilot at: tailgunner-at-rockzilla.net

 
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