KIX BROOKS
''NEW TO THIS TOWN''
SEPTEMBER 11 2012
42:10
1/New to this Town/Feat. Joe Walsh
Kix Brooks / Marv Green / Terry McBride/4:20
2/Moonshine Road
Kix Brooks / Leslie Satcher/4:21
3/Bring It On Home
Rhett Akins / Kix Brooks / Dallas Davidson/3:44
4/There's the Sun
Brandon Kinney / Trent Summar/3:05
5/Complete 360
Kix Brooks / Rafe Van Hoy/3:16
6/My Baby
Bruce Wallace / Brian White/2:55
7/Tattoo
Kix Brooks / Rafe Van Hoy / Curly Putman/3:25
8/In the Right Place
Rhett Akins / Dallas Davidson / Ben Hayslip/3:47
9/Next to That Woman
Kix Brooks / Rivers Rutherford/3:21
10/Let's Do This Thing
Kix Brooks / Leslie Satcher/2:57
11/Closin' Time at Home
Kix Brooks / Bob DiPiero / David Lee Murphy/3:37
12/She Knew I Was a Cowboy
Kix Brooks / Tony Lane / David Lee/3:22
Eli Beaird /Bass
Larry Beaird /Guitar (Acoustic)
Kix Brooks /Vocals
Jim "Moose" Brown /Piano
Dennis Burnside /Keyboards
Mark Casstevens /Guitar (Acoustic)
Perry Coleman /Vocals (Background)
J.T. Corenflos /Guitar (Electric)
Chad Cromwell /Drums
Howard Duck /Piano, Wurlitzer
Dan Dugmore /Guitar (Steel)
Mary Beth Felts /Grooming
Kenny Greenberg /Guitar (Electric)
Rob Hajacos /Fiddle
Mark Hill /Bass
John Jarvis /Piano
Troy Lancaster /Guitar (Electric)
Greg Morrow /Drums
Gary Morse /Guitar (Steel)
Dan Needham /Drums
Kim Parent /Vocals (Background)
Michael Rhodes /Bass
Tania Smith /Organ
Russell Terrell /Vocals (Background)
Ilya Toshinskiy /Guitar (Acoustic)
Joe Walsh /Slide Guitar
Scott Williamson /Drums
Lonnie Wilson /Drums
Jonathan Yudkin /Bouzouki, Dobro, Fiddle, Guitar (Acoustic), Harmonica, Mandolin
REVIEW
by Thom Jurek
Though Kix Brooks' tunes on most Brooks & Dunn albums were overshadowed by his partner's, he's no less a songwriter. It was his sense of humor, his everyman singing voice, and his cowboy swagger and strut that gave the band much of its appeal. New to This Town is Brooks' first solo album since 1989. He wrote nine of the 12 cuts here, including the title track and single that features Joe Walsh on lead guitar. What's most interesting about the cut is that sounds like it was written with the guitar slinger in mind: Melodically, texturally, and even production-wise, it feels close to the songs that appeared on Walsh's Barnstorm-era albums from the early '70s. Since Brooks wrote and produced the track, this had to be intentional. On "There's the Sun," he shows that he understands how much the blues are part of country music -- despite the modern funky drums. "Bring It On Home" is one of those down-home, midtempo love songs that Brooks & Dunn wielded so expertly, but the soulful vocal here is a genuine -- and welcome -- surprise. "Tattoo" and "Moonshine" are standard contemporary country fare, but easy on the ears because the production is a bit warmer than what we normally hear on the radio in the early 21st century. The way Brooks delivers Rhett Atkins' "In the Right Place" accents the soulful quality in his voice again -- and convincingly -- and adds dimension to his musical persona: "Hope you don't mind if I put a little Otis Redding on" feels absolutely right in his delivery. The set's final four cuts were all co-authored by Brooks. "Next to That Woman" and "Let's Do This Thing" are trademark, rabble-rousing arena rockers, while "Closin' Time at Home" and "She Knew I Was a Cowboy" both showcase his vocal skill with ballads and softer hooks. Brooks doesn't miss any tricks here, but thankfully he left the Auto-Tune off his solo album. On New to This Town, he's focused on what he does best as a writer while stretching himself as a singer.
BIOGRAPHY
by Steve Huey
Before he became half of Brooks & Dunn, the most popular country duo of the '90s, Kix Brooks cut an unsuccessful solo album on the basis of a much more productive songwriting career. Brooks was born in Shreveport, Louisiana, in 1955, and discovered country music through his neighbor Johnny Horton; he began performing with Horton's daughter as a youth, and spent his high-school years playing clubs and writing songs on the side. After graduation, he moved to Alaska to work on the oil pipeline, and then relocated to Maine, where he performed often at ski resorts and other venues. He moved to Nashville in the early '80s and landed a job as a staff songwriter with Tree Publishing, which resulted in his compositions being recorded by the likes of the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, Highway 101, and John Conlee, among others.
Brooks recorded his first solo single, "Baby, When Your Heart Breaks Down," for Avion in 1983, but returned to songwriting when it barely made the charts. In 1989, he gave recording a second try, cutting an entire album for Liberty/Capitol; Kix Brooks failed to make the charts when it was released, but was reissued all the same in 1994, once Brooks & Dunn had hit the big time. Moreover, the track "Sacred Ground" was later covered by McBride & the Ride for a hit. Brooks & Dunn called it quits on September 2, 2010 after a concert in Nashville. Brooks' first solo album after the split was New to This Town, released in September of 2012.
''NEW TO THIS TOWN''
SEPTEMBER 11 2012
42:10
1/New to this Town/Feat. Joe Walsh
Kix Brooks / Marv Green / Terry McBride/4:20
2/Moonshine Road
Kix Brooks / Leslie Satcher/4:21
3/Bring It On Home
Rhett Akins / Kix Brooks / Dallas Davidson/3:44
4/There's the Sun
Brandon Kinney / Trent Summar/3:05
5/Complete 360
Kix Brooks / Rafe Van Hoy/3:16
6/My Baby
Bruce Wallace / Brian White/2:55
7/Tattoo
Kix Brooks / Rafe Van Hoy / Curly Putman/3:25
8/In the Right Place
Rhett Akins / Dallas Davidson / Ben Hayslip/3:47
9/Next to That Woman
Kix Brooks / Rivers Rutherford/3:21
10/Let's Do This Thing
Kix Brooks / Leslie Satcher/2:57
11/Closin' Time at Home
Kix Brooks / Bob DiPiero / David Lee Murphy/3:37
12/She Knew I Was a Cowboy
Kix Brooks / Tony Lane / David Lee/3:22
Eli Beaird /Bass
Larry Beaird /Guitar (Acoustic)
Kix Brooks /Vocals
Jim "Moose" Brown /Piano
Dennis Burnside /Keyboards
Mark Casstevens /Guitar (Acoustic)
Perry Coleman /Vocals (Background)
J.T. Corenflos /Guitar (Electric)
Chad Cromwell /Drums
Howard Duck /Piano, Wurlitzer
Dan Dugmore /Guitar (Steel)
Mary Beth Felts /Grooming
Kenny Greenberg /Guitar (Electric)
Rob Hajacos /Fiddle
Mark Hill /Bass
John Jarvis /Piano
Troy Lancaster /Guitar (Electric)
Greg Morrow /Drums
Gary Morse /Guitar (Steel)
Dan Needham /Drums
Kim Parent /Vocals (Background)
Michael Rhodes /Bass
Tania Smith /Organ
Russell Terrell /Vocals (Background)
Ilya Toshinskiy /Guitar (Acoustic)
Joe Walsh /Slide Guitar
Scott Williamson /Drums
Lonnie Wilson /Drums
Jonathan Yudkin /Bouzouki, Dobro, Fiddle, Guitar (Acoustic), Harmonica, Mandolin
REVIEW
by Thom Jurek
Though Kix Brooks' tunes on most Brooks & Dunn albums were overshadowed by his partner's, he's no less a songwriter. It was his sense of humor, his everyman singing voice, and his cowboy swagger and strut that gave the band much of its appeal. New to This Town is Brooks' first solo album since 1989. He wrote nine of the 12 cuts here, including the title track and single that features Joe Walsh on lead guitar. What's most interesting about the cut is that sounds like it was written with the guitar slinger in mind: Melodically, texturally, and even production-wise, it feels close to the songs that appeared on Walsh's Barnstorm-era albums from the early '70s. Since Brooks wrote and produced the track, this had to be intentional. On "There's the Sun," he shows that he understands how much the blues are part of country music -- despite the modern funky drums. "Bring It On Home" is one of those down-home, midtempo love songs that Brooks & Dunn wielded so expertly, but the soulful vocal here is a genuine -- and welcome -- surprise. "Tattoo" and "Moonshine" are standard contemporary country fare, but easy on the ears because the production is a bit warmer than what we normally hear on the radio in the early 21st century. The way Brooks delivers Rhett Atkins' "In the Right Place" accents the soulful quality in his voice again -- and convincingly -- and adds dimension to his musical persona: "Hope you don't mind if I put a little Otis Redding on" feels absolutely right in his delivery. The set's final four cuts were all co-authored by Brooks. "Next to That Woman" and "Let's Do This Thing" are trademark, rabble-rousing arena rockers, while "Closin' Time at Home" and "She Knew I Was a Cowboy" both showcase his vocal skill with ballads and softer hooks. Brooks doesn't miss any tricks here, but thankfully he left the Auto-Tune off his solo album. On New to This Town, he's focused on what he does best as a writer while stretching himself as a singer.
BIOGRAPHY
by Steve Huey
Before he became half of Brooks & Dunn, the most popular country duo of the '90s, Kix Brooks cut an unsuccessful solo album on the basis of a much more productive songwriting career. Brooks was born in Shreveport, Louisiana, in 1955, and discovered country music through his neighbor Johnny Horton; he began performing with Horton's daughter as a youth, and spent his high-school years playing clubs and writing songs on the side. After graduation, he moved to Alaska to work on the oil pipeline, and then relocated to Maine, where he performed often at ski resorts and other venues. He moved to Nashville in the early '80s and landed a job as a staff songwriter with Tree Publishing, which resulted in his compositions being recorded by the likes of the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, Highway 101, and John Conlee, among others.
Brooks recorded his first solo single, "Baby, When Your Heart Breaks Down," for Avion in 1983, but returned to songwriting when it barely made the charts. In 1989, he gave recording a second try, cutting an entire album for Liberty/Capitol; Kix Brooks failed to make the charts when it was released, but was reissued all the same in 1994, once Brooks & Dunn had hit the big time. Moreover, the track "Sacred Ground" was later covered by McBride & the Ride for a hit. Brooks & Dunn called it quits on September 2, 2010 after a concert in Nashville. Brooks' first solo album after the split was New to This Town, released in September of 2012.
