With "Back When I Knew It All" climbing the radio charts it’s clear to me Eddie Montgomery and Troy Gentry are really a few thing about what their fans want.
It’s easy to lose track of guys like Montgomery Gentry. They’re kind of in the shadows of the noisy headliners keeping to themselves… until suddenly you realize… whoa… they’ve go about twenty songs you can sing along with and have sold a ton of CDs. With their new project "Back When I Knew It All" hitting stores this week they get a bit noisier while taking the next step to A list.
From my calculations this will be Montgomery Gentry’s 7th cd since 1999’s debut Tattoos and Scars. Eighth if you count a "Super Hits" compilation. They’re doing great but still not household names. However it looks like longevity will be Eddie and Troys friend with a solid new batch of songs and a smart concert booking and party partnership with Toby Keith’s summer tour. (In Charleston 6/29.)
In fact, Toby has a rockin’ duet (or is that now a trio) with MG on the record that’s sure to please the roughneck crowd. "I Pick My Parties" has some radio potential although I’d REALY like to hear a recorded live version.
"We’ve always been consistent about choosing songs that deal with the working class, songs people can identify with," says Troy Gentry and you have to agree when you hear the new material. There’s a lot of southern rock and a lot of soulful soul searching. More heart than is expected from two Kentucky tough guys.
The old fire and brimstone preacher cranks up to the first track then it’s immediately to The Big Revival and setting the table with a full glass f moonshine. Next… "Long Line Of Losers" one of many that opens with a classic southern rock slide guitar and cranks up from there. There’s plenty of tempo to please the party crowd. In fact "One In Every Crowd" (co written by Eddie) is perfect writing for the duo and is worth a good laugh.
The song choices are right on for their fan base. The ballads sound so good I’d like t hear a few more. "You Only Get One Trip" has a classic feel (great line: "order up the good wine… soak up the sunshine."
More than anything else the CD shows off the duo’s heart in their signature hillbilly way. Who else is making hard work look cool these days. Check out "It Ain’t About Easy" and you’ll be ready to plow the field.
Expect to hear three or four on country radio over the next year… I’d expect "One In Every Crowd" and the Toby duet (If they have singles rights). No doubt Eddie and -
TRoy are still in the radio game for two more years with this collection of smart song choices and with the summer tour they’ll have a big stage to show off some new Montgomery Gentry stuff.
Hear "Back When I Knew It All" HERE for Free.
