Customer Reviews

Back in the Fire

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This 1989 album release had four songs chart. These ten songs are all good.
Some of the best songs Watson has done are here.
You gotta absolutely love the toe tappin' "The jukebox played along",
and "Back in the fire" is a classic!
The first song just missed the top 20, the second landed at #20.

This seems to be the only place to get "The great divide", which just missed the top 40.
"Don't waste it on the blues" was a top 5 hit and a great song to hum along with.

Three of these songs, "Don't waste it on the blues", "Back in the fire"
and "The jukebox played along" are on the "Ultimate Gene Watson" C.D.
But it would still be worth while to get this Watson album for the other good songs that are here.
Three of the four b-sides are also included here.
"Just how little I know", "Somewhere over you" and "Ain't no fun to be alone in San Antone".
(The one b-side missing is "I picked a San Antonio rose")
Aside from the 4 hit songs the other 6 cuts are quite good, this is one of Watson's best.

Watson himself admitted he was ready to give up music in the late 80s, when he was approached and dragged back into the recording studio kicking and screaming by young country phenom Randy Travis. After months of making sure everything was perfect, the two emerged with what is possiby the finest achievement of Watson's career. This album charted three hit singles beginning with "Don't Waste It On The Blues" ending with a sublime vocal performance with "Back In The Fire." This album sings of love, desperation and joy, and Watson does it as if he's lived it. The instrumental arrangements are perfect compliment to Watson's fine voice. This album is among the best of the New-Traditionalist country of the late 80's, and without question is among the finest country albums waxed. Worth whatever it costs to get hold of.

Gene was an inspiration to many of the new "real" country singers (Randy Travis springs to mind). He has a strong, great voice & the songs on this CD are not only well chosen, but have lovely arrangements.

From the smooth voice urging you "Don't Waste It On The Blues"to a song co-writing by Randy Travis - "The Great Divide," understanding but very much lamenting a mutual breakup, to a cover of Lefty Frizell's "She Found The Key" to "The Jukebox Played Along," that sounds as if it could have been written/recorded by Merle Haggard, this CD sounds as if was recorded by one of the great Honky Tonk singers of the early '60's.

Watson had a pretty long career and he thanks several people on the liner, saying the album was a new start & career for him. I guess he wasn't as young or as "camera ready" as some of the others who had just started when this came out (Alan Jackson, Clint Black. and others) so wasn't attractive to CMT.

I first owned it on vinly when in England on its release in 1988. I guess it might seem weird for an English ex-hippie/punk music listener to enjoy good country music, but I always have & recognize great music no matter what genre!

As it was, this really is a hidden classic of a great singer accompanied by accomplished musicians delivering the best in real country.

I ordered this cd just for one song on it, the great divide, an awesome song by an awesome singer, thank you EDLJOY BOOKS for this cd, I recieved it alot sooner than most other orders, thank you, thank you!!

This is a great CD by a great singer. It was just like new and could not have been better!