Customer Reviews

Dollar

5 star:		(14)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

When I first heard "The Dollar" on the radio, I was floored. Not only by the touching lyrics, but also by the traditional sound. I could tell that the guy singing it had a deep love for traditional country music, and was someone who stayed true to his roots. After listening to this album, I still say all that.

THE DOLLAR is a great traditional country record. Sure, there are the contemporary "redneck anthems"--"Rebelicious," "Redneck Side of Me," even to an extent "Keepin' Up With the Jonesin"--but they are still better than a lot of their cousin songs. Johnson's true country gift, however, comes across in other ways. The enjoyable "Flying Silver Eagle" is one of the countriest songs I've heard in a long time ("I couldn't put my past behind me, so I put it in a song"). "She's All Lady" is a touching tribute to the woman at home, and "Back to Carolina" is a powerful number. "My Saving Grace" is an ode to the power of blood over alcohol ("Daddy passed out with his demons, Mama passed the offering plate...Daddy kept the Devil off my back by taking up His time"). The CD ends with the stirring and inspirational gosel number "Lead Me Home."

Jamey Johnsom, from all appearances, seems the direct musical descendent of George Jones, Hank Jr., Merle Haggard, Waylon, and others--he's a traditional-leaning artist with what may come off as attitude, but what is really, in fact, simple honesty. THE DOLLAR is one of the best country albums I've heard in a long time. Yes, yes, he's the guy who co-wrote "Honky Tonk Badonkadonk," but for true die-hard country fans, Johnson is more likely to be remembered for the tunes he recorded here...and any more he gets the chance to record in his career. His voice is undeniably country, his writing skills are formidable, and his taste in traditional country music is unwavering. God--and the music industry--willing, Jamey Johnson will have a long career ahead of him. Lord knows, he's the right man to give country music a much-needed injection of traditionalism.

Prime Cuts: The Dollar, My Saving Grace, She's All Lady

Country music, thanks to artists like Johnson, is not about empty gestures or fleeting thrills. Rather, it goes to heart under girded with a strong moral cincture. Just like Randy Travis' "Three Wooden Crosses" and Blake Shelton's "Austin," "The Dollar" is a momentous song for Johnson. A heart revivifying tale about a son trying to buy his work saturated father with his dollar note. This is heart wrenching and it serves as wake up call to all fathers who have lost the balance between work and home. The song's percolating back beat and Johnson's gruff baritone redeems it from being overtly mawkish or being a preachy soap box moralistic oratory. Though there's nothing quite as arresting as the title cut, Johnson's trump card is definitely country with an outlaw Hank Jr rowdy edge. Those who have bought Ray Scott's "My Kind of Music," will find great affinity here as this CD is also produced by Buddy Cannon.

Among the better cuts are the ballads. The piano-driven "She's All Lady" chronicles a less-than-fairy-tale-like romance between a church going damsel and a wild guitar man. With a winsome melody line and a big balladry type production, "She's All Lady" is fetching. Johnson, being a devout Christian, is not reticent in sharing his faith as evident in "My Saving Grace," a quieter, more acoustic reflection of perseverance and divine intervention over the woes of having an alcoholic father. "Lead Me Home," the album closer, is a full-fledged southern gospel number complete with a heavenly sounding choir.

However, this ex-marine does dabble with honky tonk Saturday night fun when he's not in church. Tracks such as "Rebelicious," "Redneck Side of Me," "Ray Ray's Juke Joint" and "Keepin' Up the Jonesing" display his more devilish side. Like the Johnson-penned Trace Adkins' "Honky Tonk Badonkadonk," they are high octane numbers with Johnston, for instance, drooling over half naked girls with that southern twang who ride Harleys in "Rebelicious." With fire-speed fiddling, screaming guitars and propulsive drumming, other than getting your feet stomping, there's nothing really mind boggling about these paeans. And why George Jones would offer a cameo appearance by singing a few tortured lines on "Keepin' Up the Jonesing" is just behooving.

Overall, the title cut and the ballads are well worth the money, but the uptempoes (which lionize the CD) are so-so. They are by no means ropey, it's just that they are not stand-outs. Nevertheless, the title track is one of a gem. It continues to revive one's faith in country music as a genre that moves not only the feet, but more importantly, it's one that transforms the heart.

This CD is great!! Jamey is not only a great singer but a very talented songwriter also. I highly recommend it to anyone who loves country music!

I don't usually listen to country music much, but this CD is the exception. I'm impressed with the vocals and the fact that this man WROTE HIS OWN SONGS. I'll definitely be checking him out live. He is one to watch!

Let me say this is a COUNTRY music album sung by a COUNTRY music singer. This is way better than some of these new artist like Keith Urban, Rascal Flatts, and Big & Rich who call themselves country music singers. I had heard the song The Dollar and thought not bad but I could not have told you who was singing it. That was until I was on the internet one day searching for new country music songs and I happened across a man named Jamey Johnson and a song he had called Keeping Up With The Jonesin' featuring George Jones. Now I am the biggest George Jones fan you will ever come across so I had to check this song out. I was happily surprised with what I had found. I found it to be a very good traditional country song. I figured if the Possum himself would sing with this guy then he must be a true country singer. So I bought the album just based on the song Keeping Up With The Jonesin'. Let me be the first to say that Jamey is a breath of fresh air to country music. Every song on this album is worth listening to. If you like Waylon, George, Merle and those type of singers you will like Jamey very much. He sings about Women, Drinkin', and Church. In my opinion he sings about everything that is country. I can't believe I have not heard more from him on the radio. All his songs should be getting airplay. I have heard he wrote every song on this album and if that is true all I can say is wow. This is the best country music CD I have bought in years. I just can't say it enough. This is what true country music is all about. When his second album comes out I will be the first one in line to buy it. I hope Jamey goes on to have one hell of a career in the country music industry.

Johnson's baritone shows a touch of fellow Alabaman Vern Gosdin, but with a rougher finish that gives his voice an appealing edge. His songs (he wrote or co-wrote seven of these eleven titles) range from homespun ("The Dollar") to rowdy ("Rebelicious") to soulfully spiritual ("Lead Me Home"). The upbeat numbers often sound derivative of Big and Rich's sound, making "Ray Ray's Juke Joint" more rock than swamp and "Redneck Side of Me" more sized for an arena than a bluesy roadhouse.

Where Johnson's personality shines through is on the ballads and mid-tempo numbers. "Flying Silver Eagle," with guitar sounds mined from Haggard's greatest hits of the '70s, is a stellar song of a romantic dead-end turned into personal freedom, and the album's title hit is a clever, sweet song of a young son's love of time spent with his father. "Lead Me Home" is the sort of funereal song that Patty Loveless has successfully used to close many of her albums; Johnson's original song of life after death is moving and powerful.

There's enough radio-friendly fare here to clearly mark this as a major-label Nashville project. But just the same, Johnson has his own artistic voice, both in words and vocals, and producer Buddy Cannon's done a nice job of framing it both for radio and for posterity. Modern country fans will like the more contemporary tracks, while others will find a surprising helping of earthier sounds sprinkled throughout. 3-1/2 stars, if allowed fractional ratings. [©2006 hyperbolium dot com]

Awesome awesome album, from start to finish. This is a must own for fans of true country, it reminds me alot of Doug Supernaw and his first release, just pure country.

This album and Ray Scotts are the two best new country albums that i cant stop listening too.

Do yourself a favor and get this album, its awesome!

This album is great! Most albums have three or four really good songs you find yourself listening to over and over again but not this album. Every song is wonderful you will not be disappointed.

this is real country music i hope jamey does not leave the path of good country, excellent please write more

I received this CD so I can't say anything bad about this. The CD I knew that I would love it, come on its Jamey Johnson!