I did not come to this album because I was a big fan of John Corbett the actor. He is solid in what he does on film, but I am far from a superfan who would assume that because I love his acting I would like, or love, his music. I had no idea Corbett was a singer. While reading with CMT on for background noise, I heard, and then looked up to see, the video for 'Good to Go.'
As so much of Nashville is today pure-pop junk, I was drawn immediately to what I was hearing. It was a fine contemporary version of 1970s Country Rock or Southern Rock. I really liked the guitar work. The singer struck me as almost out of his element, as one who was not up to snuff with his band. But that also was something other than a negative because instead of trying to make his voice sound more powerful or dominating, the vocalist just sang, as if he were saying, "I know the pickers are better'n me as a sainger, and I know I aint able to give the lyrics the vocal treatment they deserve, but I'm goin to do the best I can."
It was then that I recognized the voice and paid attention to the face. It was indeed the actor John Corbett, and he was singing with all the low-key honesty and integrity that he has brought to most of his acting roles. He was not trying to overwhelm the material or the fine musicians, nor was he straining to produce false emotion. He was giving a yeomanlike, calloused hands, battered and weary hearted performance. It was real and a real worth knowing, and today that is almost as hard to find on CMT as MTV.
The best song on the album is 'Cash.' The title refers not to money but to the Man in Black, and it is a wonderful tribute. The speaker is a down and out man who lacks money and ease of life, but he says, "I got lots of Cash." Great art speaks to and soothes and chastises and educates and re-energizes man, and the music of Johnny Cash does all that for those with ears to hear. Corbett's understated vocal delivery is perfect for the song.
'Cash' does not stand alone on this album. 'Bottle of Whiskey,' 'Good to Go,' 'Wichita, 'Simple Man,' 'Waiting on a Heartache,' and 'Last Stand' have all been my second favorite song at some point. And I find not one single throwaway track. The album makes especially goood listening as I drive across I-40 in Tennessee or on county roads near the farm.
Amazon should be ashamed of linking it to a Rascal Flatts album. Most people who love Rascal Flatts would not care for this album, and I certainly have no interest in any Rascal Flatts.