Customer Reviews

Stronger Proof

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

 

 

I was pleased to see another Deryl Dodd CD hit the shelves! I bought it as soon as I saw it hit the Texas charts, which was the first week. I thought this was truly one of Deryl's best CDs. It shows that a writer and musician can stick to their beliefs and be successful. I disagree with the previous reviewer (Nichols) about this CD and think maybe what the reviewer is missing is that this CD shows Deryl's versatility. In music today, labels make artists into fictional characters...their albums all sound the same. This reviewer must be caught up in that hype and has missed the treasure of a true talent. It is a real treat to put in a CD with an artist that can show us the rock and roll side as well as a tender ballad. Cheers to Deryl for such a wonderful CD!

In an age where singers are just the product of the Nashville Music Machine, it is great to know and hear that someone so unique and multi-faceted as Deryl Dodd exist.
I love the fact that Deryl's new CD has many different moods and personalities. If it didn't, it wouldn't be Texas music, it would just be pigeonholed with all the other flavors of the month that Nashville is so good at cranking out. Let's face it, the thing that makes any Texas artist unique is the fact that they come from a state with many musical influences and it can't help but rub off on them. Thank Goodness! This is what makes a Texas artist stand out and what makes everyone that isn't jealous! Deryl uses this to his advantage and anyone that has seen him light up a stage with everything from a tear-jerking ballad, through old George Jones to Stevie Ray knows what I am talking about. I think this CD is a great overview of Deryl's talent and I urge anyone that wants to hear true Texas music to buy one today!

I have listened to Deryl since the beginning of his career and this is by far the best of his albums. As far as this putting him at the top of the Texas songwriting crowd, I feel like he is already there. The thing that sets him apart from the others is that he does have a different sound on certain songs and he does not blend in with the same old "sounds like everyone else - just to sell an album" acts. He is once again selling to his fans and the people who continue to love him and not the Nashville industry and the critics who don't get him. Worked for people like Steve Wariner so why not Deryl - Go buy the album and all of his others and make your own decision!!!!!

Lucky Dog's loss continues to be Dualtone's gain as the roster of Sony's former imprint follows a migratory path to the Nashville indie. Joining recent releases by BR549 and Charlie Robison, Dodd's latest shows the greatest leap forward. His previous LP, 2002's "Pearl Snaps," was something of a comeback effort, regaining his musical footing after a crippling bout of viral encephalitis. This time out he leans even more heavily on twangy two-steppers, with plenty of fiddle, steel and honky-tonk piano.

Having returned to Texas, Dodd's brought a bit of his Nashville polish with him, but like many who temped on Lucky Dog, he pairs commercial edgings with a heart-and-soul that retains its roots. The opener, "Never Again," hits the ground running with a Bakersfield shuffle that features a terrific walking bass line from the band's newest member, Kerry Wilson. The mid-tempo title track reworks classic tear-in-your-beer themes with some clever wordplay, and Dodd adds a sly edge to the Kenny Rogers hit, "Love or Something Like It."

When Dodd stays up-tempo, he rocks in the Texas style of Jack Ingram and Pat Green, but when he slows down for tunes like "Outside Lookin' In" and "She Does the Best She Can," he drifts to the middle of the road. The exception is the closer, "The Crowd," a heartfelt ode that nicely captures the bond between Texas musicians and their fans. Those who've followed Dodd's career, or simply like the roadhouse music of the Lone Star state will enjoy this one.

3-3/4 stars, if allowed fractional ratings.

I just recently purchased the Stronger Proof CD and it has yet to leave my CD player. I love the range of music on Deryl's latest CD. He pours his heart into every song and makes you want more. Because of his music I have bookmarked his tour schedule and plan on traveling to wherever he's playing. Keep 'em coming, Deryl...

It's been five years since Deryl Dodd's career was derailed by viral encephalitis. Now fully recovered from the disease, he's asserted himself in the Texas Music scene by returning from Nashville and scoring regional hits with 2002's Pearl Snaps and 2003's Live at Billy Bob's Texas.

Dodd seeks to further his career rebirth with Stronger Proof. But it's going to take more than this meek blend of country, blues, and southern rock to reach the top.

The album opens well enough with "Never Again." While little more than a generic story of heartbreak, it's well executed and sports a driving rhythm section.

The title cut is next, again carrying a heartbreak theme. But this time Dodd's range isn't up to the challenge. His voice comes across weak and a bit on the whiny side.

The blues-tinged "Somethin' Ain't Always Better (Than Nothin')" gets the album back on track.

But the wimpy alter ego re-emerges on "Outside Lookin' In": Like a bird at the window, like a stranger in town / Like a child who's never chosen by either side at the playground / Like a lost and homeless soul just lookin' for a friend / I find myself before your heart time and time again on the outside lookin' in.

The innocent, vulnerable singer/songwriter just doesn't work. And it's not what's going to propel Dodd to the head of the crowded Texas Music class.

What does work is confidence, and maybe even a touch of bravado. And that formula can be found on this hodgepodge of an album as well.

Dodd adopts a defiant outlook on the first single, "Let Me Be": Don't come around knockin', don't call me on the telephone / Don't' wanna hear no more talkin' about the way I sing my songs / When the sun comes up in the morning I don't make no apology / I never ask one thing from you, so missy let me be.

So which is the real Deryl Dodd? The Bryan White-styled country-pop softie of "Outside Lookin' In," or the loud-and-proud Chris Robinson-esque rocker who pops up in "Let Me Be"?

The tracks on Stronger Proof definitely tilt the balance toward the former, but it's the latter that makes an impression. There's just not enough of that harder-edged persona to make the positive impression last.