Storms of Life

Randy Travis

Product Details

• Audio CD (February 26, 2008)
• Original Release Date: 1986
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Rhino Flashback
• ASIN: B0012PK00C
• Also Available in: Audio CD  |  Audio Cassette  |  Vinyl  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars See all reviews (19 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #24,871 in Music (See Bestsellers in Music)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com essential recording
When Storms of Life's singles were climbing the charts in 1986, they sounded like a miracle. After all, at the time, Randy Travis was just about the only young exemplar of traditional country you could hear on the radio. Travis's first hits ("1982," "On the Other Hand," "Diggin' Up Bones") helped put twang, briefly, back in the saddle, inspiring what was quickly dubbed the new traditionalist movement. So, yeah, this is an important album, but what's really important here is Travis's beautifully expressive and quivering baritone. On the bridge of "No Place Like Home," he gets down on his knees and begs his wife to take him back in--and, with that voice, it's no wonder he pulls it off. --David Cantwell

Product Description
As a pioneer of Nashville s new traditionalist movement, North Carolina-born
Randy Travis changed the face of country music and helped reconnect
the genre with its authentic roots. It all started with STORMS OF LIFE,
the 4X GRAMMY®-winner's 1986 #1 debut LP and country s first-ever
multiplatinum album. Rediscover the riches of this country music
masterpiece, including its four Top 10 hits: the #1 smashes On The
Other Hand and Diggin Up Bones plus No Place Like Home (2),
and 1982 (6).

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The start of a great career, August 1, 2005

By	Peter Durward Harris "Pete the music fan" (Leicester England) - See all my reviews (TOP 10 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

This review is from: Storms of Life (Audio CD)

Randy Travis struggled to gain recognition at a time when record companies weren't interested in traditional country music, but he finally made it big with this album and the country hits that it contained. Some of these singles pre-dated the album, which Randy was only allowed to complete when it was clear that it would sell in reasonable quantities. Even so, sales far exceeded anything that Randy, his manager (and future wife) or his record label could ever have expected. The album eventually sold over three million copies.

The first single, On the other hand, struggled to get airplay and was only a minor country hit when first released although it sold much better than the average minor hit. The follow-up, 1982, was released at a quiet time for new singles. With few new releases, radio stations reluctantly gave it airplay, whereupon it eventually became a top ten country hit. Capitalizing on this, Warner then re-issued On the other hand. This time, it went all the way to number one, become the first of many chart-toppers for Randy.

With two major country hits to his credit, the time was right to record more tracks to complete this album. Among the other tracks here are Digging up bones (a number one hit), No place like home (a number two hit) and other great songs such as the title track, There'll always be a honky tonk somewhere, Reasons I cheat, My heart cracked but it did not break, Messing with my mind and Send my body, the album established Randy as country music's then-new superstar.

While there have been some magnificent compilations of Randy's music, this album stands on its own merit. If you enjoy traditional country music, you'll love this album.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A country music essential, December 27, 2004

By	hyperbolium (Earth, USA) - See all my reviews (TOP 50 REVIEWER)

This review is from: Storms of Life (Audio CD)

After wallowing through periods of Countrypolitan and the Urban Cowboy crossovers, Nashville snapped to attention - albeit briefly - for the class of 1986. In the front row, along with Dwight Yoakam (who was said to be "too country for country"), was Randy Travis and this major label debut. Stripping country music down to its near-acoustic essence, Travis mated his one-in-a-million voice with rough-and-tumble experience (he ran away from home when he was 16 and had a few scrapes with the law) to forge songs that mated the beauty of George Jones' and Lefty Frizell with the exposed nerves of Merle Haggard. Even with those comparisons in hand, Travis' voice is as distinct and immediately identifiable as his notable predecessors.

Not only did this album dominate the charts with its singles, but it was also the first country album to sell multi-platinum (triple, in fact). With Nashville having subsequently found rock production and banal lyrics as its latest crossover path, Travis' debut is ever more appealing and vital to country fans. Songs of temptation ("On the Other Hand"), infidelity ("Reasons I Cheat") and failure ("Diggin' Up Bones") are perfectly balanced by sentimental tear-jerkers ("No Place Like Home") and the mid-tempo honky-tonk of the title track and the hit single "1982." With all of Nashville's machinations to draw fans from outside the core country audience, it's ironic that Travis' country-to-the-bone debut is more likely to make this draw by virtue of its astounding heart and quality. Simply put: one of the finest debut albums in country music history.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great Debut Album, April 7, 2007

By	Anthony S. Prowse "Blues Cowboy" (Melbourne, Australia) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This review is from: Storms of Life (Audio CD)

This is Randy's mainstream debut album and one of the best country debut albums of the era, along with Dwight Yoakam's "Guitar, Cadillacs, etc, etc". The album is jam packed full of great songs, wonderful singing and playing and superb production from Kyle Lenning. There are quite a few of Randy's "Best Of" albums out there and all of them sample heavily from the "Storms of Life" album; a very good indication that the album was out of the top draw. It is incomprehensible that this album is now out of print although there are some Amazon re-sellers selling it for less than $5 which is amazing value for one sensational record. I'm not a big Travis fan (I only have two of his albums (vinyl) and one CD - this one) but the Storms Of Life albums is a necessary purchase for any traditonal country music fan.