"Suspicions blown away in a most glorious manner." That could easily be the title of this review, since the opening line of the press kit
accompanying this album reads "This one is country from top to bottom." My initial reaction? Yeah, Right. While Vince is a great artist, a nice person, and a hell of a musician, his current single, "If You Ever Have Forever in Mind," seems to be the next in a long, declining line of progressively-more country/jazz-whining singles. He started with the beautiful "No Future In The Oast" from 1993, and kept getting progressively more diluted from there. (Although this opinion remains in the minority, considering the mighty Vince now has more CMA awards than God, and zillions of albums sold.) But yes Virginia, this IS a country album. So country, it's ripped at my heart, made me rejoice, and definitely blew my suspect, pre-listening self away!!

The opening shuffle track, "Don't Come Cryin' to Me," made me check to see if I was listening to the right CD. This was REAL country - harkening back to the irresistible hooks of Bill Anderson circa 1967. This wasn't the grating, trying-too-hard Country of "Liza Jane," this was stuff from the blood, more akin to the feel behind Vince and freinds' ode to Keith Whitley, "Go Rest High On That Mountain" - not exactly in style, but in heart, place and zeitgeist. (This shuffle-tune has another ironic thing in common with that gospel ode of a few years back. It has stunning harmony, this time provided by Dawn Sears.)

Said single, "If You Ever Have Forever In Mind," I now heard in a new
context. It isn't more jazzy-poppy schlock, it's a tribute to songs like
those on Ray Charles' seminal 1960's album, "Modern Sounds In Country And Western Music," which Vince admits to emulating. "I Never Really Knew You" happily channels some Bakersfield/Buck Owens Power, and "All Those Years" slows down that area's shuffle for some Merle Haggard-esque weeping. Both songs are stellar.

Two songs are near-misses - "I'll Take Texas" is more retread, annoying, western swing, and it's tragic that the duet with Patty Loveless, "My Kind Of Woman," has such uninvolving lyrics, because Vince and Patty sure as hell sound pretty together. (As witnessed before, when she sang a very audible background track on Vince's 1990 break-thru hit "When I Call Your Name.") "Kindly Keep It Country" is so fun, so RIGHT, so get-under-your-skin wonderful, I wanted to jump up and hug Vince's neck, but say "Put your money where your mouth is." Not only did I pray the he continue what this song starts, and save the whining opera-aria-meets-pop-country songs for a lesser artist, I hoped the rest of this disc would recover from the two weak songs and "Kindly Keep it Konsistent."

I wasn't disappointed. "There's Not Much Love Here Anymore" is
heartbreakingly beautiful, "Let Her In" is catchily reminiscent of Vince's
"Pure Prarie League" days, "The Hills Of Caroline" makes you wanna find a hill of your own and banish concrete from your life forever, and "Live To Tell It All" makes the old-guard formula of the country waltz glitter with a new shiny heartache.

The final two cuts of the mostly "lucky" 13 songs on this wonderful
album, "What They All Call Love" and "The Key To Life," inspire one through their commitment to love, and rip your heart out about a deceased father.

You've "Kept it Country," Vince. You've startled complacent fans with this
glorious look back at traditional country. Now, kindly keep it up!