Blog / February 2012 / Interview With Craig Morgan and a Review of His New Album, 'This Ole Boy'

Feb 28, 201211:09 AMThe Telegraph

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Interview With Craig Morgan and a Review of His New Album, 'This Ole Boy'

Tennessee native Craig Morgan commands respect in the country music biz, having followed active duty in the U.S. Army with five well received. heartfelt albums. But the forty-something singer – with his dirty blond locks and chiseled looks – is ready to cut loose and have more fun on stage.

You can tell this much from several of the upbeat tracks on his sixth studio album, This Ole Boy, out today on the Black River label. Apart from several tunes paying homage to his love-filled, family-focused background, he branches out with some sexier material – from tracks about love after dark to a delightfully silly sure-to-be single called “Corn Star.”

“The fun stuff, I wanted it to be solid and real and relatable,” Morgan told me in a phone-interview from a Nashville studio yesterday. “The serious stuff was the same way. I wanted this whole project that, when people put it in, top to bottom, they want to listen to every song.”

Morgan feels he accomplished the goal simply by being in a good place, mentally, when he recorded This Ole Boy.

“I feel it’s the strongest stuff that I’ve ever done, and I’m not just saying that. ... This might be the strongest material that I ever do,” he said.

“There’s a lot that goes into making a record, and a lot of elements that can dictate that process, from the record label to management to home life to physical ability at that moment. And for me, they were all perfect.”

Morgan’s voice sounds strong, confident and, most importantly, country to the bone on the new material. He’s always delivered his tunes with instantly relatable tone, and that’s no accident, considering his influences.

“Growing up I listened to [one artist] so much that I actually imitated him a lot. … He delivered [songs] in such a way that only he could. That was John Conlee. Every song he sang, you knew it was him.”

“I also listened to Vern Gosdin, Gene Watson, George Jones -- all of those legends were very impactful. But something most people don’t know is that, while I was listening to these guys … I also listened to Luther Vandross, James Taylor. There were other influences in my life.”

Thanks to Morgan for taking the time out to chat with us. Keep reading for my track-by-track review of the album.

 

 

‘This Ole Boy’ by Craig Morgan – Track by Track

 

(Click on the album cover at right to preview and purchase)

“This Ole Boy” – The title track and first single is a love-soaked, melodic singalong. Morgan’s genuine country accent’s never sounded better than on the rapid-fire lines, “she sweetens my tea and she butters my biscuit/ I am who I am and, buddy, she gets it.”  The video features the actress Angie Harmon and a funny, pooch-themed twist. Check out some behind-the-scenes footage above, generously shared with C&I by Morgan’s label.

“More Trucks Than Cars” – “We still hold our hands over our hearts / where there’s more trucks than cars.” That should tell you a little about the fiddle-tinged song’s subject matter. Morgan’s a co-writer on it, pledging his allegiance to a small-town, country upbringing. 

“The Whole World Needs a Kitchen” – Same kind of message as that of the previous track, but it focuses on the salad days of family dinners and reliable, involved parents. “The whole world needs a kitchen / Like the one we lived in.”

“Country Boys Like Me” – Man, this record’s nostalgic so far! This one finds Morgan singing about how the lord must love country boys like him, because he’s been so blessed throughout his life. The tune’s no two-dimensional greeting card, though – the lyrics in the verses paint a vivid picture of, yep, a simple rural upbringing.

“Show Me Your Tattoo” – This is the point in the album where Morgan starts to get saucy. In the chorus, he’s flirting with the town’s resident wild girl by taking guesses as to what kind of tattoo she just got. “Devil's horns? Angel’s wings? Little symbols in Chinese?” Fun stuff.

“Love Loves a Long Night” – This could form a nice date-soundtrack triumvirate with Lady A’s “We Owned the Night” and Luke Bryan’s “I Don’t Want this Night to End.” 

“Being Alive and Livin’” – There’s a difference between the two, sings Morgan on one of the several songs he co-wrote. And the former Army man is the perfect person to be touting the benefits of adventurousness. I’m not sure I’d want to “feel the heat off a live volcano,” though. A nice hike or canoe trip would do just fine.

“Fish Weren’t Bitin’” – Don’t mistake this for a sequel to Trace Adkins’ fatherly love letter, “Just Fishin’.” This fishing trip is taken by a couple much more interested in what’s going on inside the boat than outside of it. Get the drift? Morgan’s delightfully naughty on this album.

“Better Stories” – Another anthem for adventurous men like Morgan. The jist of it is that you’ve got fewer scars, but he’s got better stories. I love this song. It makes me think of the movie Road House. In fact, Morgan should spoof Road House in the video for it, taking on the Dalton role. Can’t you just see it? If he does it, I promise I won’t take too much credit for the idea.

 “I Didn’t Drink” – A man grieving over his lost love ponders drinking himself into a stupor to forget the pain. A classic country topic, done well here.

“Corn Star” – Don’t roll your eyes too much at the pun in the title. Morgan has a lot of fun in this ditty about lusting over a farm girl on a tractor while you drive by her field. You’ll giggle at the last few lines of the chorus, so I won’t give away the punch line.

“Summer Moon” – The album’s closer – another one co-written by Morgan – takes pleasure in the glowing orb in the sky, and the lovin’ that happens under its watch. I’m starting to envy this guy’s memories.