Randy Travis (DreamWorks)
To be consistent is not necessarily to be predictable. And while this CD bears the earmarks of Travis's earlier work, which has earned him 19 No. 1 singles from his previous 12 albums, it is warm, ingratiating and always melodious.
It also, however, comes closer to rocking than most Travis albums do. And while the guest artists include Nashville standbys Vince Gill and Alison Krauss (doing background vocals on "You and You Alone" and "I'm Still Here, You're Still Gone"), actor Patrick Swayze is also present, making a token background singing appearance on "I Did My Part" without embarrassing himself. (Travis, a better actor than Swayze is a singer, appears in Swayze's new film, Black Dog.)
All 12 tracks on this album reward repeated listening, but Kent Robbins and John Jarrard's "Only Worse" ("It's kinda like a heartache...") is a radio-worthy highlight, as is the lively "The Hole" by Skip Ewing and James Dean Hicks.
Bottom Line: Get set to hit the replay button
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