Yeah, I know, as far as the New Year’s resolution/goal to do more reflections, we’ve been failing spectacularly. All I can say is I hope to rectify that because both Brianna and I really enjoy writing these. Anyway, this is a reflection I’ve been promising since even before that, back when we had stopped doing this during the last quarter of the year in order to focus on backlogs and those endless lists. So, though it is long overdue, I dedicate this reflection to our visual consultant Zack and his sobering ignorance of Vince Gill.
Release Date: 1991
Style: 90s neotraditional country
People Who Might Like This Album: fans of 90s country, maybe fans of Dwight Yoakam for the more upbeat stuff, , fans of George Strait
Standout Tracks: “Pocket Full of Gold,” “Liza Jane,” “Take Your Memory With You,” “What’s a Man to Do,” “I Quit,” “The strings That Tie You Down”
Reflections: I am currently in pursuit of every George Strait original album ever made. Once that goal is completed, I plan to move on to doing the same with Vince Gill. I grew up with 90s and early 00s country, but Vince was an artist I came to appreciate much later, during my time in college. I had the excellent fortune to meet his guitar teacher, a brilliant musician who taught at our college and also directed a traveling band, for which I became a singer. We took a trip to Nashville to record there, and it was there that I also had the great fortune to meet Vince. Joe, the director, took us to a little bar known as Station Inn to hear The Time Jumpers. It was also a common occurrence for Vince Gill to just show up there and sing with them, and he did so that night. Hearing that voice live made me go from almost unfamiliar with his music to an instant fan. I bought a greatest hits collection called Souvenirs the next day at the Country Music Hall of Fame, and I have never looked back.
We all think of a deep, bass voice when we think of country singers. But I assert the bold statement that Vince Gill’s unmistakable tenor is the best living voice we have in country music today. He’s a stunning technical singer, but he also knows how to use that range to full effect and how to hold out notes to create emotion. One of my favorite moments in music ever is when he sings “how many lies” on the chorus of “Pocket Full of Gold,” bending “lies” into about nine beats and five notes. And if you don’t know what I’m talking about, all of you music nerds who read this site, go listen to this, and if you’re not impressed, question your music nerd status in a serious way.
It’s his voice that allows him to sing in so many different styles–well that and his ridiculous guitar playing. There’s an album later in his discography which I may cover at some point where he released four discs at once, each with its own sonic theme. There was traditional country, adult contemporary, country rock, and bluegrass. This album isn’t quite as varied as all that, but it does have a nice variety of serious stuff like the title track and “Look at Us” mixed in with lively, fun tracks like “I Quit” and “Liza Jane.” Too often in these times we get mainstream records that are too immature and independent records that take themselves too seriously and suck the joy out of life. Vince Gill has always seemed to find a balance, and his fun songs always still have substance.
I could have picked pretty much any of his albums, and selecting one for this reflection was hard. It’s one reason I may cover more of his discography in the future. For now, this is as good a place as any to start with one of the best country vocalists we’ve ever seen.