Steers and Stripes

Amazon.com
While If You See Her and Tight Rope, their previous two albums, were Brooks & Dunn's strongest and most mature, their sales didn't earn either album the usual Gold and Platinum awards. Coincidentally, both CDs deemphasized the usual line-dance fodder, generic rockers, and flaccid ballads. On 2001's Steers & Stripes, the duo stays that course--to a point. "Ain't Nothin' 'Bout You" succeeds as the radio-friendly hit it was crafted to be but pales alongside the masterfully sung "Every River" and the classy ballads "The Long Goodbye" and "My Heart Is Lost to You." Smart Tejano arrangements spice up both the latter number and the witty "Deny, Deny, Deny." "Lucky Me, Lonely You" explores the time-honored shuffle turf of Ray Price and Buck Owens. Just as prominent, however, are Brooks & Dunn's sorties into bad old habits. "Only in America" overflows with tired clichés. The ballads "When She's Gone, She's Gone" and "Unloved" stumble over their own pretense. The witless dance ditties "Good Girls Go to Heaven" and "See Jane Dance" seem dated alongside the evocative, muscular David Lee Murphy rocker "The Last Thing I Do." The strengths here are potent indeed. Unfortunately, so are the weaknesses. --Rich Kienzle

Steers and Stripes,Brooks & Dunn,Arista,Contemporary Country,Country,Country & Western,Country-Pop,Pop

Average customer rating:

Resuming their successful ways

Very good album to end their stagnant period

Love Brooks & Dunn But....

A mountain of an album (4.5 / 5)

a decent country album

Steers and Stripes
Brooks & Dunn
Manufacturer: Arista
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Contemporary Country | Country | Styles | Music
General | Country | Styles | Music
Contemporary | Bluegrass | Country | Styles | Music
Similar Items:

Red Dirt Road

If You See Her

Tight Rope

Borderline

Waitin' on Sundown

ASIN: B00005B1ED
Release Date: 2001-04-17

Tracks:

Only In America
The Last Thing I Do
The Long Goodbye
Go West
My Heart Is Lost To You
Good Girls Go To Heaven
When She's Gone, She's Gone
Ain't Nothing 'Bout You
Unloved
Deny, Deny, Deny
Lucky Me, Lonely You
I Fall
Every River
See Jane Dance

Amazon.com

While If You See Her and Tight Rope, their previous two albums, were Brooks & Dunn's strongest and most mature, their sales didn't earn either album the usual Gold and Platinum awards. Coincidentally, both CDs deemphasized the usual line-dance fodder, generic rockers, and flaccid ballads. On 2001's Steers & Stripes, the duo stays that course--to a point. "Ain't Nothin' 'Bout You" succeeds as the radio-friendly hit it was crafted to be but pales alongside the masterfully sung "Every River" and the classy ballads "The Long Goodbye" and "My Heart Is Lost to You." Smart Tejano arrangements spice up both the latter number and the witty "Deny, Deny, Deny." "Lucky Me, Lonely You" explores the time-honored shuffle turf of Ray Price and Buck Owens. Just as prominent, however, are Brooks & Dunn's sorties into bad old habits. "Only in America" overflows with tired clichés. The ballads "When She's Gone, She's Gone" and "Unloved" stumble over their own pretense. The witless dance ditties "Good Girls Go to Heaven" and "See Jane Dance" seem dated alongside the evocative, muscular David Lee Murphy rocker "The Last Thing I Do." The strengths here are potent indeed. Unfortunately, so are the weaknesses. --Rich Kienzle

Customer Reviews:

Resuming their successful ways.......2005-01-11

After the comparative failure of the singles from Tight rope, their previous album, country music followers were wondering if Brooks and Dunn were yesterday's hit-makers, ready to be consigned to the history books and the oldies radio stations. With four major hits from this album, the answer was an emphatic NO.

Only in America (a brilliant rocking country song), Long goodbye (a fine ballad co-written by the Irish singer, Ronan Keating), My heart is lost to you (another fine ballad) and Ain't nothing 'bout you (a great mid-tempo song) were the singles that restored them to the upper reaches of the country charts where they had spent much of the nineties. All of those tracks can be found on their second volume of greatest hits but even if you've got that, there are ten other songs worth listening to on this album.

Of the other ten songs, my favorites are The last thing I do (a great rocking song that David Lee Murphy co-wrote), Good girls go to heaven (a mid-tempo rocker), When she's gone she's gone, Lucky me lonely you (two excellent ballads) and See Jane dance (a great rocking song with which to close the album).

This is yet another great album from country music's most successful duo of all time. I'm particularly pleased that it was a success for them after their previous failure.

Very good album to end their stagnant period.......2004-10-12

I recall that Brooks & Dunn's '98 and '99 albums before this one were unlistenable at best, even relying on a John Waite '80s song for a remake. But this album is a surprise turnaround. Every song on here is entertaining and the music is astounding. I like the patriotic Only In America. There are still the wild rocking numbers that they're known for. My favorite here is
"Ain't Nothin' Bout You." The bridges and landscapes are so smoothly done. Sometimes the beats in the chorus come very close to one on a hip-hop song, because there's such a funkiness to this mostly country record. This is a smartly done album and I look forward to getting Red Dirt Road soon.

Love Brooks & Dunn But...........2003-12-03

Maybe I'm not as hip to how B&D's albums are supposed to sound but Steers & Stripes isn't a strong set of songs in my opinion. The songs that they released are the only good ones. Those songs I absolutely love- Only In America, My Heart Is Lost To You, and Ain't Nothing 'Bout You. Every River still fails to catch my ear. I think My Heart Is Lost To You is the best song. There are fourteen tracks and only three stand out to me- that's not good. I love the cover, love the packaging, love the title but musically Steers & Stripes is not very entertaining at all. Oh, well....

A mountain of an album (4.5 / 5).......2003-11-09

After a luke warm response from the public to their '99 effort, 'Tight Rope', the renegade country duo decided to bring the fans an album that would send your head spinning. 'Steers And Stripes' starts off with a loud thunderclap in 'Only In America'. It is an anthem of everyday people's dreams and hopes in the big U.S.A. The electric guitar and congos along a driving beat will knock you back a few feet. Fans will also love to get into the dirt and dust as 'The Last Thing I Do' fires up. Written by David Lee Murphy and Kim Tribble, Ronnie Dunn growls out a real rocker. 'Go West' is perhaps Kix Brooks' best vocal turn yet. The great road tune is for when you hit the open highway. There's hardly any room to avoid REAL heartache for 'The Long Goodbye'. Ronnie Dunn takes you into what feels like a long walk into the night under the influence of a heart about to beat it's last beat. I really have a smile on my face when I see their video's of Sante Fe or Tex-Mex style, and the odd tune that captures that taste as well. 'My Heart Is Lost To You' is this, getting all spicy, and of course keeps up with the sound that they're famous for: rock-country. Very toro-toro, but too much squelch. Even if you aren't pooped from all of the hammerin' and heartache by now, you'll still be relieved to hear Kix and Ronnie humour us with 'Deny, Deny, Deny', a funny tropical twist that sounds better than a pina colada tastes, or 'Lucky Me, Lucky You', one of the only pure honky tonk songs on here. Ah, nuts. I like their 'COUNTRY' stuff best. Everybody's jaws dropped when they heard the radio belt out perhaps their most succesful single ever, 'Ain't Nothing 'Bout You', a heavyweight anvil with more guitar that smokes. Always being impressed with the work these two do, I hardly hear anything that doesn't impress me beyond big sounds or beautiful ballads. I always wanted them to record a song that's more than nifty: they did. 'Every River', written by Kim Richey, is a terrific jangle rock-roots song, and is a true innovative tune. The honey-sweet voice of Richey can be heard as background vocalist for the song. This is my favourite Brooks And Dunn disc. They have never made anywhere close to a bad album, but all of the sudden, they more than run up a hill with their new effort-they fly up a mountain. A lot of the album works up a large production 'sweat'. I gotta admit that after the disc ends, it leaves me short of breath. They really did go the distance. Now I really know how innovative they can be. The rockers are louder, their ballads have never been more sad, and the innovation has never been better, but boy, what a workout!

a decent country album.......2003-09-13

brooks and Dunn put up a good album here the best song has to be Somethign About You Brooks and Dunn have done better though so i can only give them 3 stars

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