Dale Watson: “Jukebox Fury” (2022) CD Review

Dale Watson is one hell of a good country singer and songwriter, and also performer. I saw him in concert a few years ago, and he put on a great show. On his new album, Jukebox Fury, he covers the material of other songwriters, including Stephen Stills, Waylon Jennings and John Fogerty. And he has some special guests playing with him on these tracks, folks like Linda Gail Lewis and Steve Cropper. Also backing him on these tracks are Danny B. Harvey on guitar, piano, keyboards and pedal steel; Ray Gann on bass; Pierre Pelegrin on bass; Chris Rhoades on bass; and Adam Hamilton on drums. Dale Watson makes some interesting choices of material to cover here, not sticking strictly to the country realm. But all the songs are given his personal spin, delivered with that strong, distinctive voice of his.

The album opens with a cover of Bob Seger’s “Turn The Page.” And what a great rendition this is. It feels like it was always meant to be played like this, as a lonesome country number, with a passionate vocal performance. His voice leaves no doubt that he has lived the song’s lyrics. This track also features some excellent stuff by Danny B. Harvey on guitar. Plus, Earl Poole Ball is on keys. Dale Watson follows that with a seriously good version of Gordon Lightfoot’s “Sundown,” a song that was a hit for Lightfoot in the mid-1970s. This version features some great work on guitar, the guitar being the focus at times. Denis O’Donnell and Annie Marie Lewis provide some nice backing vocal work. “Sometimes I think it’s a sin/When I feel like I’m winning when I’m losing again.” Linda Gail Lewis joins Dale Watson on both vocals and piano for a moving and pretty rendition of “Always On My Mind,” certainly a highlight of this release. Annie Marie Lewis provides backing vocals.

Things then get rocking with a fun version of Tony Joe White’s “Polk Salad Annie.” Dale Watson’s voice is perfect for that spoken word introduction. Why do I always laugh at the line “a gator got your granny”? Here, I think it’s partly Dale Watson’s delivery. He is clearly having a good time with this one. That’s followed by “For What It’s Worth,” a song that has been covered quite a bit lately, and for good reason. “I think it’s time we stop/Children, what’s that sound/Everybody look what’s going down.” It was written by Stephen Stills and originally recorded by Buffalo Springfield. This is a lively rendition, particularly because of that guitar work. Denis O’Donnell provides backing vocals. That in turn is followed by another song from the 1960s, “Treat Her Right,” and it is on this track that Steve Cropper sits in on lead guitar. As you’d expect, he delivers some wonderful stuff. And Brady Van Hyne plays saxophone on this track, adding to the fun. And, yeah, this track is a whole lot of fun. It ends with the final line, “You gotta treat that woman right, now,” delivered a cappella.

One of the album’s best, strongest vocal performances is on Waylon Jennings’ “I’ve Always Been Crazy,” and here Dale Watson is joined by Lorrie Morgan on vocals. And it is Lorrie Morgan who first delivers that delightful line, “I’ve always been crazy, but it’s kept me from going insane.” This is another of the disc’s highlights. I love that work by Earl Poole Ball on piano. Mark Frappier plays bass on this track. Dale Watson delivers another seriously good vocal performance on CCR’s “Have You Ever Seen The Rain?” There is an ache in his voice that is perfect. That’s followed by a good rendition of “Bluer Than Blue.” I do like this song, but there is certainly something odd about it, particularly in the things he says he can do now that he is alone. “After you go, I’ll stay up all night long if I feel like it/And when you’re gone, I can run through the house screaming/No one will ever hear me.”  Those are kind of funny lines, yet the tone of the song is rather serious. But that’s life, I suppose, isn’t it?

My parents used to play Kenny Rogers records, especially Greatest Hits, so I heard “The Gambler” a lot while growing up, and came to love it. Dale Watson’s version is really good, and features some nice work by Danny B. Harvey on pedal steel. Anne Marie Lewis and Kevin Fox provide backing vocals. That’s followed by “A Horse With No Name,” which has one of the dumbest lines in all of music, “The heat was hot.” This version isn’t as relaxed and laid-back as the original. It has more of a drive to it. Linda Gail Lewis, Annie Marie Lewis and Denis O’Donnell are on backing vocals. Dale Watson wraps up the album with “Act Naturally,” a song originally recorded by Buck Owens. The first version I ever heard, however, was that by The Beatles. On this track, Dale Watson is joined by Emanuela Hutter on vocals. She takes a verse in the second half. Oliver Baroni is on standup bass. Hunter and Baroni are from the band Hillbilly Moon Explosion.

CD Track List

1. Turn The Page
2. Sundown
3. Always On My Mind
4. Polk Salad Annie
5. For What It’s Worth
6. Treat Her Right
7. I’ve Always Been Crazy
8. Have You Ever Seen The Rain?
9. Bluer Than Blue
10. The Gambler
11. A Horse With No Name
12. Act Naturally

Jukebox Fury was released on April 22, 2022 on Cleopatra Records.