I first heard of Big & Rich a few weeks back when my friend decided to send me "Save A Horse (Ride A Cowboy)", and I immediately loved the song. It was big and rich and it had a great catchy tune that everyone could enjoy.
As I liked it so much he sent me "Love Train", another great song, at which point I had to find out more about them, so I visited their website at www.bigandrich.com and heard "Big Time" on their music player. That was it for me; I had to buy the album. These guys were good.
The Band
Big & Rich consists of John Rich, Big Kenny, and of course their band for the album. The two formed in Nashville in 1998, and finally in 2004 the world was formally introduced to the great mix of country and rock music which was Big & Rich. The fusion of the high-low voices is excellent; they really complement each other in the music, as you will soon find out.
The Music
Just to state for the record, my group of friends love Big & Rich and we are all 16-17 years old, just proving that they can appeal to a very broad range of people. None of us particularly liked country music before listening to Big & Rich, so even if you're not into it it's likely you're going to like this band.
1. Rollin' (The Ballad Of Big & Rich)
A nice introduction to the album, and to the band, though not the best song in my opinion. I wouldn't advise you listen to this song first, it's not likely to pull you in as much as some of the other songs. I don't really find the lyrics in this song as catchy and flowing as in the rest of the songs, they seem to be a bit awkward and don't work as well as the other songs on the album. There is an amusing part though, where the lyrics go, "I'm a crazy son of a BAD WORD".
The rap halfway through the song is very good though, it fits in really well with the rest of the song, like you wouldn't believe. The song is worth listening to just for this country rap, it really is great.
2. Wild West Show
This is definitely one of my favourites. Though not an instant classic to everyone, if you listen to it a few times you'll realise just how good it is. The lyrics are great and the chorus is just awesome, really nice to listen to or sing along to. This is definitely in my top 3 of the album.
3. Big Time
Definitely one of the most catchy tunes on the album, Big Time mixes perfect harmonic country voices with the trademark violin to create the perfect country/rock song which is impossible not to sing along to. Listen to this at your peril - you'll have the song in your head all day long!
4. Kick My Ass
This is an excellently upbeat song, even though the lyrics don't seem happy at first. It's got a great beat to it, and you'll love it when the violin decides to chip in. Kick My Ass really tests the vocal talents of Big & Rich too, as you will surely notice. They can warble with the best of 'em though, don't worry!
5. Six Foot Town
A joyous song for number 5 on the album. The lyrics are great, vocals are really good, backing music is superb as always.
6. Holy Water
Personally, I'm not too keen on this track, but I'm sure some would like it. It's just a bit too sad for me, and not enough liveliness. The song itself is not very catchy either. Don't worry though, there are much better tracks on the album!
7. Saved
This is another good song. Quite slow, but all together fun with a very nice chorus and more superb vocals from Big & Rich.
8. Real World
This is just a fantastic song, it really makes you want to sing along, and the emotions really come across through the powerful singing and the guitar. This song even includes a violin solo! Now that's good...
Another one of the greats from the album, this song alone could sell A Horse Of A Different Color. The most catchy song I've heard in ages, by far. The lyrics just bounce from one line to the next, in perfect harmony. It just feels right! The whole song flows through without a hitch.
10. Drinkin' 'Bout You
This is one of my favourites of the track, because I love swing/jazz type songs like this. This type of music, fused with the country singing and the truly excellent guitar solo about halfway through the track, makes for a flawless 10th track of the album.
The aforementioned guitar solo is a favourite among my friendship groups and we are constantly saying "Play it, my brother" to each other. It puts a smile on everyone's face just thinking about it.
This track, although one of my favourites, seems to have been placed near to the end of the album, possibly because the band favour other types of songs, but for future albums they should definitely consider another swing/jazz song, it's a nice addition to the album.
11. Love Train
If there's one song I would suggest you hear to convince you of just how amazing Big & Rich are, it would be Love Train. The first time you hear it you'll be uncontrollably tapping your feet, the second time you'll be singing some of the chorus, and after that you'll know every word off by heart, it's that catchy. A pumping beat, lovely voices and an absolutely excellent chorus, Love Train has to be heard to be believed. My only question - why is it so far back in the album?
12. Deadwood Mountain
A sombre song to "begin the end" of the album. Once again, the two voices are perfectly complementary to each other, and this excellent sad song somehow manages to be upbeat at the same time.
13. Live This Life
A lovely harmonic ballad to finish off the album, showing that Big & Rich can do both happy and sad in equal qualities. This track also includes a nice little speech by Big & Rich to their fans, thanking them for buying the album and assuring them that they will be in your town soon - "The sky is our ceiling, the ground is our floor, and the world is just one big happy home!"
The Conclusion
To sum up, anyone who reads this should visit www.bigandrich.com and just listen to one of the songs on the site (Big Time will automatically play when you visit). If you like that, change the song on the music player and hear just how great Big & Rich really are.
Once you've done that, go and buy the album (you'll want to). Big & Rich are going to be big, I really hope they are. This fusion of rock and modern country music could be very big, so have a listen and spread the word! They're gonna be Big & Rich!
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