Western Beat is the second studio album by Kevin Welch, as Kevin Welch @nd The Overtones, released in 1992 on Reprise Records. This was Welch's last album for Reprise, before he went on to co-found Dead Reckoning Records in 1994 with fellow musicians Kieran Kane, Mike Henderson, Tammy Rogers, and Harry Stinson.
| Western Beat | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | April 10, 1992 | |||
| Genre | Country | |||
| Length | 39:35 | |||
| Label | Reprise | |||
| Producer | Harry Stinson & Kevin Welch | |||
| Kevin Welch chronology | ||||
| ||||
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [1] |
Critical reception
editThom Owens of AllMusic calls Western Beat "a fresh, lively sound, supported by a number of first-rate songs."[1]
Allen Howie of Louisville Music News concludes his review by saying, "Credit must be given to the Overtones, who sound like a real band throughout, not just some amalgam of studio vets. Their music is the heart of Western Beat, and Welch's dead-on writing and singing are its soul."[2]
Daniel Durchholz of RiverFront Times writes, "Maybe it's better if Welch's music is just allowed to speak for itself, which it has on four dazzling albums, starting with his self-titled debut in 1990 and 1992's aforementioned Western Beat."[3]
Geoffrey Himes of the Washington Post wasn't very impressed with Western Beat and writes, "Welch's melodies and rhythms are serviceable in a derivative Nashville sort of way, but his songs sink on the strength of the lyrics."[4]
Track listing
editAll tracks are written by Kevin Welch, unless otherwise noted
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Early Summer Rain" | 4:27 | |
| 2. | "The Other Side" | 3:43 | |
| 3. | "I Look For You" | Kevin Welch; Wally Wilson | 3:33 |
| 4. | "Happy Ever After (Comes One Day At A Time)" | 3:49 | |
| 5. | "Something 'Bout You" | 3:17 | |
| 6. | "Sam's Town" | Kevin Welch; Gary Nicholson | 3:54 |
| 7. | "Webelo Waggle" | 0:52 | |
| 8. | "Same Old Rain" | 4:32 | |
| 9. | "Train To Birmingham" | John Hiatt | 4:13 |
| 10. | "The Restless Kind" | Michael Henderson | 3:21 |
| 11. | "Me And Billy The Kid Never Got Along" | Joe Ely | 3:47 |
| 12. | "The End" | 0:07 | |
| Total length: | 39:35 | ||
Musicians
edit- Kevin Welch: Vocals, Guitar, National Steel Guitar
- Mike Henderson: Acoustic & Electric Guitar, Steel Guitar
- David Grissom: Electric Guitar
- Kieran Kane: Mandolin, Vocals
- Biff Watson: Keyboards, Acoustic & Electric Guitar
- Glenn Worf: Bass, String Bass
- Harry Stinson: Drums, Percussion, Vocals
- Ashley Cleveland: Background Vocals
- Kim Fleming: Background Vocals
- Vicki Hampton: Background Vocals
Production
edit- Harry Stinson: Producer
- Kevin Welch: Producer
- Peter Coleman: Engineer
- Ron Keith: Photography
- Laura LiPuma-Nash: Art Direction
All track information and credits were taken from the album's liner notes.[5]
References
edit- ^ a b Owens, Thom. Western Beat at AllMusic
- ^ Howie, Allen (1 July 1992). "smooth, but not slick". louisvillemusicnews.net. Louisville Music News. Retrieved 13 December 2019.
- ^ Durchholz, Daniel. "Beat Happening". riverfronttimes.com. RiverFront Times. Retrieved 13 December 2019.
- ^ Himes, Geoffrey (15 May 1992). "Conventional Sound of Welch's Country". Washington Post. Retrieved 13 December 2019.
- ^ Western Beat (liner notes). Kevin Welch. Reprise. 1992.
{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)