Joe Diffie to me has always what I have considered to be a journeyman in country music. He has never been considered a superstar, but he's kept going and working hard, having a lot of number one hits and a couple of platinum records; staying with major labels for his whole career until his deal with Sony expired in 2001. So He signed with a hot new indie label in Nashville named Broken Bow Records. Diffie is from Oklahoma, breeding ground for a number of Country Artists. He started out as a songwriter and demo singer in Nashville while working in the local Gibson guitar plant.

  Joe wrote about half the songs on this CD and the rest are "A" offerings of some of Nashville' s best. Honestly, this is Joe sounding better than I've ever heard him. His vocals are great and it is a very strong production. This is the best straight country album that I've heard this year. Great traditional sound with some very strong material. Alan Jackson and Vince Gill are what come to mind when I listen to this stylistically.

  The most fun song on the album is "What Would Waylon Do?" - a duet with George Jones. Just a great up tempo fun song with a couple of good ole boys havin' fun.
  The most heartfelt killer ballad on the album is " If I Could Only Bring You Back" - a song about a couple who lost a child in an accident. Joe just grips you with this one.
  This reviewers favorite song is the title track "Tougher Than Nails" - A Christian Country Song that is a masterpiece both in the way that it was written and also in Joe's performance. Jesus was tougher than those nails on the cross. It's a dialogue between father and son.
  I love the blend of luscious acoustic ballads and up tempo country songs, but there is not a bad song to be found here. I'm afraid that this record is not going to get the attention it deserves because it's not on a major label.
  Let's talk more music:
  "Good News, Bad News" - a richly textured ballad with Joe singing at his emotive best. I just love this song. It just sticks with you. I love one of the lines " the good news is tomorrow's another day, but the bad news is tomorrow's another day". Great steel and fiddle. Also some great electric guitar.
  "Something I Do For Me" - Another great ballad that Joe wrote with some great down homey lyrics. I can't say enough about what a great production and recording this whole CD is. Maybe what is so great about this CD is the way Diffie has of pulling you into each song.
  "This Time Last Year" - A song about bringing those sweet memories back, a real heartbreaker about a couple that things were going great for last year, but now she is gone.

  Okay, I've told you about half the songs, you will have to hear the rest, they are all good. You will appreciate some of the best pickin' and fiddlin' you've ever heard.

  In closing, this is country music at it's best. This Joe Diffie at his best. This honestly is one of the best country records that I've ever heard. I'll be listening to this one. Wish you didn't have to wait so long to hear it, but you have to pick this up. Release date: 6/1/04

 

 Visit Joe at: www.JoeDiffie.com