Kevin Fowler formerly of Dangerous Toys - Who knew after the first Dangerous Toys album that Kevin would branch out on his own and radically change styles of music. I bought his CD when he called his band Thunderfoot and they were more southern rock back then. I didn t know until recently that Kevin is a country artist and I still think he rocks and sounds awesome. This is a must have for country fans as Kevin stays true to the original country sound.
Great songs on another great CD. - Kevin Fowler is truly something original. This guy can really write great songs. After buying Beer, Bait and Ammo (Highly recommended) and seeing him and his band play twice at Billy Bob s in FT Worth I was hooked. You will find yourself singing along with his melodies after a few listenings to any of his CDs.High on the Hog is loaded with great tunes.I especially like the tunes, Not Lovin Anymore, Tall drink of water and the great remake of Queen s Fat Bottomed Girls. This guy has an original style all his own that is a lot different than most of the contemporary country music that is released these days. His voice to me has it s own originality to it.He doesn t sound like anyone else. I have seen Kevin and his band twice live and let me tell you he can deliver these songs live as well if not better than on CD. He puts on a great entertaining show, and I was singing along the whole set. So if you want some real down to earth homemade Texas music I think you should give this one a try.
kevin fowler on XM radio - i was listening to XM satellite radio channel XM-12 when i heard this guy sing beer bait ammo. XM-12 plays artist such as kevin fowler who dont [polish apples]in nashville to get their songs played. it doesnt get any better than XM!!!!
Get More Than You Bargained For - I m not sure if I m a bit prejudiced since I live just outside of Austin and this guy is from Austin, or if I m just lucky that he gets local airplay so I heard him before I bought the CD. Anyway, you know how sometimes you buy a CD for one song, just that one song? Then after you burn a hole through that section of the disk you hope that maybe, just maybe, there s another good tune on the disk. Well this is one where I really lucked out - it s loaded with great tunes. It s the kind of CD you can slide into your stereo (in your pickup, of course) and sing along. It has a handful of up-tempo tunes, a handful of ballads, and I think I remember a waltz or two (don t let that scare you, they re good). This guy also knows how to write lyrics. They are the catchy type you immediately want to learn (helps when singing along). And you can even understand them when they get fast. They may not all be his - I recognize one song from one of my old Queen albums - but they are clean and clever.I have a feeling he will get compared to guys like Pat Green and Robert Earl Keen. I m not sure if that is a good comparison or not. But I would say that if you like them, chances are you re money is well spent on Kevin Fowler.
Workmanlike independent Texas country - The early days of country music are alive and well in Texas in more ways than one. Not only does the Lone Star state s indie scene produce music that remains closer to the twangy, everyman roots of country s hillside origins, but the emphasis of touring and entertaining over recording harken back to the days when radio shows (most especially the Grand Ole Opry) and records were promotional devices for live performances. Musicians were full-blown entertainers, rather than creatures of the studio and the media.The Austin-based Fowler tours a Texas circuit of clubs, honky-tonks, bars, schools, dancehalls and fairs that is a virtual world unto itself. Regional stars like Fowler, along with Pat Green, Cory Morrow, Clay Blaker, Jack Ingram, and Bruce Robison (the latter two of whom are making bids for broader stardom with their releases on Sony s Lucky Dog label), are crowd favorites who make music that s tailored for live performance. Their songs combine danceable tempos (two-steps, waltzes, ballads) with sharp lyrics that are mindful of country s classic subjects (lovin , drinkin , cheatin ) but with a contemporary sensibility. They re not so much rewriting the classic country catalog as borrowing its language to write about current topics.Fowler has a pleasant, husky voice, and even when he applies it to up-tempo tunes there s a sense of balladry in his singing. Perhaps it s the remnants of his hard-rock roots (notably with Austin s Dangerous Toys) showing through his cowboy hat and pearl-snapped western shirt. His lyrics lean to the clever, ala Charlie Robison, but not quite as devilish. Tunes like The Lord Loves the Drinkin Man and Ol What s Her Name are sure to be sing-along favorites on a Texas Saturday honky-tonk night, and the Tejano flavors of Senorita Mas Fina and All the Tequila in Tijuana (the latter sporting the patron saint of Texas country, Willie Nelson, on guitar and vocals) add a nice touch. Fowler s country transposition of Queen s Fat Bottomed Girls, like several other Queen songs have been transposed before, is nearly seamless. If only Freddy Mercury had lived to hear it!Fowler s workmanlike honky-tonk country is miles beyond anything coming out of Nashville these days, and the fans who turn out to see him on tour (and those who can t make it to Texas, of course) will no doubt enjoy this recording.