Brooks vs. Dunn

(Today's word will be in red, and bold.)

For 20 years country artists Brooks & Dunn were nearly unstoppable.  Almost from the day they were put together, the duo started having hit after hit and winning award after award.  They won "Duo of the Year" so many times at the various country music awards, that it was kiddingly known as the "Brooks & Dunn Award".

Then, after two decades, the duo called it quits.  Each one went their separate ways to pursue their individual interests.

Ronnie Dunn went in the studio and started working on a solo album, and started booking shows as a solo artist around the U.S.  To date, three singles have been released from Dunn's solo debut, two that have been hits, and one that wasn't.  I'll come back to this in a moment.

Meanwhile, Kix Brooks has kept busy as the host of "American Country Countdown", a syndicated show counting down the top 40 country songs on the music charts each week.

In addition, Brooks has been a part of various "Songwriter Showcase" programs, with other country songwriters, showcasing their musical talents around the nation.

Another business Kix has been part of is a winery, where he has his own brand of wine for sale to the public.

While Ronnie Dunn almost immediately started putting out solo music, Kix Brooks is just now testing the waters with his first post B&D single, "New to This Town".

I don't know about anyone else, however, I've always thought Ronnie Dunn was the "voice" of Brooks & Dunn.  Yes, Kix is good too; it just seemed their biggest hits were the ones sang by Ronnie.

That's what I thought was kind of funny about Kix's new single; though it's a solo effort, he still has back up support from another big name, Joe Walsh of the Eagles. Whether this is a media move, to draw attention to Brooks' solo career or what, I don't know.  The song is good, and you can definitely tell it's Kix; just not sure where Walsh fits in.

Likewise, Ronnie Dunn's first solo single, "Bleed Red", was heavily hyped to radio stations across the U.S.  The song was highly anticipated, as everyone wondered what the music would be like without Brooks. To be honest, "Bleed Red" would be as perfect a Brooks & Dunn song as it was a Ronnie Dunn single.  

Maybe it's just me, what I don't get though is, here are two guys that have had solid success for 20 years as a duo.  Now they've gone solo, however what each has offered up could still easily be considered Brooks & Dunn tunes, had they been recorded when the duo was together.  Because they have solo careers though, each man has had to reprove himself to radio audiences; why?

Yes, I think every artist should have to prove themselves every time they release a single; what I don't get is how either Kix or Ronnie could *not* have a hit with the music they're putting out.  As I stated earlier, each is still putting out the "Brooks & Dunn" sound, though they're doing solo work.

Yet, that's what happened with Ronnie Dunn's second single, "Cost of Livin'".  This is one of my favorite cuts on Dunn's CD, yet, the song never really made it on radio.

I honestly thought this song would be a huge success; it's more of a ballad, which Ronnie Dunn is known for doing so well.

Now, with Kix Brooks releasing "New to This Town", and Ronnie Dunn's latest single, "Let The Cowboy Rock", on the airwaves also, it's more "Brooks vs. Dunn" instead of "Brooks & Dunn".

I guess, on the bright side, having individual music from both Kix and Ronnie is better than no Brooks & Dunn at all.  It will be interesting to see how successful each one will be, and if one will be more successful than the other.  I give them at least 10 years each however.

REVIEW—Ronnie Dunn's Self-Titled CD

After 20 years as one half of the mega-duo, Brooks & Dunn, Ronnie Dunn has released his first CD as a solo artist.

The self-titled CD contains twelve songs, including the first single, “Bleed Red”.   After hearing the CD, I think this was a good song to lead off Dunn’s solo career; it’s not too quiet, yet it’s also not too overpowering.  It’s a song that manages to stay the course of where Dunn has been, and where he seems to be heading in the future.  For those expecting a change from the Brooks & Dunn days though, you won’t find it on this CD.  

What you will find is that familiar, polished, yet a bit rough, voice that brought many of Brooks & Dunn’s hits to life.  I find it ironic that, in the liner notes Dunn thanked someone for pushing him beyond what he thought he could do.  I don’t quite get that, because to me, any of the songs on this CD could have been a hit for Brooks & Dunn.  There’s really nothing I heard that is that different from what Ronnie has been doing the past two decades.

 That’s not to say the CD is bad; it’s not.  Anyone who’s been a fan of Brooks & Dunn, especially the songs done by Ronnie, will probably like this CD.  If you’re looking for Ronnie Dunn to be a “Brand New Man”,  (forgive the pun, I couldn’t help myself!), in his solo career though, it’s not on this CD.

Though the feel of the songs aren’t different from Brooks & Dunn, the songs on the CD are good.

One song that really stands out to me is “Cost of Livin’”.  It tells of a man looking for work, so he can pay his bills and feed his family.  The concept of the song really isn’t that different than other tunes out nowadays.  What sets “Cost of Livin’” apart though is Dunn’s delivery of the tune.  It reaches out, gets your attention and keeps your attention through the whole thing.  If it was up to me, I’d pick “Cost of Livin’” to be the next single from the CD.

Another song I really like is “How Far to Waco”.  This song is the most up-tempo song on the CD; yet doesn’t get as crazy as if say Kix Brooks did the song.  That’s just not Ronnie Dunn’s style.  He can cut loose on songs, though he just doesn’t seem to go totally crazy, like some artists do.  He pulls it off well though, at least on “How Far to Waco”. 

I also particularly like “I Don’t Dance”.  The title would lead one to believe this could be a song about a guy in a bar and he can’t dance, etc.; it’s not.  The song actually tells the story of a guy who makes his living singing in bars, and how even though the girls are pretty, and may hit on him, he doesn’t dance with any of them, or mess around.  Instead, he saves all his dances for the woman he loves who’s waiting at home.  I really can’t do the song justice here, trying to explain it.  All I can say is, I think it’s a really sweet song for a guy to sing to a girl.

In summary, if you’re looking for something totally different from Ronnie Dunn, now that he’s gone solo, you’ll probably want to skip this CD.

However, if you’ve been a fan of Brooks & Dunn in the past, and wondered where you’ll get your fix, now that they’ve split, fear not; this CD will have you reliving those times once again.