In October of 1994 I was in Dallas, Texas riding broncs at the Outlaw Rodeo Circuit Series and I found myself down at the Three Teardrops Tavern to watch a buddy of mine, Chris Wall, play his music there. That was the first time I had heard Pat Green sing. He was young, good looking on stage and full of piss and vinegar. The club's management had asked Chris if he minded an opening act. Chris didn't mind at all. Green had the place thumping during his set, and all the gals there loved him. It would have been easy for this old hand to hate him. But, something about him was so genuine, I continued to listen. I have kept on listening to Pat Green and I've seen him grow and refine his talent. If you enjoy good solid Texas songwriting, then you tend to enjoy Pat Green.
That's what I used to say; what I used to think. And then Green went and put this album together and those convictions of mine went up in a puff of smoke.
'Lucky Ones' is a more accessible brand of country. Not the raw and honest singer-songwriter inspired music that I had grown to expect from this native Texan. This is Pat Green trying to impress the pop-country Nashville music scene village idiots. Disappointing could be the adjective that best describes the songs and the music contain on this latest offering. For the most part, his career has towed the "hell-with-Nashville" line; it's been both a boon and a bane as Green pursued the "expanding the horizons" evolution.
'LUCKY ONES', is Green's complete transition into full mainstream Nashville-Sound-with a only a whisper of his alternative country music past in the expert songwriting put into too few songs. Producer Don Gehman put his stamp on this album in a redemptive effort to raise this album above forgetable contemporary schmaltzyness. The redeeming qualities are that Green collaborated with some damn fine cowriters: Ray Wiley Hubbard, Rob Thomas,Drew Womack, and Radney Foster. While it is observed that Brad Paisley and Green perform the hilarious "College" in good fashion, the fact remains that Paisley was even involved in the album in the first place.
There are songs that ring true for the old fans of pre-"Wave on Wave" Pat Green; "Temporary Angel","My Little Heaven," and "Long Way to Go" are poetic works and the Green/Foster collaboration "It's Time" is a fine romantic song that stands by itself. Depressingly, whenever I long for the Texas Hill Country while I am sitting here at the Santa Elena Cantina and pull out a Pat CD to make living down here easier, this aint gonna be one of them.