Night Train: A Monster

By Marty Smith
Country Boy Casserole

Given its release to the public today (Oct. 16, 2012), many of you have asked for my thoughts on Jason Aldean's new album, Night Train. This is my review of the album, which first ran in the body of my ESPN.com column -- TheSix -- in mid-September.

Jason Aldean climbed to the top of the country music universe by cutting redneck rock 'n roll songs that simultaneously broach the human element while speaking directly to the boys in the hayfield trying to get out of town, and the girls in the boardroom that just want to get back home.

Aldean's song choices make many different types of folks from many different places in many different walks-of-life say, 'That's me.'

That's hard to do.

It's even harder to duplicate.

But with Night Train he did it.

I can't believe he did it. But he did.

This record is a monster.

And it's not redundant. Country artists can get redundant, fearing they'll try to fix what ain't broke and end up a broken record. Same thing happens in racing. Teams that are really good one season sometimes end up mediocre the next, because they're afraid to change what works in the moment. Then, suddenly, they're behind for the future.

Aldean's last album, My Kinda Party, sold nearly three million copies and, in my opinion, carried two (and maybe even three) more radio hits in its pages than the five-straight No. 1s you did hear.

In today's landscape in the country format, triple-platinum is just north of impossible for someone not named Taylor Swift, according to those I know in the industry.

How do you follow a record that huge? That's a ton of pressure. (Welcome pressure, sure, but difficult nonetheless).

I broached that thought with a buddy of mine in Nashville, who made a fantastic point: When you're on top of the mountain like Aldean is, the best writers in town lay the best songs in their catalogues down on your doorstep. “Here's the best I got: take your pick.”

Nobody loves country music more than me. I skew "hardcore fan" on the demo sheet. I'm no music critic. I'm not educated in music theory. But I have plenty of music theories. I'm a hard-sell these days but not a cynic. I'm not educated enough to be cynical and have conviction about it. I'm too big a fan for that.

There are but a select few artists that make me pump my fist. There's a lot of watered-down work out there. So when I receive an advance-copy of a new album, I'm excited, but try to temper it. If an album carries 11 songs and four of them are solid, it's a decent record.

Night Train carries 15 tracks. You don't especially need the seek button. There are a couple songs I don’t love. But it’s an album you can just let play.

It is 90 percent classic Aldean. The remaining 10 percent is a swing for the fence.

The Only Way I Know, a collaboration with Luke Bryan and Eric Church, will be No. 1 by wintertime, I figure. It's about growing up in the middle of nowhere, ignorant to the broader scope, and the core value of the simple man. "Don't back up... don't back down..."

The beauty-in-simplicity nostalgia of growing up in the country is a theme that weaves throughout the album. There are a lot of rivers and a lot of reminiscing in this record.

The initial radio track, Take A Little Ride is the fastest-rising single of Aldean’s career. It sold more downloads in its first week than any country male in history. And in my opinion it is one of the weaker tracks on the record.

There's a rap song on the album called 1994, which hops through Joe Diffie's career. The first time I heard it I mocked it. But by the fifth listen, it's impossible not to bob your head. It'll be huge in Aldean's live show. Just huge. There'll be 15,000 people bobbing their heads and hollering, "Joe... Joe... Joe Diffie! ... Joe ... Joe... Joe Diffie!" Trust me.

There are also some huge tracks. Talk is my favorite in the early-going. The way I hear it, it’s about taking the next-step with a new love-interest, and it’s the best vocal -- with the most passion -- on the album. Aldean didn’t write it, so he either lived it or dreamed about living it. It’s that personal.

The title track, Night Train, is just fantastic. Same for Drink One For Me. “Tell the boys… thanks for havin’ my back… some of the best memories I’ve ever had…”

I could go on-and-on. Buy it. You’ll be glad you did.