Various Artists,
Brewed in Texas Volume 2



Label: Compadre Records

(4 out of 5)

We Texans love music, and we love to drink. So it figures we would love music about drinking. Three years after sending the boisterous Brewed in Texas down the hatch, Compadre Records follows up with an even better chaser: Brewed in Texas Volume 2.

My two favorite drinking songs are here: Charlie Robison's "Barlight" and Kevin Fowler's "The Lord Loves the Drinkin' Man."

Other strong honky-tonk contributions come from Jason Boland & The Stragglers with "Drinkin' Song" and the Randy Rogers Band's cover of Wayne Carson's "She's Actin' Single (I'm Drinkin' Doubles)."

Singer/songwriters are well-represented by Guy Clark ("Out in the Parking Lot") and Townes Van Zandt ("Talking Thunderbird Blues").

Alt.country gets a better showing than on the inaugural compilation, with Honeybrowne's "Julie at the Bar," the Old 97s' "Niteclub," and Bob Schneider's sort-of bluegrass "Lubricate the Death Machine" (presumably from a forthcoming Texas Bluegrass Massacre release).

There's even a putative hip-hop number, Chance's closing "I Came to Drink." I'm not sure what this Muzik Mafia member's Texas ties are, if any, but his musical contribution certainly seems out of place. I'm uncertain whether the song is really that bad, or perhaps it's just ill-sequenced after slow, meditative numbers by Guy Clark and Ray Wylie Hubbard.

Overall, Brewed in Texas Volume 2 is a fun and energetic compilation. Now, will somebody pass me a beer?

Buy Brewed in Texas Volume 2 from Lone Star Music for only $14.99.

July 25, 2005