Trace Adkins Can't Please Everybody
Everyone suffers at a Trace Adkins show.
The singer says he's noticed two camps at his concerts: fans of his older, traditional country stuff like "Every Light in the House" and those of his recent high-octane hits like "Honkytonk Badonkadonk."
"You've got the Every Lighters, and you've got the Badonkadonkers. And they don't really like each other because the Badonkadonkers are up in front of them dancing," Adkins says in his deep Louisiana drawl.
"I tell the Badonkadonkers sometimes right up front, 'Look, I know what you came to hear and you're going to have to suffer through 60 minutes of country music before I give it to you.' So the Badonkadonkers have to suffer, and the Every Lighters have to suffer."
After 10 years, Adkins has something for everyone, from the poignant to the rowdy to the hilarious.
His latest album, "Dangerous Man," out Tuesday, finds him stretching out a little more with "Ain't No Woman Like You," a smooth R&B-groove with Memphis-style horns and Al Green beats.
Other songs like "Swing," "Ride" and the title cut are in the vein of the fun, hard-charging anthems that have come to define his sound. The guitars are loud, the beats heavy and Adkins' voice a growling rumble.
"Swing" is an extended baseball analogy about a couple of guys slinging pickup lines at a bar — and not always connecting with the ladies. Major League Baseball used it on its Web site.
The 44-year-old ex-oil field roughneck could pass for a power hitter himself. He plops down in a chair that seems too small for his 6-foot-6 frame. A fresh pot of coffee sits on the table in front of him, and he fills a mug the size of a small soup bowl.
His new album follows a career spike with "Honkytonk Badonkadonk." The risqué lyrics celebrate the female figure — a recurring theme for Adkins.
"I'm baffled from time to time to hear his content and see how much women respond to it," said Ron Brooks, program director for WNOE in New Orleans. "I guess it shows how much I know about the opposite sex."
The father of five daughters, Adkins shrugs off any suggestion of sexism. He says the racy tone keeps things "adult" and fun, and the songs express appreciation for women, not disrespect.
After his successful 1996 debut, his career languished for a few years as his label, Capitol Records Nashville, transitioned from the Garth Brooks era. His comeback began with 2001's "Chrome," a more rock-edged record.
His personal comeback took longer than his professional one. He's battled alcoholism and been married three times. His second wife shot him in the chest on their final day together in 1994, with the bullet piercing his heart and lungs.
He's been sober 3½ years now and sings about it in one of his new songs, "High": "Ain't no whiskey in this glass. I try not to smoke too many cigarettes. I stay away from Mary Jane. These are my choices. Ain't gonna judge you if you do. So don't judge me if I don't."
He calls the song "cathartic."
"It angers me when I'm around people and they abstain because they're in my presence," Adkins says. "I'm like, 'Please, go ahead, get pukin' drunk. I enjoy seeing someone else do that. Dance naked on the table and throw up. I get a kick out of it."
Since "Chrome," the hits have come at a steady clip: "I'm Tryin'," "Then They Do," "Hot Mama," "Songs About Me" and, of course, "Honkytonk Badonkadonk." He was invited to become a member of the Grand Ole Opry in 2003.
With the new record, he's positioned to move beyond second-tier status and alongside the likes of Toby Keith and Tim McGraw.
"I definitely think he'll be one of the next superstars in our format," said Jimmy Brooks, music director at WYPY in Baton Rouge, La. "He's so versatile. He can sing a song about someone's (butt) and then sing a love song that brings a tear to your eye."
By John Gerome