Today’s Frog Blog takes a
look an Arkansas native who is in a much different place than he was
a couple years ago. It’s a change for the better, but it took a lot
of soul-searching-- and a stint in rehab-- to get there.
I loved Joe Nichols’
last CD, Real Things, which contained the hits “Another Side
of You” and “It Ain’t No Crime.” I was really disappointed when
no singles were released from that disc. I think “Whiskey Dreams,”
in particular, would’ve done really well.
Apparently, Joe was doing a
little too much whiskey dreamin’ in the fall of 2007. In October of
that year, he checked himself into rehab for “substance abuse” issues,
although he never made it clear what substances he was addicted to.
He returned to the recording studio with a clear head... and a fearful
heart. He wasn’t used to facing his thoughts and emotions sober, when
it came to the creative process.
During the making of his latest
CD, Old Things New, Joe tells Country Weekly that he was filled
with uncertainty. “At one point in the middle of this album, I was
like, ‘Man, can I even sing? I don’t think I can sing anymore,’”
he told the magazine.
Well, he needn’t have worried.
Old Things New got an outstanding review in the Washington Post.
The paper raved: “Honesty in a voice is a hard thing to quantify,
but on many of these songs, Nichols finds shards of truth so sharp they'll
leave you catching your breath.”
They singled out a ballad,
“An Old Friend of Mine,” as the best track on the record. It is
an autobiographical tune, written from the viewpoint of an alcoholic
saying goodbye to booze. The Post proclaimed it the most haunting country
song since George Jones's “He Stopped Loving Her Today.”
Joe, who leaned primarily on
the supportive shoulders of wife Heather on the rocky road to recovery,
declares: “This is a special album for more than just the music. It’s
special because it’s a triumph on my part, on my wife’s part and
on everybody’s part that we pulled this out the right way.”
The CD
Old Things New came out on October 27, two years and two weeks to
the day after Joe entered treatment for his addictions. The first single,
“Believers,” was a Top 20 hit. Its follow-up, “Gimme That Girl,”
is currently scaling the Top 40 chart. There’s no video for that song
yet, but Joe made one for the aforementioned album track “An Old Friend
of Mine.” Obviously, the song must mean a lot to him. The track is
stripped down to the basics, just Joe’s voice and a piano. Enjoy!
Today’s Frog Blog takes a
look an Arkansas native who is in a much different place than he was
a couple years ago. It’s a change for the better, but it took a lot
of soul-searching-- and a stint in rehab-- to get there.
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