| | George Strait Beyond The Blue Neon CD George Strait Discography of CDs
 (1 Customer Review)
It could easily be argued that George Strait never made a bad album and they were all hits, but even among that remarkably consistent catalog, 1989's Beyond the Blue Neon stands apart from the pack, with half of its ten tracks reaching the country charts. Three of these topped the charts -- "Baby's Gotten Good at Goodbye," "What's Going on in Your World," and "Ace in the Hole" -- with "Overnight Success" peaking at eight and "Hollywood Squares," a novelty so sly and understated that it never cracks a smile, scraping the bottom reaches of the charts. An easy nature is one of Strait's signatures -- he never makes anything look difficult -- and he's never made music that seems as easy as this. That casual virtuosity can disguise just how virtuosic this album is. Strait hits the same touchstones as always -- Western swing, barroom ballads, honky tonk shuffles, laments, and two-steps -- but what's missing is that slight coat of gloss that always distinguished his singles on the albums after he turned into a superstar. Instead, this is all pure country -- lean and clean, punchy enough to be modern but never making concessions to the radio, without being slavishly faithful to the past -- and that vibe alone is enough to make this different. But what makes Beyond the Blue Neon exceptional, one of his very best records, is that every one of the ten songs is irresistible, whether galloping along like "Angel, Angelina" and "Oh Me, Oh My Sweet Baby" or wallowing in its misery like "Too Much of Too Little." This diversity makes Beyond the Blue Neon a classic barroom album, playing equally well as party music or music to drown your sorrows. In a career filled with good music, this is one of the truly essential records. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine
All tracks have been digitally remastered.
Personnel: George Strait (vocals); Steve Gibson (acoustic guitar, electric guitar); Reggie Young (electric guitar); Paul Franklin (steel guitar); Johnny Gimble (fiddle); Steve Marsh (saxophone); Floyd Domino (piano); Eddie Bayers (drums); Curtis Young, Liana Young (background vocals).
Audio Mixer: John Guess.
Recording information: Emerald Studio; SoundStage Studios.
Photographer: Steven Pumphrey.
Personnel: George Strait (vocals, guitar); Steve Gibson (acoustic & electric guitars); Reggie Young (electric guitar); Paul Franklin (steel guitar); Johnny Gimble (fiddle); Steve Marsh (saxophone); Floyd Domino (piano); David Hungate (bass); Eddie Bayers (drums); Curtis "Mr. Harmony" Young, Liana "Mrs. Harmony" Young (background vocals).
Beyond The Blue Neon Music George Strait Beyond The Blue Neon Songs Beyond The Blue Neon Music Review Buy Beyond The Blue Neon CD Purchase Beyond The Blue Neon CD To buy, Click on price to add to cart | George Strait Holding My Own CD (1992)
Beyond The Blue Neon
 $6.39 
By the time he released his twelfth album Holding My Own in 1992, George Strait had been having hits for over a decade, a long time in any kind of pop music, so it should come as no surprise that when this hit the market it was surrounded by albums cut by singers inspired by Strait. As such, the title itself can be read as a little bit defensive, proving that Strait was indeed comparing well to such new stars as Garth Brooks, and there are other slight signs of Strait and producer Jimmy Bowen reacting to the shifting times. There's the return of a coat of gloss on such slow singles as "So Much Like My Dad," a slight tempering of Western swing, a brightening of the Telecasters and beat on the uptempo tunes, which does result in the delightful modern rockabilly of "It's Alright with Me," reminiscent of nothing less than an updated Ricky Nelson tune. All these changes are incorporated within the framework of Strait's traditional country, sitting alongside the shuffles ...
| | George Strait If You Ain't Lovin' You Ain't Livin' CD (1988)
Beyond The Blue Neon
$6.65
George Strait revived the classic Faron Young anthem "If You Ain't Lovin' (You Ain't Livin')" for his eighth album, 1988's If You Ain't Lovin' (You Ain't Livin'). By this time, it was no great surprise to have Strait draw directly from classic country and while there are no great left turns here, it does pack one surprise: the album isn't quite as rip-roaring as its hell-raising title would suggest. Instead of being packed with barroom ravers, this is a pretty laid-back affair, which is part of its appeal. Again, a few of the singles are a bit glossier than the rest -- ...
| | George Strait Something Special CD (1985)
Beyond The Blue Neon
$7.29 
George Strait's 1984 album Does Fort Worth Ever Cross Your Mind is widely regarded as his greatest album but its 1985 successor, Something Special, doesn't pale in comparison, even if it doesn't quite offer something special or different from what Strait has done before. Far ...
| | George Strait Ocean Front Property CD (1987)
Beyond The Blue Neon
$7.35 
One of the biggest country albums of the 1980s and a virtual greatest-hits record in and of itself, 1987's OCEAN FRONT PROPERTY is perhaps George Strait's career pinnacle. It features two of Strait's most beloved hits, the rueful title track and the sly "All My Ex's Live in Texas," as well as the jaunty Western swing of "Am I Blue" and seven other slices of what critics were quick to call "new traditionalist" country. Strait was, in many ways, the Ray Price of the '80s, a singer whose ties to country music's bedrock sound ...
| | George Strait Chill Of An Early Fall CD (1991)
Beyond The Blue Neon
$6.45
1991's THE CHILL OF AN EARLY FALL is the first album that George Strait released after the sudden ascendance of Garth Brooks as the new king of country music, a move that nudged Strait into the unexpected role of elder statesman after a half-decade in which he was the hottest thing in Nashville. Wisely, Strait doesn't try to reassert his primacy by mimicking the younger singer's more pop-oriented moves; instead, THE CHILL OF AN EARLY FALL is a reflective, quiet album in keeping with its autumnal title. The haunting title track is one of Strait's most effective ballads, but perhaps most interesting ...
| | George Strait Does Fort Worth Ever Cross Your Mind CD (1984)
Beyond The Blue Neon
$5.05
DOES FORT WORTH EVER CROSS YOUR MIND was voted CMA Album of the Year in 1985.
After his somewhat belated commercial breakthrough STRAIT FROM THE HEART, George Strait bobbled things a bit with a rushed, uneven follow-up, RIGHT OR WRONG. However, 1984's DOES FORT WORTH EVER CROSS YOUR MIND? not only righted Strait's commercial prospects, it was a massive success that won the 1985 Album of the Year award from the Country Music Association and cemented Strait's tenure as one of the most successful male country singers of all time. Hailed at the time as one of the signposts of the "new traditionalist" movement in country, DOES FORT WORTH EVER CROSS YOUR MIND? now ...
| | Steve Roach Dust To Dust CD (1998)
Beyond The Blue Neon
$13.19
| | Music Of Kentucky: Early American Rural Classics 1927-37, Volume 1 CD (1995)
Beyond The Blue Neon
$14.19
| | Kenny Rogers Love Collection CDs (2000)
Beyond The Blue Neon
$9.49
| | Johnny Cash 20 Greatest Hits CD (2005)
Beyond The Blue Neon
$8.29
| | Integen Absence Of Influence CD (2002)
Beyond The Blue Neon
$5.99
| | Drifters CD (2007)
Beyond The Blue Neon
$6.29
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