Little Texas

One Liner: Heavy on the harmonies and the rock guitar, "God Blessed Texas."

Wikipedia Genre: Country, country rock

Home: Nashville

Poster Position: Small Type 
Sunday.

Thoughts:  Oh hell yeah.  I remember a bunch of these songs.  Absolutely the stinkiest cheese on this poster, which is already full of all sorts of cringe-inducing schlock, but these guys lean right into it and make fun times sing-along tunes.

They were formed in Nashville in 1988 and released their first album in 1991.  Two of the guys came from Arlington, Texas, two others met in high school and moved to Nashville to attend Belmont University, and two others were already there playing backup for someone else. Through the 90's, they popped off seven top ten hits, as well as a gold album, a platinum album, and a double-platinum album in their first few years.  However, the group entirely disbanded in 1997 and the guys went off to do several other bands and solo projects, before coming back together in 2004 with a new lead singer.

The album that I really recognize is, of course, their most popular.  The second disc was called Big Time, and was released in 1993.  Double platinum.  Three major singles - commercial fodder "God Blessed Texas," adult contemporary crossover "What Might Have Been," and their only number one single, "My Love."  Now, after a few decades, those popularity counts have shifted, with "God Blessed Texas" the most streamed tune, by quite a bit (35.7 million), followed by "What Might Have Been" at 12.8 million, and "My Love" bringing up the rear at 7.1 million.  So here is that tune from many a Chevy commercial, and Dallas Cowboys intro song, and a million other uses.

YEEEEEEEHAW!  Loogit that hair!  Dallas Cowboy Cheerleaders!  Rodeo!  Southfork Ranch!  The Alamo!  Line dancers!  The Capitol!  Mullets!  Big boobies in bikinis!  Windmills!  Cows!  I actually like that sign from Hondo, Texas.  I used to hunt out that way and always thought it was cool.  That guitar solo there in the middle is pretty rockin'.

But the big thing you get with these guys, other than cheesy 90's Nashville goodness, is really good harmonies.  Those other two songs from that second album have the harmonies in spades.  And then their third album, released in 1994, has two top notch classics that I dig.  The first, and much more popular, is the rock-and-rollin' "Kick a Little," with 7.4 million streams.  But my preference is the one that notches two things for me, personally, being that I am from Austin and married Amy, and that one is called "Amy's Back in Austin."  2.3 million streams.

That mullet is fabulous.  When I was in high school, one of my best friends could get us in to La Zona Rosa anytime for free meals or concerts - I think his step-dad owned it? - and that was the first place I ever tried flan.  So, I've always loved this song for multiple reasons.  It's not Pure Prarie League's "Amie," but it's a classic anyway.  All the harmonies you can get into one track.

As with many of the artists on this poster, they had their heyday right there in those few albums, and then it has been all downhill (or at least a sideways traverse) from there.  A Greatest Hits in 1995, a 1996 album with low stream counts, a 2015 album with low stream counts, a 2020 Greatest Hits, and a 2020 career retrospective.  So, I think we can expect to hear the best hits and nothing else, which sounds pretty appealing!