George Strait Album Series

[tim]

"Here We Go Again" is the song I revisit the least from this album as I just find it kind of dreary. It should also be said that George's voice sounds so incredible on these tracks and one could argue he might've been reaching his prime vocally around about this time of his career (personally anything from 1988-1992 is where I think his voice is heaven).

[tim]

I feel pretty confident in saying the next two songs to leave will likely be "You're Right I'm Wrong" and "It's Alright With Me", but I'm just not sure in which order they'll exit.

[bboat11]

No matter what life throws at me,

I’ve got the upper hand.

‘Cause nothin’ else can set me free

The way your lovin’ can.

If we lived in a shack out in the woods,

You’d never see me blue.

I’d just throw another log in the ol’ wood stove

And make sweet love to you.

7. "It's Alright With Me"

Track #6

Runtime: 2:51

Songwriters: Jackson Leap



Total: 80
Average: 6.15
Std Dev: 2.79 (2nd largest!!)


gonecountry - 1
.indulgecountry - 2
LBTrocks - 2
Kanenrá:ke - 6
George Strait Junkie - 6
Cody Wants Out... - 6
fearlessarrow - 7
tim - 7
taylor is terrified - 8
ClevelandRox - 8
gardyfan - 9
bboat11 - 9
castleoblivion26 - 9

SPOILER: Click to show

{Songs Remaining}
Gone As A Girl Can Get
Holding My Own
So Much Like My Dad
Trains Make Me Lonesome
Wonderland Of Love
You’re Right I’m Wrong

[bboat11]

"It's Alright With Me" bows out next, taking our second #1 with it courtesy of gonecountry ! Similar to "Faults And All", I feel like this one is good but not exceptional. It is a very catchy listen, but falls short of being one of my all-time faves.

Looking at the trajectory, this is the first song we have seen that had any type of consistency whatsoever, as it held on to #7 pretty tightly for the majority of the submission process :)

[tim]

"It's Alright With Me" was one of my favorites from the album when I was younger, but for whatever reason I don't think it has aged quite as well for me so it ended up falling a bit outside of my top five. It's always a fun and lighthearted song to put on, though, and you can tell George is having some fun himself with the Ace in the Hole Band on the track.

[bboat11]

The battle between #5 and #6 was MIGHTY!!! The two of them flip-flopped with each other for the entire submission process! In the end, #6 only missed the top 5 by ONE point... :'(

[tim]

I don't know why but I'm expecting a major disappointment to follow...

[bboat11]

Sometimes I need assurance of your love.

For your soft and gentle touch (Oo)

Only kings are worthy of. (Oo)

And at these times, you take me by the hand.

And like a child you lead me through (Oo)

The wonderland of love.

6. "Wonderland Of Love"

Track #7

Runtime: 2:59

Songwriters: Curtis Wayne

Total: 64
Average: 4.92
Std Dev: 2.76 (3rd largest!)

Kanenrá:ke - 2

George Strait Junkie - 2

taylor is terrified - 2

bboat11 - 2

ClevelandRox - 3

Cody Wants Out... - 4

LBTrocks - 5

tim - 5

gonecountry - 6

.indulgecountry - 7

gardyfan - 7

fearlessarrow - 9

castleoblivion26 - 10

SPOILER: Click to show

{Songs Remaining}
Gone As A Girl Can Get
Holding My Own
So Much Like My Dad
Trains Make Me Lonesome
You’re Right I’m Wrong

[ClevelandRox]

Awwwe this one was so good and I can definitely see myself placing it really high in the album tracks rankdown!

[tim]

Well, it wasn't quite the song I was thinking it might be but it's still disappointing to see "Wonderland of Love" miss the top five. This has always been a standout track and one that likely would've been considered as a single had they gone a full album era. This was one of two songs personally selected by George to include from this album on the Strait Out of the Box compilation in 1995.

[bboat11]

"Wonderland Of Love" is the unlucky victim to fall short of the top 5 by one point, thanks to LBTrocks' #5 ranking being low enough to push it backwards at the last second castleoblivion26 finally loses his #10 here, which I guess proves that he must have accidentally sent me his list in reverse order!! Meanwhile, a whopping FOUR of us lose a top 2 rank.

I have always loved this one from the moment I heard it. It is so fast and very clearly uptempo, but has such a dark sound to it... It's a VERY incongruous mix, which makes it a super unique song in George's catalog! The steel guitar provides one of the most memorable instrumental riffs of this entire album. And the melody sounds SO good, in almost a haunting yet still breezy way. I can't quite put my finger on it. I really look forward to seeing how this one does in the album track rd!

At least we have the consolation that this song put a nearly 20 point lead on "It's Alright With Me". There was a clear upper region of this album, and this song very much signifies that we have moved up to that territory!

[tim]

Here are my Top 5 predictions:

5. Trains Make Me Lonesome
4. You're Right I'm Wrong
3. So Much Like My Dad
2. Holding My Own
1. Gone As a Girl Can Get

I still think it's quite possible to see both of the singles in the top two, but if there's any album track that could possibly go on to win one of these it would be "Holding My Own".

[castleoblivion26]

I felt very meh about this entire album. Maybe multiple listens would help it grow on me. I also did the preference revealer to figure things out and never re-adjusted my list afterwards.

[taylor is terrified]

You're telling me that by ONE point, ONE, my #2 misses out on the Top 5?!

[Kanenrá:ke]

Aww WOL is so great I was thinking it'd glide right into the top 3 actually.

[bboat11]

Aug 25, 2020 19:35:51 GMT -5 taylor is terrified said:

You're telling me that by ONE point, ONE, my #2 misses out on the Top 5?!

And Flops didn't even tank it!! He sent it packing out of the top 5 despite ranking it in the top 5 himself!!!

[tim]

While it's fresh in my mind let's roll back the tape to one of George's commercials from this era!

[LBTrocks]

lmao I mean "Wonderland of Love" is great but I couldn't rank it any higher than I did, so I'm sorry my top 5 rank bumped it out of the top 5

[bboat11]

You’re right. I’m wrong.

I’m here. You’re gone.

Now I’m the one to blame that our love’s at an end.

I lied, you cried.

I died inside.

Now I’ll do anything to get you back again.

5. "You're Right I'm Wrong"

Track #1

Runtime: 2:34

Songwriters: Marty Stuart, Wayne Perry

Total: 63
Average: 4.85
Std Dev: 2.54


ClevelandRox - 1
bboat11 - 3
Cody Wants Out... - 3
LBTrocks - 3
fearlessarrow - 3
George Strait Junkie - 4
.indulgecountry - 4
castleoblivion26 - 4
tim - 6
Kanenrá:ke - 7
taylor is terrified - 7
gardyfan - 8
gonecountry - 10

SPOILER: Click to show

{Songs Remaining}
Gone As A Girl Can Get
Holding My Own
So Much Like My Dad
Trains Make Me Lonesome

[ClevelandRox]

I'll see you again in the album tracks rankdown, jam!

Edit: Thanks LBTrocks!

[bboat11]

The song fighting it out for the top 5 with "Wonderland Of Love" was in fact "You're Right I'm Wrong". This song was a fun one to watch, as it was at #5 or #6 for the entire submission process, switching repeatedly so that I never quite knew whether it would be able to finish in the top 5 or not. In the end, it pulled it off thanks to LBTrocks' #3 rank.

This song has such a unique vibe and melody, but imo George absolutely kills this vocal performance! The power and resonance in his voice as he handles the relatively complicated melody makes this a standout for me. Another one that will be fun to watch in the album tracks rd!

[tim]

"You're Right I'm Wrong" performed much better than I was expecting it to especially when I saw that someone had even predicted it would be the first song out. This is a great tune to kick the album off with as it's quite short but is still an earworm.

[bboat11]

I’m holdin’ my own,

But I’d rather be holdin’ you.

I can make it alone,

But not like I made it with you.

Without you here,

This house just ain’t no home.

How long can I go on holdin’ my own?

4. "Holding My Own"

Track #2

Runtime: 3:21

Songwriters: Dean Dillon, Pam Belford



Total: 61
Average: 4.69
Std Dev: 1.65 (Smallest!!!)


tim - 2
.indulgecountry - 3
castleoblivion26 - 3
ClevelandRox - 4
fearlessarrow - 4
taylor is terrified - 4
Cody Wants Out... - 5
George Strait Junkie - 5
Kanenrá:ke - 5
gardyfan - 5
bboat11 - 6
LBTrocks - 7
gonecountry - 8

SPOILER: Click to show

{Songs Remaining}
Gone As A Girl Can Get
So Much Like My Dad
Trains Make Me Lonesome

[tim]

I also always forget that "You're Right I'm Wrong" was written by Marty Stuart...for those that are fans of his like myself you can not only hear his imprint on it but is a song that could've just as easily been included on one of his albums.

[bboat11]

tim cited "Holding My Own" as a possible winner, but unfortunately it has to settle for a #4 finish. This song is a beautiful ballad, but tbh I was not expecting it to beat "Wonderland Of Love" or "You're Right I'm Wrong", so I had it pegged to just miss the top 5 myself. However, I was proven wrong as it ended up being a top 5 contender for the entire submission process!

This song, aside from the fact that it begs people to joke about masturbation (ClevelandRox... Lmao), is a wonderful song that once again could have been a successful hit had they chosen to release it. It failed to be our top album track though, as that honor now falls to "Trains Make Me Lonesome"! I wonder how much longer that one can last ;)

[tim]

Welp, here I thought for sure the title track might just make it into the top two. This has long been a personal favorite of mine so I'm glad it at least made the top five. Some of you might know this already but "Holding My Own" was all but set to be released as the third single before the Pure Country era came and all but sealed the fate for this era.

[bboat11]

I was five years old when daddy started packin’.

And I stood there by my momma as she cried.

And the next thing that we knew,

Some ol’ train came passin’ through.

And daddy got on board,

And we ain’t seen him no more.

I wonder why trains make me lonesome.

It happens every time that engine moans some.

And when I hear that whistle blow,

Why, it makes my heart sink low.

And I wonder why trains make me lonesome.

3. "Trains Make Me Lonesome"

Track #5

Runtime: 3:46

Songwriters: Paul Overstreet, Thom Schuyler



Total: 61
Average: 4.69
Std Dev: 2.46


George Strait Junkie - 1
Kanenrá:ke - 1
fearlessarrow - 2
tim - 4
gardyfan - 4
LBTrocks - 4
ClevelandRox - 5
bboat11 - 5
gonecountry - 5
castleoblivion26 - 6
Cody Wants Out... - 7
.indulgecountry - 8
taylor is terrified - 9

SPOILER: Click to show

{Songs Remaining}
Gone As A Girl Can Get
So Much Like My Dad

[tim]

I've been holding my breath with every reveal during this rankdown in the anticipation that "Trains Make Me Lonesome" would leave sooner than I was hoping. Alas, y'all got this one right! I literally can't even listen to one song on this album without also listening to this. This was also the second album track from this record that George personally selected to include on the Strait Out of the Box compilation.

[bboat11]

I figured all along that "Trains Make Me Lonesome" would end up being the highest album track when we got to this rankdown, and once again I was right. This song feels like a George Strait classic! It has all the makings of "fan favorite" written all over it. You can totally tell how fun it would be to perform live, and George's usual knack for nailing whimsy is on full display. This just sounds like a single when you listen to the album, imo. I may prefer "Wonderland Of Love" and "You're Right I'm Wrong" personally, but this song feels the most like the hit that got away.

[bboat11]

Oh look, we're down to the album's two big hits.



Gone As A Girl Can Get vs. So Much Like My Dad

How this gonna go??!?!!?