Storms of Life

Personnel includes: Randy Travis (vocals, guitar); Larry Byrom (acoustic & electric guitars); Mark Casstevens, Bobby Thompson (acoustic guitar); Fred Newell, Steve Gibson, Keith Stegall (electric guitar); Doyle Grisham (steel guitar); Jerry Douglas (dobro); Mark O'Connor (mandolin, fiddle); Terry McMillan (harmonica, percussion); Shane Keister (keyboards); David Hungate (bass); Larrie Londin (drums); Paul Overstreet (background vocals).
Baillie & The Boys: Kathy Baillie, Mark Bonagura, Alan LeBouef (background vocals).
Travis's first major label album (after an independently released live set) almost single-handedly yanked commercial country out of its '80s URBAN COWBOY crossover phase and back to the music's rural roots. Even better, it introduced a singer who mixed George Jones' clench-jawed intensity with hints of his idols Lefty Frizzell and Merle Haggard. Beautifully produced by Klye Lehning, it's an all but perfect mixture of cheating songs ("Reasons I Cheat") and weepers (like "1982" and "The Other Hand" - guess what's on it?) and up-tempo neo-honky-tonkers ("There'll Always Be a Honky Tonk Somewhere"). A great debut.