Jimmie Dale Gilmore's self-titled sophomore effort boasted a less aggressive sound than his Joe Ely-produced debut, and that suited Gilmore's wavering tenor and impressionistic lyrical style just fine, though the album also sounds like an attempt to blend a traditional country approach with Gilmore's rather individualistic style. This time out, Gilmore wrote (or co-wrote half) of the album's ten songs, while old friend Butch Hancock ponied up two tunes of his own, and the production (by Bruce Bromberg and Lloyd Maines) generates a laid-back honky tonk vibe that recalls the feel of a Texas dancehall without forcing the issue. The album rescues one classic tune from the long-lost Flatlanders album (Dallas), and Deep Eddy Blues and Beautiful Rose prove he had plenty of other great songs at his disposal, which marks a major improvement over the covers-heavy debut. Sometimes, however, the spunky tempo and precise accompaniment of the music seem to be working against the grain of Gilmore's often world-weary songs, though Jimmie Dale himself accompanies these arrangements with grace and confidence. Jimmie Dale Gilmore is a fine album and a step up from Fair and Square, but in retrospect it sounds most like a stepping stone on the way to his definitive recording, After Awhile. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi

1		Honky Tonk Song
2		The Doors Are Open Wide
3		See the Way
4		Beautiful Rose
5		Dallas
6		Up to You
7		Red Chevrolet
8		Deep Eddy Blues
9		That Hardwood Floor
10		When the Nights Are Cold

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