The Killer made his country comeback in 1968, so Touching Home came in the thick of his period as a reliable country hit-maker -- and, appropriately enough, there are hits here. Specifically, Touching Home has the title track, which reached number three on the U.S. country charts, and "When He Walks on You (Like You Have Walked on Me)," which made it to 11. Although it has its share of backing vocals, Touching Home is a hard country album, lacking overall sweetened gloss. It's a good, strong shot of barroom country, filled with brokenhearted ballads and enlivened by a rollicking "Please Don't Talk About Me When I'm Gone," and given some pathos by "Mother, The Queen of My Heart," a bit of kitsch that doesn't seem so corny when surrounded by so much tough country.
© Stephen Thomas Erlewine /TiVo