Dean has certainly had his ups and down in the music business, going from unknown to overnight sensation courtesy of his Star Search win for Male Vocalist in 1988. After a string of hits in the ‘90s,
Dean's commercial star was tarnished a bit in the interim, but he came back strong in 2004 with
Let Them Be Little.
A Man of Good Fortune follows the template of that release with tunes that span the entire range of modern country music. "Dear John" is an old-time country stomper about broken hearts with a great turn of phrase -- "She left a ‘Dear John' letter on my John Deer tractor…" Fiddle, banjo, and a
Waylon Jennings backbeat drive the jaunty "I Can't Leave a Good Thing." "I Don't Need as Much Hell to Raise" is a country-rocker driven by crunchy power chords and a solid backbeat. "Middle of Nowhere" bemoans the encroaching urbanization that's pushing country life to the margins of society, playing off a modern lyric against the fiddles and banjos of old-time country music. "Laura Nadine" is a folksy story song, while "All the Difference in the World" and "Crazy Beautiful" are the kind of over-the-top sentimental ballads that can easily go wrong, but
Dean's warmth and sincerity give them a heartfelt sheen. No matter what your taste is in country music,
Dean delivers plenty to like on this strong collection. ~ j. poet