John Conlee is a benefactor of country music's complete lack of pretension -- he's one of the most average-looking stars in the entertainment industry and never made a chart hit until his thirties. But his voice is a wonderfully unique and expressive instrument, ranking up there with
Randy Travis' and
Jon Anderson's as one of the most identifiable in modern country -- it makes you forget for a moment that contemporary country music has increasingly been taken over by slick smoothies without a whit of personality.
Friday Night Blues is a gem of an album filled with melancholy songs about everyday domestic dramas ("Friday Night Blues"), intersections of families and taverns ("Honky Tonk Toys"), and, especially, painfully realistic songs about relationships. His mood is wistful even when the messages are hopeful.
Conlee's mournful reading of "Misery Loves Company" is more effective than
Porter Wagoner's brisk hit version, while the title track and "She Can't Say That Anymore" were major hits.
Friday Night Blues shows that honky tonk music remained a vital art form decades after its inception, and is a solidly consistent effort in a genre that is often oriented toward singles rather than albums. ~ Greg Adams