Hombre Records Presents Barry Horne

Barry Horne

"I didn't do it for the money, didn't do it for the fame / There was a song in my heart that I knew I just had to sing" – Barry Horne
from
"Didn't Do It
For The Money"

From the Heart of Texas to the hearts of Texans, the new CD by Barry Horne and Friends — Rough Around the Edges — proves that 21st century Texans still have that lonesome longing for something different, something just a little more fulfilling than the daily grind. Horne, a hopeless romantic, campfire favorite and "just a ham at heart" has long been known for his gatherings of good friends producing good music and great times. And, as the friendships have deepened over the years, the music making has reached new heights, making the good times that much better, signaling that it's time for the rest of the state to escape the mundane and embrace the universal bliss.

Whether Rollin' On, trying to flow With the Grain or the Go to the Light lure of a honky tonk, Horne and his talented amigos could be seeking a Louisiana Paradise, a Buffetesque Caribbean Dream or just a little blessed Solitude. But, as with any expedition, the getting there is more important than the destination, the ultimate goal being to Fly (Over The Mountain). In Carribean Dream, Horne informs us that "Eternal moments happen everyday. The trick is don't let them slip away." Rough Around the Edges is an explorer's log — a musician's blog — of the eternal quest for something real and something fun.

Barry has again called on his longtime friend Jim Bush, "a singer of old songs all night long” to articulate in verse many a thought and idea shared over the years. He and his studio friends have given a country-rock flavor to Bush's songs, and to the three written by Horne himself and David Zychek's Go to the Light. Bush’s Simple Kinda Guy, which might accurately describe the life of someone with minimal needs so they "don't do much wishin'," is a far cry from accurate about Jim and Barry’s searches for deeper meanings.

The album provides a reunion of sorts for guitarists Zychek and John Inmon, who as teenagers played together in a band in the Temple area. David headed toward rock 'n' roll and John veered toward Texas country. Together they unite the best of both genres, more than ably aided by the sweet and subtle licks of Joe Forlini, especially in the search for Solitude, Dave Yocum’s Carefree acoustic guitar rendering, the songbird stylings of Terri Stafford, who contributes a duet on Hey, I Love You; and the steady bottom line of drummers Ronny Griffin and Jack McVey along with Frank Kuban on bass. Dan Berry wails in and out of the songs with his harmonicas, Paul Pearcy, an Austin legend, adds touches of percussion and Texas music festival icon Larry Joe Taylor even drops by to lend a hand, and his voice on Caribbean Dream, which also features some fancy fingerwork from Inmon.

The Rough Around the Edges title comes from what has to be Horne's anthem, Didn't Do It for the Money, where he proclaims he "didn't do it for the money, didn't do it for the fame," but was driven by "dreams down inside" to "say what I mean in my own kinda way." He vows, too, "to keep singin' my songs till there's nothing left to say." The cover photo shows him more than a little rougher than the easy-going-celebrant-of-life that his many friends are familiar with. And it certainly belies the smooth sounds waiting inside for 21st century Texians, who aren't afraid to think a little bit while having a good time "heading to the country to find some relief" or finding the perfect place "where poetry and logic meet." Here is a metaphysical road map to Texas music and our peculiar Texas state of mind.

Barry’s first CD “Wildcat Road” was released in 2000 and is available at www.hombrerecords.com.