Lost Dogs

Item: Real Men Cry
Author: Michial Farmer

Real Men Cry

(2001)

Reviewed by Michial Farmer

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Label BEC RecordingsHM Magazine #93January/February 2002

alternative country americana folk roots rock

It was inevitable that after Gene Eugene died, the remaining three Lost Dogs (Terry Taylor, Mike Roe, and Derri Daughtery) would have to struggle to find their sound. And yes, several songs on Real Men Cry -- the title track and "Three Legged Dog" are the two most obvious -- find the band out of their element and grasping at straws. In fact, I was five songs in and ready to give up on the band for good. And then came "In the Distance," quite possibly the most achingly beautiful song Taylor's ever penned, and certainly the best thing to come from a Dogs session (and this group has put out some incredible material). It's a ghost story, about a fallen Confederate soldier who watches his grieving widow, but cannot touch or speak to her. "If I gently spoke her name, she couldn't bear my haunted whisper," Daughtery sighs, before resigning himself: "there's nothing to be gained." Gorgeous. Another easy highlight is "The Mark of Cain," a haunting 3/4 murder ballad, full of wisdom, well-placed feedback, and biblical allusion. Then there's "Wild Ride," this record's most "rocking" tune, in which Roe does his very best Merle Haggard impersonation, and "Dust on the Bible," an old self-righteous Southern standard that Roe croons half-seriously. These tracks certainly don't exactly make up for Eugene's absence (you can hear where his voice belongs on several tracks), but they show that the band is healing. I continue to look forward to future releases.