It’s been four years since Billy Ray Cyrus released new music, but the country singer is back with a new project titled ‘Thin Line.’ The album, a tribute to the Outlaw movement, was released on September 9, 2016, via Blue Cadillac Music. It contains 15 tracks and, includes songs with daughter Miley Cyrus, son Braison Cyrus, Aerosmith’s Joe Perry, Bryan Adams and Shooter Jennings. Cyrus describes ‘Thin Line’ as, “How I live my life; it’s a balance between art and reality.”
1) ‘Thin Line’ (Featuring Shelby Lynne) – Written by Billy Ray Cyrus
Impression: ‘Thin Line’ is one of the two songs on the album written solely by Cyrus. The opening track and title song has an important message about hate and love, good and bad, and right and wrong. The sweet sound of the tune catches the listeners ear by drawing you in to listen to the lyrics. Shelby Lynne’s harmonies enter the song in the third verse, balancing Cyrus’ baritone with her soprano.
Favorite Lyrics: It’s a thin line between right and wrong, good and bad. It’s a thin line between hate and love…gates of hell, heaven above…
2) ‘Loving Her Was Easier’ (Than Anything I’ll Ever Do Again) – Written by Kris Kristofferson.
Impression: This remake of the Kristofferson hit takes you back to 1972 when country songs were simple, without a lot of instruments cluttering up the background. Cyrus keeps true to that format at the beginning of the song, opening it with just the picking of an acoustic guitar. The ending, however, goes in a different direction with the more modern touch of an electric guitar solo.
Favorite Lyrics: Comin’ close together with a feelin’ that I’ve never known before, in my time, she ain’t ashamed to be a woman or afraid to be a friend…
3) ‘They’re Playin’ Our Song’ – Written by Bob DiPiero, John Jarrard and Mark D. Sanders.
Impression: The song has a haunting sound and quality pulling the listener in to feel the emotions that are being portrayed. Viewing it through Cyrus’ eyes, we see the times he has spent with the one he loved. We are able to put ourselves in his shoes enabling us to better understand his emotions. It is as if we were also there.
Favorite Lyrics: Let me take you in my arms hold you tight, lovin’ you all through the night, your sweet lips upon my skin, feel you once again…
4) ‘My Heroes Have Always Been Cowboys’ – Written by Sharon Vaughn.
Impression: This song was originally recorded by Willie Nelson. You can hear the influence of Nelsons style in Cyrus’ voice and with the waltzing beat of the song. It is equipped with the twang of guitar and the brushing of the bow on the strings of the fiddle.
Favorite Lyrics: I grew up a-dreamin’ of bein’ a cowboy, and lovin’ the cowboy ways. Pursuin’ the life of my high-ridin’ heroes, I burned up my childhood days…
5) ‘Stop Pickin’ on Willie’ – Written by Billy Ray Cyrus, Corky Holbrook and Terry Shelton.
Impression: The most light hearted tune on the album, starting from the opening of the song with a voice yelling “GET ON OUTTA HERE!” The song is telling us that there are more important things to be worried about in this world than Willie and what is going on in his life. A good old fashion country song with a true honky- tonk beat.
Favorite Lyrics: Who’s the man devised a plan to keep our farms alive, when the news said this country’s dead, his music said survive… Don’t ya’ll think it’s time, to stop picking on Willie.
6) ‘Sunday Morning Coming Down’ (Featuring Shelby Lynne) – Written by Kris Kristofferson.
Impression: This remake, like Kristofferson’s ‘Loving Her Was Easier,’ has a more modern touch, but the songs story is still the same. Sunday is known as a family day and it can be very difficult for those who don’t have a family to spend time with. Shelby Lynne’s harmonies are beautiful and soften the theme of the song for the listener.
Favorite Lyrics: ‘Cause there’s something in a Sunday that makes a body feel alone, and there’s nothin’ short of dyin’, that’s half as lonesome as the sound, of a sleepin’ city sidewalk, Sunday mornin’ comin’ down…
7) ‘Tulsa Time’ (Featuring Steve Perry on lead guitar) – Written by Donny Flowers.
Impression: Keeping with the original songs beat, but adding Aerosmith rocker, Joe Perry, on lead guitar, makes this remake edgier than the original. The electric guitar chords are strong and the drum beat heavier. Cyrus’s harmonies are a nice balance with Perry’s strong guitar playing skills.
Favorite Lyrics: Well then I got to thinkin’ man I’m really sinkin’ and I really had a flash this time, I had no business leavin’, nobody would be grieving, If I went on back to Tulsa time…
8) ‘Hillbilly On’ – Written by Dean Alexander, Skip Black and Brian Maher.
Impression: A feel good country song, equipped with Cyrus’ whistling, humming and growling voice. It adds a fun tone to the song. It’s a song that makes you want to stomp your feet to the beat, grab some friends and head on down to the watering hole.
Favorite Lyrics: Let’s get some brew just me and you and head out to the watering hole…We’ll saddle up baby let’s ride on out beneath the stars above, heaven waits, don’t hesitate, it’s a hell of a night for love…
9) ‘Killing The Blues’ (Featuring Shooter Jennings) – Written by Rowland Salley.
Impression: Cyrus and Jennings’s voices blend amazingly well in this song. The tune does have a bluesy sound to it, as the title indicates, and you can hear that in the picking of the banjo. You would think a song with blue in its title would bring the listener down, but it has an opposite effect, as the upbeat tempo of the chorus depicts a feeling of positivity and hope for the listener.
Favorite Lyrics: Someone said they saw me swinging the world by the tail, bouncin’ over the white clouds, killing the blues…
10) ‘I’ve Always Been Crazy’ (Featuring Shooter Jennings and Leroy Parnell) – Written by Waylon Jennings.
Impression: Cyrus’s deep baritone balances nicely with the harmonies of Jennings and Parnell. The tune is catchy and its theme funny. In the background you hear electric guitar and something that sounds like a whip. This is a tune you will want to sing along to.
Favorite Lyrics: I’ve always been crazy but it’s kept me from going insane, nobody knows if it’s something to bless or to blame, so far I ain’t found a rhyme or a reason to change…
11) ‘Hey Elvis’ (Featuring Bryan Adams and Glenn Hughes, former singer from the 1970’s band Deep Purple) – Written by Bryan Adams and Gretchen Peters.
Impression: A good choice for the first single off the album, as mostly everyone knows who Elvis is. Making fun of the age old conspiracy theory that Elvis is still alive, Cyrus and Adams make the listener question if those stories are really true. Adams adds a rock-and -roll beat by ending the song with a guitar riff and a throwback 80’s scream.
Favorite Lyrics: Hey Elvis. can’t ya see, they need you back in Memphis, Tennessee. They’re makin’ records but there’s nothing new, nobody ever done it quite like you…
12) ‘Help Me Make It Through the Night’ (Featuring Kenley Shea Holm) – Written by Kris Kristofferson.
Impression: Another cover originally sung by Kris Kristofferson. Kristofferson’s version is a simple country love song, with just the picking of the banjo behind the vocals. Cyrus adds the harmonies of newcomer, Kenley Shea Holm. Her background vocals add depth to the song, giving it more of a balance and giving the listener the view point of the woman in a love song.
Favorite Lyrics: Come and lay down by my side, till the early mornin’ light, all I’m takin’ is your time, help me make it through the night…
13) ‘Hope’ (Let it Find You) – Written by Billy Ray Cyrus.
Impression: The second song on the album written solely by Cyrus speaks volumes about what has been happening all over the world. The song brings to the listener exactly what it says, hope. The background music has a modern day country feel and serves its purpose of keeping the beat of the song, but the real gem here are the lyrics.
Favorite Lyrics: Hope will bring you to your knees, and take away the chains that bind you…Hope will give you everything if you let it find you, hope will make you whole, hope will fill your soul…with hope…
14) ‘Going Where the Lonely Go’ – A Tribute to Merle Haggard (Featuring Braison Cyrus) – Written by Merle Haggard and Dean Holloway.
Impression: Acoustic guitar, steel guitar and fiddle make up the background sounds for this sad song, but what makes this song special is the inclusion of Cyrus’s son Braison. As a tribute to Merle Haggard, Cyrus and his son do an amazing job, no doubt, making Haggard proud.
Favorite Lyrics: When there’s loneliness all around, I’ve got to keep goin’. ‘Travelin’ down this lonesome road, I ‘ll be rollin’ with the flow, goin’ where the lonely go…
15) ‘Angels Protect This Home’ (Featuring Miley Cyrus) – Written by Billy Ray Cyrus and Miley Cyrus.
Impression: In the first four minutes of this eight minute song you hear church bells clanging, picking of a guitar, and the drone of a Buddhist bowl. In the background you can hear the vocals and humming of Miley Cyrus, who sounds like an angel singing. The melody immediately puts the listener at ease, in a state of peace and relaxation The song has am important lesson being taught, one of awareness. This earth we live on is the only earth we have. We need to take care of it. To emphasize this point, the song ends with the loud bang of a drum and the lyrics of the name of the song.
Favorite Lyrics: …and the earth could not breath any longer ‘cause the sea was dying, you can’t drink the water and you can’t breathe the air…We gotta’ take care, gotta’ take care of the earth, the sky the water…Angels protect this home…
‘Thin Line’ encompasses many different musical styles. From old time down home country, to the more upbeat tempo of today’s modern country music. It includes some very well performed covers originally sung by some famous country music legends, as well as several new songs. It is a great mix of melodies and styles that contains music for everyone to enjoy.
You can order ‘Thin Line’ on iTunes, Amazon, and Walmart.
Album reviewed by Lorraine Frigoletto, contributing writer for New England Country Music. You can follow me on Twitter.