Lee Roy Parnell - Back To The Well

Lee Roy Parnell - Back To The Well
By: Christie Bohorfoush, Senior Staff Writer

Lee Roy Parnell, the Texas born and bred country hitmaker with an ornery streak of southern rock, soul, and blues in his system, has signed a record deal with Universal South Records and is ready to release his first new album in four years... tellingly entitled Back To The Well. It is, with all due respect, the sound of an artist reclaiming his natural turf by embracing who he is and using the strengths of his past to inform his present direction.

Carl Perkins once said that if a man lives long enough, he will run into himself again. It appears the 49-year old Parnell has reached that exalted plateau, because on Back To The Well he is trading on all the best elements that have defined his artistry since his 1990 debut for the Nashville division of Arista Records. For starters, his signing with Universal South reunites him with the savy executive who courted and signed him to Aristra, Tim DuBois, now a Senior Partner at the label, which he formed in 2001 with one of Music City's most influencial contemporary producers/executives, Tony Brown.

Talk about your roots showing. Not only is Parnell back in the fold with DuBois, he is also finding his way by embrasing the country blues/ roadhouse rock/ southern rock and soul that had been his stock in trade when he was learning the ropes playing the club circuit in Austin in the early '70s with fellow Lone Star giants-in-training, Joe Ely, Stevie Ray Vaughn, and Delbert McClinton, among others. His self-titled Arista debut featured a healthy dollop of his tangy stylistic mix, including horns, and his guitar-centered contemporary country sound led to eleven Top-10 singles over the course of five studio albums. After making so many studio produced albums, it was back to the woodshed for Parnell (or more accurately, to his own home studio), to write and record some songs... even calling them "rough demos" is a generous description, according to Lee Roy... and eventually he started sending some out to producers he thought might need material for their artists. At the top of his contact list were Tim DuBois and Tony Brown. A day after Universal South's General Manager, Van Fletcher, saw him sitting in with Gov't Mule at a show in Nashville (and had already seen him twice sitting in with the Allman Brothers and also with Dicky Betts), Lee Roy received a call from DuBois, asking him to come over right away and take a meeting. Figuring Tim had found a song or two he wanted for a Universal South artist, Lee Roy was not interested in kowtowing to country radio anymore... "I can't go there now. I've done it, it's a different game."... and Lee Roy found out they wanted him to cut the record he wanted to make, and morover, the songs he had been sending them would work just fine.

In fact, in DuBois' estimation Lee Roy's toughest decision would be deciding which songs would make the album and which ones would not, because there was so much strong material already in the can. Caught by surprise because Lee Roy had not even thought he was making an album of his own, a gratful, slightly numbed Parnell, summoned long-time collaborator and co-producer John Kunz to the studio and got rhythm. "We dug our heels in over here and started recording," Lee Roy says. "Thought about going to a studio to re-cut all this stuff, but then we'd go,'We're gonna lose that vocal if we do that.' So we just sort of went on with it, handed it in and they were very happy, and I was incrediably happy that they were happy. It was Van who jockeyed it through with Tim's blessing all the way."

Lee Roy's assessment of Back To The Well? "Best record I ever made in my life," he asserts without hesitation. And as for this writer, I must agree! Lee Roy Parnell is back and has brought the best of what made him such a hit, from the beginning, with his first debut album. What has always attracted this writer to Lee Roy's music is his ability to make you feel his music through powerful lyrics and a way with a soulful tune. This is the kind of record that has been missing from Nashville music shop shelves (or at least from Wall*Mart shelves) and indeed from country music radio airwaves... you will not find this record full of meaningless lyrics about bar stools and beer goggles; what you will find is songs that touch a cord in your heart. It just does not get any better than this! An album that begs to be heard!


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Back To The Well


Track One: "Back To The Well"

A bluesy little number that reflects on a person's return to finding out just who they really are inside.


Track Two: "Something Out Of Nothing"

Beautiful soulful ballad that speaks to how a special woman can bring out the best in a man. Great guitar work also makes this track a standout.


Track Three: "Just Lucky that Way"

A funky blues touch is brought to this nice track about being lucky at finding the right person to share your life with.


Track Four: "Old Soul"

A lot of women (like myself included) will be able to relate to this song that discusses a look at marrying young and giving completely of yourself to a man and to the marriage, while somehow losing a bit of yourself in the process.


Track Five: "Don't Water It Down"

A real toe-tapper about a woman giving all to a relationship and a man and how a man cannot get enough of her.


Track Six: "Daddies and Daughters" (featuring Allison Parnell)

Having just lost my own Dad on February 10, 2006... this beautifully written song touched my heart deeply and brought me to tears. It is a song that reflects on the bond between Dad's and their little girls. Without a doubt this is my favorite track from the album and was a reminder that no matter where your Dad may be, he will ALWAYS remain in your heart.


Track Seven: "You Can't Lose 'Em All"

Jivin' number that speaks to having a run of bad luck, while realizing that at any moment it can all turn around.


Track Eight: “Breaking The Chain”

Great ballad about stopping the faults of the past and making the world a better place, beginning with yourself, for all.


Track Nine: “The Hunger”

Strong tune that looks at a person’s strength to keep on fighting even in the face of adversity.


Track Ten: “That’s All There Is”

Sweet track about the perfectness of a woman’s love for a man.


Track Eleven: “Saving Grace”

Very pretty track that reflects on how a woman has faith in the man that she loves. My second favorite track from the album because it is simply pure Lee Roy; full of wonderful lyrics, soul, and a message of love.


Track Twelve: “Cool Breeze”

Jazzy instrumental that just makes you want to get up out of your seat and move your backside.


NOTE: For more information on Lee Roy Parnell, please visit his site at:
www.leeroyparnell.com