Turn on any country station and you are likely to hear Joe Nichols. His first attempts at being a star weren’t as successful though. His previous album had turned out to be a flop. I have been a country music fan for over ten years now and I didn’t hear of Joe Nichols until I heard “The Impossible”. The more I have heard of Joe’s music the more I love him.

I think he is one of country music’s brighest stars and I look for him to go far. He opened shows last year for Alan Jackson. His CD, Man With a Memory, went gold selling over 500,000 units. The Impossible and Brokenheartsville both went to #1 on the charts. Joe was awarded CMA's Horizon Award in 2003. The sky is the limit for Joe.

Joe’s third CD, Man With a Memory, is one of my favorite country albums. I think Joe is very hot looking myself, but he doesn’t look like your average country singer. He can sure sing with the best of them though.

Tracks:

1. The Impossible
2. Joe’s Place
3. Brokenheartsville
4. She Only Smokes When She Drinks
5. Everything’s a Thing
6. That Would be Her
7. Cool to be a Fool
8. Can’t Hold a Halo to You
9. You Ain’t Heard Nothin’ Yet
10. Life Don’t Have to Mean Nothin’ at All
11. Man with a Memory


The Impossible is the song that put Joe on the musical map. I fell in love with the song the first time that I heard it. The words to the song are so true. The song tells you that nothing is impossible. There are always things that we thing will never happen and then they do. ”Unsinkable ships sink, unbreakable walls break – Sometimes the things you think would never happen – Happen just like that – Unbendable steel bends – If the fury of the wind is unstoppable – I’ve learned to never underestimate the impossible” Powerful lyrics. Joe’s Place is about is fun place to head to after work. It has a great beat with some great sounds of a mandolin, fiddle and percussion. Vince Gill adds to the song with his outstanding background vocals.

Brokenheartsville was another big hit for Joe. It’s about a guy getting over his girl that left him down in Brokenheartsville. ”Here’s to the past they can kiss my glass – I hope she’s happy with him – Here’s to the girl who wrecked my world – That angel who did me in” My 3 year old Allen has a fit over this song. She Only Smokes When She Drinks is a favorite of mine. It’s about a girl sitting at the bar smoking a cigarette. There is a guy that thinks that he can pick her up, but she isn’t that kind of girl. ”She only smokes when she drinks – She only drinks now and then – Now and then when she’s tired of being let down by men”. It has a nice guitar solo in the song.

Everything’s a Thing has an unusual sound. You can hear your basic drums, guitars, a wurlitzer, which is a pipe organ, and a national duolian. This song has a peppy, upbeat sound. It make take you a little bit to get used to this one. Joe provides background vocals along with Wes Hightower and Brent Rowan. That Would be Her is one of the most beautiful ballads I have ever heard. The song talks about a woman he loves comparing her to a “river ragin’ in the spring, rushin’ down a mountain” and “an eagle soaring high above the trees”. It’s so soft and sang so smoothly. ”I’m flying, I’m falling, I’m floating – All I want to do is hold her – Closer and spend every day that passes – Thinkin’ up new ways to love her”.

Cool to be a Fool is the latest song that Joe has out. I just saw the video for it today. This is about a guy looking back on the stupid things he has done like leaving his woman. You can hear the a cool accordion in the song. The banjo also adds a nice touch. This song takes a sad subject and makes it fun. It’s like he almost can look at his mistakes and laugh. ”If it was cool to be a fool – I’d be the hippest guy around – If a heartache made you famous – I’d be known from town to town – If tears were made of pennies – And a cool beer brought her back – My bank account and self esteem – Would both be in the black – If some Hollywood producer made a movie that was sad – About some guy who lost the best thing he ever had – Hey, I could be a star – If it was cool to be a fool”.

Can’t Hold a Halo to You is a touching ballad comparing his woman to an angel. It’s such a beautiful song. ”By their very nature they must be heaven sent – Here to work their miracles, to wonder and to bless – I pray the Lord forgive me ‘cause when you touched me that’s when I knew – No, they can’t hold a halo to you”. You Can’t Break the Fall has a nice introduction with a mix of drums, bass, piano and organ. It has a jazz sound to it. This is a song about love.

You Ain’t Heard Nothin’ Yet is such a sad song to me. It’s about a man and an old man who meet on a park bench. The man goes there to escape the craziness of his life for a few minutes. The old man is all alone and shares memories of his wife and kids. The song moved me to tears. It made me think of my Granddaddy who had to spend so many lonely days by himself. Life Don’t Have to Mean Nothing at All is a great song. Once again, Vince Gill lends himself for the background vocals. This is a fun song with advice on how to be happy. The lyrics are really catchy. Man With a Memory is a slow song. This song is about a bartender who is thinking about the different stories of the people in the bar. ”Now there’s a man with a memory – Here’s a woman with a past – Lost souls on life’s highway – forever looking back – When you’re living for the love and the love doesn’t last – You get a man with a memory, a woman with a past”.

Final Thoughts:

Lyrically this is one of the most impressive albums I have come across in a long time. There isn’t a song that I don’t like on here. There is such a big variety of instruments that can be heard such as drums, bass, various guitars, piano, keyboard, percussion, mandolin, dobro, fiddle, organ, banjo, tiple, harmonium, accordion, mellotron, and pedabro.

Joe was the co-writer on three of the songs on this album: Everything’s a Thing, Cool to be a Fool, and Can’t Hold a Halo to You. The one and only, Tom T. Hall, penned Life Don’t Have to Mean Nothin’ At All. He is known for writing catchy songs that tell a story.

Joe Nichols is 27 years old. I look for many more hits from him. If you haven’t heard his music before I think you should give it a listen. Not only is he a hunk, he is a powerful singer that can also sing as smooth as silk.

This album was released in 2002. I can't wait to hear what's next from Joe Nichols.

Recommended: Yes

Great Music to Play While: Hanging With Friends