Montgomery Gentry: Carrying On : Music Reviews : Rolling Stone

Album Reviews

Montgomery Gentry's 1999 debut, Tattoos & Scars, was a testosterone-powered kick in the ass to a country scene overflowing with crossover divas and faux cowboys crooning endless paeans of undying devotion. On their second CD, Carrying On, the rough n' rowdy duo continues to walk in the bootprints of their outlaw godfathers: Charlie Daniels, Hank Jr. and Waylon Jennings -- and to make sure you don't forget those roots, they even cover Waylon's 1974 classic "Ramblin' Man." Carrying On is packed with of tales of hell-raising rednecks and down-home country boys, all struggling to survive the pitfalls of modern romance and the pressures of modern society. Luckily, in Montgomery Gentry's world, most of what ails you can be cured by prayer, the love of a good woman, a jug of homemade wine, and/or some kick-ass music. This theme reaches its peak in the self-referential title track, in which our rebellious heroes thumb their noses at folks who tell them to -- gasp! -- turn the volume down. The album's muscular production, and Eddie Montgomery's affecting vocals (particularly on hard-country gems like "Cold One Comin' On") keep the duo from descending into self-parody, but over twelve tracks, the rebel stance does get a bit tiresome. Boys, take note: even Hank Jr. and all his rowdy friends eventually settled down. (ANDREA DRESDALE - May 1, 2001)