Influence, Vol. 2: The Man I Am

Randy Travis has always been regarded as a linchpin of country's New Traditionalist movement, championing old-school musical values. But his Influence series of classic country covers really underline his connection to his roots. While the first volume found Travis interpreting tunes made famous by the likes of Ernest Tubb and Lefty Frizzell, Influence Vol. 2 occasionally edges forward a bit to encompass other eras. For instance, Travis tackles Vern Gosdin's '80s hit "Set 'Em Up Joe," which was itself an homage to the heyday of honky-tonk music. While the Kris Kristofferson–penned "Sunday Morning Coming Down" preceded that song by almost two decades, it's emblematic of the dawn of counterculture sensibility in country. Travis' version bridges multiple periods, with an arrangement that echoes the boom-chicka-boom of Johnny Cash's recording of the tune. Of course, Travis still reaches back to the earlier generation of country heroes here, bringing his trademark earth-shaking baritone to Hank Snow's "I'm Movin' On" and Ernest Tubb's "You Nearly Lose Your Mind" with just as much intensity.