The record's initial hit single, "Meanwhile" is a classic George Strait country song. The waltzing tempo on the song is reminiscent of one of George's early hit songs, "You Look So Good In Love", although "Meanwhile" is a bit slower. And what would an album by George be if it didn't have at least one lost-love song on it? Besides "Meanwhile", this record includes two other songs with the lost-love theme, "That's The Truth" and "4 Minus 3 Equals Zero", with the latter song having the added dimension of a marital breakup.

A Strait album is not all cry-in-your-beer, though. On this album, "Write This Down", "One Of You", and the title song "Always Never The Same" are fun, up-tempo songs that I think will be danced to on a lot of dance floors. Furthermore, George has three positive love songs on this record: "I Look At You", "That's Where I Wanna Take Our Love", and "What Do You Say To That". This is a listenable, well-put-together album, like practically everything George has done. George has still another excellent record in Always Never The Same.

Still another excellent George Strait record
Although I didn't become a really big George Strait fan until I saw him in the movie "Pure Country", I think George has always put out excellent records. His latest effort, Always Never The Same, is no exception.

The initial hit single from the album, "Meanwhile", is a classic George Strait country song. The waltzing tempo is reminiscent of one of George's early hit records, "You Look So Good In Love", although "Meanwhile" is a bit slower. And what would a Strait album be without at least one variation on the lost-love theme? Besides "Meanwhile", this record includes two other songs in that same vein, "That's The Truth" and "4 Minus 3 Equals Zero", with the latter song having the added dimension of a marital breakup.

A Strait album is not all cry-in-your-beer, though. From this album, "Write This Down", "One Of You", and the title song, "Always Never The Same", are up-tempo songs that I think will be danced to on a lot of dance floors. Furthermore, George has three positive love songs on this record, "I Look At You", "That's Where I Wanna Take Our Love", and "What Do You Say To That". This collection is listenable and well put together. In Always Never The Same, George Strait has still another excellent record.

Easy listening
I was really surprised with this album from George Strait when it came out, it was unlike his previous recordings. It's not very heavy in the honky-tonk/western swing sound, its sound is more mellow. I enjoyed all the songs with the exception of Peace of Mind, just didn't like that one. Overall, a really great album from the King of Country.

A Must for George Strait fans
I have been a George Strait fan for many years..I have most of the Cds that he put out, but this Cd he has made is a wonderful collection of George's songs.

The Perfect CD
I think this is the Best cd George Strait has yet to come out with. Every song is great.
George Strait's work in the '90s is like a hall of mirrors: each new million-seller mirrors the previous million-seller, which mirrors the one that came before. And yet the master's touch never fails, and the music charms and sometimes thrills. Drawing again on his steady stable of writers--Jim Lauderdale, Dean Dillon, Steve Bogard, and Jeff Stevens--and adding Melba Montgomery's careful pen, Strait's latest is a fitting end to a decade he helped define for country music. The material isn't especially impressive given the routine, radio-safe themes, and Strait's band--the crème de la crème of Nashville (Randy Scruggs, Stuart Duncan, Paul Franklin)--plays impeccably but with little distinction. Still, even the middling material, delivered in Strait's lush, plangent tenor, has hit potential. Except for the two-beer ballad "That's the Truth" (one to drink, one to cry into), which explores the borders of deception and honesty, and the soaring, climactic "Meanwhile," which very convincingly weaves reality and fantasy, Always Never the Same is good but never great, consistent but never classic. --Roy Kasten