Being Human (Reprise, 1999)

This is '90's country, so instead of drinking-on-Saturday-night songs, we get going-to-church-and-eating-fried-chicken-on-the-Sabbath songs ("Somethin' 'Bout a Sunday" one of those rare songs with back-to-back apostrophes but nothing else innovative). Instead of cheating songs we get gee-how-much-I-love-you songs ("I Owe it All to You"; "Two of the Lucky Ones" and on and cornily on) which include such poorly-thought-out metaphors as "Makes me want you like a candle wants the flame" - how badly do you think any self-respecting candle wants his head set on fire?

We also get dance numbers that Sesame Street would reject as too simplistic ("Stomp"), Garth-wannabe pop-philosophy numbers that never quite come together ("Being Human" which does at least offer food for thought on lines like "Jenny's got a nose ring and a tattoo on her skin" that make us wonder where else she might have a tattoo), iffy, irresponsible messages to send to young people ("You Find Love When You Make It") and bouncy brainless Neal McCoyesque fluff ("Laughin' All the Way to the Bank," which is not, as you might expect, about most country singers attitudes these days, but a fishing song with an oh-so-clever pun on the word riverbank.)

It looks like they only had one roll of film for the CD sleeve beefcake pix, so when one shot is ruined by a big mutt giving Peterson a big wet lick in the left eye they had to use it anyway. On a positive note, if it's true that to err is human then this CD is certainly aptly titled.