My Heart To You (Intersound, 2004)

Don Williams made some of the best country music records of the 1980s, like, "Good Old Boys Like Me." His understated charms seem to have been lost in the shuffle when one considers the names brought up as classic singers - Jones, Haggard, Gosdin...but not the man once dubbed the, "Gentle Giant," for his tall stature and mellow voice.

Williams has never really stopped recording new material, though his hit-making Nashville days are behind him. This latest disc has some songs that should hold up well within his catalog, like the title song and "Fly Away." Unfortunately there are also some puzzling song choices, like the covers of "The Rose," which even Conway Twitty's recitation version tops, and "Wonderful Tonight," sadly notable for its Clapton-cloned electric guitar part.

Williams seems to be getting gentler than ever, apparently a self-inflicted condition. He is credited with at least a co-write on the majority of this ballad heavy set, which despite a few highlights isn't up to the level of his classic voice.