The Family's Fine, But This One's All Mine!/On My Own Again

The title refers to the fact that David Frizzell's claim to fame, up to that point, was that he was the brother of honky tonk legend Lefty Frizzell and made some hit duets with his sister-in-law Shelly West. He had been recording since the late '50s and made several minor solo hits in the early '70s, but it wasn't until 1982 that he really broke through as a solo artist. "I'm Gonna Hire a Wino to Decorate Our Home," a clever and bitterly humorous song about honky tonkin' and domestic disharmony, gave Frizzell his only number one solo hit and "Lost My Baby Blues" became his second biggest solo single. The Family's Fine, But This One's All Mine has those two hits and eight solid album tracks in a contemporary, but recognizably country, style comparable to that of John Conlee. Frizzell doesn't sound very much like his older brother -- Randy Travis sounds more like Lefty than does David -- but he is a capable, if not unique, vocalist. This is the most important solo album Frizzell made, and "I'm Gonna Hire a Wino to Decorate Our Home" is enough to recommend it to any country music fan. ~ Greg Adams|