A Man from Duck Run

AMG Review of A Man from Duck Run

Bruce Eder
All Music Guide

Roy Rogers' second modern country album is a beautiful record. His voice was always better than he was given credit for, and the choice of material is ideal, especially since this was an effort to redefine Rogers, proving he had a lot more to offer than "Happy Trails." There are no western songs, but only country songs that play well off of Rogers' gentle tenor voice -- from the playful "Lovenworth" (a Top 15 country hit), through the sentimental allad "If I Ever Get That Close Again" and the working-class anthem "I Never Picked Cotton," the artist shows an earthy, robust side far removed from his singing cowboy image; it's country-politan, no question, but for Rogers that was a step forward, and he gives a bravura performance, carrying a song like "Everything Changes" with such sincerity that one really wants to cry midway through.