Aaron Watson is a real guy. Every time you hear him talk, you know you're going to get a straight story from him. This no-nonsense, independent, and hard-working approach to his music has won over fans in the blue collar southwest. The man known as the 'Honky Tonk Kid' is on top of the Texas music world, and shows no signs of giving up his foothold with the release of his eleventh CD, 'Real Good Time'. You'll find a lot of songs on this CD that you've heard before, but this collection of Aaron Watson music is a must have for country music fans.

Aaron has always had a way of appealing to the country music traditionalist, and still fit in with the Red Dirt music scene that is so popular in Texas and the southwest. Listening to 'Real Good Time' shows us how he manages to pull that off, opening with the title track. It's a throwback, upbeat, dance floor filling fun time song, just as the name of the song suggests.

Watson then hits us with the rock guitar opening of 'Summertime Girl', a song that matches up with all the radio hits we've become accustomed to hearing liberally from Aaron Watson on Texas radio. You know, the kind that races to the top of the charts and has you singing along every time you hear it played.

The artists featured on 'Real Good Time' feature an all-star cast, including Pat Green and Josh Abbott on 'Texas Boys', Kevin Fowler and John Anderson (on 'Deer Blind'), Willie Nelson (on 'Honky Tonk Kid'), and PBR champion-turned country singer Justin McBride, covering the Chris LeDoux hit 'Cadillac Cowboy'.

'Raise Your Bottle' is an amazing song. It shot to #1 on the Texas Music Chart over the summer, and with good reason. It's the kind of song that's capable of giving a grown man chill bumps and a tear to his eye. What I'm saying is, this may be Watson's best song to date, stating:

So raise your bottle to the boys and lets remember
all the fallen and the price they had to pay
Hold them up high and salute all the ones that made it back
And for the ones away from home, don't forget to pray

Watson's duet with Elizabeth Cook, the Don Henley/Stevie Nicks hit 'Leather and Lace', is a solid cover of a song that lesser singers shouldn't mess with. This is, in my opinion, one of the best vocal performances ever by Aaron Watson. Along with 'July in Cheyenne' and 'Barbed Wire Halo', the new CD shows off plenty of Aaron's softer side.

I'm not sure what to think of 'Hey Y'all'. According to the note below the song that states, "My contribution to ruining country music country song! Ha!", Aaron was goofing around and took fun to another level. This song could best be summed up by saying it's a combination of Aaron's hit 'Love Making Song' infused with Kevin Fowler lyrics. It's clearly just for fun. No need to panic, traditionalists.

It should be mentioned that Aaron Watson could be a top tier national country star if he wanted that for himself. But Aaron chooses to do things on his own terms, run his own business, and create his music his own way rather than mess with a big record label and let them tell him what to do and where to play. Watson's work ethic is shared by his band, and you walk away from an Aaron Watson concert feeling like you got their best, because that's what they give every single night.This is one of the main reasons so many people like Aaron Watson, and a reason you should buy 'Real Good Time', then take it to a concert and have him sign your copy.

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