After a luke warm response from the public to their '99 effort, 'Tight Rope', the renegade country duo decided to bring the fans an album that would send your head spinning. 'Steers And Stripes' starts off with a loud thunderclap in 'Only In America'. It is an anthem of everyday people's dreams and hopes in the big U.S.A. The electric guitar and congos along a driving beat will knock you back a few feet. Fans will also love to get into the dirt and dust as 'The Last Thing I Do' fires up. Written by David Lee Murphy and Kim Tribble, Ronnie Dunn growls out a real rocker. 'Go West' is perhaps Kix Brooks' best vocal turn yet. The great road tune is for when you hit the open highway. There's hardly any room to avoid REAL heartache for 'The Long Goodbye'. Ronnie Dunn takes you into what feels like a long walk into the night under the influence of a heart about to beat it's last beat. I really have a smile on my face when I see their video's of Sante Fe or Tex-Mex style, and the odd tune that captures that taste as well. 'My Heart Is Lost To You' is this, getting all spicy, and of course keeps up with the sound that they're famous for: rock-country. Very toro-toro, but too much squelch. Even if you aren't pooped from all of the hammerin' and heartache by now, you'll still be relieved to hear Kix and Ronnie humour us with 'Deny, Deny, Deny', a funny tropical twist that sounds better than a pina colada tastes, or 'Lucky Me, Lucky You', one of the only pure honky tonk songs on here. Ah, nuts. I like their 'COUNTRY' stuff best. Everybody's jaws dropped when they heard the radio belt out perhaps their most succesful single ever, 'Ain't Nothing 'Bout You', a heavyweight anvil with more guitar that smokes. Always being impressed with the work these two do, I hardly hear anything that doesn't impress me beyond big sounds or beautiful ballads. I always wanted them to record a song that's more than nifty: they did. 'Every River', written by Kim Richey, is a terrific jangle rock-roots song, and is a true innovative tune. The honey-sweet voice of Richey can be heard as background vocalist for the song. This is my favourite Brooks And Dunn disc. They have never made anywhere close to a bad album, but all of the sudden, they more than run up a hill with their new effort-they fly up a mountain. A lot of the album works up a large production 'sweat'. I gotta admit that after the disc ends, it leaves me short of breath. They really did go the distance. Now I really know how innovative they can be. The rockers are louder, their ballads have never been more sad, and the innovation has never been better, but boy, what a workout!