You And You Alone

Though his press kit comes with a slew of TV and film credits, Travis's strength is his voice, which is timeless, warm, and tender--perfect for wrapping around the country melodies he so aptly writes. This is the 13th album in a career that has probably already seen its heights, as the new country he helped kick-start now seems disconnected from its Nashville roots while Randy prefers the fiddle- and croon-heavy sounds of the past. While Randy Travis is unlikely to command the charts as he once did, You and You Alone is as solid and rewarding an album as he has ever recorded.

All of his friends are here to help him out, including Vince Gill, Alison Krauss, and Dan Tyminski. The highlight of the album is "I Did My Part" with Patrick Swayze on backing vocal. While Travis is a better actor than Swayze is a singer, it's a delightful and wistful honky-tonk song that finds both artists looking back on their lives: "Will they think kindly of me / when they hear me say / I did my part?" --Tod Nelson