ItJustComesNatural

Release Date: October 3rd, 2006 9. One Foot In Front Of The Other 10. I Aint' Her Cowboy Anymore 11. Texas Cookin' 12. Better Rain 13. How 'Bout Them Cowgirls 14. What Say 15. Come On Joe 1. Give It Away 2. She Told Me So 3. That's My Kind Of Woman 4. Wrapped 5. It Just Comes Natural 6. He Must Have Really Hurt You Bad 7. Heart Like Hers 8. Why Can't I Leave Her Alone George Strait is the All-Time Leader for Number One Country Singles!

"Give It Away" Is Strait's 53rd Number One Single on Billboard

NASHVILLE, Tenn., Sept. 18, 2006 /PRNewswire/ -- The King of Country Music strikes again, notching his 53rd number one. "Give It Away," the debut song from his forthcoming album, is Strait's fastest-moving single in five years before claiming the top spot in a mere 13 weeks, making him Billboard's all-time leader for number one country singles.

Humble as always, Strait had this to say about his latest coup: "First of all, it's hard to believe it has been 25 years. When I think about putting together an album, the process of listening to hundreds of songs each time and picking out the best 10 or so that will go on the record, it really sinks in as to just how many songs I've listened to all these years. Considering that and the fact that my fans and friends at radio have stuck with me all this time makes it seem even more incredible. I can only say thank you and thanks also to all of the great songwriters who wrote those wonderful songs that became number ones."

Strait's highly anticipated 34th studio release, IT JUST COMES NATURAL, will be in stores on October 3. From sophisticated Western swing and clever barroom anthems to sawdust two-steppers and smoky neon ballads, the recordings are classic Strait.

Since his debut in 1981, this Texas troubadour has indeed been doing what comes naturally, putting together scores of hits that have earned him millions of fans worldwide and the unanimous respect of the critics.

Beyond the accolades, Strait is revered for his traditional brand of music that brings out the cowboy in all of us. In that vein, "Give It Away" is the classic roper's lament of the tough guy who refuses to give up on the girl who has given up on him. Strait delivers it in his trademark smooth style, lending the tune a tone of regret laced with just enough attitude to make the song real.

With this new release and a slew of multi-platinum albums under his belt, Strait just keeps getting better, striking a chord among the legions that yearn for wide open spaces and a simpler lifestyle. George Strait knows those charts well. His 1981 debut single "Unwound" was a Top 10 hit - and he has had at least one single hit the Top 10 every year since (including, as his 2004 box set was titled, 50 Number One Hits). His statistics are nothing short of astonishing, with more than 62 million albums sold in his career. He has 13 multi-Platinum, 30 Platinum and 33 Gold albums - more Gold albums than any other artist in Country Music, which ties him with no less than Frank Sinatra in eighth place for the most Gold albums of any artist in any musical genre. In addition, Strait has received 16 CMA Awards, including multiple wins as Entertainer of the Year, Male Vocalist of the Year, and Album of the Year. And perhaps most notable of all is his ongoing role as country music's greatest road warrior, breaking ticket sales records and delighting new audiences one room at a time, year after year.

"The great thing about George Strait," rising star Dierks Bentley recently said, "is that he's being doing it since the early `80s, but he still makes every sound check, which is more than a lot of guys below him can say. He brings who he is to each town, which is really a Texas dance hall singer. He can make the biggest arena feel like it's a honky-tonk, trying to take that crazy energy to the biggest venue and making it feel as small as possible. He still enjoys touring after all the years - and it's good for me to know, after just a few years, that you can still enjoy it as much after 25 years."

"When I'm on stage doing a show, I still get nervous before I leave the bus," says Strait. "And I'm nervous right up to the point where I break into the first song, and then that kinda leaves me and I just feed off the crowd after that. A lot of people say I look pretty laid-back on stage, and that may be true, but I'm pretty pumped up there. And having a great band inspires me, too - the guys continue to amaze me onstage."

On IT JUST COMES NATURAL, Strait also continues to find inspiration in the country legends who preceded him. "I've been influenced by a lot of people in my career," he says. "The swing music that Bob Wills was doing, songs that Merle and George Jones wrote and sang - it's just great to listen to. I think it's an art form that will always be with us. We may move a little bit away from it at times but it's always going to come back." In fact, George Jones figures into several songs on this album. "She Told Me So" is a song Jones recorded years ago ("I did it a little different - nobody can do it like George does"), while "Texas Cookin'" also draws on the attitude of the ol' Possum. "That's just a fun, fun song," says Strait. "Lyrically it's silly, but I was always drawn to a humorous song. I think I get that from George, too - he'd always have some humor in his records.

Not that IT JUST COMES NATURAL is all light-hearted. Much of the album focuses on the complexities, challenges, and joys of relationships between lovers. "That's My Kind of Woman" tells of a man looking for a woman who shares his interests ("Good luck with that!," says Strait with a chuckle), while ""A Better Rain" is "an abstract way of wishing a better life to a person you've split up with."

Strait is especially proud of "He Must Have Really Hurt You Bad," a classic story about a woman done wrong told from a bartender's point of view. "He can tell she's been in a bad relationship," says Strait, "and he ends up telling her at the end to stay at home because only bad things are going to happen to her in here."

The timeless songs on IT JUST COMES NATURAL represent the kind of consistency, range, and power that have defined George Strait for all these years - the reasons he has now been given country music's highest tribute, election to the Country Music Hall of Fame. "Being inducted is the highest honor that you can get in this business," says Strait. "To have that happen while I still feel like I'm competitive, while I can still walk up and accept the honor without any help, is just amazing to me. I've been waking up in the morning and thinking about what it means - it's hard to put into words because it's so big. Maybe in the back of my mind I've had it as a goal, but you can't ever expect anything like that."

Despite all the Top Ten hits, all the sold-out arenas, all the trophies and honors, though, George Strait denies that the title of his new album is any way autobiographical. "I wouldn't say that this all just comes natural to me," he says. "It's always an effort. I'm fortunate to be able to sing, but I don't think I could be so bold as to say it comes natural." With all due respect, millions of George Strait fans probably disagree.

For the first time, Strait recorded NATURAL in a new setting - Jimmy Buffett's Shrimpboat Studio in Key West, Florida, where Strait and Buffett recorded "Sea of Heartbreak," from Buffett's LICENSE TO CHILL album, a few years ago.

"I thought it might be a good idea to try something different," says Strait. "You couldn't tell that we cut this down there, there's no island flavor at all, but we just had a blast doing it. The studio is probably the smallest I've ever been in, with the musicians all crammed back in a little room - but we got a great sound, and it's such a relaxing atmosphere. I think I'll probably go back again."

Recorded once again with Strait's frequent co-producer, Tony Brown, the sounds on the album reflect Strait's characteristic blend of traditional country structures shot through with a healthy dose of honky-tonk spirit and Western swing. Moods range from the introspective "Come On, Joe," in which a man's late wife tells him to be strong and move ahead with his life, to the raucous "Texas Cookin'," which is about just what it sounds like. An array of Nashville's finest songwriters contributed to NATURAL, including Bill Anderson, Bruce Robison, Lee Roy Parnell, and Guy Clark.

"This album's got fifteen songs, which is more songs than I've ever put on a record before," says George Strait. "But I thought they were all so good, there wasn't one song on here that I would have felt right about leaving off. I really think we came up with one of the best albums I've ever done." The album in question, titled IT JUST COMES NATURAL, is being released in a year that marks Strait's 25th anniversary as a recording artist, and coincides with the announcement that he is the most recent addition to the Country Music Hall of Fame. It's also coming out alongside the jaw-dropping news that George Strait has become the all-time leader for Number One Country singles, as the album's opening track, "Give It Away," recently became his 53rd song to top the charts. Strait talks longevity with new CD 2006/10

By JOHN GEROME, Associated Press Writer

NASHVILLE, Tenn. - It‘s almost become a maxim on Music Row: George Strait rarely does interviews.

What made you want to record the first single, "Give It Away"? "It‘s a little different. It‘s one of the neatest singles I‘ve had out in a while, I think."

But soon Strait warmed up and got on a roll and even flashed a humble, almost self-deprecating sense of humor. If he dwells on his 25 years of hits or his November induction into the Country Music Hall of Fame, he doesn‘t show it.

The new album, released this week, is classic Strait — a blend of honky tonk, Western swing and barroom ballads delivered in his meaty baritone. He‘s pretty much followed course since his debut album "Strait Country."

Strait, 54, says it all begins with a melody.

He worked again with longtime co-producer Tony Brown, but this time they recorded a long way from Nashville or even Texas, holing up in a tiny studio in Key West, Fla. He got the idea while recording with Jimmy Buffett a few years ago.

The son of a junior high math teacher, the Texas-born Strait started playing in rock bands in high school, but switched to country while singing in an Army band (he enlisted in 1971 and served four years). He was heavily influenced by the Western swing of Bob Wills and the honky tonk of Merle Haggard and George Jones .

He came to Nashville in 1981, while country music was in the throes of a pop movement, and along with Ricky Skaggs and Reba McEntire was heralded as a neo-traditionalist reviving country‘s past.

He and his wife, Norma, started a memorial fund in their daughter‘s name that still contributes to children‘s charities in and around San Antonio.

"We shared a lot of grief in the early days of our careers. It was tough on him, but he‘s been tough to hang in and continue to play, and I think music has been a great therapeutic thing for him and his family."

Though widely perceived as a staunch traditionalist, Strait acknowledges outside influences in his music. A fan of classic pop crooners Frank Sinatra and Bing Crosby , he even recorded a duet with Sinatra in 1994. Songs such as his 2003 hit "Cowboys Like Us" have a soaring pop chorus behind the Western imagery.

"There have been songs that certainly couldn‘t be classified as traditional country," Strait said. "I‘ve always just done the music that I felt comfortable doing, songs that I felt like I could sing and songs that I liked."

But country will always be his core. "I think it‘s an art form that will always be with us, and we may move a little bit away from it at times but it‘s always going to come back."

As for his longevity, he credits the people around him, including his family, whom he sometimes bounces songs off to get their opinions.

Skaggs thinks it goes beyond that. He said Strait and Brown have been savvy not to alienate their loyal fan base.

"He hasn‘t strayed away from what brought him to the dance. He‘s dancing with the same girl, and I think he‘s been wise to do that," Skaggs said. "He has such a big fan base. As long as George doesn‘t stray too far, I think he‘ll have success as long as he wants to keep making records."

In recent years Strait has cut back on his touring schedule, spending more time with his family on his south Texas ranch, where he raises cattle and horses and "everything‘s got a thorn on it." He and his son, Bubba, compete in team roping contests.

Since learning in August of his pending induction in the Hall of Fame, he‘s also reflected more on his career.

"To have that happen while I still feel like I‘m competitive and successful in the stuff I‘m putting out and in the shows we‘re doing — and while I can still walk up and accept the honor without any help (laughs) — is just amazing to me," Strait said. "Here lately I kind of wake up in the morning and think about that."

And, thankfully, talk about it, too.

'It Just Comes Natural' for George Strait after 25 years The Associated Press

Published: October 5, 2006 NASHVILLE, Tennessee It has almost become a maxim on Music Row, Nashville's home to the country music industry: George Strait rarely does interviews. And although he agreed to talk to The Associated Press via phone for the release of his new album, "It Just Comes Natural," when the questions began, the famously taciturn singer was true to form. What made you want to record the first single, "Give It Away"? "It's a little different. It's one of the neatest singles I've had out in a while, I think." Why is it different? "There's a lot of talking in the song, and it's different in that respect. It's a real cool-written song about a relationship breaking up." But soon Strait warmed up and got on a roll and even, flashing a humble, almost self-deprecating sense of humor. If he dwells on his 25 years of hits or his November induction into the Country Music Hall of Fame, he doesn't show it. "Twenty-five years in this business is a long time, but it doesn't seem that long to me — until I look in the mirror," he said, laughing a little. The new album, released this week, is classic Strait — a blend of honky tonk, Western swing and barroom ballads delivered in his meaty baritone. He's pretty much followed course since his debut album "Strait Country." Yet while many of his contemporaries have faded, he remains a superstar. "Give It Away," an old-school country song with spoken-word sections, fiddle and twangy guitars, became his 53rd No. 1 single last month. Strait, 54, says it all begins with a melody. "It's hard to put my finger on one thing and say, 'This is what I'm looking for in a song.' I don't know exactly what it is. But when it strikes me, I know I want to go into the studio and cut it," he said. He worked again with longtime co-producer Tony Brown, but this time they recorded a long way from Nashville or even Texas, holing up in a tiny studio in Key West, Florida. He got the idea while recording with Jimmy Buffett a few years ago. "I thought it might be a good idea to try something different," he said. "You couldn't tell that we cut this down there — there's no island flavor at all — but we just had a blast doing it." The son of a junior high math teacher, the Texas-born Strait started playing in rock bands in high school, but switched to country while singing in an Army band (he enlisted in 1971 and served four years). He was heavily influenced by the Western swing of Bob Wills and the honky tonk of Merle Haggard and George Jones. He came to Nashville in 1981, while country music was in the throes of a pop movement, and along with Ricky Skaggs and Reba McEntire was heralded as a neo-traditionalist reviving country's past. But just as he was ascending to superstardom, his 13-year-old daughter, Jenifer, was killed in a car crash in 1986. The family was devastated, and Strait is said to have become a more private man after the accident. To this day, he won't discuss it publicly. He and his wife, Norma, started a memorial fund in their daughter's name that still contributes to children's charities in and around San Antonio. "My son got shot right before that," recalled Skaggs, whose then 7-year-old son Andrew survived being shot while riding in the car with his mother. "We shared a lot of grief in the early days of our careers. It was tough on him, but he's been tough to hang in and continue to play, and I think music has been a great therapeutic thing for him and his family." Though widely perceived as a staunch traditionalist, Strait acknowledges outside influences in his music. A fan of classic pop crooners Frank Sinatra and Bing Crosby, he even recorded a duet with Sinatra in 1994. Songs such as his 2003 hit "Cowboys Like Us" have a soaring pop chorus behind the Western imagery. "There have been songs that certainly couldn't be classified as traditional country," Strait said. "I've always just done the music that I felt comfortable doing, songs that I felt like I could sing and songs that I liked." In recent years Strait has cut back on his touring schedule, spending more time with his family on his south Texas ranch, where he raises cattle and horses and "everything's got a thorn on it." He and his son, Bubba, compete in team roping contests. Since learning in August of his pending induction in the Hall of Fame, he's also reflected more on his career. "To have that happen while I still feel like I'm competitive and successful in the stuff I'm putting out and in the shows we're doing — and while I can still walk up and accept the honor without any help (laughs) — is just amazing to me," Strait said. "Here lately I kind of wake up in the morning and think about that." ___ On the Net: http://www.georgestrait.com NASHVILLE, Tennessee It has almost become a maxim on Music Row, Nashville's home to the country music industry: George Strait rarely does interviews. And although he agreed to talk to The Associated Press via phone for the release of his new album, "It Just Comes Natural," when the questions began, the famously taciturn singer was true to form. What made you want to record the first single, "Give It Away"? "It's a little different. It's one of the neatest singles I've had out in a while, I think." Why is it different? "There's a lot of talking in the song, and it's different in that respect. It's a real cool-written song about a relationship breaking up." But soon Strait warmed up and got on a roll and even, flashing a humble, almost self-deprecating sense of humor. If he dwells on his 25 years of hits or his November induction into the Country Music Hall of Fame, he doesn't show it. "Twenty-five years in this business is a long time, but it doesn't seem that long to me — until I look in the mirror," he said, laughing a little. The new album, released this week, is classic Strait — a blend of honky tonk, Western swing and barroom ballads delivered in his meaty baritone. He's pretty much followed course since his debut album "Strait Country." Yet while many of his contemporaries have faded, he remains a superstar. "Give It Away," an old-school country song with spoken-word sections, fiddle and twangy guitars, became his 53rd No. 1 single last month. Strait, 54, says it all begins with a melody. "It's hard to put my finger on one thing and say, 'This is what I'm looking for in a song.' I don't know exactly what it is. But when it strikes me, I know I want to go into the studio and cut it," he said. He worked again with longtime co-producer Tony Brown, but this time they recorded a long way from Nashville or even Texas, holing up in a tiny studio in Key West, Florida. He got the idea while recording with Jimmy Buffett a few years ago. "I thought it might be a good idea to try something different," he said. "You couldn't tell that we cut this down there — there's no island flavor at all — but we just had a blast doing it." The son of a junior high math teacher, the Texas-born Strait started playing in rock bands in high school, but switched to country while singing in an Army band (he enlisted in 1971 and served four years). He was heavily influenced by the Western swing of Bob Wills and the honky tonk of Merle Haggard and George Jones. He came to Nashville in 1981, while country music was in the throes of a pop movement, and along with Ricky Skaggs and Reba McEntire was heralded as a neo-traditionalist reviving country's past. But just as he was ascending to superstardom, his 13-year-old daughter, Jenifer, was killed in a car crash in 1986. The family was devastated, and Strait is said to have become a more private man after the accident. To this day, he won't discuss it publicly. He and his wife, Norma, started a memorial fund in their daughter's name that still contributes to children's charities in and around San Antonio. "My son got shot right before that," recalled Skaggs, whose then 7-year-old son Andrew survived being shot while riding in the car with his mother. "We shared a lot of grief in the early days of our careers. It was tough on him, but he's been tough to hang in and continue to play, and I think music has been a great therapeutic thing for him and his family." Though widely perceived as a staunch traditionalist, Strait acknowledges outside influences in his music. A fan of classic pop crooners Frank Sinatra and Bing Crosby, he even recorded a duet with Sinatra in 1994. Songs such as his 2003 hit "Cowboys Like Us" have a soaring pop chorus behind the Western imagery. "There have been songs that certainly couldn't be classified as traditional country," Strait said. "I've always just done the music that I felt comfortable doing, songs that I felt like I could sing and songs that I liked." In recent years Strait has cut back on his touring schedule, spending more time with his family on his south Texas ranch, where he raises cattle and horses and "everything's got a thorn on it." He and his son, Bubba, compete in team roping contests. Since learning in August of his pending induction in the Hall of Fame, he's also reflected more on his career. "To have that happen while I still feel like I'm competitive and successful in the stuff I'm putting out and in the shows we're doing — and while I can still walk up and accept the honor without any help (laughs) — is just amazing to me," Strait said. "Here lately I kind of wake up in the morning and think about that."

NATURAL STRAIT

Laid-back album is packed with memorable tunes

By MALCOLM MAYHEW STAR-TELEGRAM STAFF WRITER

Singer George Strait, shown performing at the 39th annual CMA Awards in November, is back to making good music.

For a while, George Strait was beginning to worry us.

In the early '80s, the Texas native released one terrific record after another, from Strait Country to Does Fort Worth Ever Cross Your Mind to Something Special. These were records that not only helped shape contemporary country music but also paid homage to those who came before him, with their simple arrangements and attention to traditional instrumentation.

But in the '90s, Strait fell into such a lazy pattern of making middle-of-the-road country and Western swing, the only way you can tell some records apart is by DNA testing.

Thankfully, he came full circle a few years ago with 2003's organic-sounding Honkeytonkville, and it's a sound and attitude that he maintains on It Just Comes Natural, his 29th studio album (in stores this week).

It Just Comes Natural was recorded in a small, ramshackle studio in Mexico [recorded in Buffett's studio in Key West, Florida, not Mexico], and, on many of the songs, the loose vibe is obvious, as on the rambunctious single Give It Away and Guy Clark's barrel-of-laughs Texas Cookin'. With Tony Brown still in the producer's chair, the songs are big and vibrant and slightly glossy, but the change of environment, no question, gives these songs a more laid-back tone; the album cover isn't even the typical Strait pose.

At 15 songs, it's longer than most Strait albums, but it's a fat-free 15. From melancholy ballads like Why Can't I Leave Her Alone and I Ain't Her Cowboy Anymore to the Caribbean-flavored Come on Joe to a beautiful cover of Texan Bruce Robison's Wrapped, these are all solid, melodic and memorable songs, none of which should have been left out.

Now into his mid-50s, you sort of expect Strait to do what he was doing in the '90s and just coast along on the wings of mediocre music. On the contrary, he's back to making music that is both traditional and confident; these seem to be some of the best years of his life.

GRADE: A-

'It Just Comes Natural' for George Strait after 25 years The Associated Press

Published: October 5, 2006

NASHVILLE, Tennessee It has almost become a maxim on Music Row, Nashville's home to the country music industry: George Strait rarely does interviews. And although he agreed to talk to The Associated Press via phone for the release of his new album, "It Just Comes Natural," when the questions began, the famously taciturn singer was true to form. What made you want to record the first single, "Give It Away"? "It's a little different. It's one of the neatest singles I've had out in a while, I think." Why is it different? "There's a lot of talking in the song, and it's different in that respect. It's a real cool-written song about a relationship breaking up." But soon Strait warmed up and got on a roll and even, flashing a humble, almost self-deprecating sense of humor. If he dwells on his 25 years of hits or his November induction into the Country Music Hall of Fame, he doesn't show it. "Twenty-five years in this business is a long time, but it doesn't seem that long to me — until I look in the mirror," he said, laughing a little. The new album, released this week, is classic Strait — a blend of honky tonk, Western swing and barroom ballads delivered in his meaty baritone. He's pretty much followed course since his debut album "Strait Country." Yet while many of his contemporaries have faded, he remains a superstar. "Give It Away," an old-school country song with spoken-word sections, fiddle and twangy guitars, became his 53rd No. 1 single last month. Strait, 54, says it all begins with a melody. "It's hard to put my finger on one thing and say, 'This is what I'm looking for in a song.' I don't know exactly what it is. But when it strikes me, I know I want to go into the studio and cut it," he said. He worked again with longtime co-producer Tony Brown, but this time they recorded a long way from Nashville or even Texas, holing up in a tiny studio in Key West, Florida. He got the idea while recording with Jimmy Buffett a few years ago. "I thought it might be a good idea to try something different," he said. "You couldn't tell that we cut this down there — there's no island flavor at all — but we just had a blast doing it." The son of a junior high math teacher, the Texas-born Strait started playing in rock bands in high school, but switched to country while singing in an Army band (he enlisted in 1971 and served four years). He was heavily influenced by the Western swing of Bob Wills and the honky tonk of Merle Haggard and George Jones. He came to Nashville in 1981, while country music was in the throes of a pop movement, and along with Ricky Skaggs and Reba McEntire was heralded as a neo-traditionalist reviving country's past. But just as he was ascending to superstardom, his 13-year-old daughter, Jenifer, was killed in a car crash in 1986. The family was devastated, and Strait is said to have become a more private man after the accident. To this day, he won't discuss it publicly. He and his wife, Norma, started a memorial fund in their daughter's name that still contributes to children's charities in and around San Antonio. "My son got shot right before that," recalled Skaggs, whose then 7-year-old son Andrew survived being shot while riding in the car with his mother. "We shared a lot of grief in the early days of our careers. It was tough on him, but he's been tough to hang in and continue to play, and I think music has been a great therapeutic thing for him and his family." Though widely perceived as a staunch traditionalist, Strait acknowledges outside influences in his music. A fan of classic pop crooners Frank Sinatra and Bing Crosby, he even recorded a duet with Sinatra in 1994. Songs such as his 2003 hit "Cowboys Like Us" have a soaring pop chorus behind the Western imagery. "There have been songs that certainly couldn't be classified as traditional country," Strait said. "I've always just done the music that I felt comfortable doing, songs that I felt like I could sing and songs that I liked." In recent years Strait has cut back on his touring schedule, spending more time with his family on his south Texas ranch, where he raises cattle and horses and "everything's got a thorn on it." He and his son, Bubba, compete in team roping contests. Since learning in August of his pending induction in the Hall of Fame, he's also reflected more on his career. "To have that happen while I still feel like I'm competitive and successful in the stuff I'm putting out and in the shows we're doing — and while I can still walk up and accept the honor without any help (laughs) — is just amazing to me," Strait said. "Here lately I kind of wake up in the morning and think about that." ___ On the Net: http://www.georgestrait.com

Date: Friday, 6 Oct 2006

It's just too easy to say that It Just Comes Natural, the title of George Strait's 29th album, applies to the man himself, but that doesn't mean that it isn't true. Few singers have ever sounded as natural as George Strait.

Throughout his long career, it has never seemed like he's had to work hard at his music - not in its performance, not in the songs he chooses to sing, nor in the records he makes. Over the course of 25 years he's not released one bad album and 2006's It Just Comes Natural keeps country music's longest winning streak rolling. It holds no surprises apart from its sheer strength: at 15 songs, it's a little longer than some of his recent records, yet it feels lean, largely because there isn't a bad song here. As usual, he has an expert ear for material -- whether it's reviving Guy Clark's classic "Texas Cookin'," finding Trent Tomlinson's slow heart-broken blues "Why Can't I Leave Her Alone" or recording the absolutely terrific, slyly funny break-up song "Give It Away" that kicks off the album and gave Strait his annual number one country hit - and while he may not stretch himself to much, it's hard to think of another singer that knows his strengths so well that it never seems like he's trying; it doesn't seem like he finds songs, it seems like the songs come to him. He and his band have a similarly assured performance, mining the heartbreak in ballads like "I Ain't Her Cowboy Anymore" while kicking into gear on uptempo numbers like "One Foot in Front of the Other." But what might be most impressive about Strait and his band and how they come across as compelling even when they seem relaxed and off-the-cuff as they do many times on It Just Comes Natural, including the lazy, Tex-Mex-tinged "Come On Joe," the laid-back "Wrapped" or the title track itself, where they do indeed sound natural.

After all this time and all these good records, it's hard to see another good George Strait album as an event, but in a way it is: few other artists have been as good for as long as he has, and that's something to celebrate, particularly when the records are as good as this one is. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine, All Music Guide

GETTY IMAGES ARCHIVES Singer George Strait, shown performing at the 39th annual CMA Awards in November, is back to making good music. NATURAL STRAIT Laid-back album is packed with memorable tunes By MALCOLM MAYHEW STAR-TELEGRAM STAFF WRITER Monday, 10/09/06

For a while, George Strait was beginning to worry us.

But in the '90s, Strait fell into such a lazy pattern of making middle-of-the-road country and Western swing, the only way you can tell some records apart is by DNA testing.

It Just Comes Natural was recorded in a small, ramshackle studio in Mexico, and, on many of the songs, the loose vibe is obvious, as on the rambunctious single Give It Away and Guy Clark's barrel-of-laughs Texas Cookin'. With Tony Brown still in the producer's chair, the songs are big and vibrant and slightly glossy, but the change of environment, no question, gives these songs a more laid-back tone; the album cover isn't even the typical Strait pose.

George Strait Releases New Country Album

6 ABC.com, Philadephia

October 4, 2006 - George Strait, despite a career packed with highlights and new plateaus, won't forget 2006.

In August, he was elected to the Country Music Hall of Fame at the relatively young age of 54. In September, he broke the record for the most No. 1 hits in country music history with his current single, "Give It Away." And, to extend his big year, he releases "It Just Comes Natural," one of the most adventurous and artistically satisfying albums of his career.

Sounding looser than ever, Strait uses the 15-song album to explore the array of musical styles he excels at and to show off the flexibility of his vocal range . Along the way, he takes a couple of great underrated Texas songs and makes them sound like the country standards they should be. Bruce Robison's "Wrapped" features an elastic arrangement that brings out the joy of a man who willingly admits he'd do anything to please the woman he loves. Just as good is Guy Clark's "Texas Cookin'," which is kicked up into a Western swing workout that uses food to celebrate the different cultures that make Texas one of the most colorful, and most richly culinary, states in America.

From the sublime romance of "That's My Kind of Woman" to the wise and sensitive twists of "He Must Have Really Hurt You Bad," Strait's new album disproves those who mistake his consistency for predictability. Over a 25-year career, he's repeatedly found fresh ways to enliven his material while staying within the parameters of what he does best. "It Just Comes Natural" is a perfectly timed reminder of why Strait is the one of the most successful American music artists of all time.

Monday, 10/09/06

Strait's hits will 'come natural' on new album

George Strait It Just Comes Natural MCA Nashville

With It Just Comes Natural, George Strait makes a daring break with tradition, employing hip-hop beats, enlisting guests including Dr. Dre, Timbaland and Snoop Dogg and otherwise shattering preconceptions at every turn.

We're kidding, of course. It Just Comes Natural is full of the things that have marked the career of this future member of the Country Music Hall of Fame. He sings with ease, grace and emotion over a solidly country soundscape that's full of pedal steel guitar and fiddle. There are 15 songs here, and not a one of them should have been left off.

All over Nashville, producers and artists complain about a perceived lack of "great songs." Strait's latest gives the lie to that notion, and it's not even possible to claim that the iconic Texan has been hoarding all the great ones for himself. Guy Clark wrote and recorded "Texas Cookin' " 30 years ago, so there's been plenty of time for others to pick up on it. Bruce Robison's "Wrapped" was recorded by Robison in 1998, and its instantly memorable melody seems like a slam dunk for any decent singer in Music City.

Of course, Strait is not merely a decent singer, he's a master. He surrounds himself with pros as well, from co-producer Tony Brown to a rhythm section of drummer Eddie Bayers and bass man Glenn Worf that provides a foot-tapping underpinning to the swing stuff here and also to the more straight-ahead honky-tonk efforts.

The chart-topping success of initial single "Give It Away" gave Strait his 53rd No. 1 single (41 if we're only counting the Billboard Hot Country chart; the other 12 were charted on Radio & Records and other trade publications), and the only surprise on It Just Comes Natural would be if Strait didn't notch a couple of other smash hits from the album. The George Strait who enters the Hall of Fame next month will do so at the height of his powers. No help needed here, so Timbaland can wait; Strait's still got it all under control.

— PETER COOPER, STAFF WRITER

StraitFever

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