The Players: Although they have shunned pop-country radio stations (or is it the other way around?), The Great Divide are no strangers to country-rock fans in Texas, Oklahoma, Kansas, and Nebraska. Although they have had a few singles released for radio airplay ("Pour Me a Vacation," "Days Go," and "Never Could"), the band has chosen since then to remain focused on the bar, college town, and county fair circuit throughout the "Red State Strip" in the middle of America. They have a large and loyal fanbase, especially in the college towns of Stillwater (OK), Manhattan (KS), and Lincoln (NE).
The Facts: The Great Divide's latest release is Remain, and once again they have compiled their typical mix of so-called "red dirt country," reflecting on loving hard, partying hard, and taking time to enjoy both. While none of the songs on the album have the "instant hit" characteristics of so many of the songs on their previous album Revolutions, when put together the album proves to be a nice ensemble. The songs range from the slower songs "Lost in the Night" and "Other Side of Midnight" to the hard-rockin' "Gypsy Steel" and to "Fly On," which is reminiscent of some of Garth Brooks' "inspirational" songs, except that in this one the fellow is encouraging his sweetheart to leave him for better things. The best cut on the album may be "If You Want It That Much," which speaks to the dangers of addiction, whether it be in love or in "controlled substances." Of course, no Great Divide album would be complete without a song about nothing and a funky hidden track, and these are provided with "Bummin' Around" and "Ridin' With the Devil (Just Another Brick in the Wall)," a number that utilizes song titles to construct its lyrics (with part of the title itself, of course, being a Pink Floyd song).
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