Ronnie Dunn’s New Album ‘100 Proof Neon’ is One To Look Out For
90s country is back on the upswing, and either you can get your fix from some new performer who was still soiling their diapers or learning multiplication tables when Alan Jackson and Brooks & Dunn were dominating country radio, or you can go directly to the source. Sure, the best way to get your fill of 90s country is, well, to break out those old compact disks and get to spinning. But if they feel a bit worn out, Ronnie Dunn is ready to give you a refill.
The Brooks & Dunn singer has had quite an eclectic career ever since the duo announced a semi split in 2009. In 2014, they started reuniting again to open shows for Reba and other appearances, and ever since have seemed to remain chummy, and still quite popular, receiving CMA and ACM nominations for Duo of the Year in the last round of awards. But where Kix Brooks seems content as a radio personality, Ronnie still wants to record new music.
Dunn’s 2011 self-titled solo album is actually pretty underrated and pretty damn country, with “Cost of Livin'” and “Bleed Red” being some of Dunn’s best songs of his career, with Brooks & Dunn or otherwise. But Ronnie didn’t seem ready to give up his relevance on radio, and got caught chasing trends a little bit, and getting away from his roots. His 2016 album Tattooed Heart was definitely a mixed bag of more contemporary sounds as Ronnie was pulling all kinds of stunts trying to get radio’s attention and perhaps trying to start an insurrection in country, and yet still not getting played on the radio.
So now Ronnie Dunn appears to be doing what every country artist should do in the twilight of their career: be grateful for the money they’ve accrued and the popularity they’ve enjoyed, and just do what they want, radio be damned. And in the case of Ronnie Dunn, it happens to be something that is actually kind of relevant in country music again, including on the radio.
To be released on July 29th, 100 Proof Neon will be Ronnie Dunn looking to reprise his place as a more classic country artist. In fact, listening to the two early tracks—“Broken Neon Hearts” and the newly-released “Honky Tonk Town” with Jake Worthington—this might be more traditional country than even 90’s Brooks & Dunn, which always was a bit contemporary for its day if we’re being honest. The new stuff is definitely country. We’ll just have to see if it’s also good, with quality songwriting like we heard with “Cost of Livin'” and “Bleed Red.”
One positive development of the 90s country resurgence is that not only is it giving the catalogs of a lot of older artists a retrospective look, it’s also giving them a good opportunity to get back in the game. Ronnie Dunn has one of the most iconic voices in country music history. That’s one of the reasons he’s in the Country Music Hall of Fame. And that’s the reason he still deserves out attention.
100 Proof Neon is out July 29th, and also features a collaboration with Parker McCollum.
TRACK LIST:
1. Broken Neon Hearts
2. Honky Tonk Town (feat. Jake Worthington)
3. Two Steppers, Waltzes, and Shuffles
4. She’s Why I Drink Whiskey
5. Where The Neon Lies
6. The Blade
7. If Love Ever Comes My Way
8. Somethin’ I Can Have
9. Honky Tonk Skin
10. Road to Abilene (feat. Parker McCollum)
11. Good Bartender
May 20, 2022 @ 10:03 am
Looking forward. (And I hope Kix collaborates on a few of the tracks; their harmonies are incredible).
May 20, 2022 @ 10:27 am
One of the best country voices.
May 20, 2022 @ 1:37 pm
I’ve long thought that Ronnie Dunn would/could be a world class singer in any type of music, from opera to jazz to rock and roll to country and on….. Good to see that he’s recording solo.
May 20, 2022 @ 11:09 am
“One of the most iconic voices in country music history.” You and I are on the same page here, Trig; maybe the best male voice of the “modern” era. Not too long ago on the comments page, one poster remarked about Kix Brooks’ contribution to the duo. I was gonna respond then, but didn’t. No matter what yardstick is used to evaluate their partnership, Ronnie Dunn’s voice is what made history and it’s his voice on 95% of their radio tunes – as well it should have been. The only question for me is how much Brooks and Don Cook contributed to the songwriting process – a lot of good material have all their names as writers. I saw them both talking in an interview about their history and Brooks crowing about he got Dunn to move onstage. Who cares? Ronnie Dunn standing statue still in front of a microphone and singing is all you need to know. I can’t believe Arista execs didn’t feel the same way and instead led Dunn down the dog and pony show road. No question it made a ton of money, but Dunn never looked comfortable in that setting. I hope this new album is a big success. God, I love me some Ronnie Dunn singing honky tonk music!
July 30, 2022 @ 4:44 pm
I just heard “The Blade” for the first time, and I enjoyed it. If it were around 1994, that would have been a top-five smash. The 1990s and early 2000s were when I listened to country radio most.
May 20, 2022 @ 11:19 am
Funny thing is, when B&D announced a split in 2009, they did not call it a semi-split. It was announced as a complete break-up of the act.
I think what happened is that Dunn discovered that even though he was doing all the lead singing, especially in later years, and was recognized as one of the great country voices, concert-goers were not hungry for “Ronnie Dunn.” They wanted B&D. B&D is the brand. So if he wanted to keep playing top venues, he needed to do it with Kix.
Prediction: After this new album has its shot, Ronnie and Kix will reunite for one more full-fledged B&D album. And it will outsell Ronnie’s solo effort.
May 20, 2022 @ 11:51 am
Ronnie did have some success as a solo artist, “Bleed Red” was a Top 10 hit and “Cost of Living” was a Top 20 hit, very different from his Brooks & Dunn songs, but still a solid run.
May 20, 2022 @ 1:21 pm
I get it. I think all your points are valid and your prediction may very well come true. Yeah, it’s hard to manufacture and sell a “brand” and support three tour buses and a fleet of tractor trailers behind a tall, shy, skinny dude with one of the great voices in country music history. Shouldn’t be, but it is. Obviously my point of view is strictly mine (and comes from a guy who bangs the Gary Stewart drum on this site whenever I can). But I have always felt Dunn’s voice and songwriting should have warranted a career on his own. Granted it probably would have been on a much smaller scale, but once the corporate machine got cranking after that first Brooks and Dunn album, that ship had sailed.
May 20, 2022 @ 12:43 pm
Really like these first two songs and of course his voice is simply iconic. I can’t remember this, but did Ronnie tour behind those earlier solo efforts and what kind of places was he playing. I see Brooks and Dunn have shows scheduled through later this year, but would love the chance to see Ronnie in a slightly smaller venue.
May 20, 2022 @ 3:40 pm
Yes, he did tour in support of the first couple of albums. He played bars, honky tonks and casinos. My concert buddy and I made it to quite a few shows. It was a blast! I’ve been to a ton of B&D shows, too. There is an undeniable chemistry with both of them on stage but Ronnie can hold his own as a solo artist. Its about the music!
May 20, 2022 @ 2:35 pm
Good stuff!
May 20, 2022 @ 4:08 pm
In my humble view, Ronnie Dunn is the greatest male singer of all time, in any genre. Even after all these years, I’m struck dumb whenever I hear him.
May 20, 2022 @ 4:12 pm
I will be sure to buy this the day it comes out. His 4 other releases are great as is the song I found that Ronnie did called “Hey Haggard.” Thanks for putting out country music that is worth listening to!
May 20, 2022 @ 4:21 pm
Funny to think country purists once considered brooks and Dunn to not be country. Nowadays, we get lucky when a mainstream artist gets even close to their sound.
May 20, 2022 @ 5:29 pm
Not a B&D fan at all, but I’m not a Ronnie Dunn hater, either. I think he has a terrific voice, and that his voice elevated a lot of otherwise mediocre material in B&D, but I’m just not tracking with the assessment that his is one of the iconic voices in country music history. Absolutely respect that music lovers have differences of opinion about these things, but to me, it just feels like a stretch to declare that.
May 21, 2022 @ 3:12 am
Looks like Jacob Lyda (born at a truck stop, I’m doing alright) wrote “honkytonk heart” I saw him mention it on his fb page.
May 21, 2022 @ 6:43 am
The great voices according to me:
Waylon
Ronnie Dunn
Toby Keith…the voice, not all the songs.
May 21, 2022 @ 6:46 am
No Elvis because as Mick Jagger said.
No-one, but no-one, is his equal, or ever will be.Dec 26, 2018
May 21, 2022 @ 7:36 am
Big yawn….
May 21, 2022 @ 7:42 am
Ronnie looking a little like Walker jr.
May 21, 2022 @ 7:49 am
If you haven’t heard of them, the Desert City Ramblers have had a ton of singles come out in the past few years and to me, the lead singers voice is fairly similar to Ronnie Dunn’s. More of a southern rock style than country, but still damn good music.
May 21, 2022 @ 2:46 pm
I’m cautiously optimistic – his last solo album was pretty awful.
May 21, 2022 @ 7:07 pm
You mean Re-Dunn? That was pretty solid for a covers album.
May 21, 2022 @ 7:59 pm
No no, that ones fine. I was talking about Tattooed Heart.
May 23, 2022 @ 4:38 pm
I hope this album helps put another nail in the death of so called “bro country”, mongrelized punk pop rap country music with clap clap, rap rap, crap crap nonsense noise the radio stations and Nashville /
New York corporations call “new country” hahahaha!!! Snake Oil is all this is!!
One of the main country radio stations in Dallas even started dropping some of this junk music and started back playing more traditional real country music including late 80′ & 90’s country. What a breath of fresh air again to be able to listen to a local radio station playing great music!!
May 22, 2022 @ 6:39 am
I liked Brooks and Dunn. They are more successful together than solo. I thought Kix Books solo album was ok but nothing special. I thought Dunn’s solo albums have been very good. I am looking forward to this one. He does have a superb voice.
May 23, 2022 @ 11:25 am
90s country was never my favorite but if it means the demise of whatever the fuck Luke Bryan is ; I’m all in. Yes Ronnie Dunn does have a beautiful voice
May 23, 2022 @ 3:43 pm
Ronnie Dunn’s first solo album was my official divorce record. “Love Owes Me One” & some Buffalo Trace got me downriver safely. I owe him one.