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A Personal Stand: Observations and Opinions from a Freethinking Roughneck
Country music superstar Trace Adkins isn’t exactly known for holding back what’s on his mind. And if the millions of albums he’s sold are any indication, when Trace talks, people listen. Now, in A Personal Stand, Trace Adkins delivers his maverick manifesto on politics, personal responsibility, fame, parenting, being true to yourself, hard work, and the way things oughta be.
In his inimitable pull-no-punches style, Trace gives us the state of the union as he sees it, from the lessons of his boyhood in small-town Louisiana to what he’s learned headlining concerts around the world. Trace has worked oil rigs in the Gulf of Mexico, been shot in the heart, been inducted into the Grand Ole Opry, and braved perhaps the greatest challenge of being the father of five daughters. And shaped by these experiences, he’s sounding off.
• I’m incredibly frustrated with the state of American politics. If there were a viable third party, I’d seriously consider joining it.
• If anybody wonders who the good guys are and who the bad guys are in this world, just look at the way we teach our children as opposed to the way the fundamentalist Muslims teach their children.
• Organized labor now exists for the sake of organized labor, and not for the workers it once protected.
• I believe the easiest way to solve the illegal immigration enforcement problem is to go after the employers who hire illegal aliens.
• As a society, we’re unwilling to sacrifice our luxuries and our conveniences in order to conserve. We won’t change until we’re forced to.
• The war on terror is like herpes. People can live with it, but it’ll flare up from time to time.
Brash, ballsy, persuasive, and controversial, A Personal Stand isn’t just the story of Trace Adkins’s life; it’s the story of what life can teach all of us.
In his inimitable pull-no-punches style, Trace gives us the state of the union as he sees it, from the lessons of his boyhood in small-town Louisiana to what he’s learned headlining concerts around the world. Trace has worked oil rigs in the Gulf of Mexico, been shot in the heart, been inducted into the Grand Ole Opry, and braved perhaps the greatest challenge of being the father of five daughters. And shaped by these experiences, he’s sounding off.
• I’m incredibly frustrated with the state of American politics. If there were a viable third party, I’d seriously consider joining it.
• If anybody wonders who the good guys are and who the bad guys are in this world, just look at the way we teach our children as opposed to the way the fundamentalist Muslims teach their children.
• Organized labor now exists for the sake of organized labor, and not for the workers it once protected.
• I believe the easiest way to solve the illegal immigration enforcement problem is to go after the employers who hire illegal aliens.
• As a society, we’re unwilling to sacrifice our luxuries and our conveniences in order to conserve. We won’t change until we’re forced to.
• The war on terror is like herpes. People can live with it, but it’ll flare up from time to time.
Brash, ballsy, persuasive, and controversial, A Personal Stand isn’t just the story of Trace Adkins’s life; it’s the story of what life can teach all of us.
256 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2007
25 people are currently reading
201 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 75 reviews
August 13, 2016
Opening line: "It's a damn good thing I wasn't the president after 9/11 because I would have...lets not go there yet"
This is not really an autobiography but as it states on the cover, "a collection of observations and opinions from a freethinking roughneck." That's too bad because the best parts of this book are the stories about his life and this would have been a 5 star read if Trace could have just stopped going off the rails with redneck 'observations' and concentrated on writing his autobiography a little more. However, he writes like he talks and I did get some laughs in during a couple of his life stories. But mainly I just laughed at his views of the world. Trace doesn't hold back here, insulting just about every nationality except Americans.
Having been a fan of his music and after seeing him on Celebrity Apprentice Mr. Adkins seemed like an intelligent, interesting and gentle family man. This book has however changed my view of him and I no longer consider myself a fan. I found Trace's 'views' naive. He admittedly has only been out of America once, playing on an aircraft carrier in the Persian Gulf and it is my opinion that he needs to get out from behind the windows of his tour bus and see some of the world. This would possibly open up his 'observations' a bit. However even if you don't agree with him he at least tries to explain why he feels that way.
In between his many rants you do get to learn about Trace's life; growing up in Louisiana (pop 924) he spent time working on the oil rigs and playing in honky-tonk bars before he became a country star. You'll learn of his problems with drugs and alcohol, his many brushes with death and his family. An oddly amusing story is how he got shot by his second wife. He describes the history behind some of his hit songs, what fame is like and how he still likes to get his hands dirty on his farm. There is a lot of time spent on politics and oil as well as his dislike of unions, illegal immigration, the tobacco industry and his love of Wal-Mart and NASCAR.
As a well travelled, informed Canadian, I took particular offence to the following quote.(Regrettably it was written in the last 6 pages of the book or I would have stopped reading sooner)
"Supposedly Canada has the cleanest water and the best beer and a whole lot of oil. They've been sucking on our tit for so long now, and that's another thing I would do if I was President. I would make a call to the Canadians and say "look fellas, the only reason the Russkies didn't come over here in the 1970's and kick your ass is because we're your neighbor!" The time is now to start paying for the protection that we provide you. No more free ride eh."
In summery I suppose this was an eye-opening read, about a country singer from small town USA whose views are completly different than my own. It sure explained a lot about what I see on Fox News anyway.
This is not really an autobiography but as it states on the cover, "a collection of observations and opinions from a freethinking roughneck." That's too bad because the best parts of this book are the stories about his life and this would have been a 5 star read if Trace could have just stopped going off the rails with redneck 'observations' and concentrated on writing his autobiography a little more. However, he writes like he talks and I did get some laughs in during a couple of his life stories. But mainly I just laughed at his views of the world. Trace doesn't hold back here, insulting just about every nationality except Americans.
Having been a fan of his music and after seeing him on Celebrity Apprentice Mr. Adkins seemed like an intelligent, interesting and gentle family man. This book has however changed my view of him and I no longer consider myself a fan. I found Trace's 'views' naive. He admittedly has only been out of America once, playing on an aircraft carrier in the Persian Gulf and it is my opinion that he needs to get out from behind the windows of his tour bus and see some of the world. This would possibly open up his 'observations' a bit. However even if you don't agree with him he at least tries to explain why he feels that way.
In between his many rants you do get to learn about Trace's life; growing up in Louisiana (pop 924) he spent time working on the oil rigs and playing in honky-tonk bars before he became a country star. You'll learn of his problems with drugs and alcohol, his many brushes with death and his family. An oddly amusing story is how he got shot by his second wife. He describes the history behind some of his hit songs, what fame is like and how he still likes to get his hands dirty on his farm. There is a lot of time spent on politics and oil as well as his dislike of unions, illegal immigration, the tobacco industry and his love of Wal-Mart and NASCAR.
As a well travelled, informed Canadian, I took particular offence to the following quote.(Regrettably it was written in the last 6 pages of the book or I would have stopped reading sooner)
"Supposedly Canada has the cleanest water and the best beer and a whole lot of oil. They've been sucking on our tit for so long now, and that's another thing I would do if I was President. I would make a call to the Canadians and say "look fellas, the only reason the Russkies didn't come over here in the 1970's and kick your ass is because we're your neighbor!" The time is now to start paying for the protection that we provide you. No more free ride eh."
In summery I suppose this was an eye-opening read, about a country singer from small town USA whose views are completly different than my own. It sure explained a lot about what I see on Fox News anyway.
July 26, 2020
I first became acquainted with country singer Trace Adkins when he appeared on "The Celebrity Apprentice" a few years back. The Celebrity version of Donald Trump's reality series "The Apprentice" had the celebrities playing for their favorite charity. Adkins stole the show imo, kept me laughing and I just had to get to know him better. The country boy from Louisiana's reaction to spoiled celebrities that took themselves way too seriously was priceless.
In one episode he was tasked with catering to some boy's band that I've forgotten the name of before their concert appearance. Apparently they had never heard of superstar Trace Adkins as they arrogantly barked orders at him. One of them asked Trace to run down to a health food store and buy him some wheat grass. A confused Adkins thought they wanted grass 'seed' to be planted and the look of horror on his face when he was told that the product was ingested orally for health reasons still makes me laugh.
In this autobiography Trace candidly relates the story of his life, his bad boy younger years and his rise to fame in country music as well as his opinions on various subjects. He holds nothing back and if you're a fan of his you should enjoy reading the entertaining book.
In one episode he was tasked with catering to some boy's band that I've forgotten the name of before their concert appearance. Apparently they had never heard of superstar Trace Adkins as they arrogantly barked orders at him. One of them asked Trace to run down to a health food store and buy him some wheat grass. A confused Adkins thought they wanted grass 'seed' to be planted and the look of horror on his face when he was told that the product was ingested orally for health reasons still makes me laugh.
In this autobiography Trace candidly relates the story of his life, his bad boy younger years and his rise to fame in country music as well as his opinions on various subjects. He holds nothing back and if you're a fan of his you should enjoy reading the entertaining book.
January 27, 2009
While I didn't necessarily agree with his view on everything, I think that he has a great way of expressing his views. It wouldn't hurt for more people to have a look at this book and come up with their own stands.
October 31, 2009
Trace Adkins was born and reared in Louisiana and has made it BIG in the country music genre. This book is his biography plus his stand on various and sundry contemporary issues. He is a true conservative and has appeared on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, Late Night with Conan O'Brien, Hannity & Colmes, and Politically Incorrect with Bill Maher. According to the book's jacket, "he delivers his maverick manifesto on politics, personal responsibility, fame, parenting, being true to yourself, hard work, and the way things ought to be." He is a no-nonsense guy who says exactly what he thinks, writing about his blue-collar background in extreme NW Louisiana, his work ethic, and his circuitious path to where he is today in Nashville's music scene. As the father of five daughters, he is wise, loving, and also funny (he is a man's man, a former college football player, and very large of stature at 6'6" tall). His contenporary country music crosses country, R&B, rock-n-roll, and honky tonk genres. [If you've never heard or seen his video on You Tube for "This Ain't No Thinking Thing," give yourself a treat! In the video, he dances just like a good old Louisiana boy!:] I think all biographies are worth reading, and this one was interesting to me.
August 27, 2011
Country music idol Trace Adkins tells stories of his life and how his experiences have shaped his conservative ideologies. Trace is obviously intelligent. He really knows how he feels about things and isn't afraid to express that opinion. While you may or may not agree with his opinions on the Middle East, immigration, American politics and many more topics, he does give you something to think about. Easy to read, his writing comes across as though you were sitting on the porch just chattin'. Told with lots of emotion, humor,and frustration, he talks about his alcoholism, being shot through the heart and both lungs by his ex-wife, and his true feelings about the music industry. If you like Trace you will like this book.
My favorite part was his explanation of the difference between a conservative and a liberal.
"We access and judge people today in terms of civility rather than morality. Today morality is secondary as long as you are civil, and we have this attitude that it's none of our business what some people do in private as long as they're civil in public. My perceived difference between liberalism and conservatism is this: Liberalism seems less moral, yet civil. which conservatism is more moral and less civil.
P.S. I love the idea of an "I'm cool card."!!!
My favorite part was his explanation of the difference between a conservative and a liberal.
"We access and judge people today in terms of civility rather than morality. Today morality is secondary as long as you are civil, and we have this attitude that it's none of our business what some people do in private as long as they're civil in public. My perceived difference between liberalism and conservatism is this: Liberalism seems less moral, yet civil. which conservatism is more moral and less civil.
P.S. I love the idea of an "I'm cool card."!!!
November 21, 2007
If I could write a book about my personal philosophy, this would be it. Trace Adkins is a country music singer, most famous for performing "Honky-Tonk Badonkadonk". I like that song (and the video) so much that it was my ring tone for almost a year. Trace's personal philosophy is a pleasant surprise, and his writing style is very engaging. He is articulate and thoughtful, and rather than espouse some good ole boy rhetoric, he presents a very balanced view of America and its place in the world. I was impressed with his grasp of historical context and the metaphors he used to make his points.
July 14, 2013
Honestly, I had to stop reading this book about halfway through. As a big fan of Trace's music, I knew that if I continued I'd never be able to listen to him again. This is the risk you take by "getting to know" celebrities whose work you admire, you find out more about their personalities and politics than you really should. Unfortunately, Mr. Adkins presents himself as a stereotypical huntin' fishin' god fearin' ignorant redneck, not someone I'd want as a friend. So I'll continue to enjoy his amazing voice and lyrics, and try to forget what I've learned about him personally and politically.
July 21, 2013
Trace talks about his personal life and his ideas on various issues facing the nation such as immigration, the education system, the war on terror and unions. For those liberals that like Trace's music it might be best just to continue to listen to his music and bypass this book. Trace is a very outspoken conservative Republican and tells it like it is. Laced with quite a bit of humor and Trace's personal beliefs this book is a very easy read. I enjoyed it very much and think that a person such as this is what America needs to lead it out of the hell hole the current administration has dug us into.
November 9, 2012
I really enjoyed reading about Trace's viewpoints on a lot of things we face in our everyday lives - politics especially. What I like about this work is that he doesn't go on a rant about his life-story; it's more about the important things (not trying to say his life isn't important, but I already know all there is to know about him as a fan). He opens up about things that many artists wouldn't. Great job Trace!
October 2, 2008
Very political. I like Trace, but this was so much about his political thoughts that it really turned me off. I wish it had been more about him - more details about his wife shooting him would have been interesting!
March 21, 2013
I like Trace even more after reading this-he is a true American!! He needs to run for President. Plus I liked his comments at end of book-"Sometimes I can't help feeling like somethings lost. While life is faster and supposedly easier ,it's not necessarily a whole lot better..." So very true!
July 17, 2015
This is an autobiography from country legend Trace Adkins. I have to say he told this from his "redneck" point of view, but he is well spoken and has distinct opinions on things.
I enjoyed that he owned any mistakes he made and he told it from his point of view.
4 stars
I enjoyed that he owned any mistakes he made and he told it from his point of view.
4 stars
July 8, 2017
There were some interesting chapters and some got a little boring. The writing became somewhat preachy at times, but again on the front he said that it was observations and opinions.
February 17, 2025
Call ME a "free thinking Roughneck"
So I never have nor could I ever be a Roughneck, I find I agree with a lot of Mr. Adkins views. I also don't care for Republicans or Democrats or being part of any group affiliations, groups are in general bad, I'm all about individuality. You are who you are, own it. It is what happens in your own life that makes you you but its nice to see commonality in others. I thank Mr. Adkins for sharing his life. I'd also vote for him for President.😏💖
So I never have nor could I ever be a Roughneck, I find I agree with a lot of Mr. Adkins views. I also don't care for Republicans or Democrats or being part of any group affiliations, groups are in general bad, I'm all about individuality. You are who you are, own it. It is what happens in your own life that makes you you but its nice to see commonality in others. I thank Mr. Adkins for sharing his life. I'd also vote for him for President.😏💖
March 27, 2021
What an exceptional book and man! Though this book was written in 2007, it is still totally relevant today. Sad to say, we still have the same problems 14 years later. Trace is a man of conviction who’s not afraid to speak his mind. He’s proud of his successes and not afraid to own up to his failures. The book is easy to read and the story flows. I highly recommend this book to everyone, especially all of our current politicians. Well done!
November 14, 2023
I only recently found out Trace wrote a book back in 1997. It's good. He shares his observations and opinions and isn't shy about expressing them even if many may not agree with him. He shares his opinions on various topics but he also tells a bit of his backstory about growing up in Louisiana and how he got started in the music business.
February 11, 2019
Honest
Honest and gut wrenching. You so get a great insight into Trace, his beliefs, and strength. Must read for anyone
Honest and gut wrenching. You so get a great insight into Trace, his beliefs, and strength. Must read for anyone
February 5, 2021
Sees Book
This was a great book and truly reinforced my opinion of Trace in a most positive way. To me he is the "John Wayne" of country music, very down to earth and humble.
This was a great book and truly reinforced my opinion of Trace in a most positive way. To me he is the "John Wayne" of country music, very down to earth and humble.
July 21, 2021
AMAZING
I was able to understanderstand him a little more. He has been through a lot in his life, but he kept on going.
I was able to understanderstand him a little more. He has been through a lot in his life, but he kept on going.
January 15, 2022
Entertaining read and a look into the mind and heart of a country boy. I liked it.
October 9, 2022
A good read. Kinda surprised he is still upright, yikes! Some things are repeated but I am glad I
read it.
read it.
December 28, 2022
I didn’t care for this book as I was hoping for something different. But we’ll written by an amazing singer.
March 30, 2023
No holds on Trace’s views on politics, unions, immigration among other things.
Read
January 4, 2024Okay. Some really funny lines. He has some good opinions. Got a little boring
September 16, 2024
Though I have a couple differences of opinion, Adkins is an inspiration for staying true to yourself without shame. I am a nut for history and appreciate his educated opinions.
March 18, 2017
Great book!
May 21, 2014
The title of this book says all that you need to know about it. Trace Adkins, a Country music superstar, wrote this book, presumably to tell his life story, but really he wrote it in order to air his views about everything from welfare to religion to world affairs. Like most self-proclaimed "rednecks", Adkins views about all of the above are naïve. But that's OK because he does not claim to be a scholar. He's a father, former oil rig worker and musician whose world views were formed almost exclusively from his southern Protestant upbringing.
Adkins is very good at story telling, and if he had stuck to that, this book would have been an excellent read. He tells his story about working the oil rigs, struggling in the Country music industry and his family life. Throughout the story, Adkins sprinkles in his political and religious views like pepper on an omelet. I found Adkins' views to be pretty funny actually. For example, he says, "if you want to know who the good guys are and who are the bad guys, just compare how we raise our kids compared to how the Muslims raise theirs!" Interesting, until you consider that school children in most Muslim countries do not learn how to use contraceptives in the classroom, while most school children in our country do. Another example, Adkins writes, "If there were a political party other than the Democrats and Republicans, I would certainly join it!" Again, fair enough, but unlike in Adkins simple world, politicians in the real world have to raise a large amount of cash in order to get elected and build political coalitions in order to pass their agendas after they are elected. Adkins is a tremendous advocate of traditional family values, but his fans know that his songs tell a much different story, as he sings about the "honkytonk bedonkedonk" and about the hard drinking and sex to such an extent that the parents of those young children that he writes about would be wise to not let them listen to Adkins songs.
Still, having said that, Adkins is worth reading for a very significant reason, and that is because those in this world who consider themselves the royalty of tolerance and free thinking have nothing but contempt for Adkins and his ilk. Imagine a hipster in Bucktown or Greenwich Village picking up this book and reading it. How different are Adkins' views than the views of the hipster orthodoxy today. What if the urban liberal actually learned something from Adkins? Just as Adkins could learn a lot from the urban liberal, just the fact of reading this short book would open up the minds of so many. And what if the urban liberals got together at the local Starbucks and discussed Adkins' book? Wow, what a world that would be!
True, Adkins is no Dostoyevsky. But, having said that, I think that if Adkins and Dostoyevsky sat down at the honkytonk bar and had a beer, they would find that they agree about more than they disagree. And the same would be true of Charles Dickens, and even Adkins' fellow Missourian, Mark Twain. Many of the greatest writers in history had very similar values to Adkins, although they were much more adept at expressing those ideas well. Pick up Adkins book and open your mind a little. Even if you disagree with every word of it, at least you have made the effort to understand the political and religious views of many, perhaps most, of your fellow Americans.
Adkins is very good at story telling, and if he had stuck to that, this book would have been an excellent read. He tells his story about working the oil rigs, struggling in the Country music industry and his family life. Throughout the story, Adkins sprinkles in his political and religious views like pepper on an omelet. I found Adkins' views to be pretty funny actually. For example, he says, "if you want to know who the good guys are and who are the bad guys, just compare how we raise our kids compared to how the Muslims raise theirs!" Interesting, until you consider that school children in most Muslim countries do not learn how to use contraceptives in the classroom, while most school children in our country do. Another example, Adkins writes, "If there were a political party other than the Democrats and Republicans, I would certainly join it!" Again, fair enough, but unlike in Adkins simple world, politicians in the real world have to raise a large amount of cash in order to get elected and build political coalitions in order to pass their agendas after they are elected. Adkins is a tremendous advocate of traditional family values, but his fans know that his songs tell a much different story, as he sings about the "honkytonk bedonkedonk" and about the hard drinking and sex to such an extent that the parents of those young children that he writes about would be wise to not let them listen to Adkins songs.
Still, having said that, Adkins is worth reading for a very significant reason, and that is because those in this world who consider themselves the royalty of tolerance and free thinking have nothing but contempt for Adkins and his ilk. Imagine a hipster in Bucktown or Greenwich Village picking up this book and reading it. How different are Adkins' views than the views of the hipster orthodoxy today. What if the urban liberal actually learned something from Adkins? Just as Adkins could learn a lot from the urban liberal, just the fact of reading this short book would open up the minds of so many. And what if the urban liberals got together at the local Starbucks and discussed Adkins' book? Wow, what a world that would be!
True, Adkins is no Dostoyevsky. But, having said that, I think that if Adkins and Dostoyevsky sat down at the honkytonk bar and had a beer, they would find that they agree about more than they disagree. And the same would be true of Charles Dickens, and even Adkins' fellow Missourian, Mark Twain. Many of the greatest writers in history had very similar values to Adkins, although they were much more adept at expressing those ideas well. Pick up Adkins book and open your mind a little. Even if you disagree with every word of it, at least you have made the effort to understand the political and religious views of many, perhaps most, of your fellow Americans.
January 23, 2016
A PERSONAL STAND by Trace Adkins was part autobiographical, part personal commentary, and completely enjoyable.
Anyone who knows Trace Adkins’ music knows there are two sides to the country singer. He’s got his alcohol induced, rebel rousing anthems, such as Honky Tonk Badonkadonk, One Hot Mama, and I Got My Game On. And then there are his introspective tunes like You’re Gonna Miss This, I Wanna Feel Something, She Thinks We’re Just Fishing, and the haunting Arlington. And now, in the pages of A PERSONAL STAND, you get to hear Trace Adkins’ opinion on hot topics like, Immigration, 911, the wars we are waging on foreign soils, the economy, and you get a feel for his passion for history and his beloved South.
I finished A PERSONAL STAND in one day because it was so different from the fiction I usually read. In a word, I would call the country singer with the bad-boy image a conservative. Though he expresses his disappointment with the Republican Party of late, his values and principles line up with what this country was founded on. Freedom. Not the freedom to burn the flag, abuse free speech, or turn the other cheek when others walk all over our constitution, but the freedom to disagree with the government without personal threat, to put in a hard’s day work for a hard’s day pay, the importance of military involvement versus tolerance of radicals, why deportation of illegal’s is not us as a nation being intolerant, but the U.S. needing to protect its borders and following the laws on the books to protect our own economy, and numerous other topics.
A PERSONAL STAND was a great read! Though Adkins’ doesn’t sugarcoat his personal abuses of alcohol or the break-up of his marriages, he sure hits the nail on the head in regards to the state of our union. If we could only rally together the Republicans in office right now, and force them to read our constitution for themselves–instead of allowing the liberal media to interpret it for the nation unchallenged–they could get our country back to the basics of why we left Europe hundreds of years ago. Our forefathers wanted a strong, free, republic, not a hand-holding, passive, milk-toast society that is more interested in being everyone’s friend then wielding our strength when injustice calls for it.
On a personal note: I could’ve done without some of the swearing. I feel strongly that someone does not need to swear or use vulgar language to get their point across. In fact, sometimes I feel the use of inappropriate language devalues the speaker’s impact. Even if you are a good-ole-boy, allow your passion to speak for yourself instead of the shock value of crude language.
Anyone who knows Trace Adkins’ music knows there are two sides to the country singer. He’s got his alcohol induced, rebel rousing anthems, such as Honky Tonk Badonkadonk, One Hot Mama, and I Got My Game On. And then there are his introspective tunes like You’re Gonna Miss This, I Wanna Feel Something, She Thinks We’re Just Fishing, and the haunting Arlington. And now, in the pages of A PERSONAL STAND, you get to hear Trace Adkins’ opinion on hot topics like, Immigration, 911, the wars we are waging on foreign soils, the economy, and you get a feel for his passion for history and his beloved South.
I finished A PERSONAL STAND in one day because it was so different from the fiction I usually read. In a word, I would call the country singer with the bad-boy image a conservative. Though he expresses his disappointment with the Republican Party of late, his values and principles line up with what this country was founded on. Freedom. Not the freedom to burn the flag, abuse free speech, or turn the other cheek when others walk all over our constitution, but the freedom to disagree with the government without personal threat, to put in a hard’s day work for a hard’s day pay, the importance of military involvement versus tolerance of radicals, why deportation of illegal’s is not us as a nation being intolerant, but the U.S. needing to protect its borders and following the laws on the books to protect our own economy, and numerous other topics.
A PERSONAL STAND was a great read! Though Adkins’ doesn’t sugarcoat his personal abuses of alcohol or the break-up of his marriages, he sure hits the nail on the head in regards to the state of our union. If we could only rally together the Republicans in office right now, and force them to read our constitution for themselves–instead of allowing the liberal media to interpret it for the nation unchallenged–they could get our country back to the basics of why we left Europe hundreds of years ago. Our forefathers wanted a strong, free, republic, not a hand-holding, passive, milk-toast society that is more interested in being everyone’s friend then wielding our strength when injustice calls for it.
On a personal note: I could’ve done without some of the swearing. I feel strongly that someone does not need to swear or use vulgar language to get their point across. In fact, sometimes I feel the use of inappropriate language devalues the speaker’s impact. Even if you are a good-ole-boy, allow your passion to speak for yourself instead of the shock value of crude language.
January 16, 2016
Well... Let me start by saying that I LOOOVE this man! LOL
Trace Adkins is my favorite male Country singer (maybe my favorite male altogether, except for maybe my hubby... well...).
This book was so funny! Trace just puts it all out there. He has an opinion about EVERYTHING and is not afraid to share it! Some of it I highly agreed with and some of it I did not but it was all very entertaining and fun to read if I agreed or not!
Trace talks about his time spent working on the offshore drilling rigs, his so many injuries and how he cheated death several times. His drinking problem, his failed marriages and his now successful one, his relationship with his 5 daughters, His years spent on the road playing Honky-tonks, and his career as a singer. But he also talks about - Wal-mart (he's a fan),
"Wal-mart - You don't have to go anywhere else. Everything you need is in one big place! There's a rickety old man who smiles through yellow dentures, says hello when you walk through the door and shoves a basket at you. I mean, you can have your tires rotated, buy some groceries, get your hemorrhoid cream, pick up some golf balls, and fill a prescription all under one roof. Plus they sell more of my records and CDs, hands down, than anybody!"
the public school system, politics, airport security, playing overseas for the troops in the Persian Gulf, foreign policy, 9/11 (he was the first country singer to visit the disaster site), tobacco crops, oil and natural gas, and sooooo much more! See, I told you he has an opinion on everything!
"Honky-tonk-Badonkadonk" is one of his songs that is basically about women's behinds (you know - butts) -
"It was number two the same week Carrie Underwood went number one with "Jesus Take the Wheel". Right behind me, at number 3 was Brad Paisley's "When I get to Where I'm Going" a song about Heaven. So there I was, in a sticky position. I couldn't pray to the man upstairs, asking, "Lord, could you please make my 'ass' record number one instead of the two Jesus songs?" It would have been wrong. And that's probably why it didn't go number one. I has 'ass' and they had Jesus, and Jesus won, which I guess is the way it ought to be."
That's pretty much the way the whole book is. Its Trace just telling it like it is in his laid-back style. This won't win any literary awards, but it does make you feel like you are just sitting having a conversation with him.
Trace Adkins is my favorite male Country singer (maybe my favorite male altogether, except for maybe my hubby... well...).
This book was so funny! Trace just puts it all out there. He has an opinion about EVERYTHING and is not afraid to share it! Some of it I highly agreed with and some of it I did not but it was all very entertaining and fun to read if I agreed or not!
Trace talks about his time spent working on the offshore drilling rigs, his so many injuries and how he cheated death several times. His drinking problem, his failed marriages and his now successful one, his relationship with his 5 daughters, His years spent on the road playing Honky-tonks, and his career as a singer. But he also talks about - Wal-mart (he's a fan),
"Wal-mart - You don't have to go anywhere else. Everything you need is in one big place! There's a rickety old man who smiles through yellow dentures, says hello when you walk through the door and shoves a basket at you. I mean, you can have your tires rotated, buy some groceries, get your hemorrhoid cream, pick up some golf balls, and fill a prescription all under one roof. Plus they sell more of my records and CDs, hands down, than anybody!"
the public school system, politics, airport security, playing overseas for the troops in the Persian Gulf, foreign policy, 9/11 (he was the first country singer to visit the disaster site), tobacco crops, oil and natural gas, and sooooo much more! See, I told you he has an opinion on everything!
"Honky-tonk-Badonkadonk" is one of his songs that is basically about women's behinds (you know - butts) -
"It was number two the same week Carrie Underwood went number one with "Jesus Take the Wheel". Right behind me, at number 3 was Brad Paisley's "When I get to Where I'm Going" a song about Heaven. So there I was, in a sticky position. I couldn't pray to the man upstairs, asking, "Lord, could you please make my 'ass' record number one instead of the two Jesus songs?" It would have been wrong. And that's probably why it didn't go number one. I has 'ass' and they had Jesus, and Jesus won, which I guess is the way it ought to be."
That's pretty much the way the whole book is. Its Trace just telling it like it is in his laid-back style. This won't win any literary awards, but it does make you feel like you are just sitting having a conversation with him.
March 13, 2013
Adkins book is an interesting read with a folksy flavor that I couldn't put down. The book's tone was down to earth and really captured Adkins personality. The biographical elements which really don't get meaty till about chapter 9 were explored simplistically but with brilliance and great pacing. I would have given the book 5 stars BUT Adkins spent far too many pages giving his thoughts on politics and solving the worlds ills. All were driven by Adkins ultra right wing ideology. If only the world was that uncomplicated. Opening with 911 was fine but too many times between describing tours and his drinking he went back to beating the reader with politics. I even managed to mostly ignore Adkins uncomplimentary comments on California. He said CA shouldn't be part of the US? Huh? And though I may vehemently be opposed to most of Adkins views I enjoyed the tone and flow of this book. However, I couldn't help but wonder if some of the negative bits of Adkins life were left out of the narrative. For example Adkins admits he was a mean drunk. He tells of one incident that while that drunk he tried to take a loaded gun away from his second wife, telling her he was going to take the gun away and beat her to death with it, but that he was only joking. She shot him and Adkins almost died. That scenario among other revelations made me wonder if Adkins might have taken a hand to the ladies in his life on occasion when he was drinking. Currently Adkins is sober, happily married and a father to multiple girls. A number of years ago I traveled to Nashville for the Country Music Awards and watched the rehearsals at Opryland while enjoying a backstage pass. Trace Adkins was new to the industry. I got to watch him up close and personal at rehearsal. I found Adkins to be a big man with an interesting stage presence and a consummate performer. He seemed to really care about the music and his audience. I also found the fact that Adkins live shows before being signed included gospel and R&B tunes (like Cropper-Pickett classics) were often included in his repertoire which I found to be a gutsy move and for me musically satisfying. Too many country artists today don't show any soul. Whether you agree with Trace Adkins politics or not (I do NOT), Adkins is a country artist with soul. This book is a read if you don't mind his political ramblings.
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