Big John Mills TRIBUTES, HEARTACHES, AND TEXAS (T.H.A.T.) ©2007 Road Dawg Records Review by Lucky Boyd Here’s how you do it! When Big John Mills sat on my couch more than a year ago and played a few of these songs for me, I knew this would be a great album. I’m not disappointed. While Big John Mills can be heard on scores of albums all over Texas, it’s a real treat when he releases one of his own. This is Big John’s third album and it’s a treasure. There’s not a better Telecaster picker around and this time Big John has teamed up with some great writers to give us a true Texas masterpiece. Mills sings as effortlessly as he chicken-picks and has a soothing country voice. Co-writing with great talent like Kent Finlay and John Arthur Martinez, Mills delivers on each of the twelve cuts. Expertly performed and country to the core, this is Mills’ best work to date and will turn heads in a big way. Parrotheads will love “I’m Going Coastal” and aspiring guitarists will marvel at almost every lead break. Mills pays tribute to his father with one of Walter’s favorite songs on “Rainy Night In Georgia.” Arguably the best cut is “Chasing Rainbows” in which Mills captures the rover in all of us. “Here Come The Heartaches Again” is a traditional waltz tear-jerker that should soon burn up the airwaves. Country music fans will love this disc and guitar players will play “Chicken Swing” over and over again. The Texas Music Awards have used a Big John Mills tune as their theme song for the past six years and it looks as if not much will change. “Spicy Chicken” from Mills’ self-titled CD has been heard at the TMAs all these years. Could there be a new theme song? Stay tuned. Get your Big John CDs today! Previous notes: Did you get the license plate on that Telecaster? Big John Mills’ self-titled debut offering is an instrumental masterpiece showcasing his incomparable talent as a guitarist. I’ve known Big John for a while, and even though I consider us to be friends, I still get mad when I can’t play like he does. Six or seven players in the world can keep up with Big John. I put him up there with the best. Rodney Pyeatt, Mark Knopfler, Chet Atkins, and only a handful of others can, or could ever make a guitar succumb to their every whim like Big John. Encompassing a variety of styles, it’s not always about fast picking, but sometimes… it is. “Spicy Chicken” is my favorite cut. If I had never seen him do this live, I wouldn’t believe that one man could make all those notes in one sitting. Also get Big John’s “HONKY TONKS & NEON LIGHTS” and be amazed….be very amazed!