We managed to dig up some old reviews of Stan’s albums! Enjoy!
Under a Truck
Every now and then an unexpected record lands on my desk and I cynically roll my eyes and think: “oh great, the last thing the world needs, a new act…” But sometimes the unexpected turns out to be a gem the likes of which I’ve never quite heard before. This time it was Stan Dickie’s Under a Truck. When I first read the song list I thought: “this must be parody.” But there is no doubt that Stan Dickie is sincere. Even when he sings Jesus is My Life Partner, and A Warm Savior (On a Cold Night), you believe that this forbidden love is real. When he sings about how he found Jesus Under a Truck, you know that his epiphany was magical, bringing together life’s two greatest treasures, trucks and Jesus. To top it off, Dickie’s solid, melodic guitar playing pushes this record to the next level.
3 and a half stars.
-Joel Pronghorn
Tired of the Dog
Tired of that Dog. That is the title of Stan Dickie’s new album, but there’s nothing tiresome about it. This is the record that proves that Stan is here to stay. On this record Stan’s authority reigns supreme. On songs like the title track and President Stan, Dickie is unapologetic that his way is the only way. When he sings about being Tired of that Dog, we don’t know if he’s talking about his pet, or his wife and we don’t care. We just know he’s gotta deal with it. Perhaps the strongest track on this record is Oh Sweetie, a wonderful ode to forgiveness. In this song Stan’s wife seems to have strayed, but Stan shows he is willing to forgive and forget, cuz after all she “looks real perty in that silky blouse.” Stan knows what’s important and he tops it off with his melodic debut on the blues harp, followed by some equally melodic country git-fiddlin’.
-Joel Pronghorn
3 stars
Beat Up Your Best Friend
With Beat Up Your Best Friend, Stan Dickie, tells it like it is, as usual. The title track may seem like an ode to mindless violence, but it’s really an exploration into the psyche of a complex man. He sings with the force of his convictions and lets us know that his internal conflicts have to have an outlet. If it ends up being his “Best Friend,” be that Jesus, or someone else, Stan is gonna let him have it, but not without a bouncy guitar solo. Some of the stand out tracks on this record include Chicken Pickin’ with Jesus, a song you want to make sure is playing on your boom box at the fishin’ pond; and Handsome Stan, Stan’s loving ode to his right hand. There may be some filler on this record, but for the most part this is solid, rock hard Stan!
3 and half stars
-Joel Pronghorn
A Promise to the Lord
Country rocker Stan Dickie has finally made the Christian record we’ve all been waiting for. A Promise to the Lord is a collection of beautifully crafted songs that would undoubtedly bring a tear to Jesus himself. The title track, ostensibly an ode to Stan’s wife, shows Stan’s real motivation: to kiss the lord’s ass! Even on songs where Stan appears to express doubt, such as Breakin’ My Promise, we can hear how much it hurts Stan to let the Lord down when he sings: “Jesus, I’ll never forget that night, but I wish it hadn’t ended in a shoutin’ fight.” Other songs such as Face Time with the Lord, I Know I Promised But…, and I See the Light show varied faces of a deeply spiritual man who connects to Jesus with his guitar and his pen.
3 Stars
– Joel Pronghorn
Dun Gone and Od’d on da Blues
Stan Dickie the ubiquitous country rocker never fails to surprise. He does it this time by flouting expectations and putting out a full-blown blues album, entitled Dun Gone and Od’d on da Blues. Dickie has shown that he has some bluesy chops to show off in the past on songs like (I Found Jesus) Under a Truck, but he proves it once and for all with this record. The signature tune here is Middle Aged Redneck Blues a song that almost makes one think that maybe Stan is just one big joke. The lyrics indicate that Stan seems to forget who he is, or that maybe his ‘real man’ redneck persona is some sort of masquerade and that maybe he is little more than an Alan Aldaesque cooker of soufflés. Mind you when you hear the ripping guitar solo, you’re reminded that only a ‘real man’ could pull that one off!
3 stars
– Frank Brubaker
What Freedom Means to Me
What Freedom Means to Me is the new, politically charged album from Stan Dickie. There are a few standard Dickie ditties on this record like I’m Free (From You) and Country Livin’, but it’s when Stan gets political that the record gets interesting, if not a little weird. I Called Guantanamo is Stan Dickie’s most passionate song in years. In it, he sings about his wife’s refusal to support the United State’s recent war efforts. The chorus suggests that he has gone as far as to call Guantanamo and ask them to “take my baby,” to which all they could reply was “no,” and when the President also says no, Dickie is disillusioned. But no fear, Stan still believes in his country when he sings “Why don’t they understand that my country is always right,” except for that “one time…” While the cover of this CD is just a little creepy, things take an extra creepy tone with Smile: You’re on My Camera, about Stan’s efforts to stalk some unknown woman. As usual, there is a bit of filler on this record, but it’s still a worthwhile effort from a true Patriot, that is if we can forgive him for living in Canada.
2 and a half stars
– Jim Musberger
We here at StanDickie.com discovered that Stan was featured in an episode of Dave’s Country Podcast in November 2011. We have it for you! You can listen to it here in 7 parts:
Part 1
Part 2
Part 3
Part 4
Part 5
Part 6
Part 7
If you want to hear more of Dave, here is a link his show! davescountrypodcast.com