'Seminole Wind': A Track-By-Track Look at John Anderson's Legacy-Sealing 1992 Album

If anyone in country music could've used a career boost in 1992, it was John Anderson. His star as a traditionalist rose fast in the late '70s and shone even brighter in the early- to mid-'80s, resulting in a run of 17 Top 15 country hits. That all ground to a halt when Anderson's last nine singles of the '80s failed to crack the Top 20 -- dream Waylon Jennings duet "Somewhere Between Ragged and Right" included. Though he still put out quality material and maintained a loyal fanbase, Anderson had seemingly been left behind, with Class of '89 member Garth Brooks and others filling his former spot in the country space.

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Yet as the rip-roaring, boot-scooting sound of '90s country began to resemble that of Anderson's 1983 hit "Swingin'," he proved to be a musical prophet. Thus, an inevitable career resurgence followed when Seminole Wind hit store shelves on Feb. 11, 1992.

Read on for a track-by-track breakdown of a seminal album that helped shape one of country music's most storied decades.

1. "Who Got Our Love"

Lionel Delmore, son of the Delmore Brothers' Alton and a frequent Anderson co-writer, helped the artist pen this boogie-woogie breakup song. What now sounds like a worthy-enough lead single became Anderson's fifth straight to fall short of the Billboard Hot Country Songs' Top 40, stalling at 67.

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2. "Straight Tequila Night"

The title track and second single drastically changed Anderson's fortunes. Legendary wordsmith Kent Robbins (George Strait's "Write This Down," The Judds' "Love is Alive") and co-writer Debbie Hupp penned a warning about dancing with a particular broken-hearted woman if she's drinking straight tequila -- "She'll start thinking about him, and she's ready to fight". The right combination of singer and song made for a No. 1 hit-- Anderson's fourth at that point and his first since 1983.

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3. "Last Night I Laid Your Memory to Rest"

Fiddle and steel guitar --the latter courtesy of the legendary Buddy Emmons-- guide along a lust-filled breakup song about the final nail in a past relationship's coffin. It's the first sign that there would be no filler on what became a double platinum-selling disc.

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4. "Let Go of the Stone"

Father-son songwriters Max D. and Max T. Barnes collaborated on the ideal ballad to land Anderson a second straight Top 10 country hit, following "Straight Tequila Night." The sentimental-sounding song addresses someone who's being weighed down in the ocean of life by the wrong romantic partner-- "If I'm ever going to save you, let go of the stone."

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5. "Look Away"

Bobby Braddock, writer of Anderson's tongue-in-cheek 1982 hit "Would You Catch a Falling Star," penned this lament of how commercialism and big-box stores robbed small towns of their past charm. It's the sort of sentimentality that's always suited Anderson's voice and image, making the non-single a missed opportunity for yet another Top 10 entry.

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6. "Steamy Windows"

This Tony Joe White number has led an interesting life. Tina Turner recorded it in 1989 as a funky, edgy single that became a Top 40 dance hit. It works as a bluesy country number, too, for not just Anderson but also Kenny Chesney, whose 1997 version remains the most rocking of them all.

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7. "Hillbilly Honeymoon"

Jim Photoglo (Nitty Gritty Dirt Band's "Fishin' in the Dark") and Vince Melamed (Trisha Yearwood's "Walkaway Joe") wrote this one for every small-town dreamer with an acoustic guitar, a satchelful of songs and a desire to someday grace the Grand Ole Opry stage. In the context of Seminole Wind, it comes across as an autobiographical glance-back amid what became a defining stretch of Anderson's career.

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8. "Cold Day in Hell"

The sweet, romantic themes in this Joe Allen, Mike Elliot and Bucky Lindsey co-write could've made for a Randy Travis hit. Instead, the gentle fiddle tune plays up Anderson's sensitive side.

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9. "When It Comes to You"

Like "Steamy Windows," this one took an unlikely path to Anderson's comeback moment. Mark Knopfler of British rock band Dire Straits wrote and first recorded it for the group's 1991 album On Every Street. The following year, it morphed into a Top 5 country hit featuring its writer on guitar.

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10. "Seminole Wind"

Anderson wrote the title track, which laments the theft and destruction of Seminole land in the Florida Everglades. A message that's direct but not preachy makes this No. 2 single one of the most meaningful songs associated with the '90s country boom. Indeed, it's exhibit A that Anderson ranks up there with Alan Jackson when it comes to the era's most pure-hearted storytellers.

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