By Andrew W. Griffin

Red Dirt Report, editor

Posted: August 17, 2009

reddirtreporter@gmail.com

OKLAHOMA CITY – Norman resident and country superstar Toby Keith is back on the charts with a new “politically-charged video,” “American Ride,” that was released last Friday on country music video channel CMT and is being called by some critics as “equal-opportunity satire” This is demonstrated by showing a “tidal wave” of illegal aliens coming across the US-Mexico border or Barack Obama as a tool of the bankers or George W. Bush giving Pat Robertson a piggy-back ride. Excellent!.

With it’s martial feel and driving fiddles, Jib-Jab-styled Americana imagery and stunning visuals that keep you wanting more, it’s a more traditional-sounding song musically, with Keith singing that despite all the problems in the country, this “American ride” is a helluva lot of fun, at least while it lasts.

And as a conservative Democrat, Toby Keith is a classic Oklahoma voter. While the state is strongly Republican, he represents, in this video, what a lot of Americans, particularly in the Heartland, are beginning to feel.

At his website www.tobykeith.com, Keith explained that “I’m a ‘right-wrong guy,’ not a ‘right-left guy,’ and this video shows that. We took shots at everyone.”

And I would argue that “American Ride,” an animated video directed by Michael Salamon, is Keith’s most overtly politically-oriented video since 2002’s “Courtesy of the Red, White and Blue (The Angry American).”

It is good to see Toby Keith remaining politically and culturally relevant while still producing terrific country-pop that stays in your head. Just note his last big hit, “God Love Her,” or 2006’s “A Little Too Late.”

Reports say that “American Ride” is the fastest-rising songs of his career, with it being the most added song this week according to country music radio analysts.

Now, let’s hope Toby Keith will schedule a full-fledged concert here in the Sooner State. He is currently on tour with Trace Adkins on his “America’s Toughest Tour.”

The new album American Ride is scheduled for release on Oct. 13 on his Showdog Nashville record label.

Copyright 2009 West Marie Media