Country Single of the Eighties: Don Williams, “Heartbeat in the Darkness”
Don Williams pushes beyond his normal boundaries on “Heartbeat in the Darkness.”
The track has his signature groove and his reserved delivery, but they liven things up a bit with some smooth jazz elements, especially toward the end of the song. It’s cool to hear Williams surrounded by brass instrumentation.
The song’s verses are stronger than its chorus, with the melody forcing Williams to stretch some notes for too long. The insightful observations about what matters in life more than compensate for the record’s sole shortcoming.
“Heartbeat in the Darkness” gets a B+.
God it’s good to have Don Williams back on top.
His first No. 1 since the summer of 1984 is one of his finest efforts. “We’ve Got a Good Fire Goin’” is country music by and for adults. Yes, they’re going to get it on before the night is through. But there’s no rush because just being with each other in the home they’ve built is good enough.
A title that could’ve easily been a double entendre never gets there because of Williams’ performance. He’s so classy and understated that he can’t bring that layer of the lyric to the surface. And that’s a good thing because it would’ve undermined the beautiful intimacy that he’s created here.
Co-producer Garth Fundis doesn’t get nearly enough credit for the work he’s done before he reached his career high with Trisha Yearwood in the nineties and beyond. Every element that makes for a great Yearwood record is already here: tasteful production, nuanced lyrical interpretation, and a flawless vocal performance. Our nineties fans who have stuck around for
this series would find great joy delving into the Don Williams catalog.
“We’ve Got a Good Fire Goin’” is written by Dave Loggins, who was having a hell of a run by 1986. This is the ninth No. 1 hit he’s written in less than three years. It’s remarkable how potent the impact is when Loggins’ writing is paired with an A-list vocalist and a talented producer. I just can’t say enough how great this record is.
“We’ve Got a Good Fire Goin’” gets an A.
