Fly Me Courageous

Fly Me Courageous is the fourth studio album by Southern rock band Drivin' N' Cryin', released on January 8, 1991, by Island Records. The album is the band's most commercially successful release, in part due to the title track striking a patriotic chord in the United States during the start of the Persian Gulf War. In 1995, Fly Me Courageous was certified gold.

Overview

Originally, Andy Johns was slotted to produce the album, as the band was impressed by his work with Rod Stewart and Cinderella. However, Johns fell ill, so they chose Geoff Workman to produce instead.

Fly Me Courageous was released during the outbreak of the Persian Gulf War. In turn, the album's title track was interpreted as a pro-war song. "Fly Me Courageous" reached No. 15 on the Modern Rock Tracks chart. Drivin' N Cryin's guitarist Kevn Kinney said of the song's success:

"Build a Fire" enjoyed some commercial success, reaching No. 15 on the Mainstream Rock Tracks chart and receiving regular rotation on MTV.

Reception

Tom Demalon of AllMusic called Fly Me Courageous Drivin' N Cryin's "finest moment, both commercially and artistically." Entertainment Weeklys Bob Mack wrote of the album: "Stabs at pop ('Together') and last-ditch efforts to dazzle ('Rush Hour') are too little, too late, but even so, their impulse to integrate influences rather than pick a niche is refreshing". Both reviewers also noted the influence of R.E.M. on the album's sound (Drivin' N Cryin' had toured with R.E.M. during R.E.M.'s Green tour).