Pop Reviews : Anderson Shows His Strong Suit

John Anderson may not smash guitars or video-dance the way some of the newer country sensations do, but he sure can sing. It’s reassuring that such a basic quality still matters in the booming country biz.

It seemed for a while that Anderson, after a breakthrough run of three No. 1 hits in 1982 and ‘83, had gotten lost in the shuffle. But with a powerful new album, “Seminole Wind,” Anderson has landed himself a No. 4 hit with “Straight Tequila Night.” And judging by the charged early show he put on Monday at the Crazy Horse Steak House, Anderson doesn’t mind this turn of events one bit.

Anderson and his six-piece band came out storming, opening with his roadhouse rocker “Black Sheep.” The singer grew up loving rock and blues, and he’s not reluctant to let those roots show in his music.

His strongest suit, though, is his ballad singing. The influence of George Jones and Merle Haggard is often obvious in his voice, but he has forged those influences into one of the most unique vocal instruments in country.

Along with a range that runs from a persuasive growl to a plaintive tenor, he makes a constant use of dynamics, both in his phrasing and in his bob-and-weave microphone technique. His words come out shaped differently, making a listener hear their meaning anew.

The standout song of the performance was Fred Carter Jr.’s “An Occasional Eagle” a lyric that skillfully blends the images of the bald eagle as a natural force, a national symbol and a totem of individual courage. Anderson’s glowing, heartfelt vocal made a strong argument for making the song a national anthem.