Standing on the Edge
"Standing on the Edge" is the title track from John Berry's second major-label album (after the six he released himself back in Athens, Georgia). The song--with its Don Henley-like vocal, Jackson Browne-like piano and Fleetwood Mac-like rhythm section--is typical of Berry's approach to country music. Such California pop has little to teach Nashville about lyrics--and indeed the words for this song are so bland as to be forgettable--but it does have something to offer harmonically. This breakup ballad, cowritten by Berry and Stewart Harris, boasts a juicy melodic/rhythmic hook which Berry's strong, handsome tenor warbles convincingly.--Geoffrey Himes