After All These Years

After All These Years, which retained some of the same spirit of their 1981 comeback Lovin' Her Was Easier but had a different feel. Like that album, After All These Years had a stronger crossover element within its smooth production than might be expected based on Tompall's outlaw reputation, but even if this is slicker than Lovin' Her Was Easier, this also doesn't feel like a conscious crossover attempt; it feels like it was simply playing by the rules of the time, at least as far as the production is concerned. That can't quite be said about the material that the Glaser Brothers chose to cover on After All These Years. Instead of relying on country chestnuts, they relied on newer songs, from the Mickey Newbury song "I Still Love You (After All These Years)" that gave the album its title to "Stay Young," which Don Williams later turned into a hit. The lack of familiar tunes does mean that this doesn't feel quite as warm and familiar as its predecessor, but overall it has a greater range and deeper resonance than Lovin' Her Was Easier. This is still heavy on ballads and songs that showcase the Glaser Brothers' exquisite harmonies, but there's edgier material here, like the honky tonk boozing anthem "Happy Hour Blues" and the barbed and witty "Oh, America" that, combined with romantic numbers like "Maria Consuela" and "Rosali," and the ballads and rolling country-pop tunes like "Can't Live with 'Em (Can't Live Without 'Em)," give After All These Years musical and emotional depth. In other words, it may not have been an intentional farewell, but it is a fitting farewell since it draws on the strengths of the Glaser Brothers as a group and shows that they were still making rich, adventurous music long after their heyday.