Leon Payne's country classic "I Love You Because" was one of
Carl Smith's last Top 20 hits in 1969. "Good Deal, Lucille," the Cajun song popularized by Al Terry, also made the Top 20 for
Smith, and both songs are included on the album
I Love You Because. The raucous twin-guitar attack of "Good Deal, Lucille" is a little uncharacteristic for
Smith, but "I Love You Because" and the rest of the album is exactly in line with his established '60s sound: hard country music for the honky tonk hardwood floor. The album is practically a tribute to country music's past, with renditions of well-known songs like "Kaw-Liga," "This Cold War With You," and "Please Help Me I'm Falling."
Don Gibson's "Blue, Blue Day" gets a complete overhaul in
Smith's hands, but the highlight among the album tracks is the funny "Mister, Come and Get Your Wife."
Smith's term at Columbia was winding down at this point, but he could still fire off a few good ones. ~ Greg Adams