1989
'Southside' was basically the album that put Texas in the minds of everyone in the European music scene. To me the sound on this record is very similar to the "rockabilly" vibe the Eurythmics were putting off on their last few records (i.e.-"Revenge") in the late 1980's. Elements of rockabilly, pop, slightly sweetened with sugary hooks. "I Don't Want A Lover" proved to be this albums biggest hit, other singles from this outing were "Everyday Now" & "Prayer For You". Sharleen's voice is also the star amongst some great rock/pop arrangements, strong, charismatic, & clean.

1991
'Mothers Heaven'
While this was quite a strong follow-up to "Southside", adding touches of blue-eyed soul to their European take on rockabilly, this was seen as a sophmore slump to the Top 40 commercial charts in Europe. It also is clear that during this time Sharleen was having issues with commercial success & the group's record not being pushed by their label. "Why Believe In You", "Mother's Heaven", "Alone With You", & "In My Heart" all failed to light up the charts, & were actually not included on the 2000 Texas hits retrospective. A lost chapter in Texas' history, is also one of my personal favorites of theirs.

1993
'Ricks Road'
The pairing of the rockabilly with dollops of blue-eyed soul would finally come to fruition on Texas' third outing; & also assuaged some of their commerical decline that began two years back. Musically this record in a way was almost like a rough, more rockier protoype to the album that would follow, 1997's "White On Blonde". This would also be the last album to include their trademark rockabilly style in such a "up front" manner, & did it well. Singles such as "So Called Friend" (which was the theme to Ellen DeGeneres' sitcom), "So In Love With You", & the extremely well-done cover of Al Green's classic "Tired of Being Alone" sparkled with melancholy & passion.

1997
'White on Blonde'
This record saw many changes & much success because of it. The decision was made to push Sharleen more to the front (she herself would tackle her image, reinventing herself as a Scottish lass with French fashion taste). Musically, gears shifted moreso to the blue-eyed soul they toyed with on their first few records & totally shifted out of their rockabilly into more hip alt-rock styles such as trip-hop. The result? One of their most commercially successful records to date which spun off more than three Top Ten hits, putting Texas back on the map as the trendsetters of European rock/pop. The singles from this outing were "Say What You Want", "Black Eyed Boy", "Insane", "Put Your Arms Around Me", & "Halo".

1999
'The Hush'
To me, this where I find Texas reached their true zenith as far as image, music, & overall texture. This record was another commercial success & channeled almost exclusively the blue-eyed soul sound, keeping that good old melancholic rock feel. Sharleen by this point had become a fashion icon & was receiving much praisefor her style-with-substance voice & image. It also found Texas getting more airplay on American college radio stations. Singles from this outing include "In Our Lifetime", "When We Are Together", & "Summer Son". I can't praise this record enough, it was the first record of their's I bought & still receives much spin from me.

2000
'Texas - Greatest Hits'
After making music for more than ten years, Texas finally released a retrospective that catalogued all their hits (barring the singles from their second album)with three new songs. Songs from the earlier albums (pre-1997) were given a re-working that was actually quite welcome & found them aware of their roots. But the hip hop re-working of "Say What You Want" featuring Method Man also showed that Sharleen was aware of other trends in the music world, & that she & the rest of Texas could drive them well. Singles from this outing were "In Demand", "Inner Smile", & "Guitar Song".

2003
'Careful What You Wish For'
After a multi-platinum hits compilation & successful coinciding tour, Texas returned to a slightly more rigid European charts. This record found Texas tuning down their blue-eyed soul & picking up a more pseduo-punky pop vibe, or Blondie feel. The typical Texas staples of lyrical content of romance gone right or wrong, led by Sharleen's strong voice, & Texas' ever fresh arrangements were met with some success. Singles from this album include "Carnival Girl" & "I'll See It Through".

2005
'Red Book'
After the slightly commercial & critical lukewarm reception to 2003's "Careful What You Wish For", Texas made a conscious effort to return to the roots that brought them more commerical favor. Hailed as a wink back to their "White On Blonde" days, this record met similar resitance commercially. Though all three singles "Getaway", "Can't Resist" & "Sleep" were minor top ten hits. Critically, the record was a smash. As far as the sound of the record, it more "The Hush" oriented than "White On Blonde" & finds Texas treading water for the first time, albeit much more stylishly than most.

Hopefully this guide will have intrigued you all to one of the best pop groups in Europe, & maybe you'll come back to Texas for more than a visit.