With his third album, Joe Diffie began his transformation from country music traditionalist to honky-tonk rocker. The muscular title song and the turbo swing of the novelty hit, "Prop Me Up Beside the Jukebox (If I Die)," connected Diffie to a younger, larger audience. Therefore, subsequent albums concentrated on this revved-up sound. Honky Tonk Attitude, on the other hand, balances uptempo songs with ballads that show off Diffie's rich, expressive baritone. "If I Had Any Pride At All" and "Somewhere Under the Rainbow" aren't Diffie's best-known songs, but they are among his most powerful. The Oklahoma native has rarely tackled material of such depth again, which makes Honky Tonk Attitude the album that best displays the range of his skills. --Michael McCall