Album Review: Lee Ann Womack – ‘The Season For Romance’

Following the immense crossover success of “I Hope You Dance”, MCA Records continued to push Lee Ann Womack further in the pop direction, hoping to make her into a pop diva like Shania Twain or Faith Hill. Something Worth Leaving Behind, released in August 2002, bore very little resemblance to country music and was both a critical and commercial disaster. Two months later, Lee Ann released a Christmas collection, which also had little to no connection to country music. While it’s not uncommon for country stars to go for a more traditional pop or big band sound on holiday collections, the timing of The Season For Romance, on the heels of Something Worth Leaving Behind, added to the perception that what Lee Ann was leaving behind were her country roots.

Many people are nostalgic for Christmas music in the vein of Bing Crosby, Dean Martin and Johnny Mathis, even if this isn’t the type of music they normally listen to throughout the year. In the past, country stars such as Vince Gill, Lorrie Morgan, and Martina McBride have attempted to recreate those sounds on their holiday albums, and it’s often been quite effective. But unfortunately, this is decidedly not the case with The Season For Romance. Seldom have I heard an album where the singer seemed so ill at ease with the material as is the case here. Throughout the entire album, Lee Ann seems to be working too hard to erase her Texas accent, and too often seems to be competing with the orchestra rather than singing with it. Songs such as “Let It Snow” and “Winter Wonderland” sound as though Lee Ann recorded the vocal track without any knowledge of the type of arrangements or instrumentation that would be used with it.

The album’s worst track is the remake of “Baby, It’s Cold Outside”, which has never been one of my favorite songs. A pop standard dating back to the 1940s, its best known version is probably Dean Martin’s 1966 recording (Martina McBride’s duet vocals were added in 2006). Lee Ann is joined by Harry Connick, Jr. I may perhaps be a little biased since I’ve never particularly liked this song, but I found Lee Ann’s very breathy performance that tries too hard to be sexy, to be quite annoying.

I don’t mind so much that this isn’t a country album; my main gripe is that Lee Ann seems uncomfortable and out of her element throughout most of it. The sole exception is “The Man With the Bag”, which is the one song on which she really seems to be engaged and enjoying herself. “Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas” and “Silent Night” aren’t bad — though I could have done without the distracting saxophone on the latter — but this is, for the most part, a lackluster and poorly executed project. I really hate to pan a Christmas album, particularly one from an artist whose work I usually admire, but I found this album very painful to listen to. Lee Ann is capable of much, much better and hopefully one day she’ll release a better Christmas album.

Grade: D

Album Review: Lee Ann Womack – ‘Lee Ann Womack’

For a brief time in 1997 it appeared that country music was finally about to re-embrace its roots. Two female artists made their major label debuts that year and appeared to be leading the trend back towards traditionalism: Lee Ann Womack with her self-titled debut in May, and Sara Evans with Three Chords and the Truth in July. As we now know, these albums were something of an anomaly; country music continued its drift popward and both both Evans and Womack would go on to experiment with more polished, pop-oriented sounds. Nevertheless, Lee Ann has earned a reputation as a primarily traditional artist, thanks in no small part to her platinum-selling debut.

Lee Ann’s vocal style has been compared to that of a young Dolly Parton, and late 60s-style sound of the album highlights the similarities. The fiddle and steel guitar are featured prominently throughout the album, and most of the ballads also feature tasteful and restrained string arrangements performed by The Nashville String Machine. The first single, “Never Again, Again” was released two months in advance of the album itself. Lee Ann had great hopes for the record and was reportedly disappointed when it peaked at #23, even though this is a perfectly respectable showing for a debut record. Another ballad, “The Fool”, was selected as the album’s next single. Lee Ann had been reluctant to record it, saying that it was “a good song, but it’s not ‘Never Again, Again’”. But ironically, “The Fool” surpassed “Never Again, Again” on the charts, just missing the top spot and earning Lee Ann her first bonafide hit. The uptempo “You’ve Got To Talk To Me”, written by Jamie O’Hara, was released as the third single, and like “The Fool”, it peaked at #2. Another uptempo number, “Buckaroo” peaked at #27.

Overall, the album highlights Lee Ann’s strength as a ballad singer. There are some truly beautiful moments on the album with songs such as “Am I The Only Thing You’ve Done Wrong”, which Lee Ann wrote with her ex-husband Jason Sellers and Billy Joe Foster, “Do You Feel For Me”, and “Make Memories With Me”, a gorgeous number performed as a duet with her Decca labelmate and fellow Mark Wright-produced act Mark Chesnutt. “Make Memories With Me” should have been released as a single, but Decca was most likely reluctant to send too many ballads to radio. It’s a shame that there haven’t been any subsequent Womack-Chesnutt duets because their voices work very well together.

The album’s weak spots tend to be the uptempo numbers. Though well performed, “Buckaroo” borders on hokey and it’s not difficult to see why it only reached #27 on the charts. The same is true, to a lesser extent, of the album cut “A Man With 18 Wheels”, although “Trouble’s Here” stands in stark contrast with these two numbers. It actually works quite well, as does the Gospel number “Get Up In Jesus’ Name”, the album’s closing track which features background vocals from Ricky Skaggs and Sharon White.

In retrospect, it’s a pity that Lee Ann didn’t debut four or five years earlier; if she had, she’d have likely enjoyed more consistent success at radio. By the late 90s, listeners appeared to be tiring of Faith Hill and Shania Twain, and Lee Ann seemed to be the perfect antidote, but her success was short-circuited by both her own pop ambitions and the emergence of other, younger country-pop divas such as Carrie Underwood and Taylor Swift. Nevertheless, Lee Ann Womack remains my favorite album in the singer’s discography. Cheap copies are readily available from Amazon. Buy one if you don’t already own a copy.

Grade: A

Album Review – Miranda Lambert – ‘Four The Record’

Miranda Lambert is by and large my favorite contemporary female artist because of her intrinsic ability to blend both the artistic and commercial sensibilities of country music on her records. She appeals to country radio with singles ready for heavy rotation yet restrains from populating her albums with gutless filler like her fellow artists.

Four The Record was recorded in six days, the week following her wedding to Blake Shelton.  Sessions began at 10am and lasted until midnight each day. Lambert has said she likes getting into a vibe and hunkering down to complete a record. This technique works in her favor, making the album every bit as cohesive as diverse. Plus, she’s using it to further her individuality. It sounds like nothing else coming out of Nashville right now and the uniqueness sets her apart from her peers.

Lambert is also a prime example of the quintessential songwriter. She knows how to write a killer song yet has a knack for selecting outside material from some of the most unique and interesting songwriters. Its one reason why listening to a Lambert album is such a joy. Four The Record features many such moments from Gillian Welch and Dave Rawlings gorgeous “Look at Miss Ohio” to Brandi Carlile’s folksy “Same Out You.”

I love the Welch/Rawlings ballad for it’s captivating story. Lambert has a way of making everything she sings sound interesting and she succeeds here. The air of mystery holds together the brilliant lyric – she’s running around with her ragtop down to escape the pressures of getting married. She’s fleeing her obligations to do the right thing, yet we never really know why she’s bolting to Atlanta. She’s reclaiming her independence but not without the guilt of what she’s leaving behind. It’s a story song for the ages, made even more appealing by the understated production and backing vocals by Karen Fairchild and Kimberly Schlapman of Little Big Town.

“Same Old You,” another understated winner, fell into Lambert’s lap after Carlile felt she couldn’t sell it like Lambert. I love the folksy vibe of the production here – the gentle strum of the lead guitar sets it apart from the rest of the album. But what brings the song to new heights is the Loretta Lynn-like quality of Carlile’s lyric. (Lynn is the common dominator the bonds Lambert’s friendship with Carlile). It’s refreshing when the narrator finally sees what’s in front of her – that no matter what day of the week, he’s just the same old person and he’s never going to change. When Lambert sings about how hurt his mama’s going to be when she finds out there won’t be any wedding to cap off this relationship, it shows her maturity. I like how she’s drawn to songs that bring new depths to her feistiness. She’s every bit the same woman, but doesn’t have to resort to killing off her man to prove it.

Another track to display this growth is Don Henry and Phillip Coleman’s “All Kinds of Kinds.” A sweeping ballad about diversity, it not only defines the link binding all the songs together, but spins a unique angle on acceptance. The beautiful flourishes of Dobro give the song a soft quality I find appealing and the metaphor of circus acts as a means of driving home the main point showcases the songwriters’ cleverness in crafting their story. 

Album Review: Trace Adkins – ‘Songs About Me’

By 2005, the quality of Trace Adkins’s music had dwindled to new lows. He had finally reached instant-add status with country radio, but like Blake Shelton today, had compromised his music, especially his radio singles, to reach the top. That trend continued with Songs About Me. It may have earned double platinum certification, but it’s easily the most controversial album of his career.

At the time the second single, “Arlington” was climbing the charts (it peaked at #16), Adkins’s record label decided to pull the plug on the military ballad and rush-release “Honky Tonk Badonkadonk” to country radio. There was much talk that “Arlington,” a first person story of a soldier buried in the national cemetery, offended military families due to the first person account. But on the flip side, the country music world considered the song a surefire #1 hit. While I understand where the controversy stems from, I personally don’t think it was warranted. It’s easily one of Adkins’s best performances and deserved its due.

Of course, when “Honky Tonk Badonkadonk” came into the picture, all was forgotten about the debacle with “Arlington.” It stirred up an even bigger ruckus and caused even greater debate about sexism and the boundaries of country music. It didn’t help that the almost R-rated music video made Shania baring her midriff, Reba wearing her red dress, or Lorrie Morgan strutting around her bedroom in “Something In Red” all seem like a non-issue. That he scored a monster hit with this song (it peaked at #2) only proves that country music (and its fan base) has veered away from its ideals.

There is nothing about this song I care for whether it be the subject matter or the disastrous production values. That a dance version was created only sank this one lower in my book. In his defense of the song, Adkins said he would’ve recorded it for his debut Dreamin’ Out Loud had it been available at the time. I would’ve liked to see him get away with that in 1996.

But the most alarming thing of all was who wrote “Badonkadonk” – Jamey Johnson, Randy Houser, and Dallas Davidson. I can see where the Davidson influence comes in, he did co-write “Country Girl (Shake It For Me)” with Luke Bryan, but the Johnson and Houser connection always throws me. Why would two of the best traditional voices recording country music today write something so offensive to the traditions of country music? It just doesn’t seem characteristic of them to me. To be fair, I understand “Badonkadonk” is all in good fun, but I take the ideals of country music very seriously, and in no way does this song fit with someone who’s a member of the Grand Ole Opry. Even Dixie Chick Natalie Maines saw the writing on the wall at the time – she openly wondered where the Chicks music would fit on country radio between “Badonkadonk” and Joe Nichols “Tequlia Makes Her Clothes Fall Off.”

Apart from the disastrous third single, which actually doesn’t fit in context with the rest of the album, Songs About Me gets more right than wrong. While there are a couple of filler power ballads, most of the tunes are understated and showcase the path I want Adkins to travel down with his music.

The title track, a song about singing about who you are, is the only “power” song he actually got right. The rock like production of heavy guitars and drums suits the passion he exudes in his vocal performance. The aforementioned “Arlighton” is a masterpiece and a lesson in using your voice to execute a powerful vocal track.

I also enjoyed “My Heaven” a song in which Adkins lists out what his idea of heaven is – a wood framed house with a porch swing with the kids playing in the yard eating watermelon and spending time with his wife. While the title might suggest more religious undertones, it’s actually a sweet tale made even stronger by the soft mandolin and understated production. I love that he sounds like he’s trying here to create a special moment and not just mailing it in for the sake of filling out an album. While not as memorable as other tunes on the subject, it’s a sweet tale that actually works. I enjoy the marriage here of his voice and the production – instead of reacting like oil and water, they work to compliment themselves nicely. He should record in this vein more often, or at least release these kinds of moments as singles.

“Metropolis,” another highlight (also recorded by its songwriter Anthony Smith in 2003 and Sammy Kershaw in 2008), finds Adkins playing the role of a man trying to make a living and juggle his career and his family. On songs like this, the way he manipulates his voice makes you believe the story he’s trying to convey. A prequal of sorts to “My Heaven,” “Metropolis” should’ve been a single and reminds me a lot of his future monster smash “You’re Gonna Miss This” but without the flash. I love the gorgeous guitar-laced production that helps opposed to hinder his vocal.

In contrast, “I Learned How To Love From You,” hits some but not all of the right notes. A good showcase of his voice, the strings and paino create a mix that overbears the lyrical content and Adkins’s emotional delivery of the song. I might’ve enjoyed it more had it been more starkly produced and a bit toned down. But it is going in the right direction of where Adkins should be as an artist.

As for the duds, “Baby I’m Home” is exactly the kind of immature song you’d expect from Adkins, especially in this period of his career. As he proves on “Arlington” and “My Heaven,” he’s above such trite lyrics as “She’s got 100 candles burning/she’s got next to nothing on,” or at least I want him to be. It’s songs like “Baby I’m Home” (and “Badonkadonk” of course) that keep my appreciation for Adkins quite low. Why is it that all men of a certain age can sing about is hot women?

“Find Me A Preacher,” recorded as “Somebody Find Me A Preacher” by Chad Hudson in 2008, is overwrought and the in your face mix of loud guitars and drums distract from Adkins’s performace. It isn’t too bad, considering how little feeling he puts into the song. As far as album cuts go, this is second-rate filler. I liked how Hudson makes his tale believable, Adkins just seems like he’s trying to fill out an album.

In the end, Songs About Me is a pretty consistent project split down the middle between questionable choices, and moments of growth. Given that this project gave the world “Badonkadonk,” I wasn’t expecting a whole lot of artristy, but was proven wrong by most of what Adkins has to offer this time around. Songs About Me still didn’t convert me into a diehard fan, but a few of the better moments came awfully close.

Grade: B 

Album Review – Dolly Parton – ’9 To 5 and Odd Jobs’

After her pervious album Dolly, Dolly, Dolly failed to fall in the good graces of her fans, Parton returned later that year with an album displaying what she does best – recording a mix of self-penned material and well-chosen covers. Heralded as a concept album about work, 9 to 5 is a companion piece to the movie of the same name in which Parton made her acting debut.

When the title track was released as a single in November of 1980, the trademark fusion of piano and horns meshed together to create one of country music’s campiest records. I’ve always enjoyed the individuality of this song, when it comes on the radio it’s unmistakable. And what amazes me, is the song doesn’t sound dated. The production is as timeless today (more than 30 years later) as the theme of getting your butt out of bed to work an eight-hour day.  It’s also among my favorites of Parton’s singles because it dared to be different. Like “On The Other Hand” and “Any Man of Mine,” it reinvented the notion of what a country song could be. (How often do you hear a typewriter on recorded music?) While it didn’t change the course of country music like the Travis and Twain singles, it added to the lineage of working people songs and employed the woman’s point of view for a change. The men have Johnny Paycheck’s “Take This Job and Shove It,” while the workingwomen’s anthem is “9 To 5.”

Parton garnered two Grammy Awards for “9 to 5” in the Best Female Country Vocal Performance and Best Country Song categories. She would also be nominated for her first Oscar, losing to the title song from “Fame.” The album would eventually be certified gold for shipments of 500,000 copies. In another feat, “9 to 5” would mark only the second time a female country artist would top the Billboard Hot Country Songs and Hot 100 charts with the same single. (The first was Jeannie C. Riley and “Harper Valley PTA”).

Listening to the album, the title track plus “Sing for the Common Man,” “Working Girl,” and “Poor Folks Town” all fit the “working” theme but I’d hardly regard this as a concept album. Instead, it’s an above average pop/country fusion that leaned heavily on the pop influences. Unlike the pop-country of today however, producer Mike Post smartly kept the production soft so the listener could appreciate the lyrical content of the tracks. I have nothing wrong with pop-leaning country music as long as its good, and 9 to 5 is just that.

Post leaned heavy on muscular guitars to give the album a more rock feel and it works. Gone are the soft string-filled arrangements from the 1970s that almost put the listener to sleep, and in its place is a livelier sound that works with Parton’s voice, and her personality as well. Tracks such as “Hush A-Bye Hard Times,” “The House of the Rising Sun” (a #14 peaking single for Parton), “Working Girl” and “Poor Folks Town” all fit this theme perfectly. The varying degree of rock production on these tracks command the listener’s attention, but “Sun” could’ve done without the gospel choir. It was interesting to hear that song with such full production as I’m used to more intimate renditions, especially from American Idol contestants. I kept thinking classic Abba when listening to that track, which may or may not be a good thing on an album from a country singer, but since I generally like the 70s Swedish group, it didn’t bother me.

As for the ballads, my favorite track on the album was also the most perplexing. The inclusion of “Dark as a Dungeon,” Merle Travis’s masterpiece about working in the mines, didn’t sit well with me in terms of placement. The only way I can justify its inclusion is it fits the working theme in that there are people who make their living working in mines. But such a dark song didn’t seem right on such a sunny album. But as a recorded track, “Dungeon” is the closest thing to hinting at Parton’s country roots on the whole album, and the light production suits her voice and is a welcome reminder that Parton is still a country girl at heart.

The other standout ballad, “Deportee (Plane Wreck at Los Gatos)” hints at the influence Emmylou Harris had on the genre at the time. To me, it sounds just like a cover tune she would’ve placed on any of her 70s masterpieces, and acts almost as a foreshadowing of the two working together on the Trio projects. The mix of light piano and acoustic guitar complements Parton’s vocals perfectly and proves that less is often so much more.

Other tracks “But You Know I love You” (another #1 country hit) and “Detroit City” are also very good with “Love You” being my favorite of the two. I honestly don’t have much familiarity with the latter, the Mel Tillis penned, Bobby Bare classic, so I have nothing to compare it to, but Parton does an okay job with a song I believe is usually done more understated. It’s an example of where the rock arraignment fell short. The heavy guitars didn’t fit the song.

Overall, 9 To 5 and Odd Jobs is a very solid album from Parton. She sings the fire out of the songs and proved to me why she belongs as one of country music’s greatest female singers. I thought a couple of the tracks ended too quickly, but this was back then when two-minute songs were still popular. This time around, there’s nothing offensive about the song choices, lyrical content, or production. If you only know the title track, I would urge you to go ahead and pick up the album. It’s well worth the listen but skip the bonus tracks in the 2009 reissue. “Everyday People” is a bit too loud and brash in comparison to the rest of the project, and the two remixes of the title track are pointless drivel in comparison to the original. These three additions are not worth the download, if you don’t already have them.

Grade: A- 

9 to 5 and Odd Jobs is readily available from Amazon in both hard copy and download form, and on iTunes. 

Single Review: Shania Twain – ‘Today Is Your Day’

Owning up to a strong affinity for the music of Shania Twain is counted as blasphemy in some circles, particularly to those whose affection for country music’s variety is limited to the more traditional, conventional sounds of the genre.  I’m not one of those.  I’ve always been of the mindset that, when it’s packaged just right, any sub-genre of country music (and just about all forms of music for that matter) can be just as satisfying as the seminole stone-country weeper.  Twain’s bouncy melodies, cleverly biting female perspective on a man’s thinking, and the general playfulness exhibited in even her ballads allowed the Canadian singer to soar to heights even Garth Brooks thought unreachable as she became the first global superstar of country music with hits like “You’re Still The One”, “That Don’t Impress Me Much”, and “Man! I Feel Like A Woman!”.  Propelled not only by her own no-holds-barred approach to songwriting, Twain saw her star rise higher and higher as a result of the snap, crackle, and pop of the genius production from ex-husband Mutt Lange.

On her first new single since 2005, the production team of David Foster and Nathan Chapman either lack the direction or the plain know-how when it comes to flattering Twain’s strong vocal performance. They’ve added distortion to her confident performance and a slathering of unnecessary harmony singers that work to drown out the classy piano lead track that drives this ‘seize-the-day’ ballad.  Lyrically, “Today” isn’t a far stretch from Twain’s self-empowerment turn of phrase hooks.  The biggest difference here is the attitude from which she’s approaching songwriting, at least on this single-only track.  Her sometimes bawdy, sometimes sentimental, always valiant and entertaining persona has been swapped out by a woman who’s shaky and unsure, and is evidenced by the platitudes-for-living message and the straightforward approach to recording.

It’s a scary thought to think that a seemingly unshakable personality like Twain’s can be so affected by a personal affliction that she has lost all the spunk, drive, and tenacity that so characterized her best-loved hits.  I can still hear flashes of the old Shania here; the melody to this song has that uplifting earworm quality and I applaud her sticking with the pop-flavored sound that works for her so well.  It would have been a lot easier to ride the trends, to country things up, take out the pointless vocal distortions and cater to country radio.  But Shania Twain is not a caterer.  You have to come to her house if you want to eat.  I think I’ll skip this course though, and hold out hope this is another form of venting for her.  Soon, she’ll be back in the kitchen, cooking us up something hot and delicious.  I’ll have my fingers crossed and napkin folded.

Grade: C

Listen here

Win a copy of Shania Twain’s new memoir

Update:  The winners are Leeann, Rodney, and Nathan.  Congratulations, guys, and I’ll be in touch to get your shipping info.  Thanks to everybody who commented.

The best-selling female country artist of all time has written her autobiography, and it hits bookstores everywhere this week.  In the book, published by Simon & Schuster, Twain recounts her poverty-stricken upbringing through the often stormy relationship between her parents.  From the beginnings of her music career to her dreams being sidetracked by the tragic death of both parents in a car accident, on to her first record deal and her slow start in Nashville, Shania tells her story with candid honesty.  After her second album, The Woman In Me, exploded the Canadian songstress’ career, she went on to a wildly successful music career that spanned genres and continents.

Lately, Shania has been in the news following a headline-grabbing divorce from husband and producer John “Mutt” Lange, and her remarriage.  She’s also rumored to be back in the studio working on a new album for release later this year.  She’s also set to debut a brand-new series, Why Not? with Shania Twain, on the Oprah Winfrey Network, and is currently plugging her memoir in a nationwide media blitz.

We have 3 copies of Shania Twain’s From This Moment On to give away to our readers. To enter, leave us a comment by midnight, May 31, 2011 and tell us what other country stars’ autobiographies you’ve read.  Whose was your favorite/least favorite, and why?

Week ending 4/23/11: #1 albums this week in country music history

1966: Eddy Arnold – I Want To Go With You (RCA)

1971: Lynn Anderson – Rose Garden (Columbia)

1976: Wille Nelson – The Sound In Your Mind (Columbia)

1981: Dolly Parton – 9 to 5 And Odd Jobs (RCA Victor)

1986: John Schneider – A Memory Like You (MCA)

1991: Garth Brooks – No Fences (Capitol)

1996: Shania Twain – The Woman In Me (Mercury)

2001: Various Artists – O Brother Where Art Thou (Soundtrack) (Lost Highway)

2006: Rascal Flatts – Me and My Gang (Lyric Street)

2011: Jason Aldean – My Kinda Party (Broken Bow)

Week ending 4/9/11: #1 albums this week in country music history

1966: Buck Owens – Roll Out The Red Carpet for Buck Owens and His Buckaroos (Capitol)

1971: Lynn Anderson – Rose Garden (Columbia)

1976: Emmylou Harris – Elite Hotel (Reprise)

1981: Dolly Parton – 9 to 5 And Odd Jobs (RCA Victor)

1986: Alabama – Greatest Hits (RCA)

1991: Garth Brooks – No Fences (Capitol)

1996: Shania Twain – The Woman In Me (Mercury)

2001: Various Artists – O Brother Where Art Thou (Soundtrack) (Lost Highway)

2006: Alan Jackson – Precious Memories (Arista)

2011: Jason Aldean – My Kinda Party (Broken Bow)

Week ending 4/2/11: #1 albums this week in country music history

1966: Ssgt. Barry Sadler – Ballad of the Green Berets (RCA Victor)

1971: Lynn Anderson – Rose Garden (Columbia)

1976: Various Artists – Wanted: The Outlaws (RCA)

1981: Dolly Parton – 9 to 5 And Odd Jobs (RCA Victor)

1986: Ricky Skaggs – Live In London (Epic)

1991: Garth Brooks – No Fences (Capitol)

1996: Shania Twain – The Woman In Me (Mercury)

2001: Various Artists – O Brother Where Art Thou (Soundtrack) (Lost Highway)

2006: Carrie Underwood – Some Hearts (Arista)

2011: Sara Evans – Stronger (RCA)

Week ending 3/26/11: #1 albums this week in country music history

1966: Eddy Arnold – My World (RCA Victor)

1971: Lynn Anderson – Rose Garden (Columbia)

1976: Various Artists – Wanted: The Outlaws (RCA)

1981: Dolly Parton – 9 to 5 And Odd Jobs (RCA Victor)

1986: Earl Thomas Conley – Greatest Hits (RCA)

1991: Garth Brooks – No Fences (Capitol)

1996: Shania Twain – The Woman In Me (Mercury)

2001: Various Artists – O Brother Where Art Thou (Soundtrack) (Lost Highway)

2006: Carrie Underwood – Some Hearts (Arista)

2011: Sara Evans – Stronger (RCA)

Week ending 3/19/11: #1 albums this week in country music history

1966: Eddy Arnold – My World (RCA Victor)

1971: Lynn Anderson – Rose Garden (Columbia)

1976: Various Artists – Wanted: The Outlaws (RCA)

1981: Dolly Parton – 9 to 5 And Odd Jobs (RCA Victor)

1986: Ray Stevens – I Have Returned (MCA)

1991: Garth Brooks – No Fences (Capitol)

1996: Shania Twain – The Woman In Me (Mercury)

2001: Various Artists – O Brother Where Art Thou (Soundtrack) (Lost Highway)

2006: Alan Jackson – Precious Memories (Arista)

2011: Aaron Lewis – Town Line (Stroudavarious)

Week ending 3/5/11: #1 albums this week in country music history

1966: Eddy Arnold – My World (RCA Victor)

1971: Lynn Anderson – Rose Garden (Columbia)

1976: Various Artists – Wanted: The Outlaws (RCA)

1981: Dolly Parton – 9 to 5 And Odd Jobs (RCA Victor)

1986: The Judds – Rockin’ With The Rhythm (RCA)

1991: Garth Brooks – No Fences (Capitol)

1996: Shania Twain – The Woman In Me (Mercury)

2001: Various Artists – O Brother Where Art Thou (Official Soundtrack)

2006: Carrie Underwood – Some Hearts (Arista)

2011: Lady Antebellum – Need You Now (Capitol)

Album Review: Terri Clark – ‘Terri Clark’

By the mid-90s, Nashville had drifted back towards more pop-leaning music, but there was still room on radio playlists for more traditional fare. Two Canadian women — Shania Twain and Terri Clark, representing both ends of the spectrum — had their commercial breakthroughs in 1995. Twain’s crossover music was more commercially successful, but Clark’s self-titled debut, produced by Keith Stegall and Chris Waters, struck a chord with fans of traditional country, and sold quite respectably in its own right.

The sassy up-tempo “Better Things To Do”, which Clark co-wrote Tom Shapiro and Chris Waters, was her first release. Immediately successful, it set the tone for the remainder of her career; her most successful singles over the next decade and a half, were up-tempo numbers in a similar vein. It peaked at #3 in both the US and Canada, and it remains one of my favorite Terri Clark tunes. The same songwriting team produced Terri’s follow-up hit, “When Boy Meets Girl”, which also reached #3 on the US and Canadian charts.

For the album’s third single, Mercury chose the traditional ballad “If I Were You”, which is the finest song on the album. Written solely by Terri, it demonstrated her skill as a songwriter, in addition to her fine vocal talent. Very similar in theme to Reba McEntire’s 1986 album cut “If You Only Knew”, the song deals with a woman who seeks relationship advice from a single friend. Instead of offering tea and sympathy, the friend (Clark) advises her friend to try and go home work things out, because the single life isn’t all it’s cracked up to be. Though it reached #1 in Canada, “If I Were You” didn’t perform quite as well in the US, peaking at #8. In a trend that would continue for the remainder of Terri’s major label career, US radio programmers proved to be somewhat lukewarm to her ballads. This was certainly the case with Clark’s next single, “Suddenly Single”, another tune she wrote with Shapiro and Waters, which just missed the Top 10 in Canada, peaking at #11, and fizzling out at #34 on the US chart. While to this day I remain perplexed as to why “If I Were You” didn’t chart higher, radio’s resistance to “Suddenly Single” is somewhat more justified. It’s a rather pedestrian song, saved by Sonny Garrish’s excellent steel guitar work. I’d have preferred to see “The Inside Story” released to radio, though it was probably too traditional to have had any realistic chance to become a bona fide hit. “Is Fort Worth Worth It”, the only tune in which Terri does not share a songwriting credit, is another one of my favorites. Like “The Inside Story”, it was likely deemed too traditional to send to radio.

The line-dancing craze was at the peak of its popularity in the mid-90s, and many of the songs on Terri Clark appear to have been written with that in mind. Tunes like “Was There A Girl On Your Boy’s Night Out”, “Flowers After The Fact”, and “Something You Should’ve Said” are all lyrically-light, beat-driven songs that are pleasant enough to listen to, but not particularly memorable.

I find that this is another one of those albums that I might enjoy more if it were sequenced differently. The first half is much stronger than the second. I tend to lose interest in it after track #7 (“When We Had It Bad”), as the only truly great track after that is “The Inside Story.” But while I do find some of the songs to be a bit weak, I wouldn’t classify any of them as actually being bad.

Terri Clark peaked at #13 on the Billboard’s US Top Country Albums chart, earning platinum status for sales of more than 1 million units in the US. In Canada, it reached #2 and earned triple-platinum status there, which in the 90s signified domestic sales in excess of 300,000 units. It remains her best-selling album in her native country, and is tied with her next two releases in the US.

Grade: B+

Terri Clark is available inexpensively from third-party sellers at Amazon.

Week ending 2/26/11: #1 albums this week in country music history

1966: Eddy Arnold – My World (RCA Victor)

1971: Lynn Anderson – Rose Garden (Columbia)

1976: Various Artists – Wanted: The Outlaws (RCA)

1981: Dolly Parton – 9 to 5 And Odd Jobs (RCA Victor)

1986: Lee Greenwood – Streamline (MCA)

1991: Garth Brooks – No Fences (Capitol)

1996: Shania Twain – The Woman In Me (Mercury)

2001: Various Artists – O Brother Where Art Thou (Official Soundtrack)

2006: Carrie Underwood – Some Hearts (Arista)

2011: Jason Aldean – My Kinda Party (Broken Bow)

Week ending 2/19/11: #1 albums this week in country music history

1966: Eddy Arnold – My World (RCA Victor)

1971: Lynn Anderson – Rose Garden (Columbia)

1976: C.W. McCall – Black Bear Road (MGM)

1981: Dolly Parton – 9 to 5 And Odd Jobs (RCA Victor)

1986: Hank Williams Jr. – Greatest Hits Volume 2 (Curb)

1991: Garth Brooks – No Fences (Capitol)

1996: Shania Twain – The Woman In Me (Mercury)

2001: LeAnn Rimes – I Need You (Curb)

2006: Carrie Underwood – Some Hearts (Arista)

2011: Jason Aldean – My Kinda Party (Broken Bow)

Week ending 2/12/11: #1 albums this week in country music history

1966: Eddy Arnold – My World (RCA Victor)

1971: Lynn Anderson – Rose Garden (Columbia)

1976: C.W. McCall – Black Bear Road (MGM)

1981: Dolly Parton – 9 to 5 And Odd Jobs (RCA Victor)

1986: Hank Williams Jr. – Greatest Hits Volume 2 (Curb)

1991: Garth Brooks – No Fences (Capitol)

1996: Shania Twain – The Woman In Me (Mercury)

2001: Various Artists – Coyote Ugly Soundtrack (Curb)

2006: Josh Turner – Your Man (MCA)

2011:Taylor Swift – Speak Now (Big Machine)

Week ending 2/5/11: #1 albums this week in country music history

1966: Eddy Arnold – My World (RCA Victor)

1971: Ray Price – For The Good Times (Columbia)

1976: C.W. McCall – Black Bear Road (MGM)

1981: Kenny Rogers – Greatest Hits (Liberty)

1986: Kenny Rogers – The Heart Of The Matter (RCA)

1991: Clint Black – Put Yourself In My Shoes (RCA)

1996: Shania Twain – The Woman In Me (Mercury)

2001: Tim McGraw – Greatest Hits (Curb)

2006: Carrie Underwood – Some Hearts (Arista)

2011:Taylor Swift – Speak Now (Big Machine)

Week ending 1/29/11: #1 albums this week in country music history

1966: Eddy Arnold – My World (RCA Victor)

1971: Ray Price – For The Good Times (Columbia)

1976: C.W. McCall – Black Bear Road (MGM)

1981: Kenny Rogers – Greatest Hits (Liberty)

1986: Kenny Rogers – The Heart Of The Matter (RCA)

1991: Clint Black – Put Yourself In My Shoes (RCA)

1996: Shania Twain – The Woman In Me (Mercury)

2001: Tim McGraw – Greatest Hits (Curb)

2006: Carrie Underwood – Some Hearts (Arista)

2011:Taylor Swift – Speak Now (Big Machine)

Album Review: Trisha Yearwood – ‘Where Your Road Leads’

It’s somewhat surprising that Trisha Yearwood never had any major crossover success, considering that much of her material seems to have been tailored to appeal to listeners outside the country market. However, in an era when hits by her contemporaries Shania Twain, Faith Hill and Martina McBride were climbing the pop and adult contemporary charts, Yearwood’s success was strictly limited to the country charts. After five successful albums with Garth Fundis, she teamed up with Tony Brown, with whom she shared production duties on ten of the eleven tracks of her sixth release. The result, 1998′s Where Your Road Leads, found her mostly moving further in a mainstream pop direction, with a few play-it-safe nods to country radio.

The change in producers was barely noticeable in the first single release, the mid-tempo “There Goes My Baby”. Similar in style to her previous single “Perfect Love”, and virtually indistinguishable from much of Trisha’s work with Garth Fundis, “There Goes My Baby” climbed to #2 in May of 1998. It was followed by the somewhat overblown title track, which despite being hyped as “the” duet with Garth Brooks and produced by Brooks’ producer Allen Reynolds, “Where Your Road Leads” is a Yearwood vehicle, with Brooks solely in a supporting role and never taking the lead vocal. Written by Victoria Shaw and Desmond Child, it had less chart success than the previous Yearwood-Brooks collaboration, the prior year’s #2 hit “In Another Eyes”. Despite the obvious star-power of both both performers, “Where Your Road Leads” peaked at #18.

Yearwood returned to the Top 10 with the album’s third single, the fiddle and steel charged and somewhat fluffy “Powerful Thing”, which reached #6. Despite its lightweight lyrics, it is one my favorite tracks on the album. The fourth and final single release, Diane Warren’s “I’ll Still Love You More” appears to be an attempt to recreate the success of the previous year’s “How Do I Live”. However, “I’ll Still Love You More” is a bit too saccharine for my taste, and despite having reached #10 on the charts, it is one of the more forgettable hits in Trisha’s catalog.

Like the singles, the album cuts are somewhat hit or miss. The dreamy-sounding “Never Let You Go Again” is rather tedious and my least favorite song on the entire album. “I Don’t Want To Be The One”, written by Carole King and Irish singer-songwriter Paul Brady, is also a bit lackluster. The pop-leaning “Heart Like A Sad Song”, however, is a standout, as is my favorite track among the non-singles, “Bring Me All Your Lovin’”, written by Doyle Primm, Allison Moorer and Kenny Greenberg.

Overall, Where Your Road Leads is an uneven effort, dull at times, with occasional flashes of brilliance. It’s worth noting, however, that Trisha’s magnificent vocal performance often overcomes the sometimes mediocre material. Nevertheless, it doesn’t rank among her best work.

Where Your Road Leads reached #3 on the Billboard Top Country Albums chart, and was the last Trisha Yearwood album to earn platinum certification. It is available inexpensively from third-party sellers at Amazon.

Grade: B-