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Patty Loveless demonstrates again the timeless beauty of her voice. No pure country collection is complete without this CD. The only drawback is that it leaves you wanting more. More Patty and more "real" country music.
The other two are Martina McBride's Timeless and Livin', Lovin', Losin': Songs of the Louvin Brothers. If what you want is the sound of classic country music with a sweet Appalachian feel, then this album is for you. It is a beautiful album by the best that country has to offer. Patty Loveless lends her extraordinary voice to many of the best country classics ever made. The result is simply one of three of the best cover albums ever produced. It is not the tinny bubblegum music that is on the radio today. Enjoy.
First of all, let's keep in mind that doing a remake album is always a challenge. The instrumentation is almost identical on each song making it sound as though there was no variety in classic country which is far from the way classic country was. "Why Baby Why" is fun, "The Pain of loving You" & "Sleepless Nights" are wonderful as well and are probably the only 2 songs that have a bit of freshness to them. With this CD Patty does pay respect to some of country's best classics but this CD does nothing to bring new life to what are some damn good country songs. Excellent songs, excellent vocals with boring production. On the positive side, Patty's voice is perfect throughout the CD. Trying to find a good balance of paying respect to the original and keeping it fresh can be difficult. There are some excellent moments here.
No complaints on her voice. My biggest problem is that each song sounds the same as the last. The rest of the CD is kinda downhill from there. It may be better to find the original versions of these songs.
I'm so happy that Patty and producer/husband Emory have made these classics available for a new audience. Patty Loveless is the most genuine, true-to-her roots artist in country music today, and this CD displays her credentials beautifully. Patty is true to the original artists. They've proven their credibility many times. After some personal disappointment surrounding her last CD, "Dreamin'" she felt the need to rediscover why she got into the business in the first place. For the uninitiated, Patty Loveless is pure country; this is not some genre-bending "updating" of these classics.
So this is an education as well. These songs are timeless classics which hearken back to a simpler era, the inspiration for her both at the beginning of her career in her teenage years and today. I am one; I've always been a fan of Patty's music but I'm not even close to steeped in country tradition the way she is. She's just interpreted them with her own style, making them "her's." I appreciate the sadder songs the most, like the title track, "There Stands the Glass," and "I've Forgotten More Than You'll Ever Know." They draw me back to Patty's music again and again. The blend of the instrumental masters with members of Patty's band on this record adds authenticity to this project, though Patty and Emory don't really need it. I believe Patty did this project to reinvigorate her work, to get back to basics.
So, whether these songs bring back memories for you or you're new to all of them, this collection is a classic country lover's dream come true.
Patty's voice is as strong as ever with a range and clarity that have deepened and mellowed with age. I worried that an aging voice or a surrender to pop country would make this purchase a disappointment. The cuts combine carefully selected country classics with new material that builds on a "back to country roots" focus started with her "Mountain Soul" CD. Boy, was I wrong. What a wonderful album. My only disappointment was a failure to acknowledge the accompanying artists for each track. Buy this CD, you won't be disappointed.
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