562
(0 votes, average 0 out of 5)
Written by Gregg Shapiro, Staff writer
Mar 11, 2010
Shelby Lynne performs May 2 at Turner Hall Ballroom, 103 N. Fourth St.
“Dolly”
I recently saw a 1978 interview with the late Dusty Springfield in which she called herself “the Dolly Parton of the ’60s,” referring to her piled-up blonde hair and elaborate makeup techniques. It was one icon acknowledging another, with respect.
In the more than 30 years since that interview, Dolly Parton has surpassed her own iconic status to become a living legend, with countless accolades to her credit. The four-disc box set “Dolly” (RCA Nashville/Legacy) includes 99 tracks and spans a period of more than 40 years. Among the gems are such beloved Parton classics as “Just Because I’m A Woman,” “Down From Dover” (recently covered by Marianne Faithfull), “Coat of Many Colors,” “My Tennessee Mountain Home,” “Jolene,” “I Will Always Love You,” “The Seeker,” “Light of A Clear Blue Morning,” “Here You Come Again,” “Two Doors Down,” “Baby I’m Burnin’” (her disco hit). “9 to 5”
and the Kenny Rogers duet “Islands In The Stream.” The set also includes previously unreleased tracks and much more.
“Need You Now”
On their second album (from Capitol Nashville), the group Lady Antebellum (not the red state version of Lady Gaga) travels the country pop road paved by Parton and shared by Sugarland. Female vocalist Hillary Scott shares vocal duties with Charles Kelley (see Dolly and Porter Wagoner). Lady Antebellum finds influences both inside and outside Nashville: The former includes “Perfect Day,” “American Honey” and “Something ’Bout A Woman,” while the latter includes the title tune, “Our Kind of Love,” “Love This Pain” and “Stars Tonight.”
“Recollection”
“Recollection” (Nonesuch), out singer/songwriter k.d. lang’s second career retrospective in less than five years picks up where 2006’s “Reintarnation” left off, even going so far as to include the country numbers “Trail of Broken Hearts” from “Absolute Torch and Twang” and “Western Stars” from “Shadowland.” From there we follow lang’s notorious transformation to torch singer and pop diva through such songs as her massive hit single “Constant Craving,” “Miss Chatelaine,” “You’re OK” and “Summerfling.” There’s also her riveting rendition of Leonard Cohen’s “Hallelujah” – and more.
The second disc in the set is as essential as the first. It includes soundtrack cuts (“Barefoot” from “Salmonberries” and the Roy Orbison duet on “Crying” from “Hiding Out”), along with tribute/VA disc tracks (“Help Me” from “A Tribute to Joni Mitchell” and “So In Love” from “Red, Hot & Blue.” There’s also a pair of Tony Bennett duets and a couple of previously unreleased tracks, including a re-recording of “Hallelujah.”
“Tears, Lies & Alibis”
You’ve heard of country cousins? Shelby Lynne and Alison Moorer are country sisters. Really! “Tears, Lies & Alibis” (Everso), Lynne’s first album since her brilliant 2008 Dusty Springfield tribute disc, does a stellar job of picking up where she left off with her underrated “Suit Yourself” album. Raw emotion and deceptively simple arrangements combine for a delightful dose of modern country at its best.
Despite its sad undercurrent, “Rains Came” (with its glorious organ and oboe) is the most joyous song about rain since “It’s Raining Men.” “Why Didn’t You Call Me” draws on Lynne’s obvious love of R&B. “Like A Fool” and “Alibi” are heartbreak at its most heart-wrenching.
“Something To Be Said” celebrates Airstreams (“a rolling home made of silver”), “Loser Dreamer” conjures a dreamy atmosphere and “Family Tree” subtly shakes the apples loose from the branches. “Old #7” is the kind of drinking song that doesn’t get written anymore, and “Home Sweet Home” could be the unofficial theme song to “Up In The Air.”
“Crows”
Lynne’s kid sister Moorer, who is married to contemporary country legend Steve Earle, returns with the cloudy and fittingly titled “Crows” (Rykodisc). “Darkness lingers” (from “Goodbye To The Ground”) throughout this moody set of songs, particularly in the cases of “Should I Be Concerned,” “Just Another Fool,” “When You Wake Up Feeling Bad,” “Still This Side of Gone” and “It’s Gonna Feel Good (When It Stops Hurting).” Some songs, including “The Broken Girl,” “Like The Rain” and, to a lesser degree, “Early In The Summertime” and “Sorrow (Don’t Come Around),” are not quite as bleak. Have the anti-depressants and Kleenex nearby for this one.
“Somewhere Gone”
Even when she was the front woman for the legendary L.A. punk band X, Exene Cervenka wasn’t afraid to slip a touch of twang into her songs. So it’s not surprising that her latest solo effort (from Bloodshot) is a sort of insurgent country affair. It’s detectable in the guitar on “Trojan Horse,” the echoed harmonies on “Surface of the Sun” and “Why Is It So,” the fiddle on “The Willow Tree” and the honky-tonk piano on “Walk Me Across The Street.”
Exene sounds as comfortable here as she ever did fronting X, and it’s a pleasure to be following her where she goes.
“Before and After”
In possession of a rich and warm alto, Indiana-based Carrie Newcomer is the country voice of the Midwest. That’s Mary Chapin Carpenter joining Newcomer on “Before and After,” the opening titular cut of her new Rounder Records release. Their voices are lovely together, and the song sets the tone for the remaining dozen tunes. The best of them include “I Do Not Know Its Name,” “If Not Now,” “A Simple Change of Heart,” “Do No Harm” and the bonus track “A Crash of Rhinoceros.”
