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| Title: | "THE BEST OF COLLIN RAYE" "DIRECT HITS" |
| Artist: | "COLLIN RAYE" |
| Label: | Epic |
| Available: | Any Major Music Store |
| Reviewed By: | Kayla Christian |
| Rating: |  |
| Here is a CD that is packed with ten dynamite hit songs from the past
four ablums that Collin Raye has produced, along with four new tracks, that
glide delicately between pop and country. The first song is a beautiful ballad that deals with the abuse of alcohol. As Collin sings "Little Rock," "I know I've disappeared a time or two/Along the way I lost me and you," you can hear the heartache that is buried deep in his soul as his voice produces the agony of the destructive path. "You know your daddy told me when I left/Jesus would forgive, but a daddy don't forget," expresses how families have been ripped apart, and "Like a castle built upon the sand/I let love crumble in my hand," realizing, too late, how much had been lost. A very touching song. The next song, "I Think About You," is an upbeat, positive song. "Every time I see a pretty woman walking down the street/I think about you." This whimsical song, exposes strong feelings of love, and no matter what you do, or what it is, the simple things in life will remind you of the one you hold dear to your heart. "Not That Different," another ballad, which Collin is noted for, is about a man expressing his undying love, only to find, "She had always dreamed of loving someone more exotic/And he just didn't seem to fit the part." The music is delicately graceful and Steve Nathan's astounding performance on the piano on this song is breathtaking. Collin carries the melody as only the unique talent of his tenor voice can. As the song continues, she realizes that he is the man of her dreams. "I laugh, I love, I hope, I try/I hurt, I need, I fear, I cry/And I know you do the same things too/So we're really not that different, me and you." Collin steps up the pace for "That's My Story," a clever song done in a comical sort of way. The song was written by Lee Roy Parnell and Tony Haselden, and some nice guitar work in this sassy tune adds to the mood. "I came in as the sun came up/she glared at me over her coffee cup." "Slept in that hammock honey out in the yard/She said you don't know but you just blew it/I said well that's my story and I'm stickin' to it." The chorus repeats with him sticking to his story. As the story continues, you feel him sqirm. "Don't expect me to believe all that static/Cause just last week I threw that hammock in the attic." A good catchy tune to tickle the funny bone. Collin, known for his poignant ballads, says with a grin "Maybe they want me to quit being quite so serious all the time." "If I Were You," from the "Extreme" album, "One Boy, One Girl" from the "I Think About You" album, and "That Was A River" and "In This Life," from the "In This Life" album are also exquisite ballads with universal appeal. "My Kind Of Girl," also from the "Extreme" album adds an upbeat tempo in the middle of all the slow songs. Fortified by Collin's delicately rich tenor voice, the four new songs in the album are uniquely done. "What The Heart Wants" is the song that made this album a 'want.' "The Gift" is a smash ode of gratitude for life, love and liberty. The catchy tune of "Little Red Rodeo" is a lighthearted divergence about seeking love before it escapes one's grasp and journey's down the highway. This album closes with the inspiring song that got Collin off the ground, "Love, Me," that puts the finishing touch on this album. "If you get there before I do/Don't give up on me/I'll meet you when my chores are through/I don't know how long I'll be/ButI'm not going to let you down/Darling wait and see/And between now and then/Until I see you again/I'll be loving you/Love me." CD-ROM bonus: Snippets of songs from Collin Raye's four albums, video footage. A tour of his home, a studio session, a blooper sequence, bio, and much more. |
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| Title: | "THE GIRL NEXT DOOR" |
| Artist: | "CRYSTAL BERNARD" |
| Label: | River North |
| Available: | Any Major Music Store |
| Reviewed By: | Kayla Christian |
| Rating: |  |
| This album intro starts off with a snippet of 4 year old Crystal Lynn
Bernard, warbling an old-time gospel tune. She kicks into the first song,
"Could Have Been Mine," a playful tune that is catchy, and motivating.
For a petite little lady, she has a gigantic voice that's rich and full
of energy. It's interesting the way this song is put together, because it
tells us about a love that could have been if one had been looking in the
right direction, with a "Too bad, your loss," attitude. "You're Gonna Miss A Whole Lotta Love," is a beautiful ballad. Not only does it show the rich quality of Crystal's voice, but also the lovely composition of the band. A sad song, "You're already packed and ready to go/I hope she's worth it after all we've been through" the music conveys the heartache felt as the CD turns. Written by Crystal, "Eleven Roses," is a nippy little tune that retains an upper beat, and keeps our toes a tapping. 'The single rose you gave to me/With a vow that you would never leave/One you didn't keep/Regretfully I understand/Why the flower crumbled in my hand." Crystal says, "I have always written music. I have a studio in my house and a keyboard under my bed, and I'll always write." She has been writing songs since she was 8 yeas old. She has already enjoyed success with the adult contemporary duet with Peter Cetera. "Peter got one of my demos and called and asked me who was singing on it, and I said I was, so he asked me to sing with him on 'Forever Tonight.' Then the producers wanted me to do some more AC songs. But I said, 'Guys, I'm country. I've got to do country.' " Crystal achieved recognition by doing that beautiful duet with Peter. Another one pops up here on this album with Artist/songwriter Billy Dean. "Have We Forgotten What Love Is," written by Billy Dean and Crystal, another beautiful ballad. The unique blend of their voices is very touching. "I heard the voice of a distant angel/Reminding me and you/That love is not an expectation/Or something we failed to do/Have we forgotten what love is." This song is one of my favorites on the album. It is so rich in feelings. I had the opportunity to see Crystal Billy Dean live and perform this duet. Both artist came across so convincingly, singing with a magnitude of love straight from their hearts. Hearing Crystal and Billy sing this glorious song will give you a greater sense of appreciation of love and of each other. It is beautiful. "Purple Heart," another song written by Billy Dean and co-writer J.D. Souther, penetrates the inner soul. A heart that has been broken, and trying to trust again, in someone who will take care of a purple heart. This is also a beautiful ballad. "State Of Mind," co-written by David Rhine and Crystal Bernard has an upbeat tempo that will keep you moving. "Where do I hide, take me away/From this lonely state of mind/I've got to say, it's time to play tonight." A very catchy tune. 'Too Far This Time" and "When You Took Your Love Away," have a little bit of a side sound of Bobbie Gentry. "Miracle" is a song about a man torn between two loves. "He's got a woman back home and a woman in the city/Praying for a miracle that he won't get caught/Cause he believes that the women that share his love/Can share his name, can share his name." One thing that I found interesting with Crystal's band, was her backup singers. They're a little older than what you'd expect most entertainers to have, especially someone young like Crystal.. But later, everyone was pleasantly surprised to find out that her backup singers were, get this, her mother and father! "Till I Get Over You" is another catchy tune with a motivating beat. One visualizes Crystal performing this song with her continuous output of energy and her gorgeous smile. Speaking of enormous energy, not only does Crystal tour on her new album, "The Girl Next Door," but she is also an actress. She landed her first roll on TV's "Happy Days" when she was 17. Now you may know her as the spunky Helen Chappel Hackett on the long-running TV series "Wings." What does she do to let off steam? She drives legally at 100 m.p.h., piloting tached-out Neons in racing events in the Dodge Neon Series. "They're really just regular Dodge neons that have rollbars and open exhaust," she explains. "And I do street courses--grand prixs have a lot of turns in them, so you get on a straightaway and about the time you hit 100, you're on the brake getting ready to turn. It keeps the speed down, but the skill is still the same, so the safety factor is real good for my level. In other words I do the bogus racing." In her next song, "Call It Love," she sings directly from her heart, "You caught my eye without trying/You stole my heart away." Crystal is so energetic, with a strong love for life. It's not surprising that she sings this song with ease. The last song on this album is the exquisitely done "If You Have Love." It was also written by Billy Dean and Crystal, and is another beautiful duet ballad. "If you have heart/You'll find gold/But if you have love/ You'll have it all." Crystal takes great pride in singing this loving song, with the greatest man in her life, her father. Crystal mentions that she has already been pretty lucky to get to do two things- acting and singing - ". . .that I love so much. I am a very lucky girl." Yes, Crystal you are a very lucky girl and we are very lucky to be entertained by your exceptional talent. Good luck with the future, and may all your dreams come true. |
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| Title: | "YOU LIGHT UP MY LIFE" Inspirational Songs |
| Artist: | "LEANN RIMES" |
| Label: | Curb |
| Available: | Any Major Music Store |
| Reviewed By: | Kayla Christian |
| Rating: |  |
LeAnn Rimes is an aspiring young lady with talent to boot! With the
combination of her album "Blue" and "The Early Years,"
she has sold over 7 millions albums. With "You Light Up My Life"
and another album set for release in March, this artist is setting goals
of unimaginable heights. She's toured with Alan Jackson, Martina McBride,
Dwight Yoakam, and Wyonna, and will be touring with Bryan White in 1998.
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