Search - Kenny Rogers :: Something Inside So Strong

Pamela G. (blessed1) from WHEELER, TX
Reviewed on 11/18/2006...

Beautiful duets with Gladys Knight, Ann Murray and Holly Dunn. Great music. Kenny just gets better over the years.

Strong Effort

J. M. Zuurbier | Canada | 02/17/2002

(5 out of 5 stars)

"On SOMETHING INSIDE SO STRONG Kenny Rogers has created an album with some of his most memorable material in my opinion. From the stunning duet with Anne Murray called "If I Ever Fall In Love Again", which was sadly ignored by country radio, to the beautiful duet with Holly Dunn called "Maybe", this is a great album. With this album Kenny slowly moved back into country music after experimenting with pop for a bit. Another duet on the album is the great "If I Knew Then What I Know Now", with Gladys Knight. Sounds like a bad match but Kenny could sing a duet with any female artist in my opinion, he has one of those beautiful voices which compliments other singer's voices. As well there are beautiful, inspiring songs such as the title track, which is an uplifting anthem of never giving up in the face of challenges. And the theme for the '88 Olympics, "When You Put Your Heart In It", is another beautiful inspirational song. "One Night" and "The Vows Go Unbroken (Always True To You)" are both beautiful declarations of love. The whole album is a consistently good effort of good material, this album is difficult to find but its worth the effort to find it."

A Little of This, a Little of That, and a Little Country

Steven Fantina | Phillipsburg, NJ USA | 09/27/2000

(4 out of 5 stars)

"After years of mediocre pop-flavored offerings, Kenny Rogers left RCA and headed back to country with this release. Perhaps its liability was the attempt to be all things to all fans. "Planet Texas" is about as clever and as quirky as a novelty song can get, but it was far from a hit single. Kenny Rogers has always been a welcoming duet partner. On this release, he took it to an extreme. Anne Murray, Holly Dunne, and Gladys Knight (yes Gladys Knight) all takes turns sharing the microphone. Anne Murray's collaboration on "If I Ever Fall in Love Again" is a strong country love song that also failed to achieve the airplay it deserved. "Maybe" with Holly Dunne was certainly adequate, but why Kenny and Gladys remade the Gary Morris flop is a true mystery.It contains lyrics like the badly forced rhyme, "I would have held you tighter/ I would have loved you righter." Traditional country couple Ricky Skaggs and Sharon White harmonized on "The Vows Go Unbroken," the album's most rustic sounding effort. "When You Put Your Heart In It" was the theme song of the U.S. Olympic gymnastics team and was probably hurt by preceding the album's release by nearly a year.The title is a gospel-sounding anthem adding to the effort cover all bases. Overall it is a very rewarding experience despite the hodgepodge of styles represented. It certainly marked Kenny Rogers overdue first step back to country."