Search - Kitty Wells :: Forever Young

Destined to Be A Cult Album - Country's Queen Sings Blues!!!

"Tee" | LA | 07/17/2002

(5 out of 5 stars)

"FOREVER YOUNG, originally released in 1974, was Kitty Wells' first album away from Decca/MCA after more than 20 years at that label, much of that time undisputed as the most popular female vocalist in country music. Originally issued on Warner Brothers' southern-rock label Capricorn, this album was an attempt to show just how versatile Ms. Wells is as a song stylist and on that level it suceeds beautifully. The album sold poorly though, Kitty was then well into her fifties and she hadn't had a top 40 country hit since 1968 (although she remained very popular as a touring artist) overshadowed on radio by the new generation of country girls for whom she had paved the way. The album did not generate interest in non-country markets and Kitty's longtime hard-country fans were probably taken aback by her covering folk/rock and soul and blues songs. What nobody seemed to notice at the time was she was doing a fabulous job doing so!! Country Music has often been called "the white man's blues" and here is the proof - country's queen Kitty doing a magificent job with such blues numbers as "I've Been Loving You Too Long" (yes, the Otis Redding song), "The Loving's Over", and "Do Right Woman, Do Right Man" (unlike Barbara Mandrell's hit sugary country cover of it from 1971, Miss Kitty sings it in it's original blues arrangement.) And Kitty's performance on Bob Dylan's "Forever Young" is deeply moving and remains one of the best Dylan covers anyone has ever done. There's plenty of country music here too (naturally anything Miss Wells sings is country on some level), mostly of the 70's pop-country variety such as "Too Much Love Between Us", yet the hard country stuff is here like her cover of the old Johnny & Jack song "What About You". Miss Kitty's voice is in fine shape and she seems completely as ease whatever musical format she tackles despite being the most "country" of any female vocalist before or since. This album is a wonderful recording for anyone who enjoys good music period and does not demand a label on it or that it stick too closely to one format. (My only complaint is that for the cover photograph of this CD the reissue record label decided to use a Kitty Wells' publicity shot that is on the cover of at least three other Wells CDs!! C'mon guys, this lady has been famous for 50 years you certainly can find another picture of her.) If you think Kitty Wells is "too country" for you, give this one a try and see how multi-faceted an artist she is!!"