Search - Patty Loveless :: Dreamin My Dreams

Loveless "Dreams" Her Very Best

T. Yap | Sydney, NSW, Australia | 12/24/2005

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Prime Cuts: Nobody By that Name, Everything But the Words, Never Ending Song of Love



When it comes to being a matchmaker for contemporary country and mountain-soul tradition, Patty Loveless is peerless. Following the precedence set by 2003's "Find Your Way Home," "Dreamin' My Dreams" continues to show the folks at Music Row how to be commercial without sacrificing an iota of sonic warmth. Thanks are in order to Loveless' hubby Emory Gordy and Lonestar's producer Justin Niebank for striking just the right balance. Another highlight of course is Loveless' rich, pliant and laser penetrating voice: No one can bend notes into such a bluesy snarl as this Kentucky native can. Further, when this former CMA winner croons a sad ballad, a besotted ache exudes from the speakers that sends lonely chills down the spine. Having championed for Nashville's finest songwriters, Loveless has brought big names such as Leslie Satcher, Jim Lauderdale, Richard Thompson, Tony Arata, Lee Roy Parnell, Steve Earle, Delbert McClinton to satisfy her interpretative palate. Such diversity of songwriters has certainly added a melange of color, depth and texture to the album.



Teeming with an irresistible Southern sass, Loveless struts her way through Richard Thompson's "Keep Your Distance" with confidence and dignity. Reuniting with the king of Bakersfield country Dwight Yoakam, their spirited performance on the Delaney Bramlett's classic "Never Ending Song of Love" is top notch stuff. After almost 15 years since their last duet, it's almost as if time had stood still as Yoakam's nasal twangy trollop perfectly contrasts Loveless fire-and-brimstone boldness on this evergreen declaration of love. Despite the recent lack of traffic by Loveless at the upper tier of the country charts, the Loveless/Gordy tune "Big Chance" ought to turbo Loveless back into the top slot. Like Dolly Parton's infectiously catchy "Marry Me," "Big Chance" is an old fashioned-sounding tune narrating a love-struck protagonist telling her parents of her new-found flame.



Baring her soul to the naked flame of heartbreak, the Tony Arata and Pete Wasner ballad "Nobody By That Name" joins the lofty ranks of classics such as "Find My Way Home," "Nothing But the Wheel," "You Don't Know Who I Am," as living and breathing testimonies that a broken heart can sing. The demise of romance has never been more blatant as these lines: "I can tell by lookin' at the shadows across the wall/Without pickin' up, who it is, who decided to call/It's late and you're all tore down/You woke up darlin' and found/You ran another one off and you want somebody to blame/But there's nobody here by that name." Jim Lauderdale and Leslie Satcher have crafted another winner with the "When Being Who You Are is Not Enough." Though not as stark, "When Being Who You Are," with its theme of baring the soul, equally strikes a cord in the heart. "Everything But the Words," another Satcher/Lauderdale ballad, finds a tongue-tied Loveless not knowing how to express her feelings to her sweetheart. The restrained, yet hauntingly beautiful, melody only showcases what a classic this is. Reaching into the lofty heights of spirituality is the gospel-like "When I Reach the Place I'm Going" which Loveless first recorded in 1996 for the AIDS researched project "Red, Hot and Country."



Whatever the groove, tempo or subject matter, Loveless stands head and shoulders above the crowd. Over the years, many female artists have come and gone. But after almost two and half decades, Loveless is still singing with absolute authority and there's still more under her wings. "Dreaming My Dreams" is country music that matters. And this is definitely a strong contender for album of the year."

HAIL BLUEGRASS QUEEN: PATTY LOVELESS!

Nick | Queens, NY United States | 01/19/2006

(5 out of 5 stars)

"WOW!!! Patty Loveless' "Dreamin' My Dreams" cd is AMAZING!!!!

Proves why Patty is the Queen of Traditional Country Music. Once again, she never dissapoints with her albums. Just when you thought she could not possibly get any better, after "Mountain Soul" and "On Your Way Home" she does an exquisite job with the songs on this album. There is not a single bad or filler song... Here is how I rate all the 12 songs from a 1-5 scale, 5 being best:



1) Keep Your Distance- great first single, love her humming and pure mountain vocals on this one. She does it 50 times better than Richard Thompson's original. (5 stars)



2) Old Soul- nice ballad. (5 stars)



3) When Being Who You Are Is Not Enough- I LOVE this song!!! Probably one of the album's best... Emmylou Harris on background vocals is pure ear candy.. her voice blends really well with Patty's and the song's message is great!!! (6/5 stars)



4) Nobody Here By That Name- great song about where to place the blame. (5 stars)



5) Same Kind of Crazy- this song shows the rocked out Patty, but it's a really fun song and she is the only artist that can pull it off. (4 stars)



6) Everything But the Words- great, slow ballad...written by Jim Lauderdale and Leslie Satcher!!! Need I say more. (5 stars)



7)Dreaming My Dreams- remake of a Waylon Jennings song and the title track of the cd... Once again, Patty outdoes the original. Yay! (5 stars)



8) On the Verge of Tears- I love this song!!!! A very emotional song and I love its rawness. (6 stars/5 stars)



9) Never Ending Song of Love- duet with Dwight Yoakam... really great song, just as good if not better than the Loretta Lynn/Conway Twitty version. (5 stars)



10) Big Chance- My favorite song on the album!!!! It's Up-tempo, fun and co-written by Patty. A pure bluegrass tune with banjo. Reminds me a lot of "Pretty Little Miss" from Mountain Soul. (6 stars/5 stars)



11)My Old Friend the Blues- another nice ballad. (5 stars)



12) When I Reach the Place I'm going- a great finale to the album. After this song, there are two bonues tracks which are a nice treat as well.(5 stars)



Overall, Patty Loveless' album is excellent. One of the best albums of 2005 and probably the most underrated. Definitely deserves a nomination for CMA Album of the Year in 2006. Keep the great music coming Patty.

"

Patty ALWAYS connects

A. Gamblin | Cambridge, MA | 12/22/2005

(5 out of 5 stars)

"An owner, and huge fan, of all of Patty's albums, I was excited to finally listen to her new line of work. To put it simply, Patty always connects. Her latest work does just that. I have enjoyed hearing Patty test her vocals with different sounds over the years. It never ceases to amaze me: with all she does, she hits it right everytime.



"Dreaming My Dreams" is perhaps her best work to date. I say this because with each new album Patty's vocals get stronger and more soulful. Patty is the only country woman who can sing a song of heartache ("Nobody Here By That Name")and then turn around and rock it out ("Same Kind Of Crazy") with the same soulful and poignant voice. Her work is an amalgamation of her talents. Anyone who has had the pleasure to see this Kentucky woman in concert is truly privileged."