Patty Loveless - Mountain Soul II (15 tracks) +Album Reviews

Just stunning

Alan Dorfman | DELRAY BEACH, FL United States | 09/29/2009

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Take a vocalist at the height of her prowess, remove the need to play to the mainstream, let her loose in the genre she's most comfortable in, surround her with the best Appalachian bluegrass musicians, let the man who loves her the most produce and protect her and give her 15 musical gems to sing. Provide absolutely flawless arrangements, production and engineering and you have the recipe for Patty Loveless' new CD "Mountain Soul II." The result is just a stunningly beautiful recording that is easily one of 2009's best of all genres.

Every cut is a delight, compelling, pure, sometimes heartbreakingly sad but always anchored by Patty's outstanding vocals. She has been wonderful for decades and with "Mountain Soul II" takes it to another level. Not a weak cut here but if I had to list my favorites they would be "A Handful Of Dust," "When The Last Curtain Falls," "The Bramble And The Rose," "Busted" and "A Prisoner's Tears." My apologies to the other songs because I could have selected any of them as well.

A true artist at the top of her craft, Patty Loveless delivers a tour de force that is of such quality that while not aimed at the mainstream will undoubtedly make inroads there. Real people reecognize the real thing when they hear it.

P.S. Here's a recommendation - a duet CD with Patty Loveless and Allison Kraus. Now wouldn't that be a treat."

The Forgotton Queen of Country Music

HagFan | Uniontown, PA | 09/30/2009

(5 out of 5 stars)

"
For fans of "Real" Country music, please read on. For those of you who feel that what is shoved down your throats on the so-called Country music stations is "Country" music, you can stop here. I don't want to waste your time.

Patty has been around for awile now, considered by many to be one of the old guard, so to speak. She has come to a point of her career obviously, that she doesn't really care if the radio stations play her music or not(not that it doesn't hurt her inside, I'm sure), but is simply proud that she can still satisfy her core fan base and hold on to her integrity. She absolutely does that with Mountain Soul II. This is an album of epic proportions -a work of art. For those of you who still love good ole' "real" Country music, don't hesitate for one day to purchase this gem. A few years ago Patty chose to go back to her roots and record "Mountain Soul" which received fantastic critical acclaim, but of course was missed by radio(deliberately), in my opinion. All country radio wants to play today is what I refer to as washed over Southern Rock N' Roll, and I loved Southern Rock, but not when I want to hear Country music. There are some of the current million unit selling artists that you can't even understand when they "sing?".

I'm not going to review each and every song as some reviewers like to do. I feel that way of doing things many times becomes boring. I will tell you that the opening cut, "Busted", the great Harlan Howard song blows the doors off of anything being played on the country stations today(save for George Strait and Alan Jackson). Patty even went so far as going back to some of the original coal mining lyrics of this song, which have been changed by some artists, probably due mostly because her late Father was a coal miner. I should mention that the album is done mainly in a Bluegrass style because Patty has re-done a few songs from earlier in her career in a Bluegrass style, which gives the songs a whole different feel, fresher if it may be said.

With that said, Patty is still the Queen of "Real" Country music. So, if that's what you want to hear, don't cheat yourself. If that's not what you want to hear, you may want to pass. But, I would suggest to those naysayers out there, buy it and listen, because you may find that you've really been missing something that is fading away with today's "Country" artists. Thanks alot!"

Absolutely Perfect

Edgar L. Whitney | 09/30/2009

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Mr. Dorfman has said it much more eloquently than I, but let me add my $.02. I've been listening to and playing country music for 50 years and this is the first time I've been able to say this about any album, it's perfect! I've always been a Patty Loveless fan but her last three albums have been just stunning. Mountain Soul II is the best of the bunch. Patty is the most soulful and versitile female country singer to have ever walked the planet. Sorry Patsy, Loretta and Tammy but it's true. She has matured into a singer who has no equal. Her name belongs up there with Jones, Haggard, Cline and dare I say, Williams Sr. I know I sound like a kid gushing over the latest pop wonder but I'm an old guy with lots of miles on my odometer and lots of listening experience so what I've said here is heart felt. My hope is that some of the current crop of country performers (male and female) will listen to and learn from her."

The Mountains Are Alive with Loveless' Soulful Singing

T. Yap | Sydney, NSW, Australia | 09/29/2009

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Prime Cuts: Big Chance, You Burned the Bridge, Half Over You

Sequels seldom measure up to their predecessors. The more an artist tries to replicate its initial lightning-in-a-bottle moment, the more elusive and artificial it becomes. Fortunately Loveless does not try to create another clone of her critically acclaimed "Mountain Soul" CD from 2001. Although "Mountain Soul II" follows in the same direction paved by its predecessor (of bluegrass, old-fashioned country and Southern Gospel) this second instalment branches into new territories. Rather than just resurrecting a host of tunes from the songbook of yore, this time round Loveless re-records some of her own earlier album cuts as well as a few originals from Loveless and her hubby cum producer Emory Gordy Jr.. Nevertheless, regardless of the songs' genesis, what's most endearing about this disc is Loveless stark and emotionally drenched alto that has so much overtones of rural lonesomeness. Such by itself is an endangered commodity almost non-existent in today's country music.

Resonating so much with Loveless' own life growing up in the hills of East Kentucky, Harlan Howard's "Busted" is still one of the most affecting pieces of social commentary which tells of a coalmine that no longer provides for its community. In these times of economic recession, "Busted" has shades of new meaning for our society today. Of the 5 tracks first appeared on Loveless' catalog, Tony Arata's "Handful of Dust" is still one of the songs that really strikes at the heart. A solemn reminder of the transient nature of life, "Handful of Dust" deserves to be reprised. While the original version of Paul Kennerley's "Blue Memories" has a rockfish defiant feel, giving this new version a bluegrass treatment almost turns it into another song--one drenched with forlorn regret. Karen Staley's "Half Over You" is the perfect vehicle to bring out Loveless' striking lonesome wails over its plaintive steel guitar licks. "Big Chance," a track from Loveless' 2005 underrated "Dreaming My Dreams," with its jubilant mandolin and fiddle riffs makes you want to dance over this romantic tune of love leading towards marriage.

Of the newer cuts, Jon Randall's "You Burned the Bridge" is easily a future Loveless classic. A brooding ballad of love that has reached a dead end, "You Burned the Bridge" is a poignant song that is rich with lyrical gems made even more beautiful with Loveless' heart grabbing rendering. "Fools Thin Air," coming from the pens of Rodney Crowell and Suzanna Clark, also makes an impression with its unusual chord changes as well as its emotionally evocative lyrics calling to mind Loveless' former album cut "Born Again Fool." Another departure for Loveless is that she's secure enough as a vocalist now to sing a capella on a traditional gospel number "Friends in Glory." Though Vince Gill and Rebecca Lynn Howard join Loveless vocally, it's more for those who have an acquired taste for old fashioned Gospel numbers sung in its bare minimum. The same goes with the newly crafted "Children of Abraham."

Much better as far as Southern Gospel is concerned is Paul Kennerley and Emmylou Harris' "Diamond in My Crown," a moving and appropriate way to end the CD on a note of hope. Overall, "Mountain Soul II" trumps over the initial volume for the mere fact that this is more encompassing of older as well as newer stuff. Also, Loveless' re-take of some of her older album cuts are a plus as they are all well chosen. The mountains have never been more alive with the sound of such soulful singing .

"

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