CD Review: Rhonda Vincent – Only Me
Fans
of Rhonda Vincent are in for a double-decker treat with her new album
titled ONLY ME. Scheduled for a national January 28 release, ONLY ME is
a two-disc album with a unique twist. Remember vinyl LPs that had six
songs on each side? ONLY ME echoes that
concept, CD-style: Disc One is a six-song set of bluegrass songs, while
Disc Two features a six-song country set. Neat, eh?
of Rhonda Vincent are in for a double-decker treat with her new album
titled ONLY ME. Scheduled for a national January 28 release, ONLY ME is
a two-disc album with a unique twist. Remember vinyl LPs that had six
songs on each side? ONLY ME echoes that
concept, CD-style: Disc One is a six-song set of bluegrass songs, while
Disc Two features a six-song country set. Neat, eh?
But
ONLY ME is definitely more than a novelty package, and these twelve
cuts showcase the singer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist at her
best.
ONLY ME is definitely more than a novelty package, and these twelve
cuts showcase the singer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist at her
best.
The
Bluegrass disc opens with the rip-roaring “Busy City” before settling
down to the wistful “I’d Rather Hear I Don’t Love You (Than Nothing At
All)” that has been picked as a single release from the album. It’s a slow waltz, penned by Larry Cordle and Lionel Delmore, in traditional style with twin fiddles and harmony vocals from Josh Williams.
Bluegrass disc opens with the rip-roaring “Busy City” before settling
down to the wistful “I’d Rather Hear I Don’t Love You (Than Nothing At
All)” that has been picked as a single release from the album. It’s a slow waltz, penned by Larry Cordle and Lionel Delmore, in traditional style with twin fiddles and harmony vocals from Josh Williams.
Guest artists? Sure! Willie Nelson, an avowed Rhonda fan, joins in with vocals on the snappy “Only Me” and DaryleSingleterry adds his voice to “We Must Have Been Out of Our Minds.”
The Country disc will
still have plenty to interest diehard bluegrass fans while having cuts
that will maybe bring her to the attention of country music fans. In
fact, Rhonda’s solo career began when she was
the winner of “You Can Be A Star” on the Nashville Network in 1985, and
this led to performances with Opry star Jim Ed Brown and a brief
mainstream country recording stint on Giant Records. Since then, her
focus has been on her bluegrass roots, but ONLY ME shows that Rhoda
still knows her way around a good country song.
still have plenty to interest diehard bluegrass fans while having cuts
that will maybe bring her to the attention of country music fans. In
fact, Rhonda’s solo career began when she was
the winner of “You Can Be A Star” on the Nashville Network in 1985, and
this led to performances with Opry star Jim Ed Brown and a brief
mainstream country recording stint on Giant Records. Since then, her
focus has been on her bluegrass roots, but ONLY ME shows that Rhoda
still knows her way around a good country song.
The six songs on disc two have a vibe that will appeal to fans who hanker for the kind of traditional country songs that are heard less often these days where country/pop is to the fore. There’s even a nod to Western Swing in the final track, “Drivin’ Nails,” a version that Ernest Tubb would approve of. If there’s any justice, radio programmers will listen to this album and find room on their playlists for at least one Rhonda Vincent cut.
Standout
tracks: On the Bluegrass disc: “I’d Rather Hear I Don’t Love You;” “”I
Need Somebody Bad Tonight.” On the Country disc: “Bright Lights and
Country Music;” “When The Grass Grows Over Me.”
tracks: On the Bluegrass disc: “I’d Rather Hear I Don’t Love You;” “”I
Need Somebody Bad Tonight.” On the Country disc: “Bright Lights and
Country Music;” “When The Grass Grows Over Me.”
Preshias Tomes Harris for Country Music News International