Customer Reviews

Back to the Grindstone

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By the time the 1990's rolled around, Ronnie Milsap had already recorded a series of impressive 80's albums that pushed beyond the boundaries of pure country music with tracks that ranged from pop, R&B, rock, and 1950's doo wop. After proving he could sing pure country as well as ever with the successful 1989 effort "Stranger things have happened", Ronnie kicked off the 90's with the most adventurous album of his career, Back to the Grindstone.

Any music fan who thinks Ronnie Milsap is limited to only country songs needs to be enlightened with a copy of this CD! This has to be among the most daring albums ever recorded by a country artist as there is hardly a trace of real country music to be found here at all!! You get the feeling that Milsap is really making a statement with this album by proving he can deliver gritty soul music {or literally any style of music} just as convincingly as he can country. Ronnie's potent skills as an R&B vocalist are fully displayed on this amazing CD, and his powerful singing is top-notch throughout this set of songs!

"Spare the Rod {Love the Child}" is an R&B tune performed with the Boys Choir of Harlem that could've fit easily on Janet Jackson's Rhythm Nation album! This is clearly a song that no other country artist but Ronnie Milsap could pull off, or would even dare attempt! "Love Certified" is a tour de force duet with R&B singer Patti Labelle that proves Milsap is truly an R&B vocalist of the highest calibre! Ronnie remarkably belts this song out with as much power and soul as Labelle does, and the two of them simply sing their butts off in this powerhouse performance. Again, this is another song that simply defies what a country singer should be able to do.

"Since I don't have you" is a superb return to the 1950's doo-wop sound that Ronnie first explored on "Lost in the 50's tonight". Milsap is one of those great singers who can take a famous song and actually improve upon the original version. This song is a perfect example. Ronnie sings his heart out over a vibrant musical arrangement of this pop classic. "Are you lovin' me like I'm lovin you" was a more modern sounding top five hit that was one of Ronnie's best singles of the period, but the weakest track here is the top ten hit "Turn that radio on". This is the kind of lightweight, radio-friendly single that often kept Ronnie on the charts, but failed to display the powerhouse vocal talent that is evident on the other tracks of this CD. "When the hurt comes down" is a nice country ballad that would've been a better choice as a single, but it was never released.

"Old Habits are Hard to Break" is a gutsy John Hiatt song that is a powerful fusion of rock and blues that Ronnie tackles with a truly commanding vocal performance! His mighty voice roars with grit and soul, and it is clearly one of the most dynamic songs he has ever attempted. The title track, "Back to the Grindstone", is another dynamic rocker that Ronnie also belts out with his powerful set of pipes...indeed one of the most powerful and underappreciated set of pipes in all of American music.

With the country-rocker "All is fair in love and war" that features rock guitarist Mark Knopfler, Ronnie earned his final hit single in 1992 before being kicked off country radio the very next year. Although this album spawned four top ten hits, Back to the Grindstone had the misfortune of being released just as Nashville's new young stars were taking over the country music scene, and it would be Milsap's last hit album before fading from popularity in the mid-90's.

It is interesting to think how far this album could've gone if promoted to rock or R&B radio when it came out in 1991. Perhaps Ronnie's career would have taken a positive change of direction into the pop/R&B market. Instead, Ronnie would release another excellent and diverse album titled "True Believer" that would sadly fail to make an impact on the charts.

I am very satisfied with my purchase of Ronnie Milsap - Back To The Grindstone. This cd really shows how much Ronnie has grown from the beginning until now. My favorite is "Are You Loving Me Like I'm Loving You."

Because it was a used cd, I was very pleased with the quality of each song. Every song was in high quality and played perfectly. The Price was well worth it! I would buy from this seller again!

Thank you.

This CD contains the old hit "Since I Don't Have You". I think it was first released by the Skylighters and then Don McLean did a version of it which was great, but Ronnie makes any song his own and this one is no exception. This is the classic tears in your beers country with some uplifting songs such as "Spare the Rod (Love the Child)" and "Turn That Radio On". There is also a great duet with Patti LaBelle, a rather unlikely pairing, but it works great! Another excellent CD by Ronnie Milsap!

I lost my copy so I hoped I could find another one on amazon. I got the cd faster than expected. It sounds great. I would do business with this seller again.

Ronnie Milsap's catalog is very diverse, but to an extent most people wouldn't expect. "Since I Don't Have You" was a Top 20 Pop hit for the Skyliners in th 1950s. There have since been many versions, but Milsap has the best; ironically, it didn't even make the Bubbling Under Hot 100, but went #6 on Billboard Country & #25 on Adult Contemporary (his last appearance on the latter). (It also appeared on 40 #1s, so it must've topped another trade chart.) The title track is a little autobiographical, as the lyrics describe bits of Milsap's life pretty well; he DID have a 'fascination for music' and 'listened to radio and records'. "Are You Lovin' Me Like I'm Lovin' You" (A-Side of last mentioned song, along with "All Is Fair In Love And War" also being it) & "Turn That Radio On" are of different styles, yet both made the country top 5. "When The Hurt Comes Down", the future flipside of "L.A. To The Moon" (not on here; Cory B. failed to mention it), is a standout here, as this has a bit of country. "Old Habits Are Hard To Break" was the flipside of "Turn That Radio On", but there was nothing 'country' about it, other than maybe a harmonica. Title proves a point. Cory B. mysteriously didn't talk about "I Ain't Gonna Cry No More", the flipside of "Since I Don't Have You". It was great too. Two songs are unusual, however. Milsap decided to duet with Patti LaBelle on "Love Certified", which was Contemporary R&B and Pop. Ronnie doesn't need to keep up with her, in fact he's far ahead; if anything, SHE is the one who has to catch up with him! Point is, though, Ronnie can duet with anyone regardless of genre or style. (If only he'll do an official duet with Dolly Parton; overdue!) "Spare The Rod" is, to date, the only New Jack Swing recording Milsap has ever done, and it also includes the Boys Choir of Harlem. Not his best, but proves he can do NJS better than Teddy Riley, Janet Jackson, or even her brother Michael on his Dangerous album! Ronnie's last significant hit, "All Is Fair In Love And War", is pretty nice as well. A must-buy for those who favor the R&B side of Ronnie! Also, this album should be reissued with "L.A. To The Moon" & "Quicksand" as a bonus track!

This is a good album by Ronnie Milsap. The first four tracks are his best. They include the following: "Since I Don't Have You." This is a great remake from the '50's. Ronnie is at his pure smooth style on this one. The second track is "All Is Fair And Love And War." I really liked this one. This brings out Ronnie's country rockin. The third track is "Are You Lovin Me Like I'm Lovin You." This is one of the songs that led me into country music. This is a very catchy tune. It is left off of any of his greatest hits or essentials which is puzzling. It was great for radio and beyond. The fourth is "When The Hurt Comes Down." Another good one that fits Ronnie's style. The fifth is "Back To The Grindstone." This one is okay. I will probably come back to it but it doesn't grip like the first four. The sixth is "Spare The Rod(Love The Child)." This is my least favorite on here. I am surprised that Ronnie would record such a controversial song. The tune isn't even catchy. If you listen to Montgomery Gentry in their "YOU DO YOUR THING" song, you will find that their song is complete opposite in values to this song. Enough said on this subject. One can obviously see where I stand on this subject. Needless to say there are alot of country folk who don't believe in sparing the rod. The seventh is "Love Certified." Again no catchy tune here. Not much substance to this song either. The eighth is "Turn That Radio On." Now I liked this one and disagree that this diminshes Ronnie's vocal capabilities as one reviewer put it. This was good for radio and beyond. The ninth is "Old Habits Are Hard to Break." I was kind of disappointed on this one as it just didn't go anywhere. The final one is "I Ain't Gonna Cry No More." This is a decent song. I can come back to this one. This is typical Ronnie Milsap style at his best.

Over all I would rate it 3.5 stars. I just couldn't quite give it 4. If that Spare the Rod song wasn't on there then it would definitely be at least a 4.

I first heard this album years ago, and was touched by the lyrics, etc.