Customer Reviews

Fearless

5 star:		(48)
4 star:		(9)
3 star:		(5)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

After a long 2 year wait, new music has finally arrived from Terri Clark.The old cliche', "definitely worth the wait" comes to mind. From the very first track titled "No Fear", Terri takes you on a journey into new territory...music focused more on her voice than that of the surrounding instruments. It is truly refreshing to hear, in this day-and-age of drowned out vocals. To really have an appreciation of her voice, just listen to her in my two favorites, "Take My Time" and "Empty". There is such an expression of emotion in these two, that if you do not feel something, you may need to check and see if your heart is still beating. Ahh, but so as not to keep you at a low point for long, she then changes gears and hits you with the upbeat tune of "Getting There." Continued stops on the CD bring you to such seemingly personal songs as "Last Thing I Wanted" and "To Tell You Everything." Throughout the course of the CD, she continues to ravish your emotional senses with the beauty of her voice and the thought-provoking lyrics. This is a CD I am very proud to say that I have added to my collection. If you have even contemplated the purchase of this CD, don't miss out on a more SOULFUL Terri!!

This ain't your old "Terri Clark"! Forget about "Just The Same" and even "How I Feel". If you like Folk or Americana type of music, put "Fearless" in your collection. Fans of Terri's older stuff may be a bit shell-shocked when they hear it for the first time. However, I think Terri may just win over some more "folksy" fans with this one. The best song on the CD,"No Fear", co-written by Mary-Chapin Carpenter, kicks thing off. It'll be stuck in your hear the rest of the day if you're not carefu! There are some throw-away , mandatory radio singles on here like "A Little Gasoline" and "Sometimes Goodbye" but Terri's at her best with Emmylou Harris on "Easy From Now On" and covering Jann Arden's "Good Mother." Will there be huge radio play from this CD? I don't think so. But give the girl her guitar and let her play on because "Fearless" is Terri's best CD by far!

I admit that I am already a fan of Terri Clark, so I bought "Fearless" on release date, but I absolutely can not stop playing this disc. It is a combination of vintage Terri at her best, plus exciting new elements and influences with Mary Chapin Carpenter, Kim Richey, Gary Burr, and Beth Neilsen Chapman co-writes thrown in. Terri is in amazing voice with varied and exciting musical arrangements throughout. Even Emmylou Harris kicks in with a background vocal appearance.

By the way, have I said yet that I absolutely love this CD from start to finish. If you are a Terri fan you can only be very excited at this qunatuum leap, and if not yet a fan you will be if you give this one a try.

Buy "Fearless" and wear it out! Attention Mary Chapin Carpenter fans....a no brainer purchase for you. How about some Tom Petty and Neil Young sounding influences thrown in as well, and of course the culmination of Terri Clarks formidable talent is strongly evident here. This disc is a must for your music library, an opportunity to catch a terrific artist in peak form. Congratulations Terri..... May the awards shower upon you for "Fearless"!

I don't have enough good things to say about this C.D. other than that I have proably over-listened to it. In truth, it really fits into its own genre. It isn't overly poppy and laced with obnoxious background vocals and annoying harmonies, yet it isn't twangy and George-Straitish like her previous work. It's cool and hip; and the songs are arranged well enough to prevent the album from becoming tedious. Some of the songs have very inspiring lyrics, but what is important about this album is the unique tambour of Terri's voice and the music itself. You can tell that the woman behind all of this has quite a sharp mind.

Terri's fourth album is very different from her preceeding three Mercury releases. some reviewers say it's too "folk-ish." well, that was the sound she was looking for. Inspired by many of her co-writers (Mary Chapin Carpenter & Kim Richey), she made a body of work that stands out from this year's releases. let's face it. everything released in country music today is contrived, over produced, and too slick to be heartfelt. yes, at times, the sparse production can distract from the songs, but at the same time, you get to hear the song in its beginning stages, when no producer has tampered with it, radio has adjusted it, and singers over singing it. Terri wants to be a singer/songwriter. That means that the twangy, play on words hits such as "Better Things To Do" and "Easy On The Eyes" are probably gone for good. you can't rehash every song you've done before just because once it proves successful. the fact that Terri knows and does just the opposite wins her my vote.

as for the songs themselves, "No Fear" and "Getting There" are standout tracks, but the beautiful "Good Mother" steals the spotlight. Terri's vocal performance is not bombastic as it used to be, taking on a soft, more intimate quality. and that's how i can sum up this entire album--intimate. fans of Mary Chapin Carpenter and Kim Richey will immediately take to this album. to her old fans, though, she may ruffle a few feathers. but an artist always changes and common logic says admirers will too. this is one step closer for Terri to becoming the singer/songwriter she wants to be, and i for one applaud her effort. she may lose her old fans, but i'm betting she'll gain newfound support and respect.

here's to a right left curve!!!!!

this is terri clarks best cd. it is sadly her worst selling. i have all of her cd's and this one is the only one that i can listen to over and over again and again. from the opening track to the closing track the songs are magnifiscent. i can't wait to see what terri will releash in the future

This album was sorely overlooked by critics and country radio. The album got some press here in Canada, and had a few hits, but didn't even make the slightest of a mark in the US. Which is a shame, because FEARLESS is her most mature effort in her career so far. The songwriting is personal and endearing, the music is great. She actually worked with Mary Chapin Carpenter on a few songs, and throws in a few covers. She covers the classic Emmylou Harris song "Easy From Now On" (which Emmylou sings backing vocals on) and also does a very stripped back acoustic version of Jann Arden's hit "Good Mother" (which has Jann on background/harmony vocals). The album had a few singles: "A Little Gasoline", "No Fear", "Empty" and "Getting There". "No Fear" was the biggest hit, a song she used as the theme for the Special Olympics in Canada. "Empty" is a very bare and acoustic ballad that is beautiful, and "Getting There" has a lot of humor and truthness to it. Perhaps, to me at least, the most poignant song is "Midnight's Gone", a song about feeling trapped and held back in a small town even though you have these dreams. "Sometimes Goodbye" is another favorite, great lyrics and message, and it could have been a great single. The album is very sparse in its arrangements, very laid back and acoustic for the most part. Other highlights include "The Real Thing", "Take My Time" and more.

People are saying that Terri has changed. "Forget about the old Terri. She's not around anymore". Wrong! Terri is still very much full of life and the neo-contemporary country vibe. She still has that in-your-face attitude she portrayed in "Better Things To Do" and "Easy On The Eyes". Clark has in no way changed, but she's reached a huge growing point that every artist does. Fearless is in my opinion the best album she's put out. With soft harmony from the emotional "Empty" to the get out of my way I'm leaving with "A Little Gasoline". She'll warm you up with "Gettin There", then calm you down with "Good Mother". 12 singles of astonished enjoyment!

I've been a fan of Terri's since "Better Things To Do." As she has grown musically, I have grown emotionally. Her music captivates the heart and before you know it, you're playing the CD over and over. She is truly one of the rare true talents in the country business who is definietly overlooked. She deserves to be at number one. All the songs on this CD have a great meaning, especially "No Fear," "Empty," "To Tell You Everything," etc. I am blown away by her ability to write, sing and perform. This is one CD you're gonna want to own.

There isn't a song that I didn't enjoy listening to on this CD. The whole CD shows the depth that Terri has within her and is willing to share with her audience. She really has a way of touching me with her music and I feel a real connection to her. Terrific CD Terri! And reading what you wanted to achieve, I feel you did that!