Customer Reviews

Forgive

5 star:		(24)
4 star:		(7)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I purchased Rebecca Lynn Howard's sophomore release based on the fact that I loved the song "Forgive." I had never even heard of her prior to listening to that song. It's honestly one of the best albums I've bought recently. There's not a song on here I don't enjoy, which is rare, because there's usually at least one song on an album I don't like. Rebecca has a very powerful voice that shines on songs like "Memorized," "This Love" and the title track. She also co-wrote seven of the songs on here, which always make me appreciate a singer's work more.

Fantastic harmonies, lovely melodies and fun, toe-tapping songs make "Forgive" a must have album for country fans! Below is a brief summary of each song on the CD.

1. "Beautiful To You"- An upbeat song about a girl saying she's happy as can be since she is beautiful to her boyfriend.

2. "Dancin' in God's Country"- A pure country tune!

3. "It Didn't Look Like Alcohol"- A song about a man struggling with his life.

4. "Life Had Other Plans"- A song about plans not happening and then realizing that maybe life has other ideas for you.

5. "Forgive"- Rebecca's first hit single about a woman's husband admitting that he's been cheating and him asking for her forgiveness. Faith Hill was supposed to record this song.

6. "It's My Job To Fall"- A beautiful song about being there for someone who's had somebody walk out on them.

7. "Jesus and Bartenders"- An amusing song about a similarity that Jesus and bartenders share ("They hear things that men don't tell their wives/Sinful secrets whiskey brings to light/One man offers comfort from the cross/The other only comfort on the rocks").

8. "This Love"- A gorgeous ballad about being in a perfect, fairy tale-like relationship.

9. "When Did You Ever Listen To Me"- A song about a woman saying she's planning on leaving her man because he has never listened to her.

10. "Memorized"- A melancholy song about a lost love and how she's memorized everything about him.

11. "Pink Flamingo Kind of Love"- A fun, lighthearted tune about a simple life.

12. "Softly and Tenderly"- A traditional religious song. Very pretty!

After overcoming what seems like insurmountable odds, Rebecca Lynn Howard has 'made it'. Her new CD shows her vocal chops, alongside her already well-established writing skills.

The songs on this CD range from the fun, pop-oriented "Beautiful to You" to the powerful first single "Forgive" and the award-winning gospel "Soft and Tenderly". Also "It Didn't Look like Alcohol" is a powerful song about one man's battle with the bottle; "Life Had Other Plans For Me" is a positive song about how everything happens for a reason, even if it doesn't make sense at the time; "Pink Flamingo Kind of Love" is an upbeat song about not having a lot of money, but being rich in another way. My favorite song is the toe-tappin' ode to small town life "Dancin' in God's Country", she throws in a couple of great Bob Wills-esque 'a-ha's.

Skip Shania, forget Faith, reach for Rebecca Lynn Howard's CD in the store!

Rebecca Lynn Howard returns with her sophomore effort FORGIVE which is a unique blend of traditional country mixed with contemporary country. The title track and first single is one of the summer's hottest ballads in country music, showing her range, a song about discovering a lovers betrayal and trying to cope with the pain. "Beautiful To You" opens up the album, a good uptempo number with cool instrumentation, a song about feeling beautiful because you're loved. "It's My Job To Fall" is a definate highlight on this CD, a beautiful ballad. Same goes for the strong ballad "Memorized" about a lost love, but still remembering everything because it was memorized. "This Love" sports some great vocals, and "Pink Flamingo Kind of Love" is a fun upbeat number with catchy lyrics and a killer backing track. Other highlights include the traditional "Jesus and Bartenders", the ballad "When Did You Ever Listen To me" and the closing "Softly and Tenderly". Overall this is a well rounded effort that deserves more than a few listens.

I took my wife and parents to the Grand Ole Opry in October 2003, just after this album was released. RLH sang two songs, a funny one about breaking up with a boyfried and "Forgive". When she belted out that ballad, I turned to my wife and said, "She's gonna be a huge star one day." After the show, of course, we stopped in the gift shop and grabbed the CD. Good stuff.

Rebecca Lynn Howard's self-titled debut CD was stunning. It was obvious then how talented this young lady is. She writes and she can sing as well as anyone. She has Martina-like pipes and uses them well. Rebecca wrote or co-wrote 7/12 songs on her second album "Forgive". Rebecca scores again and proves to us that she's still that same talented woman that she was with her debut album. The title track is going up the charts right now and it's a winner. A song about infidelity and the feelings of anger and sadness and confusion that go along with it. There is a little something for everyone on this album...as Rebecca's style has a very wide range. "Beautiful To You"-the opening track is very pop sounding, but a great tune indeed. But the very next track "Dancin' In God's Country" is as country as it gets. It's nice that Rebecca is not ashamed to show her true country roots. Another standout on the album is "This Love". The song could have been just another generic love song, but this one offers something more. The arrangement and instruments are stunning on this song. "When Did You Ever Listen To Me" shows Rebecca with attitude, and rightly so. You won't be able to help yourself...this song will get you singing along. "Memorized" is another beautiful ballad and is a song about lost love. It's very sad, but Rebecca keeps it fresh. The album closes with "Softly and Tenderly", the song she contributed to "The Apostle" soundtrack. She does it complete justice and it's amazing to hear her sing this song. This is a great effort from Rebecca. There are many likeable tunes on this album. Yet, some can become forgettable. But we can "forgive" her for that. If this is a sign of what is to come from Rebecca, then we're in for a real treat. If you like hard-core country or country-pop, you'll like this album. And that's pretty rare for an album that can appeal to both audiences.

The range of material on this album (excuse me, CD..I am showing my age)makes it almost impossible for every song to appeal to everyone. There are a few that would be surely considered album fodder or filler for the live shows, but there are about a half dozen which make this a CD worth having in your collection.
The title song is one you probably know from the video, and Howard sells it with a range that by the end of the CD you will appreciate as able to carry her through almost any type of material or arrangement. The standout to me was "Jesus and Bartenders", one of the few tracks she did not write or co-write, but one which she certainly make her own. It is as close to a "classic" country song as you will find here, from the "nit-nit-nee" fiddles to the lyrical twist that would surely make one of Walt Garrison's famous lists of great country lyrics. The other strong country song which stands out once again makes a visit to the barroom , although in the end "It doesn't look like alcohol", because the tormented principal character sung about by the "observer" Howard is only drinking water to drown his sorrows.

A couple of more pop-oriented tunes also stand out. The very uptempo "Pink Flamingo Kind of Love" and the ballad "It's my job to fall" again written by Leslie Satcher, who also co-wrote "Jesus and Bartenders", but is far more removed from traditional country on this selection.

In the grand tradition of country music, the album ends with a hymn. Howard's interpretation of "Softly and Tenderly" makes you want to head right to choir practice and see if anyone there could possibly do such justice to this beautiful song.

A great promise for the future, with a little room for improvement in the selection of material for future releases. Hopefully, Howard will include more work of other songwriter's in her future CD's. If she does, she will most certainly put her stamp on them as "her" songs.

I bought this CD for the song "Forgive", as many people have, but was really surprised that the rest of the CD is just as good. This is one of my favorite CD's. She has an amazing voice, and it is truly a shame that some of the other songs were either not released or just didn't make it on the radio. I think that she has tremendous potential with that voice and these kind of songs.

This album sounds great...the song choices are good, background music is awesome, lyrics are cool, and Rebecca's voice is good. I was not disappointed with this album and I listened to some of the songs many times over. Life Had other plans for me and Forigve are my two fav. songs...absolutely beautiful! Great album! Highly recommended. Some of the songs are a little Redneck...but I am a Redneck, so I enjoy them. Even if you aren't a Redneck, you'll still like at least a few of the songs (or at least you should). Good album.

Rebecca Lynn Howard with her smash chart topping singles for the last 7 years. One of these chart topping songs titled: "A Pink Flamingo kind of Love" and all her other chart topping hits will not only transform the GAC Network but will make GAC Nights a overnight sensation of all time.

Rebecca Lynn Howard is referred to as the next and greatest country music legend of all time. The girl from Kentucky that is the best that anyone can be...............

Some folks know me from GAB or as the head of the Special Applications Group at Groove Tubes. I tend to look at recordings from a technical standpoint.

Rebecca is a first rate singer and writer. This particular CD has no particular basic theme, but is a compilation showing her very wide range and style. She is a master song writer. She takes life's daily events and transposes them into works of composition that rise above many of the more simplistic offerings so common today.

The guitars ... the chops are there, there are a lot of great Nashville players.

This gal has all the right pieces in her inventory. Keep an eye on her in 2004 and beyond.

Myles S. Rose