Good Thing Going

Rhonda Vincent | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (January 8, 2008)
• Original Release Date: 2008
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Rounder / Umgd
• ASIN: B000XPU62E
• Also Available in: MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (21 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #32,832 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com

Despite her seven consecutive IBMA "Female Vocalist of the Year" trophies, Rhonda Vincent continues to strive for growth. Good Thing Going, co-produced with her brother Darrin Vincent (of Dailey and Vincent) and features her crack band, the Rage, and the singer/mandolinist offers five original or co-written songs. Of those, the earnest wedding ballad "I Give All My Love to You" (rendered as a duet with Russell Moore of IIIrd Tyme Out) is bound to garner the most attention. But more interesting is "I’m Leavin’," a superficially sassy declaration of romantic discontent with a whistle-blowing fiddle underscoring Vincent’s threatened departure. She deftly varies her program with a jazzy swing number ("World’s Biggest Fool"), on which her band gets to solo with snappy instrumental breaks, and an especially hymn-like rendition of the traditional lament "The Water is Wide," featuring winsome vocals from country-pop darling Keith Urban, whose presence should garner her at least a cursory listen from beyond her bluegrass brethren. Still, Vincent knows where her Martha White biscuits are buttered, and her core audience will undoubtedly enjoy cover nods to both bluegrass kings Jim and Jesse ("Just One of a Kind") and the late Jimmy Martin ("Hit Parade of Love"), as well as her own fan salute, "Bluegrass Saturday Night." In recounting life on the road in this hard-charging bit of autobiography, Vincent takes her place alongside Flatt & Scruggs and all the resilient bluegrass greats who came before her. --Alanna Nash

Product Description

Blending soul, intensity, and tenderness, Rhonda Vincent's unique brand of bluegrass is rich in tradition while remaining unmistakeably modern. Among the most beloved figures in today's bluegrass scene, Vincent has earned an unprecedented seven consecutive Female Vocalist of the Year awards from the International Bluegrass Music Association, is a top concert and festival draw, and, with her road band The Rage supporting her, is one of the most dynamic and high-energy performers in any genre of music. Encompassing heartfelt ballads and hard-driving bluegrass, along with dashes of swing and country, Good Thing Going is her most varied, personal, and accomplished album to date. It is also her most joyously uplifting, from the celebratory, autobiographical title track to the touchingly heartfelt "I Give All My Love To You."

Special guests include Keith Urban, Jesse McReynolds, Russell Moore, Bryan Sutton, Becky Isaacs-Bowman, Stuart Duncan, Kathy Chiavola, Andy Hall, and more!

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Vincent has a "Good Thing Going" with new Disc, January 8, 2008

By 

Timothy Yap "thy4568" (Sydney, NSW, Australia) - See all my reviews
(TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Good Thing Going (Audio CD)

Prime Cuts: Water Is Wide (Duet with Keith Urban), I Give All My Love to You (Duet with Russell Moore) , I Will See You Again

Vincent with her array of sturdy bluegrass-tilted offerings has given vitality to this traditional genre. With "Good Thing Going" she sets herself out with another even loftier goal: bluegrass is not just your standard fare of picking-bowing-plucking-chopping exercise. Rather, bluegrass CDs can be rich with versatility encompassing a plethora of emotions from the brooding laments of heartbreak to the incessant ecstasy of burgeoning love and commitment. Backed by the Rage (Vincent's own road band), fiddle star Stuart Duncan and flat-picking guitar ace Bryan Sutton, this 12-song collection is impeccably well-played and the production (from brother Darrin Vincent) is state of the art. Also, this time Vincent does not just take the singing spotlight. Rather, her mandolin-picking expertise is on extravagant display. And so is her songwriting prowess, as the lady of bluegrass showcases 5 of her own solo compositions.

Most captivating about his set of recordings is when Vincent croons a ballad. Here the ballads are aplenty with "I Give All Love To You" being the prime. A gentle ode to the exultation of eternal love, this melodic ballad is sung as a duet with IIIrd Tyme's Russell Moore. Also interesting is Vincent's make-over of the Celtic chesnut "The Water is Wide." With its mournful fiddling, the gentle strumming of the guitar and country heartthrob Keith Urban's slightly husky duet vocals, "The Water is Wide" has been transformed into an exquisite affair that emanates from the recesses of the heart. Vincent takes a 180-degree lyrical turn with "I Will See You Again" a gentle pastoral homily of hope and love in the midst of death and despair that is done with sensitivity. Further, Vincent's angelic vocals elevates this ballad to a level of transcendence.

When Vincent does kick up the dust, she does it with class and finesse especially on her self-penned album opener "I'm Leaving." Similarly, listen for some fierce sounding fiddle and mandolin race to speedy perfection on the super faced paced "Hit Parade of Love." However, not everything works: besides the exquisite playing, there is nothing too earth shattering about the requisite heartbreak theme of "Who's Cryin' Baby." While the mid-tempo lament of faithless love "Scorn of a Lover" just does not capture the ache and pain as well as it could have been.

Overall, Vincent is still stalwart in putting new spins without falling into trappings often associated with a traditional genre like bluegrass music. Further, her choice of more ballads on this new disc has been most welcomed. It has introduced us to her softer side that might act as a bridge for those who are not fans of hardcore bluegrass. Some of these ballads verge so close to country that they may also work on country radio. In short, with this new effort Vincent has a good thing going for her.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Another excellent disc!, January 27, 2008

By 

K. Stuckey "kateling" (Port Huron, MI USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Good Thing Going (Audio CD)

I have been a Rhonda Vincent fan for a few years , I have even met her a couple of times now and her new music never disappoints. This CD is great from front to back and sideways. I have always been partial to songs about getting out of here, so "I'm Leavin'" is kind of my favorite, along with "Water is Wide" (featuring Keith Urban), it is so beautiful and haunting. "Just One of a Kind" has a great groove. "I Gotta Start Somewhere" is another melancoly song about trying to forget someone. There are some great upbeat songs too, like "Hit Parade of Love" and "Who's Cryin' Baby". "Bluegrass Saturday Night" is a self portrait and a lot of fun. Rhonda Vincent's vocals soar and the Ragers play hard on this record. This batch of songs are especially great because they are so relatable to everyday life.

6 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Continuing to evolve, January 11, 2008

By 

James W. Durney (Tampa Bay area) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (TOP 500 REVIEWER)   

This review is from: Good Thing Going (Audio CD)

Rhonda Vincent refuses to be pigeon holed by releasing Bluegrass or Country CDs. She gives us a lively mix, heavy on Bluegrass with elements of Nashville Country, resulting in a sound that has a real appeal to both groups. Good Thing Going is a pleasing mix of songs showcasing her considerable talent. The listener is never allowed to get complacent with a quick changes in pace from I Gotta Start Somewhere to Who's Crying Baby or the excellent lyrics of World's Biggest Fool. Bluegrass Saturday Night is a joy and wraps the sessions with great fun and a sold nod to her history.
This is an excellent CD and well worth buying.