Customer Reviews

Homeward Looking Angel

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

 

 

During her early music career, Pam Tillis experimented with pop, rock, new wave, and even disco. Inevitably, she found her way back to her country roots (her father is country legend Mel Tillis) and created one of the best country debuts of the '90s with 1991's distinctive Put Yourself In My Place. This 1992 follow-up sounded just as confident and fresh, yet impressively offered a different sound, a rarity in the formulaic world of modern country music.

Tillis' high-pitched voice is an acquired taste worth acquiring. WIth repeated listening, her unique vocals become endearing and eventually bewitching. The quality of her songs (five of which Tillis co-wrote) is never in doubt: each of the enclosed tracks are original and entertaining. "Cleopatra, Queen Of Denial" is a clever play on words and is still about as fun as country music gets. The first single, "Shake The Sugar Tree" is almost as imaginative in its warm plea for more love. The ballads on Homeward Looking Angel may not be as infectious, put they provide quite a few poignant moments, particulary "Love Is Only Human," which effectively paired Tillis with Marty Roe of Diamond Rio, and the spinetingling "Let That Pony Run" (my all-time favorite Tillis recording).

Unstable romantic relationships are the predominant theme on this album. Yet each track offers a different take on this theme and, as in real life, provide varying resolutions.

As usual with the very talented Pam Tillis, this is a very good record (though not a recent one, 1992); fine songs chosen with love and care, this is an evidence, and first rate interpretation.

Track Listings:

1. How Gone To Goodbye
2. Shake The Sugar Tree
3. Do You Know Where Your Man Is
4. Cleopatra, Queen Of Denial
5. Love Is Only Human
6. Rough And Tumble Heart
7. Let That Pony Run
8. Fine, Fine, Very Fine Love
9. We've Tried Everything Else
10. Homeward Looking Angel

Pam Tillis comes out sparkling on her second CD release on Arista. "Cleopatra, Queen of Denial" starts off sounding like a Neil Sedaka tune, then the electric guitars kick in - a grand example of fine country-pop. "Do You Know Where Your Man Is" is a fine piece of traditional country music at its best, as is "Homeward Looking Angel." "Shake the Sugar Tree" and "Let That Pony Run," two of my favorites were both top ten hits written by Chapin Hartford and Gretchen Peters respectively. As a bonus, lyrics are included on the insert.

A few radio hits salvage an otherwise forgettable set of tunes on this release. The keepers include the spunky "Shake the Sugar Tree", the Tammy Wynette-ish ballad "Do You Know Where Your Man Is", the tongue-in-cheek "Cleopatra, Queen of Denial", & the ballad "Let That Pony Run". Most of the rest is just filler material, the worst being "Fine, Fine, Very Fine Love", & the duet with Diamond Rio's Marty Roe, "Love Is Only Human". If your looking for your first purchase, go with either "Sweetheart's Dance" or "Put Yourself in My Place".

HOMEWARD LOOKING ANGEL stumbles and falls flat. There are two "great" songs on this album; "Let The Pony Run" and "How Gone is Goodbye". There are three "good" songs; "Do You Know Where Your Man Is", "Shake The Sugar Tree" and "Homeward Looking Angel". And there is one just "okay" song; the jazzy "Cleopatra, Queen Of Denial". The rest of this album is totally forgettable, especially the truly awful "Fine, Fine, Very Fine Love" which is anything but fine. Best recommendation, use your CD burner to lift the good tracks an make them part of a "favorites compilation", then toss the original.