Customer Reviews

It's All Relative: Tillis Sings Tillis

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As one of country's first ladies to produce her own discs, Pamela Tillis stands tall among aging country stars' performing daughters such as Rosanne Cash, Carlene Carter (Cash's stepsister) and Lorrie Morgan. No one's better suited than Pam to do It's All Relative, a tribute to her famous singer/songwriter father Mel Tillis. Snug in her hillbilly crib (a guitar case on the floor), she was sometimes the first to hear his works in progress.

Mel's songs touch a lot of bases, as does his eldest daughter's delivery. "Mental Revenge" gets a slow, smoky blues groove (whereas Waylon Jennings charged through it on his 1967 rendition). Her playful western-style "I Ain't Never" contrasts to honky-tonk hit versions by Webb Pierce in 1959 and Mel himself in 1972 as well as the 1973 retro-rockabilly cover by John Fogerty (as The Blue Ridge Rangers). "So Wrong" recalls Patsy Cline's torch-and-twang 1962 rendition, while on "Detroit City," Pam's quiet moan "I want to go home" is one of most primal hooks in all of country music. With not a dud in sight, dad should be awfully proud.

Has it really been 15 plus years since Pam Tillis had her breakthrough hit Don't Tell Me What to Do? Much has happened since then, most of it good. Tillis has recorded quality material with several mega-hits that have established her as a great talent.

With the arrival of Faith, Shania, and Leanne Womack, Pam has been played less than in her glory days. This is due more to the vagaries of Nashville than any slippage in her talent level. Indeed, if anything, she is better now than in the past. Her voice still retains its distinctive resonance and her inflection and presentation of lyrics are better than ever.

This CD love letter to her father is a tour-de force! She is as good as she has ever been on this project. She takes each Tillis song, those that were hits for her father and those that hit for others and makes them her own. Listen to Heart Over Mind and you will get the idea...she creates a new tempo and in doing so, creates a totally unique version. Ditto Detroit City.

I don't know whether or not this CD will sell well or not...I can only say what OUGHT to happen. This OUGHT to be a BIG seller. Faith and Shania are talented ladies but this CD is much better than either of their latest efforts. Go Pam Tillis...you go girl!!!

Just got "It's All Relative" and it's wonderful. Every song on the album is hot. From "Mental Revenge" to "Detroit City" I found myself enjoying the full range of emotions. As a tribute album to Mel Tillis it's an eye opener about his music but even better it really showcases Pam Tillis -- she simply shines.

As I don't live in the USA (I live in South Africa) I am not familiar with the music of Mel Tillis. The music on this CD is all new to me with the exception of SO WRONG which is on a Patsy Cline CD of mine.
I have this CD for a few months now and bought other country CD's from Amazon since this one but if I catch myself I have Pam Tillis in my cd player again and again and again.
All the tracks are great and I recommend this CD to music lovers, those people who loves wonderful songs, great production and a stunning voice.

This CD is a true MASTERPIECE and I highly recommend it. From the opening twin fiddles of "Burning Memories" to the catchy ending, "Come On And Sing" (with her entire family pitching in on this one) every song is a winner, and this album should make it to alot of reviewers "Best of Year" lists. It is so good, I feel that it is worthy of a Grammy. She has an all-star lineup helping her out (Dolly Parton/Emmylou Harris/Tricia Yearwood/Rhonda Vincent/Marty Stuart/Ray Benson/The Jordanaires/Delbert McClinton/ and last, but not least, her family and dad, Mel)
There is a little of everything here- the slow songs are so good they make the hair stand up on your arms- some fun songs like "Unmitigated Gall" ( I call this one the "Queen Of Denial has come to her senses and booted the bum out" song) and some good old fashioned texas two step music-
how refreshing to actually hear country music on a country album!
I applaud Pam for putting out an album like this- especially in this day of record companie$"what have you done for me lately" attitude, and "country" radios preference to play "bubblegum-pop" music.
She has done her dad and country music proud, and this is a most welcome, refreshing, and excellent addition to anybodys CD collection!

I've always thought that Pam Tillis was one of the most versatile singers out there and this album again proves me right. She puts her own stamp on her fathers songs and yet lets the lyrics and melody shine through. This album is a great tribute to her father and I'm sure he couldn't be more proud.

When I carefully read the liner notes, just as I began to play the CD for the first time, I noted the presence of several famous guest stars, and became concerned that this was going to be a disappointment. Why? Because, when a star of Tillis' modest stature brings in lots of additional, big-name help, it's usually to bolster a weak project. I relaxed as I began to pay attention to the music itself. As it turns out, all Dolly, Emmylou, Trisha, Ray and Rhonda do here is add subtle flavorings to already strong performances. It speaks volumes about the integrity of Pam Tillis that the outside of this disc is not plastered with banners screaming the names of Parton, Harris and Yearwood, just to sell more copies. This production, although perhaps a bit too slick, is obviously a labor of love, is focused squarely on the significant legacy of its subject, Mel Tillis, who was a good singer, but an even better songwriter, and may also be his talented daughter's most solid album yet. So many country albums these days are loaded with filler to support one or two hit singles, but not so with IT'S ALL RELATIVE... and Tillis chose some lesser known M. T. songs to go along with the more familiar fare, making the proceedings less predictable than most projects of this type. My favorites are the opener, 'Burning Memories,' a smoldering rendition of 'So Wrong' (made famous by Patsy Cline), a sweet, mandolin-backed ballad, 'Violet And A Rose,' enhanced by the harmonizing of Dolly Parton, and the bluesy, rockin' 'Goodbye Wheeling.' Another surprising highlight is the personal touch Pam gives to 'Detroit City,' avoiding making it just another by-the-numbers cover (a wise choice, considering the many versions of this song that have been done). If Ms. Tillis had only recorded CLEOPATRA, QUEEN OF DENIAL, and nothing else, I would still remember her, but she has grown and evolved as a singer, and it's delightful to find her in such fine form here. If you like Pam Tillis, but have lost touch with her music in recent years, give this record a try. Major Fans, you have nothing to worry about: BUY IT!

Lucky Dog reverses their usual equation (matching outsider acts with mainstream producers) by combining a proven Nashville hitmaker with rootsy producer, Ray Benson (Asleep at the Wheel). Their meeting ground is the rich, decade-spanning songbook of the singer's father, Mel Tillis, with results that perfectly amplify the combination of songwriter and singer.

Pam Tillis has written, recorded, and produced her share of hits, but none with the emotional charge of tackling her father's songbook. The elder Tillis early success as a songwriter produced words that lend themselves to reinterpretation, and the younger Tillis, steeped in these works since childhood, makes the most of them. The twice successful "I Ain't Never" (a 1959 hit for Webb Pierce and a 1972 chart-topper for the songwriter) shows off Benson's swing influence, while the fiddle-and-steel driven, "Burning Memories" provides a brilliant Ray Price shuffle.

But it's the ballads, the homesick "Detroit City," the torchy Pasty Cline hit, "So Wrong" and the lost love of "Not Like It Was With You" that show off the depth of both Tillis' expressiveness. The album finds its emotional peak on the heart-wrenching, mandolin and autoharp-lined harmonies of "Violet and a Rose," with Dolly Parton helping wring every last tear out of the song that was Mel Tillis' first top-40 hit as a performer.

Paring down the songlist was clearly the most difficult part of this project, but the thirteen selections create a broad, heartfelt set. No more apt tribute could be made to Mel Tillis' remarkable career as a songwriter, and no other songs could have drawn such stirring, personal performances from Pam Tillis.

As one who recalls first-hand most of the original renditions of these Mel Tillis songs I vote Pam as "best remaker" of the year. WHAT A GREAT COLLECTION!!! Thank goodness REAL COUNTRY MUSIC still exists somewhere in Nashville!!!!!

Mel Tillis was a successful country singer, but some of his best known songs were hits for others, including Ruby don't take your love to town, the song which Kenny Rogers and the First Edition took high in the pop charts on both sides of the Atlantic. In paying tribute to her papa by recording some of Mel's songs, Pam omitted Ruby (understandably - it would have been difficult to adapt for a female singer) but she found plenty of other great songs to record.
The most famous song here is Detroit city. Originally an American country hit for Bobby Bare, it became an international pop hit for Tom Jones. My favorite version of this song is by Dolly Parton - it first appeared on her 1980 album 9 to 5 and odd jobs - but Pam's version is also brilliant.

Dolly herself joins Pam for an emotional cover of Violet and a rose - a song which was an American country hit for Wanda Jackson as well as for Mel himself.

Other celebrity guests include Ray Benson (of Asleep at the wheel) who was also the record producer, Emmylou, Delbert McClinton, Marty Stuart, Rhonda Vincent and Trisha Yearwood.

Of the other songs, I ain't never (Webb Pierce), So wrong (Patsy Cline, Honey open that door (a song I first heard on a Ricky Skaggs album), Mental revenge and Burning memories are perhaps the best known.

This is an exceptional album, the most traditional-sounding that Pam has ever recorded. Pam established her career via contemporary country, but this album shows where her roots are.