Customer Reviews

Kellie Pickler

5 star:		(34)
4 star:		(9)
3 star:		(5)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(5)

 

 

We all know Small Town Girl was a great album. Almost everyone really enjoyed it. Now, with more time in her hands, Kellie just created an album that blew me away. You have everything here. Country ballads, country rock, country pop and even a bit of pop rock!!!

Every single song can be a future single.

Best Days Of Your Life is absolutely incredible and One Last Time will definitely bring tears to your eyes: it's this album's "I Wonder", even though it deals with a different subject.

I also love Rocks Instead of Rice, it's REALLY funny. hahaha

Kelile's vocals sound more powerful and ethereal than on her first effort, and the lyrics are more mature.

I wasn't expecting such a perfectly produced and put together CD.

I'm dead serious: BUY IT NOW!

More traditional country music seems to be on the upswing as of late, and I have to give a very big, very thankful shout-out to American Idol, for introducing all of us to Kellie Pickler. Staying true to her fans and the music near and dear to her heart, Kellie rockets onto the scene with the disc bearing her name, and she establishes herself as a possible future player in any radio-friendly marketplace. This is one GREAT spin!

Arguably, other (pop)country singers (Shania, Martina McBride, etc.) would've pushed for some of these songs to sound larger than what they are, with more instrumental or a large orchestra backing, but, thankfully, Pickler -- on just her second CD -- justs lets the music be the music. Her voice sounds beautiful tagging along for this wonderful ride. She sounds more & more like the girl-next-door who deserves to be that and so much more. (NOTE: my notes are on the 'Deluxe Edition' I purchased from iTunes ... and I strongly recommend you get your hands on that version no matter where you can buy it!)

Happy (3/5): A song too melancholy to ever be perfectly 'happy.' Great sentiments, just doesn't sound all that happy.

Don't Close Your Eyes: (5/5) a perfectly traditional Country/Western ballad that brings Kellie's subdued voice brilliantly to the front in a big Country way. A musical wish to rediscover love with your lover.

Anything But Me (4/5): a great toe-tapper celebrating the self despite a title that says it's not.

Going Out of Style (5/5!!!!!!): the kind of stuff that country-crossover artists used to flood the pop airwaves with, this track would be a great introduction to Pickler for those in the audience who've never heard her before. Fun, frollicky, feel-good, and fashionable -- backed with blaring horns -- with terrific musical surprise. A girl on the town having fun with her soundtrack in tow. SEX AND THE CITY if the city is Nashville. Could be a sleeper hit for either country or pop stations.

Makin' Me Fall In Love Again (3/5): twangy voice with twangier guitars spin a contemporary pop/country ballad of love-and-more-love. It's the kind of tune I could take or leave.

Somebody To Love Me (5/5!!!!!!): another pitch perfect performance from a voice that God made to sing big, big, and bigger Country ballads as Pickler sings about the human desire/need/want to save someone special in life. The song just cries out for a music video, complete with weeping violins.

Best Days of Your Life (5/5): a big-sounding, driving track about realizing you've lost the best you've had once its too late to get it back. It's the kind of song cowgirls will drive the neighborhood blaring out their radio. Another strong potential for pop-country crossover.

One Last TIme (5/5!!!!!!): Another magical ballad meditating on the redemptive effects of having 'one last time' with a soulmate. Elegant in its simplicity but absolutely beautiful in execution. A real tearjerker in the best possible way. This is probably my favorite track on the disc.

Lucky Girl (3/5): another take-it-or-leave-it song. Sounds a little like a Gretchen Wilson bad-girl tune. I'll leave it for others.

Don't You Know How Much I Loved You (4/5) RAdio-friendly and middle-o-the-road country. One of the stronger tracks here, but not nearly as memorable (or powerful) as the ballads.

Rocks Instead of Rice (4/5): standard Country-issue female empowerment "cheatin' men suck" tune with plenty of sing-a-long 'na-nas' thrown in for the crowd's good measure. Spare the marriage, spoil the bride. Jerry Springer, look out!

I'm Your Woman (3/5): more of a contemporary female empowerment tune. Fun, but that's about all it has going for it.

Don't You Know You're Beautiful (4/5): Probably the best "celebrate womanhood" track on the disc. Reminds me of stuff Martina McBride gets terrific mileage out of, deservedly so. Sing it, Kellie!

"If the three of us were on Jerry Springer, I'd be pulling her hair

And I'd kick that lying sack of shoulda-known-better in the you-know-where"

(lyrics from "Rocks Instead of Rice")

This is a solid second album from Kellie Pickler, the sixth place finisher on American Idol Season Five. The track list points the way to a very personal album which explores the time-honored country theme of broken hearts.

The songs to watch are "Best Days of Your Life", "Rocks Instead of Rice", "Makin' Me Fall in Love Again", "Don't You Know You're Beautiful" and "Lucky Girl". This album also firmly establishes Pickler as a songwriter, especially on the humorous songs, and she is credited on five of the ten tracks.

First single "Don't You Know You're Beautiful" is a song with a positive message, advising women to accept themselves for who they are, instead of comparing themselves to others and putting themselves down. Then comes "I'm Your Woman", a personal shout-out by a confident woman, and a nice upbeat song.

"Didn't You Know How Much I Loved You" is a classic break-up song with plenty of hurtin' (re-recorded version from Small Town Girl), and "Lucky Girl" expands on the same theme.

"Did you tell her she's your second choice

'cause I wouldn't be your little toy"

"One Last Time" is a slow ballad which starts off like "Total Eclipse of the Heart", and once again, it's about breaking up, and then comes the upbeat "Best Days of Your Life" (co-written by Pickler and Taylor Swift), which is about ..... you guessed it!

"Somebody to Love Me" deals with loneliness, and then unexpectedly the mood changes with the bouncy "Makin' Me Fall in Love Again" about a new beginning. The album closes with a humorous ode to a shop-a-holic in "Going Out in Style" where she sings:

"Don't be sad or broken hearted

Spread my ashes in the shoe department"

Recommended for any American Idol or Country Music Fan on your list.

Amanda Richards, October 22, 2008

Kellie Pickler calls her second album simply "Kellie Pickler." That's appropriate because the songs reflect more of her unique outlook and larger-than-life personality.

At the same time, the album fuses two years of musical maturity -- hundreds of concerts and sessions with Nashville's best song writers -- with the work of a hand-picked producer who brings out Kellie's best.

All this adds up to a rich, well-rounded album that gives us more insight into Kellie Pickler than ever before.

I love all the tracks, but my personal favorites are:

"Best Days of Your Life" -- Kellie lets an ex-boyfriend know he peaked when he dated her. Co-written with Taylor Swift, who sings background vocals, this tune shows breakout potential.

"One Last Time" -- One of three great ballads on the album. A relationship is too draining to continue, but a last spark of desire remains.

"Lucky Girl" -- Smokin' hot and perfectly arranged. From now on, when you hear "sexy country siren," this is the song you'll hear in your head.

"Going Out In Style" -- An over-the-top, tongue-in-cheek intro kicks off this lively, humorous tribute to excessive consumption.

This CD is sooo good. I just love it. I bought the deluxe edition and it is worth it. "Happy" is a great song.

Some of the songs are cute and funny..."Rocks instead of rice". Kellie has a great voice...she can belt the songs out. She is very talented. I am very impressed with her.

Just got my very own copy of Kellie's sophomore album and it's really great. No "sophomore curse" here. She's well on her way to country superstardom. I like this one better than the first album. The CD photography is tops, too! What a beautiful person.

Congratulations, Kellie!

America's Small town girl is back y'all. But now she's not a small town girl, she's a big city woman. "Kellie Pickler" is coming out with some country anthems.

The first track, is the contagiant and happy "Dont you know you're Beautiful", which is a powerful track talking about love yourself and give attention to your voice within.

It's the fist single and it brought kellie singing like never before.

The second single is gonna be "Best days of your life", co-wrote by Kellie, with Taylor Swift who made the backing vocals too.

It's another powerful uptime song, talking about a cheater boyfriend kellie had.

The CD has 10 songs, and the Deluxe version has a DVD with a video with some extras.

All of the songs were well produced and brought kellie's best vocals on it!

The CD has uptime, midtime and some ballads, like One Last Time, a track kellie co-wrote with Kyle Jacob, her boyfriend, who co-wrote "More than a memory" for Garth Brooks,

the song talks about a person who loves another one and she doesnt wanna leave the person.

Somebody to love me is another ballad which talks about a single person who wants to have somebody to love him/her.

The Album is the best country album of the year!

Kellie grew a lot and her music grew up with her!

This is a fun country album. I really like Pickler's voice, it is distinct and fun. The music is all arranged really well. I am glad that Pickler got to make this. Good for her!

I'm a huge fan of Kellie and I would never imagine that her sophomore album would be better than small town girl. The songs are brilliant and there's not a bad song at all, here's my track-by-track review:

Don't You Know You're Beautiful (3.5/5): A great song which shows that everyone is beautiful as the way they are. Not the best, but the more I listen to it, the more I like it.

I'm Your Woman (4/5): It's so fun to listen to. I just can't stop listening to this song.

Rocks Instead of Rice (5/5): Brilliant lyrics, sounds and voice. It's one of the best songs off the album, and it will probably be a huge success.

Didn't You Know How Much I Loved You (3/5): It's better than the original, but I really don't see why they re-recorded it. DYKHMILV wasn't my favorite song in STG, and it isn't in this one. But what the song was produced brilliantly and Kellie's voice is way better than the first version.

Lucky Girl (5/5): I love this song and it was produced brilliantly. I don't even have words to describe how much I like this song.

One Last Time (4.5/5): Beautiful song, but not my favorite. I don't really like ballads.

Best Days of Your Life (5/5): It will be a huge hit. Taylor and Kellie do the best when they are together. Hope there will be a Radio Edit with Swift singing more than she did in this song.

Somebody to Love Me (3/5): Don't like ballads, but the song does the best when it shows the message.

Makin' Me Fall in Love Again (4.5/5): Great song, very fun to listen.

Going Out In Style (5/5): The melody of this song fits perfectly with Kellie's voice. And she sounds so funny in this one.

Reading the people magazine this week i could understand even better some of the songs, Kellie is a very strong woman and an example of how you can still be winner even having a hard life. This cd is very good, I love the fun songs and especially the slow ones, "Somebody To Love" is very deep, great job girl.