Labor of Love

Radney Foster | Format: Audio Cassette

Product Details

• Audio Cassette (April 11, 1995)
• Label: Arista
• ASIN: B000002VO7
• Also Available in: Audio CD
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #260,906 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Excellent Music, July 25, 2002

By 

Jack Williams (Atlanta, Georgia, United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Labor of Love (Audio CD)

Though this album is arguably Radney Foster's weakest solo effort, this record still speaks to all that makes Foster our finest country artist -- tight songwriting, unique melodies unlike anything you'll hear on the radio, and a strong baritone voice ready to change your mind about what real country music sounds like. It's that good.

The best part? Foster generally writes all of his own stuff, and when he doesn't, he simply solicits the help of some of Nashville's finest. The record's highlights are many, but try out the title of track, along with "Precious Pearl," "Last Chance for Love," and "Making it Up as I Go Along," for a listen at Foster's magic touch with melody. You'll gladly play these last two repeatedly.

The public truly deserves Radney Foster, and while his first solo outing -- thus far -- is all that's yet made the top 40 country airways, this is an artist whose popularity will spill over with the right timing, luck, and good promotion.

Add this one to your collection.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Beautiful!, April 1, 2002

By 

Michel Lewellyn "kccoachmike" (Lees Summit, MO United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Labor of Love (Audio CD)

Country music doesn't get any better than Radney Foster. Every track is tight and free of useless production. I saw Radney in a small club in Texas. There was radney, the drummer, the bass player, and the steel player. That was all. No synths, electronic keyboard player doing fake strings. Just these guys up there sounding exactly like they do on the CD. I can't remember the last time music made me cry with emotion. Radney Foster performs music without the cookie cutter, without the magic star formula. It is just great, real country music.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Radney Will Always Deliver, July 17, 2001

By 

Todd W. Smith "asburypark30" (Midway, KY) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Labor of Love (Audio CD)

This was Foster's 2nd solo album, released on Arista Records. It's a solid album, though it doesn't capture his full potential. At the time, Radney was coming off the success of "Del Rio,TX 1959", an album that scored him a few top 20 hits. I think he was still striving for radio singles, perhaps a little too much so. This album was about as mainstream as he ever got. However, Radney's received a little too much heat for this one. Mainstream Radney is still better than 98% of what's out there. There are two standout tracks, "Last Chance For Love" and "Making It Up As I Go Along". These songs are more on the cutting edge than the others. They are also the best and WOULD have made the best choices for singles. The songwriting is stellar Foster. The ballad "Never Say Die" ended up on the first Dixie Chicks album. "Jesse's Soul" is an ominous tale about a righteous man's 30 year old appointment with vengeance. "Broke Down" is a catchy Bakersfield-style romp with a metaphor that compares a "broke down" relationship to an auto's breakdown on the highway. "Everybody Gets the Blues (But I Know How To Keep 'Em)" is a great hook as well as a good song. The lyrics of "Making It Up As I Go Along" are extraordinary. The opening lines, "There are nights I've owned this town, most nights it owns me. Play my guitar 'til it draws blood, but it still won't let me be", set the tone for an epic tune. Radney tells how dreams gradually get abandoned over the years. When he says, "I ain't no smarter than the rest of these clowns, I'm just making it up as I go along," Foster is talking about his life as well as his songwriting. The song ends with a killer guitar solo. It isn't quite country, folk, or rock. It just IS, and it's so right. Radney definitely touched on something here that a lot of people have felt about their lives. Anyone who calls themselves a Radney Foster fan should not hesitate to own this one.