Customer Reviews

Labor of Love

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

 

 

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.

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.

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.

Having been the fan of Radney Foster's Are You Ready For the Big Show? CD, I had to pick up this one up when I saw it at a local pawnshop. Although I wasn't familiar with any of the songs, I was willing to chance the album and I'm so glad that I did.

After owning Another Way to Go, Are You Ready for the Big Show?, and Labor of Love, I must admit that the latter is my favorite. Labor of Love and Making it Up as I Go Along are both excellent songs. The other songs are also rather good, comparable to those songs on Radney's other recordings.

I was quite pleased with this recording.

I was so glad to find this ablum. Delivery was as promised, and condition of CD was exactly as described. Very happy with seller and transaction. Thank you!

"Making it up as i go along" is a really special song...wow! thanks Radney, i really appreciate your music.

This is a must-buy album for Radney fans and country music lovers alike. There were some songs released from this album, but I don't recall them getting on the charts. Every single song is excellent - not a bad one in this collection. From the opening lines of "Willin' To Walk," you'll be hooked! "Never Say Die" is one of my favorites, recently recut by The Dixie Chicks. Radney's version is softer, more romantic and heartfelt. "Jesse's Soul" is an old-fashioned ballad story song with a modern sound to it. "Making It Up As I Go Along" closes out the album in fine fashion. Every song is a gem!

This makes another extraordinary album in my ever-growing Radney Foster collection. Enjoy!

Radney's second solo album is highlighted by the song "Making It Up As I Go Along". A song about the complexities of life - how nothing is black and white, dreams are dreamed and then given up in order to continue on. It seems to be a song about his life, "People think you know what you're talking about/All because you wrote some song." Lee Roy Parnell plays slide guitar on the next best song, "Jesse's Soul". The story of a man who needed to settle a score from over thirty years before. How dreaming of revenge for thirty years made Jesse take "the peace he found and nailed it to his hate".

Overall, a very good album. There are some songs that are stronger than those on the Del Rio album, however Del Rio is much stronger all around. I would definitely recommend buying it.

Includes appearances by Kim Richey, Lee Roy Parnell, Albert Lee, and Harry Stinson.