Customer Reviews

My Life

5 star:		(14)
4 star:		(8)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This is by far the Best Milsap album since "Lost in the Fifty's". Ronnie brought back the sound that made him 40 number one hits. If you are like me- you are tired of buying new Milsap albums only to find a new mix of old Milsap #1s. This album has 11 ALL NEW Milsap songs, 4 of which could be top ten IF radio plays them: MY LIFE, WHY CAN'T I, A DAY IN THE LIFE and IT'S ALL COMING BACK TO ME NOW-
Fred Fink
Indiana, PA

I really do not know what Allana Nash was listening to. The songs I like the best on the CD are the more tradtional ones and the songs that crank it up as well. I think that Local Girls is one of the two weakest songs on the CD. There are definitely some songs that should make it in the top 20 or even higher. I think it just depends on if RCA chooses the right songs to bring out. I was not disappointed at all with the CD, I have been a Milsap fan for over 30 years and think that I am a pretty tough critic of his music. In fact, I did not even purchase his last effort, which tried to take his music way outside of the coutry bounds. I do not think others who buy this CD will be disappointed either. I just hope radio decides to give his new releases a shot.

While it's true that only two or three of the songs in this collection really seem like modern classics, it's still a very enjoyable album overall. In fact, it's one of those rare CD's where I can listen straight through without being tempted to skip a track here and there.

For over 30 years, Milsap has been one of country music's purest voices. The real charm of MY LIFE is that he's never sounded better.

As I was browsing through the local branch of "America's largest retailer" (Guess who?), I came upon Milsap's latest, "My Life." Having long been a fan of the singer, I was excited that he had released a new album, having been totally blown away by the little heard and commercially disappointing "True Believer" from 1993. The latter was a tour de force and should've returned Milsap to his place at the top of the country/pop music charts. However, that was not to be. And "My Life" tries to return Milsap to the forefront.

Unfortunately, though Milsap is in fine vocal form, the songs lack the lyrics or arrangements of earlier Milsap recordings, leaving the singer to "fend for himself" on the smoothness of his voice alone. A third of the songs are worthy ("You Don't Know My Love," "Why Can't I," "A Day in the Life of America," "Somewhere Dry," and the bouncing "Local Girls), but the rest seem interchangeable "fluff" from a singer of incredible depth and soul.

But, because it is Milsap, I can't give him less than four stars.

Prime Cuts: If It's Gonna Rain, Every Fire, Why Can't I

It takes more than just pure luck for a 62 year-old visually impaired veteran to still be releasing a major label offing in today's musical culture with its penchant for glamour, youth and looks. Rather, such tenacity is due to the legendary vocal prowess of this multi-Grammy award winner. Vocally, Milsap's is in tip top position: when he dips into his lower registers, there's a haunting swampy blues feel that would make B. B. King proud. And his upper registers rips with operatic ruptures that few country artists are capable of emulating. This may explain why there may be many Haggard and Jones clones, but when it comes to Milsap, he's just peerless. Unlike many fossils of yesteryear who have become contented to revel in past glories, Milsap has enlisted the best of today's songwriters (e.g., Donny Kees, Dean Dillon, Rivers Rutherford, Marc Beeson, Bob Dipero among others) to provide the vehicle that ought to tidal him back into the charts. Produced by Alan Jackson's helmsman Keith Stegall, the backing is fresh and tight, but still bearing Milsap's patented blues-pop sensibilities.

When it comes to the songs, there's a paucity of bad tunes, meaning that each of these 11 entries are potential stand alone singles themselves. Best of which is the Dean Dillon, Scotty Emerick and Donny Kees, "If It's Gonna Rain," a George-Strait type of a ballad that has Milsap's perfectly capturing the angst of heartbreak elucidated graphically via the rain motif. "Every Fire," first cut by Restless Heart, continues with the theme of romance at its tail end over an understated yet gorgeous acoustic melody. "Why Can't I," a Bob DiPiero and Karyn Rochelle co-write, finds a frustrated Milsap trying to escape the maze of heartbreak over a wailing wall of fiddles and the lonely missteps of calypso beats.

But on the more sanguine cuts, "You Don't Know My Love" bristles with vitality as an enthused Melodie Crittendon adds her beautiful harmonies to Milsap's vocals on this sizzler. While Jeff Silbar and Glen Clark's "Accepts My Love," a self confessing romantic number, is a melodic piece of art at every twist and turn. The infectious lead single "Local Girls" finds Milsap in Kenny-Chesney territory with its Caribbean feel, the perfect scorcher for an all-time summer fun. Yet not all is frivolous, shafts of insights are presented on the propulsive "A Day in the Life of America," a searching satire on the superficiality of Western culture. While Milsap gets as crusty as the deltas in mid-July on the swampy blues of "Somewhere Dry," a flashback to Milsap's previous top 5 bluesy rendition of "Since I Don't Have You."

While many artists are monolithic such that they are either a blues singer or straight ahead honky tonker, Milsap's the package deal. Never one to resigned to monotony, there's a bit of everything in "My Life:" rustic cry-your-beer ballads of those Texas honky tonks, rockish pop-country that could give Rascal Flatts a run for their money, and blues-country that not the floods of New Orleans could drown. Every song here has a life of its own and they have been made even richer by Milsap's unmistakable vocals. Even after all these years, Milsap's "My Life" is still picturesque, intriguing and alluring.

I will start this review by stating that I'm probably the biggest 30 year old Ronnie Milsap fan in the world as I feel my appreciation for his talent goes beyond that of many people. Even after a career that has lasted 40 years, the general public remains sadly unaware of how musically diverse this man really is because his music has been aimed primarily at the country music audience for far too long. The truth is that Ronnie Milsap is soooo much more than just a country singer. With a soaring vocal range that rivals Roy Orbison and remarkable versatility that only Linda Ronstadt can match, Milsap may be the most criminally underappreciated singer in American music! There isn't a male country singer on the charts today who can compete with Milsap's vocal skills.

Long before Garth Brooks or Shania Twain broadened the appeal of country music to young audiences in the 90's, this multi-dimensional singer/pianist with a background in classical music was crossing over onto the pop charts with smooth, soulful tunes that often sounded anything but country. If you explore Milsap's albums of the 80's and 90's, you will find pop, R&B, rock n' roll, doo wop, and even funk and disco songs that rarely got played on the radio. Prior to all of this, Ronnie Milsap was a mainstream R&B singer in the 1960's, cutting obscure singles in the vein of Ray Charles that few people ever heard. {Fans should seek out these early R&B recordings and be blown away. Ronnie's voice sounds so black you can hardly believe it's him!!}

In 1993, Milsap found himself kicked off country radio as Garth, Alan, Tim, and Kenny were hitting their stride with far less talent, but a wider assortment of cowboy hats, tight jeans, and nasal twang. Nashville's "young country" movement was in full swing by then, which saw nearly every country artist from the past two decades suddenly tossed aside by record labels and radio programmers in an effort to promote the new cowboy clones who would appeal to young music fans discovering country music for the first time. That same year, Ronnie released a strong, musically diverse album titled "True Believer" that was ignored by radio and the public upon its release.

Milsap took a break from recording in the mid-90's and spent the next ten years touring with his band, recording the occasional album, and being ignored by country radio all the while. My anticipation was high for a daring new CD that would expose today's music lovers to this extraordinary singer whose talent stretches far beyond one type of music. Instead, Ronnie signed a new contract with his former label RCA and decided to focus on a return to the uninspiring world of mainstream country music. In June 2006, Ronnie released "My Life", his first mainstream country album since 1993's True Believer.

The result is a step in the wrong direction that is hard for a fan like me to stomach. This doesn't feel or sound like a Ronnie Milsap album at all. Gone is the stunning musical diversity, R&B influences, and trademark piano playing that have marked his previous efforts. Ronnie always co-produces his albums, but now we have Alan Jackson's producer Keith Stegall taking full control of this effort. Stegall's production tries too hard to present Ronnie as another generic country artist, stripping away all signs of the great versatility that makes Milsap so impressive. What we have here is literally a Kenny Chesney or Tim McGraw CD with Ronnie Milsap on lead vocals!!

1. YOU DON'T KNOW MY LOVE-- The album begins with the second single. This is a decent tune featuring a strong Milsap vocal, but the arrangement and instrumentation is total generic country all the way. This radio-ready tune is right in line with all the other cookie-cutter songs on the charts today, but is it getting any airplay on country radio at all??? There's a very simple reason why we can't hear Ronnie Milsap on the radio anymore....Nashville would find it too unsettling to hear a 63 year old man blow away every male country star on the charts today!!

2. IT'S ALL COMING BACK TO ME NOW-- A forgettable piece of cookie-cutter contemporary country that is average at best. There is nothing to distinguish this generic song from a million others you've heard elsewhere.

3. MY LIFE-- One of the strongest songs on the CD with meaningful lyrics and a nice chorus, but a bland melody in the verses keeps the song from being anything truly special.

4. IF IT'S GONNA RAIN-- A heartfelt vocal performance from Ronnie on this pure country ballad that is probably the best tune on the CD. The problem is...this is clearly a George Strait song that somehow ended up on a Ronnie Milsap CD instead of a George Strait CD. As a Milsap fan, I'm much more interested in hearing Ronnie Milsap sing a song intended for Ronnie Milsap! {I would also love to know how George Strait gets inducted into the country music hall of fame BEFORE Ronnie Milsap???? Ronnie was already a star when Strait was still in high school!!}

5. TIME KEEPS SLIPPING AWAY-- My least favorite tune on the CD. This sounds too much like the typical fluff you've heard from other male country singers. Total cookie cutter country that was obviously written for anyone else but Milsap. Notice how Ronnie tries to make the most of this average tune by wailing the final note to great effect!

6. WHY CAN'T I-- More generic contemporary country that is slightly improved by Ronnie's soaring vocals on the choruses.

7. A DAY IN THE LIFE OF AMERICA-- Here is the one song on the album that dares to sound different from everything else. A great set of lyrics about the current rat race lifestyle lived by many Americans is spoiled by a weak melody. With a different arrangement and a stronger melody, this song could be a real gem.

8. SOMEWHERE DRY-- A decent ballad that ranks with "If it's Gonna Rain" as the best song here, but still not up to the quality of Milsap's classic ballads. Another solid Milsap vocal performance enhances the song.

9. LOCAL GIRLS-- The biggest mistake on the album and easily the weakest single Milsap has ever released. A corny, lightweight slice of bubblegum country that might sound appropriate on a Kenny Chesney CD, but is certainly beneath the high standards of Mr. Milsap! Ronnie has never sung a more silly set of lyrics..."NIBBLIN' ON A BANANA MOON PIE WHEN I SWORE I SAW AN ANGEL FROM HEAVEN FLOATIN' BY....." Much of Ronnie's music has always had a commercial sound, but never to the point of sounding like a sell-out which this particular song certainly sounds like. When compared to great Milsap classics such as "Smoky Mountain Rain", "It was Almost like a Song", or "Stranger in my House", this silly piece of fluff is literally embarrassing.

10. EVERY FIRE-- A generic but solid country ballad that is a definite improvement over "Local Girls". The melody is decent and Ronnie handles the lyrics well as always.

11. ACCEPT MY LOVE-- I was hoping for a truly dynamic closing tune to save this set of mediocre, commercial country. Instead, Ronnie ends the CD with the most cookie-cutter song on the whole album! This is yet another piece of modern country fluff that sounds like a hundred other country songs by a hundred other country singers.

While this isn't a bad CD, it is easily the weakest album Ronnie Milsap has ever recorded. It is sad to think Ronnie sorted through ONE THOUSAND FIVE HUNDRED SONGS to come up with 11 average tunes that pale in comparison to any of his 40 number one hits! Comparing these songs to anything Ronnie has recorded in the past will show you just how mediocre this CD really is. At age 63, Ronnie's voice remains as strong and vibrant as ever, but this set of contemporary cookie-cutter country does not represent anything Milsap is about except for his desperation to get back on the charts that he was unjustly kicked off of 14 years ago. This is obviously Nashville's bullsh** system that is robbing Ronnie of any creative freedom over his music.

It frustrates me to see Ronnie trying for a comeback in a current country music industry where talent and originality takes a backseat to youth, sex appeal, commercialism, and having to clone every other singer on the charts. If I was in his shoes, I would be exploring any musical avenue available outside the dreadful country music scene that has been on a steady downhill fall for over ten years. The vocal range and diversity of this man should give him the same stature as Ray Charles, Linda Ronstadt, Elton John, Billy Joel, or Paul McCartney! The only thing these artists have that Ronnie Milsap lacks is songwriting ability.

What Ronnie desperately needs now is to join forces with a great, open-minded producer who is more interested in capturing the full scope of Milsap's musical talents rather than trying to get him back on the charts. Rick Rubin remarkably revived Johnny Cash's career with albums that exposed Johnny's music to the MTV crowd without turning him into a rock star. A guy like Rubin would have the authority and ability to thrust Milsap's career into a whole new realm...without selling him out. The two of them could produce a stunning {and sorely needed} album to showcase Ronnie's remarkable mastery of rock n' roll, pop, R&B, blues, funk, jazz, and even classical music that the general public knows nothing about! Johnny Cash could never "rock out" or tackle pop and R&B sounds the way Milsap can. If the younger audience can embrace a guy like Cash, they should go crazy over a guy like Ronnie Milsap. It could be one of the greatest comeback stories in American music. But it is not to be, at least for now.

With this CD, Ronnie will most likely be looked at as some has-been country singer trying to keep up with Toby Keith, Kenny Chesney, Tim McGraw, and the other inferior country clones who have only half the talent Ronnie has! I cringe at the thought of this outstanding musician putting out more music in this vein while continuing to be overlooked and underappreciated by music fans everywhere. If you are a new Milsap fan, check out Ronnie's great albums from the 80's and 90's for a taste of "MILSAP MAGIC" at its best!

We will have to wait and see what the future holds for Ronnie Milsap. As his biggest admirer, I say it is about time the music world wakes up and finally realizes what Ronnie Milsap is and always has been.... a singer/pianist of the highest calibre who blows away anybody in the Top 40 today!

I grew up listening to Ronnie Milsap on the radio in the late 70s/early 80s. He was the first artist that I liked and the first record I ever owned. While his CDs and singles in the the 90s and into the 2000s were good, they lacked that spark that his music of the 70s and 80s had...until now. "My Life" is a slickly produced CD with some great and catchy songs. While the songs have a country feel to them, they still let Ronnie's R&B side show. Most of all, his voice never sounded better. Seriously...the dude is in his sixties and sounds better than ever. This CD is definately worth your money...you won't be dissapointed.

I've never taken the trouble to do this before but this album blew me away. Back in the early 70's when I was trying to find a radio station that played Elvis on the air, I found the local country music station. One of the first country singers that I discovered was Ronnie Milsap. I still remember telling my sister about him and mispronouncing his name MISlap. When I started going out, I introduced my girlfriend to country and Ronnie. One of our all time special songs when we later got married and had kids was Ronnie's "Let's Take The Long Way Around the World". It still remains our favorite Ronnie song thirty years later. A few days ago while browsing, I came across Ronnie's latest CD. I was happy to see that he came out with an album of new material and for old time's sake and respect for Ronnie, I purchased it. I just put it on in the car as I ran some errands and from the first note, the magic was back. Ronnie's voice was as wonderful as ever. The unmistakeable sound of Ronnie Milsap took me back to the good old days but it also made me smile to know that this was all new material and it was great. Being older, I can associate with "Time Keeps Slipping Away", and it's fun to listen to the timeliness of "A Day In The Life Of America". You won't be disappointed with this album. I wish Ronnie all the best.

This is a solid album. Ronnie should be proud of this effort. Although I would like to have heard a little more up-tempo tunes this is a good album. It is much better than his past few albums yet doesn't match his 1980's tracks. Then again, no one, not even Ronnie, can match his prior musical landmarks. Overall, I was very pleased with this new release and hope "My Life" and "You Don't Know My Love" may be released as singles. He would have a shot at having some more top hits with these if the public has the chance to hear them. Good job Ronnie and this is well worth buying but don't expect to hear another "Smokey Mountain Rain" or "He Got You" because Nashville has changed too much for great country music. Pick one up, it is good and Ronnie still sounds great!

I will start this review by stating that I am the biggest 29 year old Ronnie Milsap fan in the world as I feel my appreciation for his talent goes beyond that of most people. Even after a career that has lasted 40 years, the general public is still sadly unaware of how musically diverse this man really is because his music has been aimed primarily at the country music market for far too long. The truth is that Ronnie Milsap is soooo much more than just a country singer. He is one of the most versatile and underappreciated recording artists in American music!!

Long before Garth Brooks or Shania Twain broadened the appeal of country music to young audiences in the 90's, this multi-talented singer/pianist with a background in classical music was crossing over onto the pop charts with smooth pop-inflected tunes that often sounded anything but country. If you explore Milsap's albums of the 80's and 90's, you will find pop, blues, R&B, funk, disco, doo wop, and rock n' roll songs that rarely got played on the radio. Prior to all of this, Ronnie Milsap was a mainstream R&B singer in the 1960's, cutting obscure singles in the vein of Ray Charles that few people ever heard. {Fans should seek out these early R&B recordings and be blown away. Ronnie's voice sounds so black you can hardly believe it's him!!}

In 1993, Milsap found himself kicked off country radio as Garth, Alan, Tim, and Kenny were hitting their stride with far less talent, but a wider assortment of cowboy hats, tight jeans, and nasal twang. Nashville's "young country" movement was in full swing by then, which saw nearly every country artist from the past two decades suddenly tossed aside by record labels and radio programmers in an effort to further promote the new cowboy clones who would appeal to teenaged record buyers just discovering country music. That same year, Ronnie released a strong, diverse album called "True Believer" that was ignored by radio and the public upon its release.

Milsap took a break from recording in the mid-90's and spent the next ten years touring with his band, recording the occasional album, and being ignored by country radio all the while. My anticipation was high for a daring new CD that would finally show the world that this is an extraordinary singer whose talent stretches far beyond one type of music. Instead, Ronnie signed a new contract with his former label RCA and decided to follow the typical route by focusing on a return to the uninspiring world of mainstream country music. In June 2006, Ronnie released "My Life", his first mainstream country album since 1993's True Believer.

The result is a profound step in the wrong direction that is hard for a fan like me to stomach. This doesn't feel or sound like a Ronnie Milsap album at all. What we have here is literally a Kenny Chesney or Tim McGraw CD with Ronnie Milsap on lead vocals!!

While this isn't a horrible CD, it is easily the weakest album Ronnie Milsap has ever recorded. Gone is the stunning musical diversity, top-notch material, and trademark piano playing that have marked his other efforts. At age 63, Ronnie's voice is as strong and vibrant as ever, but this new set of contemporary cookie-cutter country does not represent anything Milsap is about...except for his desperation to get back on the charts where he has always belonged.

The first single is a silly slice of modern bubblegum country {lo lo lo lo Local Girls} that might sound appropriate on a Kenny Chesney CD, but is certainly beneath the high standards of Mr. Milsap! Much of Ronnie's music has always had a commercial and radio-friendly sound, but never to the point of sounding like a sell-out which this particular song certainly sounds like. It is sad to think Ronnie sorted through ONE THOUSAND FIVE HUNDRED SONGS to come up with 11 average tunes that pale in comparison to any of his 40 number one hits! This is obviously Nashville's bullsh** system that is robbing Milsap of any creative freedom over his music.

If I was in Ronnie Milsap's shoes, I would be exploring any musical avenue available outside the vomit-provoking country music scene that has been on a steady downhill fall for over ten years. The vocal range and diversity of this man should put him in the same league as Ray Charles, Linda Ronstadt, Elton John, Billy Joel, or Paul McCartney! The only thing these artists have that Ronnie Milsap lacks is songwriting ability.

What Ronnie desperately needs now is to join forces with a great, open-minded producer like Rick Rubin who remarkably revived the career of Johnny Cash in the 90's with albums that exposed Johnny's music to the MTV crowd without turning him into a heavy metal or rap star. A guy like Rubin would have the authority and ability to thrust Milsap's career into a whole new realm...without selling him out. The two of them could produce a truly stunning {and sorely needed} album to showcase Ronnie's remarkable mastery of rock n' roll, pop, R&B, blues, funk, jazz, and even classical music that the general public knows nothing about!

Johnny Cash could never rock out on a song or tackle modern pop, rock, or R&B sounds the way Milsap can. If the younger audience can embrace a guy like Cash, they should go NUTS over a guy like Ronnie Milsap! It could easily be one of the greatest comeback stories in American music. But it is not to be, at least for now.

With this CD, Ronnie will most likely be looked at as some has-been country singer trying to keep up with Toby Keith, Kenny Chesney, Tim McGraw, and the other inferior country clones who have only a fraction of the talent Milsap has! I cringe at the thought of this outstanding artist putting out more music in this vein while continuing to be criminally underappreciated by music fans everywhere. We will have to wait and see what the future holds for Ronnie Milsap. As his biggest admirer, I hope this review will somehow reach Ronnie to let him know he has fans who realize he is capable of SO MUCH MORE than the CD we have here.