Customer Reviews

Nashville Star

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

 

 

A suprisingly entertaining CD from the finalists of the tv show (certainly head and shoulders over the wildly-uneven compilation that "American Idol" put out after its first season.) Fans of classic country music will find much to delight them in these tracks. A couple of the singers overreach (for example, Kirsten Kissling's attempt at "Heartbreak Hotel" is earnest but ultimately wan) but most of them take these country chestnuts and make them shine.

Special kudos to John Arthur Martinez for his honey-smooth, bi-lingual take on "When You Say Nothing at All", to Buddy Jewell for his stately version of "Then You Can Tell Me Goodbye", and to Natasha Valentine for deftly invoking the eternal spirit of Patsy Cline with her smoky take on Hank Williams' classic "Your Cheatin' Heart".

Whether you're a fan of "Nashville Star" or not, this CD is highly reccommended to anyone who enjoys country music (and, if there's any justice, look for some of these folks to become stars.)

Nashville Star's first season was actually the most exciting season that will forever go down in reality show history as Buddy Jewell was crowned the title of Nashville Star. And now you can share the excitement suspense and fun by listening to Nashville Star The Finalists. And now for your listening pleasure a track by track song list,
1. Honky Tonk Blues {Miranda Lambert},
Miranda really shows her talent in this country classic and her amazing voice really shows in this song. Be sure to pick up her newest album Kerosene to learn more about Miranda Lambert,
2. Two More Bottles Of Wine {Jamey Garner},
While Jamey does a okay version of this classic there are other versions that are good,
3. Son Of A Preacher Man {Amy Chappell},
If you listen to Amy Chappell sing this Dusty Springfield hit you will be shocked at how well Amy does justice to this classic and she sounds so much like Dusty she could almost be her twin. Weird huh?
4. Then You Can Tell Me Goodbye {Buddy Jewell},
This is the song that introduced millions of fans to Buddy Jewell's amazing talent and this song really proves that he was meant to be the winner. Then You Can Tell Me Goodbye was also the b-side of Buddy's debut single Who Let In The Rain. Be sure to check out his debut album and Buddy's newest album Tales Of the New West to learn more about him,
5. Your Cheatin' Heart {Natasha Valentine},
Great,
6. Blue Eyes Cryin' In The Rain {Travis Howard}
Who on earth told Travis to sing this song in the first place? This version could easily fit at home at a NASCAR race with it's rocking guitars. Sorry Travis better sing a different song next time,
7. When You Say Nothing At All {John Arthur Martinez},
This is one of my favorite songs and John's Spanish roots really stand out in this song. I also love the Spanish lyrics in the song. Also check out John Arthur Martinez's debut album Lone Starry Night to learn more about him,
8. Poor Poor Pitiful Me {Anne Louise Blythe}
This song was first covered by the late Warren Zevon and then covered by Linda Ronstadt but Anne Louise Blythe turns it into a fun version of her very own,
9. Heartbreak Hotel {Kirsten Kissling},
We know Elvis made this song a classic but Kirsten's voice gives it a bluesy twist,
10. Hey Good Lookin' {Prentice Varnon}
While this version is fun to listen to Prentice's voice is not that good also Prentice's name is correctly spelled Prentiss and not Prentice,
11. Walkin' After Midnight {Brandi Gibson},
Good,
12. Act Naturally {Brandon Silveira}
Awesome just simply awesome,
So there you have it on one of the biggest reality shows of the century and you can be sure that lots of these finalists will release albums in the near future,
Play It By Ear and enjoy

You won't go wrong with this CD. It gives a fine sampling of the twelve finalists. After listening to it a few times I can understand how hard it must have been for the judges to pick a winner. Every song is a winner here.

I'm a Nashville Star newbie and am currently learning as much as I can about Nashville Star by watching it as much I can. This special collection highlights the best singers that made Nashville Star's first season most exciting. From Miranda Lambert's incredible version of Honky Tonk Blues and John Arthur Martinez's beautiful version of When You Say Nothing At All to Prentice Varnon's fun cover of Hey Good Lookin'. And oh let's not forget Nashville Star's first winner Buddy Jewell who's version of Then You Can Tell Me Goodbye is awesome and one who who may be listening to Buddy Jewell may wonder why Buddy Jewell is the hottest star on the Country Music hotseat because he was made to win Nashville Star. I hope to write a track by track rewiew of the cd as soon as I get it but whether you're a Nashville Star fan or just a newbie this cd is for you. For more country fare why not take a listen to these incredible cds, Sara Evans-Restless, Faith Hill-It Matters To Me, Brooks And Dunn-Hard Working Man, Lace-Lace, Sara Evans-Born To Fly,

I was sweeped away by the Talent that was on NS1. I'm just glad I didn't have to be one of the judges. I thought Buddy Jewel did a beautiful job on singing and voted for him all the way through. I saw him in person and he is one of the nicest people you could ever meet. I like Nashville Star a lot better then American Idol and look forward to seeing the next installment.

What a great CD! To hear everyone poor their heart and soul into on track makes an amazing CD. Definitely my favorite this year.