Customer Reviews

The New Frontier

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

 

 

I had this on tape but damaged the tape some time ago. I have searched the world over----well the lower 48 at least and could not find a replacement. Tryed amazon.com and could not believe that I found it so quickly-----and on c.d. no less. Nikki Nelson(the female artist) on this tape/c.d. has a beautiful voice and I counted on this tape to be my "going home tape" as I am an over the road trucker. On my home bound run---as I was approaching home----I would put this tape in and crank it up-----It always got me home. Can't tell you how happy I am to find it again.

This album, later re-issued in the UK with the title Country classics (not to be confused with a completely different USA compilation with the same title), was the second and last album that Highway 101 recorded with Nikki Nelson as lead singer. Nikki was a brilliant singer in her own way, with a vibrant personality. Nikki's voice is not as distinctive as Highway 101's original singer, Paulette Carlson, but it is a much smoother voice that will appeal to people who don't necessarily like Paulette's voice. Of the original musicians, Cactus Moser and Curtis Stone remained to provide not only the music but many of the songs here - they each co-wrote a few songs though never with each other.

As with so many Highway 101 albums, whoever is lead singer, this a generally upbeat album. Although some of the songs were originally written a few years before this album was recorded in 1993, I have not heard any of the songs elsewhere so these may be the original recordings - this includes Home on the range, a very different song from the classic western song of the same title.

Actually, Home on the range is one of my favorite tracks here along with You baby you, No chance to dance, Fastest healing broken heart and the slightly silly but amusing and very clever You are what you do.

This album didn't get much attention from American country radio stations so the group was left to ponder its future. Nikki left to pursue a solo career - unsuccessful, as it turned out - while Cactus and Curtis managed to persuade Paulette to rejoin them for a couple of years before she left again. They then found another singer, Chrislynn Lee, who can be heard on their Big sky album.

This may not be the most essential Highway 101 album, but it is far better than you might think based on its commercial failure, with many great country songs, not just those I've mentioned.

This is by far the best CD that they did. Nicki made these guys even better. I loved her sooooo much more than Paulette. In fact I wore out my first CD and had to puchase a second.