Customer Reviews

It Only Hurts When I Laugh

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While this does not quite match the exceptional brilliance of Tell me why, one of the finest traditional country albums ever recorded, it is nevertheless a worthy follow-up that all traditional country fans should enjoy. Jann co-wrote two of the songs (Blue heart in Memphis, Who's gonna be your next love) but mostly relied on top quality songs by other writers.

Country fans may recognize some of the songs. Gail Davies wrote Better love next time. I wish it would rain is a Nanci Griffith song. Marty Stuart co-wrote the title track. I'm not sure if he actually recorded it, but Ronna Reeves and Rick Trevino have both covered it. Neon Cactus covered I knew enough to fall in love with you and Blue heart in Memphis.

Bob Wills co-wrote My shoes keep walking backing to you but this oft-recorded song is most commonly associated with Ray Price. James King has since covered I don't do floors. Jim Lauderdale wrote Where the sidewalk ends. On Jann's cover, he provides harmony vocals. The song has also been recorded by George Strait.

Despite many of these songs being recorded by other artists, most of them are obscure and in any case Jann's versions are all excellent - with her strong but well controlled soprano, she is equally brilliant on up-tempo songs and ballads.

If you enjoy traditional country music, you will surely enjoy this. If this brilliant album is your introduction to Jann's music, you might be wondering how Tell me why could possibly be any better. I promise you - it is.

This is a very good album, especially for fans of traditional country music. Traditional fans would probably find this to be a 5-star effort. The music definitely has traditional instrumentation. Jann's voice is very clear and well suited to this genre. Some songs:

Only Hurts When I Laugh - fast rockabilly tune

I Knew Enough to Fall in Love with You - Good love song

Blue Heart in Memphis - good, kinda rough faster song

Shoes Keep Walking Back to You - definitely traditional instruments

Who's Gonna Be Your Next Love - very fast and bluegrassy

Don't Do Floors any More - Very good song. Slower but with energy. Unlike Ernest Tubb in "Walkin the Floor Over You" the singer is over her lover and not bothering herself and pacing around with thoughts of him.

Jann Browne has tried out a range of styles, singing in rock bands in her early days, and doing a sort of Cheryl Crow thing a few years ago (pretty well, too), but she keeps coming back to old-style country, and especially West Coast country. This was her second album, recorded in Los Angeles and Nashville. The style has some of the rockabilly-influenced feel that Buck Owens pioneered in Bakersfield, mixed with some softer, sweeter Nashville sound. Maybe it wasn't Nashville enough, or maybe too retro for 1991. Those are just guesses, because it's a good album, and it's hard to see why it wasn't a hit.

Browne has a fine voice. When she sings a Nanci Griffith song, "I Wish It Would Rain," she actually sounds rather like Griffith. But mostly she has a classic country sound, like Loretta Lynn.

The songs are good, a mix of driving upbeat numbers, ballads, classics and new songs, including two cowritten by Browne. There does seem to be a dominant theme. She moves from wishing her ex better love next time, to crying over lost love (and going where everybody knows her name), crying till she laughs over lost love, learning about love, learning about broken dreams, not being able to forget lost love, asking who will be her ex's next victim, not crying anymore over lost love, leaving/awaiting lost love, to, finally, moving on after lost love (and going where nobody knows her name). That may sound like a downer, but it isn't; it looks forward as much as back. Happily, there isn't an overindulgence of that country habit of centering a song on a pun, just a fun touch in a couple titles.

The album was produced by longtime Emmylou Harris band member and producer Steve Fishell, who with Browne gathered a top-notch group of musicians, including Albert Lee and Duane Eddy on guitar, Buddy Emmons on pedal steel, and Jim Lauderdale and Iris Dement doing back-up vocals. There are, naturally, some tasty guitar solos, and a lot of good harmonies.

If you like traditional country music, and you have a chance to get this CD, don't pass it up.