Customer Reviews

Reba

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(8)

 

 

When Reba ventured into the pop field with this release she said in her autobiography that this album did not lend itself to steel and fiddles. It would have been far better if it had. I can picture and hear "New Fool at an Old Game" or "Silly Me" or the other ballads with new production in a traditional vein that would have made these songs stand out!! "Respect" is a disaster.......a true insult to the Aretha Franklin classic. Reba needs to stop trying to cover other people's tunes. This album marked the end of "Reba" as true country fans knew her and loved her. It was never the same after this.

I'm not a country purist so maybe that is why I find this Album to be one of Reba's best. I have loved Reba as an artist since the 80's and I find it extremely gratifying that I've been able to hear her break out into other genre's. She has real talent and this is my favorite album of all time.

WHEN she started off with So, So Long...a terrible song with nary a fiddle or steel on it. Then she went into "Sunday Kind of Love" which is a torch song which Reba simply cannot do!! Crystal Gayle could have done wonders with this one! Reba failed miserably. I did like "I Know How He Feels" and "New Fool at an Old Game" but the rest of it is just pop fluff...like stale cotton candy. The worst of the lot is RESPECT!! Awful!!

That Reba abandoned singing "real country music" to do stuff like this. "Sunday Kind of Love" is not the right song for Reba to sing. Crystal Gayle could have done wonders with this kind of torch song. The rest of the CD is terrible with "RESPECT" the worst cut of a bunch of bad songs!!

This CD marked the end of Reba's traditional phase which was a sad day for country music. Everything she has done since then has missed the mark in my book. "So, So Long", the first cut has a terrible melody. "Do RIght by Me" sounds like it came out of the 1960s girl group. "I'm A New Fool" is o.k. "Sunday Kind of Love" just downright leaves me quesy. "And Still" is borring!! The rest ...I won't even mention here. Sadly, this CD was just the beginning of more lackluster CDs to come from this talented lady.

When I bought this album when it first came out I was a liitle concerned that it might not measure up to Reba's previous works. As a diehard fan of her pure country sound I was'nt sure I would like this record, but after listening to it I realized that Reba's voice is the real instrument. It's not the fiddles, and steel quitars that make her a country star, its the voice. Several reviewer's have stated that this album is what ended Reba's run as CMA female vocalist because it was'nt traditional country but, they fail to mention that K.T. Oslin is the one who broke Reba's streak and no one can say K.T. is traditional country. Lack of awards has nothing to do with the quality of this album. Reba decided to try something new and some people just can't accept change. They don't like that she just want's to "do what sells", but if she does'nt do what sells she'd be out of the business. If you are looking for a great album from the best there is give this a listen, and I mean listen to it with an open ear, otherwise you won't hear the best voice in music.

Reba branched out on this album to lend her voice to a new sound. Less country, and more cross-over, this album is almost mellow and flows gracefully from one song to the next. It definetely creates a mood and contains excellent songwriting. Reba vocals are highlighted most on the torch-song and first single, "Sunday Kind Of Love." The beautiful "I Know How He Feels," was the second single and found its way to the top of the charts. The absolute best song on the album though is the very simple guitar/vocal of "Everytime You Touch Her." Other highlights include "Wish I Were Only Lonely," "Do Right By Me," and "Silly Me." Reba's version of Aretha Franklin's "Respect," which has become a stage favorite, is here but the studio version lacks the energy Reba brings to it on stage and is really the only low point on the album.

Reba said she was tired of "traditional" country and defied anyone to stop her. Well they couldn't stop her but they also couldn't stop me from hating this CD with a passion!!! So, So Long and RESPECT are the worst of the lot. "Sunday Kind of Love" suffers horribly because of Reba's vocal which is not suited to torch. The other songs are only the beginning of her bubblegum pop phase which we would have had to endure to the present day.

Although I often see people say that Reba took a turn for the worse on this album, I have to say this was one of the most impressive albums of hers that I've seen in a while. Not only does she go for a more pop-country sound, but she does it with the same grace and style that you frequently see on many of her other albums, as well as showing off that voice of hers that has come to be one one of the best-known voices in modern-day country music. Each song has its own unique sound, from the somber (and almost haunting) guitar playing in "Every Time You Touch Her" to the very beautiful #1 hits "New Fool At An Old Game" and "I Know How He Feels". One has to wonder how these gems did not find their way onto her second greatest hits, as they showcase just how awesome Reba could do with whatever song she was given.

Other great songs are my personal favorite, the jazz-sounding "Wish I Were Only Lonely", as well as the hit "Sunday Kind Of Love" and the very impressive "Silly Me". I felt that "Respect" rather lacked the energy that Reba gave it in tour, but I loved it anyways. All in all, great writing, absolutely knock-out singing, and a wonderful new sound combine to make this one impressive buy. Well worth the money.

With 1987's "The Last One to Know" album, Reba had taken traditional country music to a new level. Now she had to take it up a notch and with 1988's "Reba" she did. This groundbreaking album is a shift musically for Reba. It is slightly more pop, but the incredible writing, production, and vocal performance on these selections makes them every bit Reba as they should be. "I Know How He Feels" and "New Fool at an Old Game" are my two favorites. Classic songs that unfortunately did not make it onto 1993's "Greatest Hits Volume 2". In fact, none of the songs on this album did. BUT, this album is really a greatest hits all in its own. It also is a turning point for Reba. I call this the definitive Reba album because her style shifted a bit into what it has grown to today. It is also the first album to feature only the name "Reba" on the cover. All albums before this listed "Reba McEntire" on the covers. But this album marked the start of her one name recognition. Buy it. She hasn't disappointed us yet and a lot of it started here!