Customer Reviews

Runaway Soul

5 star:		(27)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

It's a shame Ruthie Foster isn't a big name in radio. With her folk-gospel-blues sound and her strong writing and playing, she seems like a natural. But the industry favors slick, bland, glossy acts, and Ruthie Foster is none of those things. She's the real deal.

An interior photo shows Foster and her musical partner, Cyd Cassone, sitting outside a rural grocery store just playing away like Willy and the Poor Boys. It's not hard to imagine most of these songs coming about that way. The raw, edgy passion of songs like Ocean of Tears and Woke Up This Morning just lend themselves right to that style. Even more polished songs, like Give You My Love and the Terri Hendrix cover Hole in My Pocket, have a deeply-felt edge to them.

I see one flub in this album. The song Home, a paean to small-town life, seems uninspired, and is sung in a breathy style that was popular on the radio a few years ago despite being horrible. It seems meant to ensure there's one radio-friendly track on the disc. That feels pretty disingenuous, and I could have done without it on this otherwise sterling CD.

Foster is a dynamic performer who makes the traditions her own. This is her third album and her first major-label release, and I suspect we have only more and better to come from her. And in my view it can't come too soon.

I saw Ruthie at the Great Waters Folk festival in Wolfboro NH. She was amazing! After her performance one night I went to buy some CDs. Ruthie's were flying off the table. Despite stacks of them, they were gone in minutes. While looking at others to buy I kept hearing people coming up to the table making the same request, "I want the woman with the voice." Even though there were many much more famous singers there that night, eveyone knew exactly who these customers were looking for. "Sorry, we're sold out and waiting for Fed Ex to bring more. The woman behind the counter told me they sold 1000 of her cd's in one day!

If you grew up in a small country town, or ever wished you did, "Home" will warm and break you heart at the same time.

Do I love every song on this album? No. Doesn't matter. I love Ruthie. She is the real thing. As great as her gift sounds on a recording, it inevitably pales in comparison to her live performances where she shakes the rafters with the clearest, most perfectly on cue singing you ever heard. And when she finishes, after sending chills up and down your spine and leaving you weak from astonishment, she bursts into laughter. Ruthie is pure Joy.

After reading an article about Ruthie in a local weekly, I made sure to get seats early at her performance at the Austin City Limits Music Festival in September of 02. I'm certainly glad I did...not only were we front and center at an amazing show, but the seats plus all the surrounding area filled up as soon as she hit the mic! Who wouldn't be drawn to a songstress like this? At once Ruthie seems both a larger-than-life performer and an accessible, small-town girl-next-door...well, okay: an I-knew-her-when girl-next-door. Her huge, genuine smile is impossible not to return. She and Cyd Cassone, her percussionist, have an easy rapport that flows from song to song, along with their harmonies.

I am a fan of music that moves me, without regard to genre. Ruthie's music is folksy and bluesy with a dash of old-time country, all wrapped up in a gospel-ly rhythm that will leave you powerless to stop your feet from tappin', your hands from clappin', and your mouth from singin' along. Oh, and by the way, I think her voice outpowers Aretha's, even in her glory days...and I'm a huge fan of the Queen! What I wouldn't give to see the two of THEM perform together! Forget Whitney, Mariah, and the other "divas..." Get these two women together, and the house will come unDONE!

Buy this CD if you like Texas music...gospel-tinged inflections...emotionally searching songs...music to inevitably lift you up...great harmonies...sparse production...the list goes on.

Better yet, just buy this CD, period!! And catch her live show--you won't be disappointed!

I had never heard of Ruthie Foster until I saw her perform a large selection of cuts from "Runaway Soul". You will be hearing more from them! Ms. Foster has a glorious, soulful voice that is unbelievable. Great songs, music and vocals. Buy it!

Saw a rerun of Austin City Limits that Ms. Foster performed on, and fell in love with her deep, heart-felt voice, and the choice of music she performs.....Great mix of blues for those of us that are "dabblers" of appreciation for that style, some have almost a gospel feel, to many songs you hope and wish you were hearing on contemporary music stations now. I ordered Runaway Soul for "Hole in My Pocket", and hope to get all her recordings. Trust me--you won't be disapointed!!

I was blessed to see Ruthie and Cyd perform at the Woodsongs Old Time Radio Hour in Lexington Kentucky on 17 February 2003. The power was out in most of the city , but Ruthie made it to town. I was blown away by her strong vocals and meaningful lyrics. She is a superb guitar player as well. This CD is a must own for anyone that enjoys powerful down to earth music from singer songwriters. I'm sure that we'll all be hearing a lot more of Ruthie's music soon.

Ruthie Foster is a dynamite gospel/blues vocalist. She cuts to the heart with every song. She sings with huge emotion and incredible energy. This recording will give you a lift every time you listen to it!

How breathtaking! I'm listening to it as I write this. I don't know music or much else, but I know what stirs and enchants me and Ruthie Foster has me in her pocket, hole or no hole, from the moment I slipped in the disk and hit 'Play'. A friend burned a copy and gave it to me out of the blue, without preamble, in a stack with some other disks. Period. What a humble introduction for what I'm beginning to think may enter my pantheon of soul-stirring albums without blemish. That would put her in lofty company indeed, by MY lights, at least. Like, Carole King's 'Tapestry', Cat Stevens' 'Tea For the Tillerman', 'Fleetwood Mac', Michael Jackson's 'Thriller' and Meatloaf's 'Bat Out of Hell', to name just a few. I wasn't even sure what her name was at first, since he'd scrawled it on the CD. But I know it now and I'll do my small part to spread it around. THIS woman deserves to be famous. 'Runaway Soul' and Ruthie Foster have that sort of classic quality that just leaps into your heart and your guts and stakes a claim right from the first listening. I regret not having heard her in concert. That must be astonishing. But even from my tinny stereo she makes me cry, clap my hands and strut my flat like a one-man Mardi Gras! By all means, do yourself a kindness, if you love R&B, gospel, soul, or just smoothly polished passion and heartfelt boogie, buy a NEW copy of this CD. Which reminds me, I need to buy one too. This woman also DESERVES TO BE PAID!!!

I had never heard of Ruthie until last nite - saw her on austin city limits . I was blown awayyyyyyyyyyyyyy by her voice and her style....I must have every cd she has and i am spreading the word to everyone --I think she sounds like roberta flack--bonnie raitt and aretha at times. her voice is so smooth and goes on and on in her phrasing.... blows me away..she can hold a note so long it seems unreal--so smooth and delightful to hear.... maybe there is someone I can love as much as I did Ella...God bless you ruthie and get more cd's out --hurry..I love you..

The music on this CD is moving...emotionally, energetically, compositionally, and humanly. Ruthie Foster's delivery is magnificent and so well complemented by Cyd's rhythm and accompanying vocals. After I first experienced Ruthie perform (she was with Bo Didley in MD) her music was with me and in my soul. She is a treasure. Listening to, or singing along with Ruthie can make your day. Also check out her CD, "Stages" - standout performances by Ruthie and Cyd.