Customer Reviews

Somewhere Down the Road

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

 

 

Cybill is famous as an actress, but it is her music that interests me. She has a lovely voice and uses it to good effect on this collection of songs. The style of the music is hard to define precisely, but I would describe it as mellow pop with some jazz influences.

The tasteful but restrained musical backing allows you to hear Cybill sing a wonderful selection of ballads and mid-tempo songs. The set begins with Peabo Bryson joining Cybill on the title track - the only duet here. The remaining songs are all solo tracks.

The song that stands out initially is Push for you - it is the catchiest song here - but great though it is, there are many excellent songs here, none of which I recognized .I was already familiar with another song titled Shot full of love (recorded by Jennifer Warnes and several others), but Cybill's Shot full of love is completely different and equally brilliant.

There are so many brilliant songs here. Never mind what Cybill can do as an actress, this album and the equally brilliant Talk Memphis to me (which I've already reviewed) shows that she can also sing.

Then a fan of Cybill Shepherd mainly because of "Moonlighting", I DID know of her first album, "Cybill Does It...To Cole Porter" (a harbinger of the doom that was to be "At Long Last Love"), because of a local radio station's weekend show, devoted occasionally to lousy recordings by celebrities; however, while at a record store in 1990, I came across "Somewhere Down The Road" and purchased it immediately. Upon that first listening, I was struck by how much her voice appealed to me, as much as it had when she sang on "Moonlighting". While the arrangements on some songs seem a little silly ("Push For You" is a prime example), her fine voice is put to particularly good use on the title track, a duet with Peabo Bryson (with whom she blends beautifully), and the final cut, "Whatever We Imagine", but it is the slow, silky pure-jazz "Same Old Blues" that is the true prize of the entire collection; with this one song, she's equal to the 'greats' of jazz. (While "Vanilla" was enjoyable, I wish she'd record another album of standards, a song style for which her voice is perfect.) Throughout this album, though, she offers a strong, if occasionally - but charmingly! - flat vocal that I enjoy singing along with because it fits my own so well. It's just unfortunate that this collection had no push and remains a "buried treasure". It's good stuff.

Since anybody (e.g. me) in the US can be a critic whether or not s/he knows anything about it (this time, not my case), it is no wonder that Cybill Shepherd's musical career was labeled so badly when she first started out and that her label was never changed. It took her six albums and 20 years for some critics to finally admit that Talk Memphis to Me was a good album. Somewhere Down the Road proves that they could have admitted it 9 years ago! Not only do all the songs share a nostalgic mood, but when adding Cybill's voice the result is magic. While the more rhythmic tracks may be a little hackneyed (remember those crazy '80s?), the other ones (the title track, One More Night, Whatever We Imagine etc) will surely stand the test of time. After listening to this album one is very likely to say: 'Cybill Shepherd - the actress? Hm, I always thought she was a singer!'. Enjoy!

"WOW" the day I finally tracked this down I was knocked out...how can one artist record so many amazing pop songs on one CD. Well it's rare but Cybill makes this an epic cross over to Traditional Pop.....my all time favourite ! She sings 10 equally sensational tracks which absolutely each deserve hit status. There is no logic to why this wasn't her musical big break, boasting too many strong ballads/songs to be overlooked ! The title track is an emotional duet with Peabo Bryson, while ONE MORE NIGHT, TILL YOU, TOO SOON & WHATEVER YOU IMAGINE are all just made for Cybill, adding up to a must have CD !

What a voice what a talent! Cybill has a style all her own! Best tracks "Bend" and "I Cross My Heart" Great duet with Peobo Bryson! I great different CD to add to your collection!

There's a certain charm to Somewhere Down The Road. If you like feel-good pop and those power ballads this one's for you. The duet with Peabo Bryson is especially nice and to my surprise Cybill holds her own on the track. I have to say "Shot Through The Heart", "Push For You" and "Bend" are my favorites though. When I hear these songs I can't help but to swept away in a time warp to the era we call the 80's. The simplicity of the arrangements showcase's Cybill's voice quite nicely. Furthermore, the instruments (especially the synthesizers) sound nostalgic rather than dated.

I was surprised I hadn't heard of this CD until 1996. I'm equally surprised that the songs weren't hits. There's some really great material on here. Although, I don't listen to this CD on a daily basis it's a nice treasure to stumble acrosss in my music collection every now and then. Give it a listen!

As i was browsing through amozon today, an album so exceptional caught my eye and I was amased by my dicovery. "Somewhere Down The Road" is an album by Cybill Shephard that knocked my out.Tracks like "The Same Old Blues" radeated "jazz" in its arrang ment and execution."Somewhere Down The Road" is another track I heard that made my spine tingel.I thought to myself "Why did I not discover this album before?","Almost a decade after its resease in 1990!". Well now I have found it I will not let it go easyily and it will be on by door step foe christmas day, so I won't miss another decade without this album.