Suit Yourself

Shelby Lynne | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (May 24, 2005)
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Capitol
• ASIN: B00094ASRM
• In-Print Editions: MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (29 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #42,082 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com

Lynne's follow-up to 2003's Identity Crisis works the same sparse, moody territory, but if the title of the former spoke to her self-esteem at the time, Suit Yourself shows her being more confident in every way. Again acting as her own producer, Lynne took the demo tapes she made in her California home studio to Nashville, where she augmented her first-take vocals with guitar (the Wallflowers' Michael Ward), keyboards (Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers' Benmont Tench), bass, drums, pedal steel, Dobro, and mandolin, employing those instruments merely as brush strokes on a wide-open canvas of voice and emotion. Throughout, Lynne strives to make the project so relaxed that a listener feels as if he's sitting cross-legged in the room--the first track begins with studio chatter, and elsewhere you can hear ice cubes clinking in a glass and the sound of someone pushing the stop button on a tape recorder. For those who prefer a more polished production, this fly-on-the-wall approach may be disconcerting, especially as the occasional track seems unfinished or a bit too rough, with an out-of-tune guitar or a rhythmic disconnect between singer and players. But ultimately, the album satisfies with the honesty and strength of the material, which ranges from Lynne's killer cover of guest Tony Joe White's "Rainy Night in Georgia" (here titled simply "Track 12") to the smoky groove of "I Cry Everyday," the wistful ballad "Old Time's Sake," and the Waylon Jennings-like "Iced Tea." Speaking of outlaws, "Johnny Met June," one of the most memorable tracks, details the Cashes' "meeting" on the far banks of the Jordan. Lynne wrote it the day Johnny died. --Alanna Nash

Product Description

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

17 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Nice Fit, June 8, 2005

By 

Randy Remote (Laytonville, CA) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Suit Yourself (Audio CD)

Shelby Lynne's new CD builds on the unassuming honesty and elegance of her last release, "Identity Crisis", letting the solid songwriting and intimate vocals shine through. There is a quiet smoldering beneath the laid-back surface of her music that draws you in like a southern storm. A nice endpiece to the album is her sultry version of "Rainy Night In Georgia" (called "track 12" for some reason). Shelby's the real deal. If you liked "Identity Crisis", you will like this.

14 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Deserved Review Done One Year Late, June 26, 2006

By 

HagFan (Uniontown, PA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Suit Yourself (Audio CD)

I've wondered why I have taken so long to write this review, and I think I have two legitimate reasons. First of all, when this album came out I honestly wasn't aware that you were permitted to review an album on Amazon, and secondly, I think I'm writing this because of my disappointment with Shelby's sister, Allison Moorer's latest release. Allison is a whole lot better than her new one shows, but that's for another time. We're here to talk about Shelby Lynne.

One of the earlier reviewers of this album asked in so many words,"Why hasn't someone told me about Shelby Lynne before this?" Well, I'm going to tell you why, at least in my opinion.Way back in 1989, Willie Nelson was making an appearance on one of the early morning talk shows, and there was a young girl with long brown hair sitting beside him on a stool, as Willie was. The interviewer was talking to Willie about his new album, and then proceeded to ask Willie who the beautiful young lady was sitting next to him. Willie said, "Well, this is Shelby Lynne, who has done a few songs with me, and I think has one of the best voices I'v heard come out of Nashville in quite a while. And she's going to sing one with me right now. They then sang one of my old favorites, "I Love You So Much It Hurts". To say the least Shelby blew me away. I went out and searched and searched for her album, and finally found it. It's called"Sunrise", and in some circles is very hard to find. Now, at this point of her career, Shelby Lynne was considered a "country" singer. And, that's what she was. You almost won't even recognize her on the cover of her first album. I'm serious.

What we weren't ready at that time for was all the changes that Shelby would go through in the next 17 years. regardless of what you've heard, please keep in mind that here's a young girl who had gone through probably the most devastating experience any young child could go through without just giving up on life itself. I'd prefer not to talk about it. If you don't know what I'm referring to I'll let you look into Shelby and Allison's past for yourself. It's that bad.

To try to express the talent that this young lady has I'm going to mention each and every title of all of her albums. Id like to do that, because I think that after you give a listen to "Suit Yourself", you're going to want more. And, please listen to "Suit Yourself" at least three or four times with an open mind before you really make up your mind. You're going to hear a voice that is so pure, raw, and real that you're going to say to yourself what the other young lady reviewer said. "Why hasn't anyone told me about Shelby Lynne before?" Being a fan for 17 yeaqrs, I'm going to tell why I think you don't know her. Shelby not only wants it that way, she likes it. She may come off as a little wild on the surface, but underneath is a very caring, quiet, private person, with one heck of a set of pipes. This girl can sing anything, and I mean anything. Starting with "Sunrise", you then have "Tough All Over, "Soft Talk", "Temptation"(a lot of torch type songs - getting a little away from the country roots), "Restless", "Love, Shelby(getting alittle into the rock vein), then the big change, "I Am Shelby Lynne". I'm going to stop here for a minute, because this album came out in 2000, and I'm hearing that Shelby has been nominated for a Grammy for best new artist! I'm saying what in the world are they talking about! She's been around for awile. Then, I find out that the Grammy people have nominated her in the best new Rock singer catagory. And, to top it all off, she wins! It turns out to be a great rock album. I'm shocked, but I say to myself, "Well, heck, it's a whole lot better than most of today's rock that I'm hearing!". Then comes her next two albums, "Identity Crisis"(why was I surprised by the title?), and the one I'm supposed to be reviewing, "Suit Yourself".

What I intended to say about this album has been said in a lot of different ways by the reviewers before me. I agree with almost all of the superlatives that everyone else bestowed on this artist. When you listen to this album, you're basically hearing it as it was being made. Personally, I love when an artist does that. They have the guts and confidence in the4ir ability to throw it out there at you, and if you like it, you do, and , if you don't, weel you don't. And, that's pretty much Shelby Lynne. What you hear is what you get. You're not going to get alot of backup singers that are there to simply attempt to coverup the lead singer's lack of talent that you get so much of in today's music, if you want to call it that. If you see Shelby, you're not going to have a gang of dancers behind her to distract from the talent that's not there. Because, believe me, with Shelby, the talent is there. If this girl wanted to be at the top of the charts, she'd be there. She doesn't care at all about that. She cares about ner fans and respects the integrity of what she does.

Lastly, I will tell you what tunes I think really stand out on "Suit Yourself". Actually the whole album is great, but in paricular, please listen to "Where Am I Now", I Cry Everyday", Old Times Sake", "I Won't Die Alone", Johnny Met Jane, "You Don't Have A Heart", "Iced Tea", and "Track 12"(which is actually Shelby's rendition of "Rainy Night In Georgia".

I've said a whole lot to bore you to death, but really, do yourself a favor. Give this girl a listen. She is one of the very best out there today. If you're waiting for her picture to be on the cover of the "Rolling Stone", you're going to be wasting alot of time. Thanks for your time, and sit back and enjoy!

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Shelby Gets It Right, September 7, 2005

By 

Mr. Michael J. Whitting (Katherine, NT, AUS) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Suit Yourself (Audio CD)

Shelby Lynne's 'Suit Yourself' begins with voices talking in the studio. One of them says, 'All this talkin'...this is your record' and Lynne replies, 'Just keep doin' this 'til we get it right'. And indeed they do get it right. The album has 11 emotionally-driven country rock, blues and Lynne's characteristically funky songs, plus a surprise at the album's end. Produced by Lynne, the songs are pared back to acoustic guitar, bass and drums and minimalist support from electric guitar, slide, dobro and keyboards to create a live-in-the-studio efect throughout. There is not a weak track, but highlights include 'Go With It', 'Where Am I Now', the bluesy 'You're The Man', the wistful 'Old Times Sake', the Lucinda Williams-like 'I Won't die Alone' and the brief but wonderful 'Johnny Met June' - written immediately after Cash's death, and this will surely be covered by other artists. The album ends with 'Track 12', an excellent cover of Tony Joe White's 'Rainy Night In Georgia', on which Lynne enlists help from the swamp man himself to create a long jam full of guts and emotion. Shelby Lynne's 'Suit Yourself' speaks directly to the listener, it is full of honest emotion and effectively demonstrates why folks everywhere sit down to make music.