Customer Reviews

TNT

5 star:		(11)
4 star:		(9)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This is the album that finally hooked me completely on the music of Tanya Tucker. This album literally jumped in my pocket as I walked through the record store back in 1979 and boy am I glad it did. Nashville was shocked that Tanya would try and go pop/rock and even more shocked by the albums's center art. That pic should have been included in miniature in this CD but was not. But in reality this is and was a country/rock recording. The big hit was Texas (When I Die) still a crowd favorite. The singles released to pop did not fare well but are wonderful. The sizzling Lover Goodbye opens the set followed by the plaintive and pretty I'm The Singer You're The Song. The rocking and gorgeuos version of Not Fade Away gets your blood circulating. This was a jukebox favorite at a bar I used to patronize while in the military. My personal favorite is the somber Angel From Montgomery and Tanya really nails it. Track five is a gorgeous ditty called Brown Eyed Handsome Man. I had heard Waylon Jenning's version which Tanya completely blows away with hers. Another country hit and beautiful piece is The River And The Wind. Track 8 If You Feel It gets those feet to moving. It's Nice To Be With you is another mid-tempo ballad that perfectly suits Tanya's throaty, sultry delivery. All in all this CD gives the listener a lot of variety as far as song selection and let's you hear that wonderful voice. And at this price it is a STEAL.

This is Tanya going full throttle. Granted the album didn't spawn a corral full of hits, it is Tanya's attempt at a crossover to pop music. Her husky, half angel-half devil vocals are in top form. My favorite songs include Lover Goodbye, Heartbreak Hotel, and Brown Eyed Handsome Man. Another great Tanya album, but one that is hard to find, is her follow up to "TNT". It's titled "Tear Me Apart".

This Tanya Tucker album is proof that if it wasn't for her, you probably would not know Shania Twain, Faith Hill or Gretchen Wilson or many other female artists of today. Two classics on this collection of music are worth it all: "Angel from Montgomery", and "Texas When I Die".

Her version of "Brown Eyed Handsome Man" is one of the best Chuck Berry covers ever, it ROCKS! Also love her soulful, rock n' roll version of the classic "Angel from Montgomery." Much better than the overrated Bonnie Raitt's. And when I saw her perform back when she was a teenager, she did "Heartbreak Hotel" and I was amazed at the bluesiness in her voice and that one is included here. Another smokin' cover is Buddy Holly's "Not Fade Away" which has to be the best, most rockin' arrangement of it I've ever heard. Now if RHINO or someone would re-master and release her masterpiece follow-up, "Tear Me Apart" I'd be ecstatic!

THe best version of this is the LP. With it's large gatefold cover, Tanya Tucker's sexy curves looked hot in black leather. And then there was the inside... Tanya in a tight red leotard. HOT STUFF -- even by rock and punk standards, back in 1978.

The CD is just the music. It's good, but lacks the impact of the original package. Unfortunately, the sexy cover art did not break Tanya Tucker into rock radio, and did not win her a big new audience. Deborah Harry and others had taken Rock fans by storm and TNT was seen as just another cute girl who did Country & Western.

I think this is Tanya Tucker's best CD. Countty and western fans might disagree -- if they never like 'rock music'. But without the LP cover art, it's just "the one you play in the car", not the version you pull out at parties.

With her hugely successful pop crossover album, Here you come again, Dolly Parton had shown that it was possible for a country singer to appeal to a different set of fans. So it should not have surprised anybody when Tanya also tried changing styles, though in her case it was for more of a rock sound. The LP cover was intended to emphasize the new style but I wonder if it was a mistake. Some of those who enjoyed the cover didn't take the music seriously because of it while others decided that if Tanya needed to pose this way, the music couldn't possibly be any good. In fact, judged purely on its own merit, this is a brilliant rock album that has nothing to do with country music except for the closing track, Texas when I die.

The album contains several interesting covers, including Not fade away (originally a Buddy Holly song but later covered by the Rolling Stones), Angel from Montgomery (the John Prine classic generally associated with Bonnie Raitt), Heartbreak hotel (the Elvis Presley classic) and Brown eyed handsome man (a Chuck Berry song that was also successful for Buddy Holly). I've heard the famous versions of all these songs as well as some other songs and Tanya's versions stand comparison with the best of them. On their own, they prove that Tanya could rock with the best.

The other songs are also excellent. Lover goodbye was co-written by Phil Everly so this is also likely to be a cover. I'm the singer you're the song is definitely an original, being co-written by Tanya (a rarity for her). The river and the wind, If you feel it and It's nice to be with you are all brilliant rock songs that may well be originals though I can't be sure. So those nine songs show you a different side of Tanya - the rock singer.

But the old saying goes - you can take the singer out of the country but you can't take the country out of the singer. To prove it, the final track, written by Ed Bruce, is one of the most traditional country songs that Tanya has ever recorded - the anthemic Texas when I die. On this original version of the song, Merle Haggard gets mentioned (notwithstanding that he is a Californian). When Tanya re-recorded the song, Merle was replaced in the lyrics by Willie Nelson (definitely a Texan). Die-hard country fans with no interest in rock music can find both versions of this song on other compilations so do not need to buy this just for Texas when I die.

This album will not appeal to all country fans - maybe even some Tanya fans won't like it - but I love it. On the other hand, it will appeal to some rock fans who don't like country music.

This is a great rock record that was overlooked by rock critics and fans because she was country and dissed by country fans offended at her attempt to cross over - ironic since most current country sounds more like 70's pop/rock than this does. Her voice is suited to bar room bluesy rock and the covers here hold up against anyone's. I love Bonnie's "Angel" but this one's still solid.

I have to agree with the reviewer that stated that they need to re-release the follow-up "Tear Me Apart" which is much the same, with a couple of my favorite songs on it. It's one of the few recordings from that era that I have left to replace on disc. C'mon Rhino.

After reading the mediocre reviews of this album, I had to voice my history of this under-rated over scandalized album. I was listening to KISS, Black Sabbath, Van Halen...bands of that sort when this album came out and songs from "TNT" started getting airplay on rock radio...that's right, ROCK RADIO! I can still remember getting the LP and being sent into a different area of music that only Tanya dare venture. From the album opener, "Lover Goodbye", it was a roller coaster ride of emotion and pure rockin'! Her renditions of now legendary songs like "Not Fade Away", "Heartbreak Hotel"(2 tracks her idol Elvis immortalized), to the beautiful and haunting ballads. Being a music fan since my conception in the ..ahem, early 60's, I was a Beatles and Monkees fan as well and was charmed by her version of a lesser known Monkees' single B-Side "It's Nice To Be With You". Capping the collection with "Texas (When I Die)" just made this album a peice of pop/rock/country magic and I continued to play the LP with fond feelings until it's budget digital release on CD. Unfortunately, without the hot gatefold picture and without the lyric sleeve, I look forward to a REAL proper re-release of this great collection of songs remastered and treated with the respect that Tanya gave to each and every fan when she decided to rock the bible belt with this lost gem!
Only "Texas" has appeared on remastered collections and I assume MCA still has a stranglehold on the rights of this album. Come on MCA, lighten up and get with it! TNT is explosive!

I was 'raised' on Tonyas' music, but it wasn't until a year ago I actually invested in her music for myself. I downloaded about all the hits I remembered.. but I still wanted more. There really is no substitute for a full blown album. The songs on this tend to feed off each other as any true disc should, and then you have Tanya getting her feet wet in a *very rocking* new direction; a delectable recipe for sure. I generally do not care for 'cover songs'.. it was only after I downloaded this that I learned many of these songs were not hers.. but ya know.. they feel like hers and that's what's important.

This album just sizzles! The opener, 'Lover Goodbye' gets the hooks started, then the disc spins into a surprisingly deep ballad.. for a 2nd track; 'I'm the Singer, You're the Song. The album then floors it on the 3rd song.. 'Not Fade Away' is as good as I've heard Tanya dish it out.. amazing! The 4th songs seals the deal; Angel from Montgomery is already in my top 5 Tanya songs.. after 5 listens.. The rest of the disc is no slouch -- the wholly original closer -- Texas (When I Die) is to die for. I only lopped off a star because no matter how great this cd is, the songs have been done -- but I doubt have ever sounded this good, that goes for Elvis's Hound Dog as well -- he may be the king, but Tanya's my queen.

my grandmother was a member of columbia record club back in the late 70's. i remember the year she got this record, my sisters and i listened to it over and over. i was the oldest, 7 years old. this is one o fmy favorite albums...even 31 years later. i love the opening of lover goodbye. that has to be one of my favorite longs of all time. this album made me a tanya tucker fun. if you are checking tanya tucker out, this is probably a fun album to start with (along with her greatest hits packages). olivia newton-john is my other favorite singer and it is interesting that their 1978 album titles reflect each other TNT by tanya and totally hot by olivia. TNT is a great and fun album by a great singer.