Customer Reviews

West Texas Heaven

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

 

 

One of the best CD's I've ever heard, regardless of category! This is beautifully recorded acoustic country/folk music with wonderfully spare arrangements that showcase her fine voice and some equally fine singing by her famous guests. I've been listening to it for over a year now, and it is still as enchanting as the first time I heard it. Far above commercial country music. If you like Iris Dement, Nanci Griffith, Guy Clark, Tom Russell or other "Americana" artists, you will love this.

Living in Glasgow, Scotland I get limited exposure to "the less well known" American artists. However, after hearing Kimmie's song "Hard Promises to keep" on a local Scottish radio station I immediately sought out this record. Kimmie's gentle and sweet voice fully compliments the stripped back, flowing feel of the music. This creates a very personal feel to the music; its as if she is in your living room playing to you as an audience of one!
The duets on the album are also perfect. Its if the songs were made with the contributors in mind - particularly the Willie Nelson's vocal style. The beautiful and evocative lyrics also contribute to painting a mind's-eye picture for me of Texas. As I stated at the start of this review, geographically, I'm a million miles from Texas but for me this record evokes "the essence of Texas!" - a definite all time favourite.

In 1996 while making a trip back home to Austin, I was browsing at Waterloo Records when I found this treasure of a CD! With the voice of a Texas angel - a beautifully timbred soprano without too much nasal or tremelo - along with some very original, cliche-less song writing - very raw, very beautiful, very Texas! She didn't really need Waylon or Willie to get my money!

I have owned this CD since USA Today voted it one of the best albums of the year-back when it first came out. I had never heard of Kimmie Rhodes, but listened to it nonstop for months. Still do. Just wish she and Willie or she and Waylon would do more together. No, she doesn't need them, but they sure make beautiful music together. I know Nashville could sure use this Texas voice. Any true country fan should go find this CD!!!!!

I have listened to this cd driving through the hills of west texas near fort davis.....alpine, terlingua....next to butch's "I could have walked around the world".....or chris whitley.....it speaks west texas....as much as any music I've heard....
evoking the colors of the big bend...the carefree and lyrical
feeing of driving in the middle of nowhere without feeling the least bit alone.....thanks kimmie for this masterpiece....