Customer Reviews

What If It's You

5 star:		(17)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(16)

 

 

After the critical, radio, and commercial dissapointment of "Starting Over," Reba stunned critics and fans alike with this straight-forward, crisp and up beat album. Regaining her position as Queen of Country Radio, this album garnered the two #1 hits, "The Fear of Being Alone," and "How Was I To Know." Following up those singles were the Top 10 Hits "I'd Rather Ride Around With You," and the title track. Two other great songs on this album are "It Don't Matter," and "State of Grace." Reba described this album as a crisp mountain stream as opposed to the "ocean" of Starting Over, and it's an accurate description. Taking the reigns as lead producer, this album was entirely self-contained. It was the first album recorded in Reba's studio, with the staff engineers, played by Reba's tour musicians, and contains several songs from Reba's publishing company. These elements give the album a fresh, exciting feel. You can really tell that everyone involved on this project truely loved doing it. A fresh start for country's diva.

This album, from 1996, is full of quality. The first four tracks on this album were all hits in the American country charts, these being How was I to know (about recovering from a broken relationship and feeling better than ever), The fear of being alone (about a couple spending time together to avoid being alone), What if it's you (in which a woman discovers that a man is unavailable and wonders if she'll find somebody else) and I'd rather ride around with you (about somebody who is supposed to be at her cousin's wedding but prefers to be riding around with her man).

The other songs - all excellent - are It don't matter (about a relationship that appears to be in trouble despite - or because - the couple having everything they need), State of Grace (about a woman who packs in her regular job for a bit of adventure), Close to crazy, Just looking for him (two songs about women unable to get over losing a man), She's calling it love (about a woman who is infatuated with a man who takes advantage of her) and Never had a reason to (about a woman who didn't do what the others did - fall in love, get married and raise a family - but eventually finds love).

Reba has recorded so many great albums in her career and this is one of them. It has more of a country feel to it than some her nineties albums though it still has a pop sheen to it. If you enjoy Reba's nineties music, you should buy this album.

What If It's You is a good album and in my opinion, one of Reba's best. The first four songs on the album are hits, and when I seen that it had "The Fear of Being Alone" and "I'd Rather Ride Around With You" on it, I knew I wanted to have this cd. The rest of the album is also good, and the songs all have the same tone like the first four hits.

If you like Reba McEntire or good country music, I recommend getting What If It's You, it's one of her best albums. She's one of the best country singers, and this album really shows it.

A lot of the songs on this CD aren't bad. Its the arrangements that make them bad. The electric guitars are so loud and the background singers nearly drown Reba out on a lot of them. THe fast songs all sound alike even though I really like "I'd Rather Ride Around With You". There is one song that is really good and that one is called "Close to Crazy". But I also like the title track and wonder why it wasn't released as a single because its really good too. But you can have the rest of the songs. LIke I said, they aren't bad songs but I wonder what this would have sounded like if they had made it a "real traditional country album" with "traditional" arrangements. It could have been done and if it had, Reba would have had another winner here. Get rid of the electric guitars and the loud drums please!!!!

I have been a fan of Reba's even before I liked country music. This cd was the first one that I bought of hers. I had to buy it a 2nd time because I wore out the first cd.
This is the cd that Reba seems to explore her "pop-esque" country side. "I'd Rather Ride Around With You", "How Was I to Know" and "State of Grace" are all typical Reba with a little pop added in for good measure. But she does not forget what brought her to the top of the country music scene: her sweet yet powerful voice. "Just Looking for Him" and "What If It's You" are prime examples as to why she is the QUEEN OF COUNTRY. If I had a list of my favorite cds of all time: this one would defintely be in the top 10!!!

After the medicore covers album STARTING OVER, Reba McEntire returned with this effort, probably her best in years. Whereas her later albums have been littered with slick, adult comtemporary styled ballads, WHAT IF IT'S YOU presents a beautiful spate of uptempo tunes, and the production isn't the typically shiny affair that a McEntire record usually is. In fact the production is very reminiscent of what you would hear on a Mary Chapin Carpenter album--lots a acoustic based, upbeat tunes that perfectly showcase McEntire's great vocal work. The few ballads here, particularly the title track, are first-rate, resulting in an overall tight package. Still one of the most underrated albums in McEntire's considerable catalog.

Wow! What a great album! At this point in her career, Reba was turning out some great albums. 1994's READ MY MIND, 1995's STARTING OVER, after this one in 1996 was 1998's IF YOU SEE HIM and 1999's SO GOOD TOGETHER.

WHAT IF IT'S YOU is a collection of country music which is a bit more polished, but it doesn't take away from the wonderful quality and substance in each song. Along with her shorter hair, there is somewhat of a new found freedom in Reba's personality and music.

"How Was I To Know" is a catchy album opener about finding inner strength. "The Fear of Being Alone", the first single from the album, is a song about giving in and not being alone. "What If It's You" the album's final single, is a tender ballad with a lot of conviction in Reba's strong emotional voice. It was used as the conclusion to the video of "Id Rather Ride Around With You", both videos worked together. "Id Rather Ride Around With You" is a video where Reba and this guy are trying to get to a wedding but having no luck, and finding love and companionship together on the way. "What If It's You" is a more serious look at the relationship, when Reba watches him with another woman, wondering if he was the true one.

The album has a lot of great tracks, there is not one bad song. "She's Just Looking For Him" is a nice ballad, so is "Never Had A Reason To". This is a great album for country fans, and a must have. It has some really good music, and the pictures in the booklet are some of the best pictures yet of Reba. A must own.

I think Reba did this in a brand new studio that she built. Seems I remember that maybe she even had the drum riser installed mid level in the air above and behind her in the studio. Drums are great and move the songs well. The sound quality is superb and I believe demonstrates her great range and emotion of her voice. Not an expert, but the mixing just seems awesome on this one. Full and rich. Almost like she is right there in the living room with you. I listen to it over and over.

After the medicore covers album STARTING OVER, Reba McEntire returned with this effort, probably her best in years. Whereas her later albums have been littered with slick, adult comtemporary styled ballads, WHAT IF IT'S YOU presents a beautiful spate of uptempo tunes, and the production isn't the typically shiny affair that a McEntire record usually is. In fact the production is very reminiscent of what you would hear on a Mary Chapin Carpenter album--lots a acoustic based, upbeat tunes that perfectly showcase McEntire's great vocal work. The few ballads here, particularly the title track, are first-rate, resulting in an overall tight package. Still one of the most underrated albums in McEntire's considerable catalog.

Doesn't anybody out there know that Reba McEntire's music is NOT country??? It is just bubblegum pop!!! Stop calling it country because that is not what it is!!! If you want to listen to Reba singing country music try any of her work from the 1980s up to 1987. That's Reba singing REAL country music. This is just fluff!!! Oh, and quit calling her the "Queen of Country" ....that is a title that belongs to Kitty Wells...the ONE AND ONLY Queen of Country Music. If you want to give Reba a title call her the queen of "Bubblegum Country".