Small Town Girl

Kellie Pickler

Product Details

• Audio CD (October 31, 2006)
• Original Release Date: October 31, 2006
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Bna Entertainment
• ASIN: B000IFQLPK
• In-Print Editions: MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (194 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #1,898 in Music (See Bestsellers in Music)

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• This item is part of The American Idol Series.

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com

This debut album by the small-town girl with the big, powerhouse voice showcases two distinctly different sides of Kellie Pickler's music. The hard-riffing uptempo material recalls the heartland rock of Bob Seger and John Mellencamp, with Pickler providing a good-ole-girl twang. Among the highlights are the emancipated strut of "Red High Heels," the playful humor of "Things That Never Cross a Man's Mind," and the tomboy bluesiness of "One of the Guys." Yet the American Idol finalist turns pure diva on the over-the-top balladry of the album's other half, with swelling strings and arrangements that overpower rather than enhance "I Wonder" and "I'm on My Way." On such cuts, producer Blake Chancey (Dixie Chicks) never gives Pickler a chance to show the subtlety and nuance that makes music more an art than a competition. --Don McLeese

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

91 of 104 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Surprisingly good, October 31, 2006

By	Neilisa (Tulsa, OK United States) - See all my reviews

I'm not an "enthusiastic" fan of Kellie Pickler but I was curious as to how her debut CD would turn out. Much to my surprise, it was a lot better than I thought.

Kellie's CD is a nice balance of soulful ballads and upbeat tunes. There were a few songs where she could've done better, a few that captured the pain of growing up without a mom and of losing a beloved grandmother, and a few sassy ones that showcase her fun-loving personality. However, I think Kellie can only improve as she gets more experience under her belt.

Here are my thoughts on some of the tracks:

Red High Heels: Upbeat and catchy tune with a whole lot of sass. With Kellie's penchant for shoes, I'm not surprised this was her first release.

Gotta Keep Moving: This is a definite "cruisin' with the top down" type of song. It's fun with a real good beat.

Things that Never Cross a Man's Mind: Not sure I like this one.

Didn't You Know How Much I Loved You: This is a really good song. The lyrics are heartfelt and moving, but I'm not sure Kellie was very convincing in her performance. Her voice lacked conviction.

I Wonder: This is my favorite song on this CD. I think this is a song about her mother. I'm guessing though. Anyway, Kellie really pulls it off. Her voice is rich with pain and heartbreak.

Wild Ponies: Slow, sad ballad about a strong-willed girl who falls for and marries the wrong guy. I also liked this song and Kellie does an adequate job with it.

My Angel: This song is about her grandmother and the pain of losing her. Again, Kellie's grief really shows through her voice.

I recommend Kellie's CD as a definite buy. You'll be surprised by it as I was.

58 of 67 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Big sound from a small town girl, October 31, 2006

By	Amanda Richards "Modest to the extreme" (Georgetown, Guyana) - See all my reviews (TOP 50 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

Maybe she didn't win American Idol Season Five, but now that Kellie Pickler can concentrate on singing country music, it's pretty clear that country is her strong point, and where she belongs.

On this excellent debut album she proves that she can hold her own with the best of them, and with the production talents of Blake Chancey (who also did the job for the Dixie Chicks) this album will be around for a long time.

There's no filler material on this album, which starts off with the first single "Red High Heels" and never stops churning from there in. Her strong vocals and the slick arrangements make this album special, and it's obvious that's she's having a really good time. Listen for "Gotta Keep Moving", "Things That Never Cross A Man's Mind", "I Wonder", "Small Town Girl", "Girls Like Me" and "My Angel", and then listen to the rest.

A great debut album that's on par with the best out there.




Amanda Richards, October 31, 2006

14 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Small Town (Albemarle) Girl, November 2, 2006

By	Brent Bowers (Albemarle, NC United States) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

I don't know Kellie personally, although we share a hometown. Despite that, I think I can say with honest objectivity that ¼ of the songs on this record have the potential of being radio hits. The production quality is very, very high. The musicianship is absolutely top notch.

When watching the show, I suspected some of Kellie's vocal difficulties were from nerves. I always thought she'd be much better in a studio setting and I'm happy to say that is indeed the case. There's nothing weak or shaky about her vocals on this record.

There are a couple of spots on this record where her voice gives me goose bumps. That's the greatest complement I know how to give because it happens so rarely with today's music.

My favorite cuts.
Didn't You Know How Much I Loved You, Wild Ponies and of course Red High Heels.

Kellie has a bright recording future as long as they keep attaching quality producers to her projects as was certainly the case with Small Town Girl.