One More Time: The MCA Recordings [ORIGINAL RECORDING REMASTERED]

Kelly Willis

Product Details

• Audio CD (September 12, 2000)
• Original Release Date: September 12, 2000
• Number of Discs: 1
• Format: Original recording remastered
• Label: Mca Nashville
• ASIN: B00004XSQ3
• In-Print Editions: MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (10 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #158,371 in Music (See Bestsellers in Music)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com

One word describes this overview of Willis's three years with MCA Nashville: maddening. Willis has everything: a flawless, classic country voice; a dreamy face; a shrewd eye for catchy but complex material; and a rock-steady band. Nashville and country radio should have been ready for her earthy sophistication and guileless talent; they weren't--she never cracked the Billboard Top 50--but neither was the shy, stubborn Willis ready to compromise. From 1990 to 1993, her MCA run left some fresh, exciting country music. Her biggest hit, "Baby Take a Piece of My Heart," only hints at the fiery "Little Honey" (written by Dave Alvin), the effortless swing of "Heaven's Just a Sin Away," the Bakersfield-flavored "Looking for Someone Like You," and the irresistible "Take It All Out On You" (cowritten by husband Bruce Robison). In her own way, and on her own terms, Willis has made it outside of the Nashville majors. These 14 songs are indelible reminders of just how much they missed. --Roy Kasten

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

43 of 44 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Excellent Early Kelly Willis, But ...., October 3, 2000

By	Ron Frankl (Hendersonville, NC) - See all my reviews

MCA has just issued a collection drawn from Kelly Willis' three early '90's albums for the label, which I guess partially makes up for deleting all three titles from their catalog. "One More Time" is a solid but hardly insightful assortment that unfortunately includes no previously unreleased tracks. The only rarity is a song that previously appeared only on the "Thelma & Louise" soundtrack.

Many people discovered Kelly through her wonderful 1999 release "What I Deserve" for Rykodisc. If you aren't familiar with her MCA recordings, this is probably the best (if not only) place to start. (If you ever see the third album, 1993's "Kelly Willis," grab it) Willis' songwriting was still at a developmental stage, so she relied on outside writers in her early years, including John Hiatt and Marshall Crenshaw. She began her career singing rockabilly-influenced music and there are some excellent examples of that phase on this release. There is much excellent music here, and fans of "What I Deserve" should be very pleased.

What bothers me about "One More Time" is the self-serving essay in the album notes. Within about a paragraph, the writer manages to credit MCA for Kelly's subsequent and hard-earned success. Well, MCA deserves credit only if putting a person through hell constitutes nurturing the artist. They straightjacketed Kelly on her first two albums, put pressure on her that led to the breakup of her band, and tried to turn into a video-ready glamour girl, the Pre-Shania, if you will. When she left MCA in 1994 she struggled for another five years before she had a chance to record a full album.

I have no doubt that MCA invested and lost a lot of money on Kelly's early work, but for them to claim to have assisted in her rise to success is ludicrous, if not downright dishonest. Kelly Willis owes no thanks to MCA for fumbling away her first shot at artistic and commercial success. For this reason, and this reason alone, this release is docked one star.

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A little ol' masterpiece, September 18, 2000

By	Gerry Lazar (Toronto, Ontario, Canada) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

I first heard Kelly Willis with her last CD.",What I Deserve",and had to hear more. As most of her earlier works are out of stock, this is a good way to hear the music of an artist who likes to do things on her own terms. Kelly Willis manages to blend country,honky tonk,rockabilly and just plain old rock and roll together on this "greatest hits" package. If you've been listening to "alternative country" and shake your head when you turn on the radio then this is for you. A clear lilting voice that carries you away with each song makes "One More Time" an instant classic. Now I know what I've been missing. Play it in rotation with Charlie and Bruce Robison. You won't be disappointed.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars an excellent album, August 13, 2002

By	F. Anderson (Surrey United Kingdom) - See all my reviews

When I got this album I only knew one of the songs on it (Little Honey) but I am very much pleased with it. One of the reasons I like it, is that there are not all ballads nor are they "naff" like some country records can be. I am new in the country music world because where I live (England) country music is not big but I think this album is great and well worth it. It is probarbly the most listened to out of all my music and I love it, I definatly recomend it.