Delicious Surprise

Jo Dee Messina

Product Details

• Audio CD (April 26, 2005)
• Original Release Date: April 26, 2005
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Curb Records
• ASIN: B0007XT86W
• In-Print Editions: Audio CD  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars See all reviews (28 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #38,081 in Music (See Bestsellers in Music)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com
On her fourth studio album, Messina, country's queen of hope and empowerment, roars back after a four-year hiatus, during which she went public with a stint at rehab and broke off a nine-year relationship with her fiancé. Those events stand at the center of two of the best ballads on the album ("It Gets Better" and "Sometimes Love Is Just Not Enough"), and please not only because Messina wrote (or cowrote) them from real-life struggles, but because the songs soften the numbing bombast that producers Byron Gallimore and Mark Bright bring to the rest of her repertoire. The singer--big-voiced, expansive, and as comforting as an old friend--is always a welcome presence on the radio, as she is on the album's first single, the upbeat and attitudinal kiss-off "My Give a Damn's Busted." What she needs is more songs like this that break her out of her usual mold (in addition to the aforementioned tracks that showcase her quieter side) and allow her to deliver a surprise or two. The ones offered here aren't quite as "delicious" as the album title promises, but even the most casual listener senses that Messina has so much spunk and grit that she'll gather them yet, her myopic producers be damned. --Alanna Nash

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

31 of 34 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars I Wear My Life, April 26, 2005

By	Jake Z "holden84" (Canada) - See all my reviews (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)

It's been almost 5 years since Jo Dee Messina's last studio album BURN in 2000. DELICIOUS SURPRISE is a cd I wasn't sure would ever see the light of day. It was originally scheduled for a 2003 release then kept getting pushed back. Curb didn't like the original one, so she had to put it on hold and rework it. She also had a stint in rehab and other personal problems like a broken engagement, but she is finally back.

I was delighted and surprised that the first single "My Give A Damn's Busted" shot up the charts. A #1 single! It's a great tongue in cheek song that suits Jo Dee. Most of the songs on this cd have to do with survival, having a positive attitude, or being reflective. One of the best ballads is one she helped write called "Love Is Not Enough", a poignant ballad about how it's hard to move on from a broken relationship, and that sometimes love isn't enough to stay together.

My favorite ballad though is the closer, "You Were Just Here". What a sad song! It's about losing someone who passes away and not being able to cope with the changes. Having lost someone near and dear to me last year I can relate to this song well.

"Not Going Down" and "Someone Else's Life" are positive uptempo numbers that are nice. "It Gets Better" is a nice ballad. "I Wear My Life" is another positive song that I like quite a bit. "It's Too Late To Worry" has hit written all over it, a great song with a catchy chorus. "Where Were You" is another great one!

This is a great album from Jo Dee. It's a very positive album and touching. You definately need to check it out!

12 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Well worth the wait !!, April 26, 2005

By	J. M. McGregory "jmarkiemark" (Dallas, TX USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

What a great CD. It finds Jo Dee in TOP form. Her vocals are great. The songs are of varying tempo and content.....makes it hard to decide if Jo Dee's ballads, or "rockers" are more her forte....she does both so well. The ballads are reminiscent of those on Burn....the uptempo remind me more of the older Jo Dee stuff.

A great addition to your Jo Dee selection. Well worth the wait!

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great Girl Power Album!, March 8, 2006

By	Stacey M. Monahan (Beverly, MA USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

I bought this because I heard such good things about it from people I knew and now I know that they weren't wrong! This CD is outstanding. It is from start to finish the catchiest album I have heard in a long time. JoDee makes you feel what she is singing, not just hear it. That is the way a song is supposed to be! Great work!