Family

LeAnn Rimes

Product Details

• Audio CD (October 9, 2007)
• Original Release Date: October 9, 2007
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Curb Records
• ASIN: B000SQJ2B4
• In-Print Editions: Audio CD  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (53 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #14,646 in Music (See Bestsellers in Music)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com

This sounds like a pivotal release for Rimes, who made her breakthrough as a childhood prodigy with an uncanny vocal resemblance to Patsy Cline, and then evolved into an eclectic diva who couldn't quite decide what she wanted to be when she grew up. She's all grown up now, as both the sensual "Upper Hand" and the spiritual "What I Cannot Change" attest. Rimes had a hand in writing all the material (except for the bonus-cut duets with Jon Bon Jovi and Reba McEntire), and themes of family--though not always her family--pervade the lyrics. Musically, this is grittier, harder-edged, and more propulsive than much of her previous fare, with the title cut and "Nothin' Better to Do" evoking the Southern country soul of Bobbie Gentry, her duet with Marc Broussard on "Nothing Wrong" riffing like the Rolling Stones, and "One Day Too Long" sounding like the female Otis Redding. She's lost none of her supple upper register, as the balladry of "Pretty Things" attests, but Leann Rimes in no longer just a pretty voice. --Don McLeese

Product Description

From the time she burst onto the music scene as a teenager with the smash hit "Blue" to the release of her new studio album "Family," she has seen it all while taking it with a grain of salt. Some people will always see her as the little girl with the booming voice. She wants to change all that, and part of that process will start with her latest album "Family." For the first time, LeAnn wrote or co-wrote every song on the album. From the autobiographical first track "Family" to the hit single "Nothin' Better To Do," she pours out her soul for the world to see. While the album is incredibly personal, LeAnn managed to create music that is incredibly universal. Her confident, compelling voice helps to solidify her as one of the premier vocalists in Country music. "Family" showcases her diversity as a vocalist from engaging duets with Marc Broussard on "Nothing Wrong" and Bon Jovi on "Til We're Not Strangers" to the soul searching song "What I Cannot Change." Through LeAnn's journey to adulthood, growing up, and developing as a writer and vocalist, she has produced an album that is one for the ages that chronicles the myriad relationships and experiences that have shaped the life of one of America's most successful artist.

LeAnn Rimes Photo

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

28 of 36 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Some great songs here, October 9, 2007

By	Patrick (Wisconsin, USA) - See all my reviews (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)

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What makes this album special is that LeAnn wrote pretty much all of it herself. She's growing to become a better artist than where she started out which was just a singer who sings other people's songs. So for that, I give her credit. There's still some growing to be done but this is a pretty solid album. I'll break down the songs:

Family (C+)
Not one of the stronger songs on the album.

Nothin' Better To Do (B)
One of the problems with this song is that it's so hard to understand. You want to sing along to it, but you can't really tell what the words are due to LeAnn's poor enunciation.

Fight (C)
Good Friend And A Glass OF Wine (C-)
Something I Can Feel (C)
There really isn't anything wrong with these songs. There just doesn't seem to be any purpose to them. They seem like the last songs she wrote for the album. She wrote the important songs to her first, and then needed 3 more to fill an album so she just slapped any old thing together. That's what it sounds like anyway.

I Want You With Me (B+)
This song was included with the charity LeAnn was involved in to support the troops. I don't know if that was the intention of the song when it was first written, but now the song has a special meaning and it's touching to listen to every time because of it.

Doesn't Everybody (A+)
One of the brilliant songs on the album. LeAnn takes on life observations, including tabloid celebrities, and questions whether or not we're all the same or if people are just missing out on what is really important in life.

Nothing Wrong (A+)
Another brilliant song. Marc Broussard's scratchy voice fits perfectly with LeAnn's pipes. This is one of the best duets she's ever done. It's loose and fun. One to sing along to in the car.

Pretty Things (A)
An unexpected and interesting song on the album. LeAnn singing about the superficial things in life. Beautiful vocals and with each listen you discover the deeper meaning of the song.

Upper hand (B)
A cool rock song but compared to others on the album it seems a little flat.

One Day Too Long (A+++)
FANTASTIC!!! That's all I have to say for this song

What I Can Not Change (A-)
Beautiful vocals and arrangement. What takes away from this song is that she's sung it on two prior albums. Not the song, but the subject matter. I hate to break it to LeAnn, but her life could be a lot worse than it is. She should sing a song about all the things she's grateful for instead of how she has family and stress problems all the time.

Til We Ain't Strangers Anymore (B)
I was expecting more out of a Bon Jovi song.

When You Love Someone Like (A)
I love this song. Reba and LeAnn sound amazing together. And it's one of the best songs on Reba's duets album too. Thankfully, Reba didn't hog the song like she did through most of her album.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Nothing better to do.... and she does it very very well, November 8, 2007

By	Mike R. Guill - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

ok all you whiners saying she should enunciate on nothing better to do.... This is done purposly to envoke the southern cajun feel to the song. Stop listening and Feel the dang song.... Thanks for the buzz Leann!
a++

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Family is her best work to date, November 1, 2007

By	Joseph P. Ellis "Joe" (New Castle, DE USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

I can't believe it has been almost 12 years since Ms. Rimes come onto the music scene with BLUE. Now, at 25, she has a lot of powerful emotions experiences to showcase on this--her tenth album. On the title track, she wrote and sang about the true-story of what happened to her family during her time of raising stardom. NBTD answers us the "what-if" question of what would happen if she stayed in Mississippi. In other words, what if she never got out of that state. Other great tracks are; Fight, Good Friend And A Glass Of Wine (good one to sing with your friends) I Want You With You (an amazingly beautiful love song about her husband); Doesn't Everybody and the emotional, yet sentimential ballad "What I Can Not Change."

The bonus tracks are good too, but my favorite one is "When You Love Someone Like That." Reba McEntire and LeAnn's voice blend so perfectly together it's scarey.

All in all, this album brings out the best in LeAnn as a gifted singer and songwriter. I HIGHLY RECOMMEND THIS ALBUM TO ANY LEANN FAN OR ANYONE WHO JUST LOVES GREAT MUSIC!! Basically, if this album doesn't go platinum by the end of 2008--it will surely be considered a crime in my eyes. I think that says it all about her new "best" album to date.