Published on Jul 8, 1998
She had to get hot or go home. Just about a decade later, Trisha
Yearwood introduced a greatest hits package that chronicled one of
the most popular country music careers in history, a significant
feat given the new world-wide popularity of the genre.
A-list songwriter Diane Warren’s “How Do I Live” has had
big-time airplay here in Asia, where we were fortunate enough to
have it released instead of the LeAnn Rimes version. Yearwood’s
version has better backgroud arrangements and a distinctly sincere
vocal (remember the old cliche about all the prerequisite suffering
in country music), making Rimes’ version sound a tad juvenile (how
do I “leave” without you?).
Country music has become more pop with even non-US residents
topping the charts (Canadian Shania Twain). But people who’ve
bought
Songbook because of “How Do I Live” may be disappointed, for
the rest of the album isn’t nearly as pop. The Garth Brooks duet
“In Another’s Eyes” and even the cover of Melissa Etheridge’s “You
Can Sleep While I Drive” are less mainstream but more country. The
Aaron Neville duet “The Song Remembers When” has been redone to a
Yearwood only version which isn’t quite “radio” compared to the
Grammy-winning original.
It’s still an impressive country music career. Her debut “She’s
In Love With The Boy” is still a swinging all-American ode to true,
wholesome love and its nineties version “Perfect Love” is just as
foot-stomping upbeat (if less imaginative in lyrics). “Walkaway
Joe” fulfills my concept of a perfect country song with its quietly
emotional vocals and music video lyrics. “On A Bus To St. Cloud” is
similar in quality with nary a breath of another world in its
deceptively simple arrangement.
But a majority of the ballads including “The Woman Before Me”
and “Down On My Knees” are bland overall, not giving much room for
Yearwood to emote. “XXX’s And OOO’s (An American Girl)” tries but
isn’t as fun-loving as “Believe Me Baby (I Lied)” or “Perfect
Love”. “The Flame” is a gospel number that doesn’t quite sound
inspired, a song lacking of Yearwood’s sincerity. “Save The Land”
with Lee Kernaghan is a curious song about … environmentalism?
Can’t tell … that ends this collection in a wholly inappropriate
way.
Trisha Yearwood has become so hot, she’s going into what’s
regarded as the next step these days; acting. While that’s a
questionable venture, her music is still a solid and acclaimed body
of work.
Songbook, however, may not be the best place to look for
it.