Patty Loveless Album: “When Fallen Angels Fly”

This was the CMA's album of the year!! With good reason; no filler here at all! One thing about Loveless is that she's consistent but she continues to top herself without selling or compromising who she is to "do what sells". Patty is also aware of the need for maintaining her roots and not pretending to be someone she is not. And she doesn't oversell the songs. She's just pure and clean without resorting to vocal gimmickry like (Reba, Hill, McBride, Twain). Patty is vastly underrated as a singer and performer because she is no phony. She's the real thing......and unfortunately, the real thing gets overlooked amid all the glitz, glamour and artificiality of the ones I just mentioned above. "When Fallen Angels Fly" is a true masterpiece...but then Patty Loveless is a true artist!!

Patty has recorded many excellent albums and this one is well up to her usual standard. It includes three major country hits and seven other wonderful songs. The three hits are You don't even know who I am (about a woman who leaves a man who doesn't understand her), Here I am (about a woman's desire for a particular man) and I try to think about Elvis (an up-tempo song about a woman trying to get over a broken relationship).

Elsewhere, there are plenty of fine songs beginning with Handful of dust, a mid-tempo song with a similar idea to the old sixties pop song, A hundred pounds of clay. Halfway down (another mid-tempo song), When fallen angels fly (an excellent ballad about a happy relationship) and Feeling good about feeling bad (about successfully getting over a broken relationship) are among the other great songs here.

This is Patty at her peak and should satisfy all her fans. While this is a contemporary album, it should appeal to all but the most die-hard traditional fans.

Like Patty Loveless albums I have reviewed before, this album "When Fallen Angels Fly" is always right along with those albums. With songs like "I Try To Think About Elvis", a very lyrically different song, it shows that Patty can sing any kind of song, ballad or upbeat, and on the song "Old Weakness", the hidden gem on this album, her voice shines through, a very eerie and mysterious song. "Here I Am" a classic Patty ballad dealing with her demons, showing her falling apart at the seems. "HalfWay Down" is about the only song released that didn't catch my attention, but the song that really put this album over the top was "You Don't Even Know Who I Am", Patty with one of her superballads, a song that really put Patty back on the map. Also the song "Ships" in another winner. This album is a pleasure to listen to and own.

Patty has done some great ballads, but on this particular album, she's much better when she keeps things up-tempo. Highlights are the great country-rockers, "Halfway Down" & "I Try to Think About Elvis", along with the harmonica blues of "Feelin' Good About Feelin' Bad" & the piano-driven "Old Weakness".

This album is a strong contender for one the best CD's this decade. Patty sounds mature and confident, and proves that as an artist she continues to grow. Well worth your time