Disco de Reba McEntire: “Read My Mind”

Descripción (en inglés) :

Personnel: Reba McEntire (vocals); Larry Byrom (acoustic & eclectric guitars); Biff Watson (acoustic guitar); Terry Crisp (steel guitar); Dann Huff (guitar); Nashville String Machine (strings); Joe McGlohon (saxophone); Matt Rollings (piano, Hammond B-3 organ, Wurlitzer, synthesizer); Steve Nathan (Hammond B-3 organ, piano, synthesizer); Leland Sklar (bass); Carlos Vega (drums); Melissa Coleman, Lang Scott, Harry Stinson, Mark Heimermann, Christopher Harris, Yvonne Hodges, Lisa Bevill, Michael Mellett, Robert Bailey, Vicki Hampton, Lisa Glasgow, Kim Fleming, Chris Rodriguez (background vocals). "She Thinks His Name Was John" was nominated for Best Female Country Vocal Performance, and READ MY MIND was nominated for Best Country Album in the 37th Annual Grammy Awards. The challenge posed by the title of Reba McEntire's latest album, READ MY MIND, is simple enough: she wants to be a pop star! From the opening bluesy/jazz saxophone to fully blown-out orchestrations, the dynamic redhead is testing crossover waters that proved treacherous in the past when she encountered the wrath of critics and fans. It's difficult for Reba not to be taken as country; she has a panhandle-sized Oklahoma twang, and an ache in her voice that could rattle Patsy Cline. Her vocals are clean and full of depth, and her slurred phrasing adapts to any style of music. What makes READ MY MIND country is Reba herself; recorded by Celine Dion, there would be no question the album was a pop release. Even when Reba gets down to down-home tradition, it's offset by a rousing R&B choir. READ MY MIND is accessible. Reba's trademark note-augmentation (she rolls one note into 1,000) is under control as are her growls and hiccup-like vocal calisthenics. The AIDS-narrative "She Thinks His Name Was John" is a triumph--understated, dramatic, compelling and stark. But then she brings the mood right back up with "Why Haven't I Heard From You," an R&B shuffle drowned in horns. Read our minds Reba, y'all crossed over.

This CD is one of my favorite albums EVER! Reba sings every song with such conviction and you can hear the emotion in her voice! Songs like "And Still" and "She Thinks His Name Was John" are just heartbreaking! Also there are two amazing love songs "Till You Love Me" and "Read My Mind"! Not to mention the up tempos, the #1 SMASH "The Heart Is A Lonely Hunter" and of course "Why Haven't I Heard From You"! Everyone needs this CD! It's also one of Reba's favorite albums!

Of the many brilliant albums that Reba recorded in the nineties, this may be the best. I can think of a few of her eighties albums that I like even better, but not by much. The style of this album could be described as contemporary nineties country. It is some way from the traditional country that Reba recorded in the mid-eighties, but still has enough of a country feel to appeal to most country fans,

The outstanding song here is She thinks his name was John, a very sad story about a woman who died of AIDS, Despite the fact that it only tells the story and does not offer advice or opinion, it was too sensitive for a lot of American country radio stations, otherwise it might have been a much bigger hit than it was.

And still, The heart is a lonely hunter and Till you love me (all great love songs, but very different from each other) were all country number one hits, while Why haven't I heard from you (a brilliant up-tempo song) was also a huge country hit. The opening track, Everything that you want, is particularly interesting. It has a jazz-blues feel to it more like I'd expect on an album from New Orleans or Memphis than Nashville. Read my mind is a song about a woman unable to express her feelings. I won't stand in line, I wish that I could tell you and I wouldn't wanna be you are all wonderful songs.

With five singles released from the album, you might not feel the need to buy this set if you've already got those tracks on compilations but I don't think it could have been easy to select the songs to be released as singles and that's why this album is so good.

No self-respecting Reba fan should be without this album, which should also appeal to anybody who only wants some of Reba's music.

Suppose one wants to be the best that they can be in whatever arena of life one happens to be in?? If this is the case for Reba, and if I know that redhead, she desires ONLY the best. Which is why I can't figure out why she recorded such mediocre songs on this project. I sense a downward trend in her music with this release. If she wants to transcend all types of music she's going about it the wrong way. There is absolutely Nothing here to justify my giving it a higher than a one-star review. Didn't like this at all!!

READ MY MIND is easily one of Reba's most accesible albums, and among some of her best too! I have found the album to be a very personal one, it just tugs at your heartstrings and affects you in a deep way. The sadness felt in songs like "She Thinks His Name Was John", a song about AIDS and its affect on people's everyday lives. "And Still", about an old flame, and finding he's not single anymore, in fact having a family and children. "I Wish That I Could Tell You", a sad song about someone who doesn't want to let go, having trouble saying goodbye. Then on the flipside, there are the love songs like the beautiful title track, which was sinful it wasn't released as a single, and the final track "Til You Love Me" which is just beautiful. As well there are the uptempo tracks which so Reba's fiery attitude like "I Wont Stand In Line", "I Wouldn't Wanna Be You", and "Why Haven't I Heard From You". This album simply put is amazing, the songs just touch you so deeply. Reba always chooses quality material, well she outdid herself on this one, there's so much great material here, its too bad it wasn't a bit longer! Its a wonderful album I highly reccomend it!