Search - Buddy Jewell :: Buddy Jewell

Buddy Jewell: A real Nashville star

Tom Gillem | Brentwood, TN, USA | 08/20/2003

(5 out of 5 stars)

"All you have to do to become a Buddy Jewell fan is to hear him sing just one time.Country music insiders have said for years that Buddy has the best voice in Nashville, but until he won the Nashville Star competition on USA Network, none of the Music Row "experts" would give him a chance at a recording contract.Well, Buddy is proving that he's the real deal. Every song on the self-titled Columbia CD "Buddy Jewell" showcases the strength of his singing ability, and three songs were either written or co-written by him."Help Pour Out the Rain" is the first hit from this CD, but there will be others. Watch for "Sweet Southern Comfort," "Abilene on Her Mind" and "One in a Row" to eventually move up on the charts, too.People call Buddy Jewell the "Nashville Star" now because of the TV competition. Before long, they will call him a real Nashville star because that's what he is."

Very good CD - but could have been great!

falcon92 | 07/04/2003

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Buddy Jewell is the best pure country act to come out of Nashville in the last ten years. While country music has been steadily morphing into mainstream pop for the last several years with young acts who have little or no talent and even less appreciation for the roots of country, Jewell's debut gives tradition and talent a good shot in the arm.The winner of this Spring's Nashville Star, Jewell is the most unlikely of stars. Fortysomething and a career demo singer, Jewell posesses a wisdom in his songs that actually speaks to the fact that he's been through lifes ups and downs and actually has something to say. Sony spared no expense on this CD and it shows. Produced by Clint Black and backed by the finest of Nashville's studio players (Brent Mason, Glenn Worf, Eddie Bayers, etc.) basically the guys who back George Strait and other top tier performers, it's a first class production. The opening track "I Wanna Thank Everyone" is a tongue in cheek thank you to all those who told Jewell and countless others, that they couldn't make it in the business. "Lacey's Song", currently making the radio rounds is a beautiful tear jerker about family and God, co-written by Jewell. Next up is a sleeper track that may well be the best song on the entire CD; "Sweet Southern Comfort". Great harmonies, great lyrics and great delivery. Jewell next performs a remake of the Merle Haggard classic "Today I started Loving You Again" with fellow Nashville Star contestant Miranda Lambert. It's a solid effort that grows with each playing. You slowly realize that not only are Jewell and Lambert singing in different octaves, but that each are singing a slightly different version of the song."Abilene on her Mind" is a great country song. If released it should be a #1 hit and is easily one of the greatest love lost, country heartbreak songs ever written. If you think I'm exagerrating, just listen to the words and then try to not listen to it over and over. Co-written by Jewell, only a man of 40 years and some miles traveled could write that song. "One in a Row" is another solid effort in the classic country mold. "O'Reilly's Luck" is a catchy Irish-tinged song about a man with the worst of luck who misses his cruise on the Titanic.Prior praise not-withstanding, the album slows down a bit here. While the rest of the album is solid, it is not as good as the first seven tracks, all good, some great. A real miss is the Clint Black penned song "I Can Get By" which was obviously a throw-away for Clint. One would think that given Jewell's other top-notch song writing efforts that he had something better himself.Overall, a very good CD from a great new performer that just misses the mark for being a great CD. Easily the best new artist of 2003 as well as in quite some time."

You Will Love This Album -- Even if Country Isn't Your Thing

Tom Gillem | 07/01/2003

(4 out of 5 stars)

"I first caught wind of Buddy Jewell when he was on Nashville Star. I thought I would have been the last person to become addicted to that show -- seeing as it has been probably 15 years since I last listened to country music with any regularity -- but that was before I heard Buddy Jewell sing. What an incredible voice. If you give him a try, I know you will get hooked, too.Unfortunately, because he won the Sony contract, his original independent albums -- which are well worth the effort to find a used copy -- are no longer available. But a few of his best songs made it onto this album: Abilene On Her Mind, One In A Row, and the first single Help Pour Out The Rain (Lacey's Song). All are great, and without a doubt Abilene is destined for the top of the charts.As a whole, the album is thoroughly enjoyable, fits together well, and contains that nice balance of slow, medium and fast. There are a couple of other standouts. You Know How Women Are works beautifully and the duet with Miranda Lambert on Today I Started Loving You Again is both wonderful and so unlike what you typically here on the radio today. Buddy's version of Why We Said Goodbye is better than Tim McGraw's, and O'Reilly's Luck has a great hook."