Search - Gretchen Wilson :: Here For The Party (Special Edition)

Limited Edition That's Worth the Extra Dollars

Rudy Palma | NJ | 02/14/2005

(5 out of 5 stars)

"If you've heard people on the street corner asking "Who on Earth is this country chick?" the answer to their question more than likely is Gretchen Wilson. As evidenced by her runaway hit LP "Here For the Party," she is essentially the savior of modern country music. In an era when country artists keep crossing over into Adult Contemporary territory and trade in Nashville for glossy pop hits, she has emerged and reminded audiences how country music is supposed to be done.



After hearing her sing about her affinity for cowboys, whisky, leaving the Christmas lights on her porch all year long and wearing her jeans tight "just to watch the little boys come undone" it's plain to see she has that special something that gets beneath listeners' skin. The fact that "Party" has not left the Top 10 since its release is no small wonder.



Although upon hearing her six self-penned tracks there is a tendency to question her sincerity, it is in fact genuine. Hailing from a minute rustic community in Illinois, her mother gave birth to her when she was only sixteen and her father fled when Wilson was two. By age fifteen she was living by herself and running a bar called Big O's that was used to very rowdy crowds, where she had a 12-gauge loaded shotgun under the desk just in case she ever needed to protect herself. Some might downplay such humble beginnings, but Wilson owns them proudly, as evidenced in her smash hit single "Redneck Woman".



"Victoria's Secret, well their stuff's real nice/ but I can buy the same damn thing on a Wal-Mart shelf half price/ And still look sexy, just as sexy as those models on TV/ I don't need no designer tag to make my man want me/ Well, you might think I'm trashy, a little too hardcore/ But in my neck of the woods I'm just the girl next door."



If any listeners who've heard her hit single harbor any doubt she could sing sweet ballads as well as tunes raucous and upbeat, "When I Think About Cheatin" and "What Happened" prove she sounds just as at home in that department. In fact, the only notable downsides that exist on the LP are the fact the rap on her cover of Leslie Satcher's "Chariot" does not bode well in the context of the song or album, as well as the short length of the disc.



The album's sharp closer, "Pocahontas Proud," finds her singing just how important it is to her to make her hometown proud. With her album edging double-platinum status, it is safe to say they are.



"I'm the biggest thing that ever came from my home town/And I'll be damned if I'm gonna let 'em down/If it's the last thing I do before they lay me in the ground/You know I'm gonna make Pocahontas proud."



In addition, the bonus DVD that contains the awesome videos for "Redneck Woman" and "Here For the Party," awesome interview footage (including her family, friends and acquaintances and a visit to her hometown) and quality live performances justifies a purchase of this limited edition package. It should be noted, however, that "Rebel Child" and "It Ain't Easy" which have been released as overseas B-sides really should have been included on the CD."

Hell Yeah

Gretchen Wilson ( Austin,Texas) | Austin,Texas | 12/31/2004

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Gretchen has put the kick ass back in Country Music. I have this CD and I can not get enough of it."