Search - Keith Whitley :: Don't Close Your Eyes

"Real Country Music"

Shawn Downs | East Dublin Ga. | 09/27/2002

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Dont Close Your Eyes, this is the Album that solidified Keith Whitleys Career.When you hear the first song you can pretty much tell youve Stumbled onto something worth listening too.Flying colors is a song about a guy getting dumped by his girl, and her thinking her leaving would be the death of him.But, She gets tricked because he comes out A lot stronger man in the end and as the Song says he came through with Flying colors after losing you! meaning the girl that left him.Then we get to song number two Its all coming back to me now is a good song about a man trying to get over a girl and finding out that its not an Easy thing to do a line in the song says it all My mind cant forget what my heart wont allow its all coming back to me now.Then theres song number three Lucky dog its a kinda humorous little song about a guy finding a good girl and remembering the bad relationships he had to go through to get to her and he considers hisself A"lucky dog" Then theres song number four this song is probably The song that most remember Keith By its Called Dont close your Eyes.Its about a guy falling in love with a girl and trying to give her love unlike shes never known but,she keeps thinking of her last love and he tells her Dont close your eyes let it be me dont pretend its him in some fantasy Darling just once let yesterday go,and youll find more love than youve ever known just hold me tight when you love me tonight and Dont close your eyes.I think you get the message!Then theres a song after this called the Birmingham turnaround, its about a guy,and his girl having a lovers spat and him driving off and trying to forget her but, he turns around and heads back to her Great song!Then theres Some ol" side road now this song truly showcases Keiths vocal abilities to a t.I cant put this song in words i can just say youve got to hear Keith on this song if you really want to capture how vocally talented he was! After hearing some ol side road he tones it down a notch with a moving love song Called would these arms be in your way.Its Basically a song where a guys is asking the girl he loves Honey would these arms be in your way,and extending to her an invitation for love.Then theres another Great song Keiths well known for No stranger to the rain .I personally think he chose this song because it was his life story put to music he was no stranger to the rain, and he wasnt ashamed to let the world know it either.Then if you really want to hear Keith sing Country music like only he could then i never go around mirrors is the song to hear.This too is another song i think he chose because it pertained to something he dealt with himself.He does this song so well that after hearing him sing it and put his whole heart ,and soul in it you dont cry with him you aint got no heart!!! He makes you feel the pain he is singing about.Then on a little bit happier note we go back to another love song when you say nothing at all.Its just a song about a guy telling his girl you dont have to say you love me i can see it in your smile,and the look on your face when i am with you.Another very good whitley sang song indeed!Then we return to another breaking up song a day in the life of a fool i cant spoil it for you i can just say i think you will really like the song a lot .Then the very last song is a honky tonk song to a t .Its a song about a guy loving the honky tonk life and realizing that it cost him his girl.Over all this whole album is a ten in my opinion not,a bad song on it.If you dont own this one then your really missing out on some Real good country music sang by the one,and only Keith Whitley ,there will never be anyone to fill his shoes he is truly missed but, his music lives on!!!Keith died may the 9th 1989 of an accidential alcohol overdose he was at the top of his game one can only imagine just how things would be if he were still here,and making music!!!!!! I think He would be a hard act to follow!!!!!"

The greatest album of all-time

storminnorman37 | Iron Mountain, MI | 03/08/2003

(5 out of 5 stars)

"If you discount "Greatest Hits" and "Best of" compilations, this is the one album to own. This is the best album by the greatest singer. Classic songs such as "When You Say Nothing At All, Don't Close Your Eyes, and I'm No Stranger To The Rain, remain timeless and never get old. The ballads "It's All Coming Back To Me Now" co-written by Keith, "Would These Arms Be In Your Way" with great background vocals by Emmylou Harris, and the old Lefty Frizzel song "I Never Go Around Mirrors" are top notch slower songs. The album has great balance with up tempo numbers "Honky Tonk Heart" and "Birmingham Turnaround" being the best. I rate this album slightly higher than the follow up "I Wonder Do You Think Of Me"
mainly on the strength of the classic songs, three of the best of all time."

The original version of When you say nothing at all

Peter Durward Harris | Leicester England | 07/08/2005

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Keith Whitley's premature death in his mid-thirties means that we will never know just how great he might have been. He was an obscure singer for many years before eventually making the big time. This was his first full-length album on a major label. His next album was almost completed when he died - others put the finishing touches to it and released it posthumously - so this album was the last that Keith released in his lifetime.



The album yielded three number one country hits for Keith including the title track (a superb ballad) and I'm no stranger to the rain (an up-tempo song). Nevertheless, the most famous song of the three by far is another superb ballad, When you say nothing at all. Alison Krauss covered it for a Keith Whitley tribute album, her version later being released on her hugely successful compilation, Now that I've found you. Later, other artists covered the song including Ronan Keating, whose version made number one in the British pop charts. The versions by Alison and Ronan (and maybe some others) reached many people who have never heard any of Keith's music. Whether Keith's version of the song is the best is irrelevant although I think his version is as good as any of the other vesrions of the song. Whoever else records it, Keith's version remains the original.



Apart from the three number one country hits, there are many other excellent songs here including I never go around mirrors (a cover of the Lefty Frizzell classic), It's all coming back to me now, Lucky dog, The Birmingham turnaround and Honky tonk heart.



If you enjoy traditional country music, you will surely love Keith's music - especially this album."