Search - Ronee Blakley :: Ronee Blakley

Not quite the up to the standards of her "Nashville" songs,

NoWireHangers | Sweden | 08/29/2006

(3 out of 5 stars)

"When I saw the film "Nashville" I immediately became a Ronee Blakley fan and bought the soundtrack because of her. After reading various Internet forums, it's obvious that I'm not the only one who's glad her albums are getting rereleased on CD after being hard to find for 30 years.



I have mixed feelings about this album. I'm afraid it didn't quite live up to my expectations. It starts off with "Dues", which she would later sing in "Nashville". This version is very good, but not quite as great as the "Nashville" version. This track is followed by two ballads, "Sleepin' Sickness Blues" and "Attachment". The lyrics are quite nice, but musically, the songs are rather forgettable. Ronee Blakley is a great singer but on these tracks, she strains her voice at the upper level of her register. "Down to the River" is a very catchy gospel themed song. As a non-Christian, this is not my favorite genre, but this song is very good, the catchiest song on the album. After this, the album continues in the same style as the two previous songs. "I Lied" is beautiful. Without a doubt the best song on the album is "Bluebird", which was performed by Timothy Brown in "Nashville". Ronee's own version is far superior than the one in the movie. This song and "Dues" are the only country songs on the album. The rest are in the singer/songwriter tradition.



If you're a new fan of Ronee Blakley and know her from "Nashville". Start with buying the soundtrack. You will want more, and this album is worth buying for "Bluebird", "Down to the River" and "Dues" alone. You may love the other songs as well, but don't expect this to be a pure country album. Her second album, "Welcome", is better."

Early women singer/songwriters

Robert W. Zachary, Jr. | 08/17/2008

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I discovered Ronee while screening songs for Judy Collins while a Senior Staff Producer at Elektra Records. I produced this recording resulting in Robert Altman casting her in the lead role in his classic movie "Nashville"--she was nominated for two Academy Awards--her second recording was produced by Jerry Wexler who we have sadly lost recently. I believe this recording from the early '70's influenced country music today."

At long last

S. Hohenboken | 05/06/2007

(5 out of 5 stars)

"It's so nice to have this album out on CD; it's long overdue. It's unique, the kind of album that could have been made by only one person (and probably at only one time in that person's life). Stylistically it's a little of this, a little of that; idiosyncratic, beautiful, alternately toe-tappin', melancholy and lyrical-- and it all coheres into one great whole, both very much of its time and timeless. Love it."