Search - Various Artists - Soundtracks :: Always ... Patsy Cline: Live At The Ryman Auditorium (1995 Original Nashville Cast)

An amazing recreation

S. C. Evans | 08/23/2007

(4 out of 5 stars)

"I never saw the play, but as a long time Patsy Cline fan, I finally picked up this CD. I was familiar with the Louise Seger story from one of Patsy's biographies, and the monologues by Tere Myers are entertaining. But the real star of this CD is Mandy Barnett's amazing recreation of Patsy Cline.



Barnett has all of Patsy's vocal mannerisms down to a tee...her ability to vocally bear down during key parts of a song, the little "hiccups" applied to certain phrases and of course the yodeling and growling. But more importantly, the very sound of Barnett's voice is startingly close to Patsy's - that rounded quality and velvety feel. There are times on this CD when you would swear you were listening to a long-lost live recording of Patsy. One of the most convincing tracks is a lesser known Patsy song, If I Could See The World, which is given a bravura performance by Barnett in the context of singing a lullaby to one of Louise's children while missing her own kids.



The only giveaway is in Barnett's accent and pronunciation on certain words. Barnett's southern accent is somewhat different (and in some ways more pronounced) than Patsy's singing voice came across. These differences betray the illusion on most songs intermittently.



Obviously one is better off starting with the original Patsy Cline recordings, but this is a recommended CD for die-hard Patsy fans."