Audio CD review:
Ricky Van Shelton - Fried Green Tomatoes

Ricky Van Shelton - Fried Green Tomatoes

Band: Ricky Van Shelton Title: Fried Green Tomatoes Rating: Release Date: 23 May, 2000 Media: Audio CD Tracks: 1: Call Me Crazy 2: Foolish Pride 3: I'm The One 4: Sonebody's Gonna Lose 5: I Think I Like It Here 6: You Go Your Way (And I'll Go Crazy) 7: Who's Laughin' Now 8: All I Have To Offer You Is Me 9: From The Fryin' Pan 10: I Was Losing You 11: Your One And Only 12: The Decision

Editoral Review While some stars of that era desperately chase current Nashville trends, Shelton never once allows his powerful voice to be obliterated by today's obligatory booming drums and bass. Ricky Van Shelton sticks to his guns, specifically, the no-frills new-traditionalist sound that established him in the mid-1980s. True, the gimmicky "From the Fryin' Pan" may be a lame attempt at a dance track, but "Call Me Crazy" and "Your One and Only" hearken back to his earlier uptempo hits. His skills with a ballad remain unimpaired, evoking passion on "Foolish Pride" and vivid desperation on "You Go Your Way (And I'll Go Crazy). " He also revives Charley Pride's magnificent 1969 plea "All I Have to Offer You Is Me. " Yet occasional listlessness creeps in--understandable on the glib "Somebody's Gonna Lose," harder to fathom on the superior weeper "I Was Losing You. " The album's true misfit, however, is "The Decision," a tale of an unwed mother's moral conundrum. This preachy homily clearly means a great deal to Shelton, but whether it fits the context of this particular album is another matter. Still, what's good here is good indeed, especially considering 2000's trendy market. --Rich Kienzle .. You can see a complete list of all Ricky Van Shelton discography, or go back to the Ricky Van Shelton tabs