Concert Review: Carrie Underwood

Roberts Stadium
Evansville, Indiana
Thursday, December 2, 2010

When I went to see Carrie Underwood in concert last night, I had previously made the decision that I was going to take a break from a being a critic, and for one night just be a fan.  I fully intended to have a great time, and that I did.

Carrie's Evansville concert kicked off with an opening set by Sons of Sylia.  This country-rock trio gave an energetic performance of their songs "Love Left to Lose," "I'll Know You," and others.  The highlight of their set was when they played some "old school bluegrass music," which they played "as fast as possible."  Apparently, they did indeed mean fast, as they only played it for about thirty seconds.

Billy Currington took the stage next, performing a selection of his hits.  He kicked off his set with "That's How Country Boys Roll," and then launched into "Why, Why, Why."  He also performed a couple of album tracks that have not been released as singles, including "I Wanna Be a Hillbilly" from his album Doin' Somethin' Right, and the horn-infused "Love Done Gone" from his current album Enjoy Yourself.  Obviously, his set would have been complete without the requisite hillbilly beer-drinking anthems, such as "Pretty Good at Drinkin' Beer" and "People Are Crazy."  I was in an especially jovial mood last night, and there were a few instances when I clapped and sang along to songs that would normally provoke me to change the radio station.  Billy then performed his new single "Let Me Down Easy," and closed his set with "Must Be Doin' Somethin' Right" and "Good Directions."

And then it was time for the lady herself to take the stage.  The crowd went wild as Carrie emerged on a lift from beneath the stage, sitting on a divan, singing "Cowboy Casanova."  She then launched into performances of "Quitter," "Wasted," "I Know You Won't" and "Some Hearts."

After a quick costume change (There were seven costume changes altogether, in case anyone was wondering), Carrie performed her ballads "Just a Dream" and "Temporary Home," and then strapped on an acoustic guitar for a performance of "All-American Girl."

At one point in the show, Carrie was lifted above the crown in a pickup truck as she treated the crowd to a cover of John Denver's "Take Me Home, Country Roads."  After getting the crowd pumped with "Undo It" (I even sang along with "Undo It," which should tell you just how giddy I was), Carrie sang "Jesus, Take the Wheel," following that performance with a sampling of "How Great Thou Art."

Sons of Sylvia joined Carrie on "What Can I Say," their duet from Carrie's Play On album.  Next, Carrie spoke to the audience about her deep connection to the Grand Ole Opry, and performed "I Told You So" in front of a backdrop of the Grand Ole Opry stage.  "Tonight we're bringing Nashville here to you," she announced.  "Welcome to the Grand Ole Opry!"  She was accompanied by video footage of Randy Travis singing the song with her in a virtual duet.  I enjoyed getting to pretend that I was at the Opry, and Carrie's re-creation of the Opry stage was quite possibly my favorite moment of the show.

Carrie accompanied herself on piano as she sang her latest hit "Mama's Song," as old family photos were shown on the screen backdrop.  After a final costume change, Carrie performed one of her signature tunes, "Before He Cheats."  The show ended with Carrie's performance of "Songs Like This."

To say that Carrie's vocals were spot-on would be quite an understatement.  Her performances were full of energy and emotion.  In between songs, lively stage banter kept the audience thoroughly entertained.  It was an evening of fun, excitement, surprises, and showstopping performances.

Carrie's Play On tour continues on through December, wrapping up on January 1, 2011, in Atlantic City, New Jersey.

Music Video Round-Up - December 2010

Joey + Rory, "That's Important to Me"

Every bit as sincere as the song itself.  Joey + Rory add many unique personal touches by filming portions of the video on their farm, and in their family's diner.  Even their daughters make an appearance.  Excellent video!

Catherine Britt, "Sweet Emmylou"

A beautiful tribute to the incomparable Emmylou Harris.  This song originally appeared on Joey + Rory's 2008 debut album The Life of a Song.  Catherine's video earns props for keeping things simple, and letting sincerity and emotion pull the load.

Jewel, "Ten"

Okay, which is cooler - Matthew McConaughey in a gorilla suit, or Jewel in a boxing match with a giant heart?  Wittiness aside, I can give this video plenty of creativity points, though part of me would have preferred that they kept it more serious.

Tim McGraw, "Felt Good On My Lips"

I am actually tempted to like this one.  The creative video editing serves as a pleasant distraction from the overall cruddiness of the song itself.

Dierks Bentley, "Draw Me a Map"

Great performance footage and nice lighting effects.  It's great to see all those bluegrass musicians in this clip.  But I would have given extra points if the video had had Alison Krauss in it.

Josh Turner, "I Wouldn't Be a Man"

This video perfectly fits the mood of the song.  And yes, that is his wife.  Nice touch how they show the pregnant belly at the end.

No Justice, "Just Get Going"

A great energetic performance, incorporating a few touches of humor.  Fun video.

Little Big Town, "Kiss Goodbye"

Little Big Town   More CMT Music   More CMT Music Videos

I love the setting with Phillip Sweet playing piano in a middle of a field, and I also enjoy this video's portrayal of the song's story.

LeAnn Rimes, "Crazy Women"

You can't escape LeAnn Rimes these days.  Thanks in part to the recent upheavals in her personal life, her face is all over the supermarket tabloids, and she is all over television with performances on America's Got Talent and a host of other programs.  She's everywhere.

Everywhere, that is, except on the radio, which hasn't given LeAnn much love since 2006.  Her recent cover of John Anderson's "Swingin" was apparently too cool for country radio, stalling at a faint #56 on the Billboard chart.  "Crazy Women" might not be the song to put her back on radio playlists (It even contains a word that's not very radio-friendly).  Still, it has plenty of strong points that are hard to ignore.

Kitty Wells told us long ago that "From the start most every heart that's ever broken/ Was because there always was a man to blame."  LeAnn Rimes seems to agree, delivering a modern spin on a familiar message - "Crazy women are made by crazy men."  And just how crazy can these women get?  Crazy enough to burn down a bar with Aquanet and a cigarette?  You'd better believe it.  The bitter lyrics, as well as LeAnn's delivery, are dripping with snark and sarcasm.

Yes, she is a cheater.  Yes, she is a homewrecker.  But there is one thing that LeAnn Rimes does not do - something that countless other artists are found guilty of every day - pandering to country radio.  Clearly, LeAnn is above that.  You can almost hear her taunting country radio with each new single release ("So you're gonna ignore me, are you?  Are you?!  Well, fine - Ignore THIS!")

Granted, "Crazy Women" is not the first tune to tackle its theme.  It's not a completely airtight attempt either, as the instrumentation is slightly lacking the energy that the lyrics call for.  But while it doesn't break new ground lyrically, it does show that it's not afraid to break the mold of country radio.

LEANN'S SCORE:  7
(Scores are given on a scale of 1 to 10)

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Top Ten Greatest Women of the Nineties, #1 - Reba McEntire

Though she's been active in country music for three decades now, country's favorite redhead was at the top of her game during the nineties.  It was an era when the women ruled country music, and Reba ruled the women.

She was born and raised in Oklahoma.  Growing up, she performed with her brother and sister as The Singing McEntires, and also competed in rodeo barrel-racing events.  She continued to sing while attending Southeastern Oklahoma University with plans of becoming an elementary school teacher.

She was discovered by Red Steagall when she sang the national anthem at an Oklahoma City rodeo, and with his assistance, she secured a recording contract with Mercury Records.  Her first few singles, starting with 1976's "I Don't Want to Be a One-Night Stand" turned out to be commercial flops, but she began achieving modest success in the early eighties.  She had her breakthrough with the traditional country-oriented album My Kind of Country, which produced the now-classic hits "How Blue" and "Somebody Should Leave."  After a slow rise to superstardom, Reba became one of Nashville's top hitmakers, and was showered with industry awards.  She won four straight CMA Female Vocalist Trophies between 1984 and 1987, and even snagged the coveted Entertainer of the Year award in 1986.

Reba continued to thrive well into the nineties with a more contemporary pop-friendly sound.  By that time, she had hopped labels, and was recording for MCA.  At the beginning of the decade, she released her fifteenth studio album, Rumor Has It.  She gave a stellar vocal performance of the song "You Lie," the album's chart-topping first single.



Though it didn't top the charts, the single "Fancy" became one of the best-known Reba anthems.  The song's narrator recalls being pushed into prostitution by her own mother as a way of escaping poverty, shakes her finger at those who judge her mother's course, and expresses her determination to rise above such a lifestyle, and to one day become a lady.



Tragedy struck on March 16, 1991, when a plane carrying seven of Reba's band members and her tour manager crashed into the side of a mountain, killing all on board.  Reba cites this event as the "darkest hour" of her life, having been devastated by the loss.  After the funeral, Reba shocked many be performing at the Academy Awards only nine days after the crash.  She performed the song "I'm Checking Out," from the Meryl Streep film Postcards from the Edge.  Reba was harshly criticized for returning to work so soon after the disaster, but she believed that her band would have wanted her to go ahead with the performances, and she was determined to do it for them.



Reba poured all of her grief into her 1991 album For My Broken Heart, which she dedicated to her deceased road band.  The album included many songs of sorrow, which Reba intended it as "a form of healing for all our broken hearts."  The album sold two million copies in nine months, and the first single and title track became another number one hit.



But it wasn't all heartbreak.  Reba showed some optimism on the song "Is There Life Out There," which was about a happily married wife and mother who wonders if she's missing out on something in life.  The story was fleshed out in the song's music video, in which Reba's character eventually earns a college diploma, viewing it as a chance to make her good life even better.  The video, which co-starred Huey Lewis as the character's husband, was one of the first country music videos to feature extensive amounts of character dialogue in order to further the storyline - a characteristic that raised some complaints from CMT, who nearly banned it for putting "message ahead of music."  But as it turned out, ingenuity was rewarded with a 1992 ACM Award for Video of the Year.  Reba also starred in a CBS-TV movie based on the video.



After selling platinum once again with her 1992 album It's Your Call, Reba had earned the right to release a second greatest hits compilation, which included a few new recordings.  One of those songs was the two-woman duet "Does He Love You," which portrayed the perspectives of both a married woman and her husband's mistress as they both pondered over the same question:  "Does he love you like he's been loving me?"

Originally, Reba's label was hesitant to release a two-woman duet to country radio, considering it a risky commercial maneuver that could alienate both radio and fans.  It was also risky to release it as a duet with a largely unknown background singer such as Linda Davis.  But when Reba's labelmates Trisha Yearwood and Wynonna Judd both turned out invitations to record the song with Reba, Linda ultimately filled the role of the other woman.  The risk paid off, as the song became a number one hit and one of Reba's most-awarded hits, netting a CMA Award as well as a Grammy.  It also provided Linda Davis with her first and only number one single.



Reba's success continued with her 1994 album Read My Mind, but she lost some traction on country radio with the follow-up Staring Over - a pop-flavored covers album.  But Reba rebounded in 1996 with What If It's You, an album that produced some of the finest singles of her career.  One of them what "The Fear of Being Alone," which featured a compelling storyline that was grounded in the realities of everyday life.



Reba toured with Brooks & Dunn in 1997, and that lead to them recording a duet.  "If You See Him/ If You See Her" was included on both of their studio albums, and became another number one hit.



Reba's momentum slowed down slightly with the turn of the millennium, and she became more involved in acting.  In 2001, she made her debut as Annie Oakley in the Broadway production of Annie Get Your Gun.  Later that year, she premiered her WB sitcom Reba, beginning a successful six-season run on television.  She released a handful of new music during this period, including her 2003 album Room to Breathe, which produced her first number one single since 1998 ("Somebody").  She returned again in 2007 with the Reba Duets album, which featured collaborations with a who's-who of superstars and legends of both country and pop music - Kelly Clarkson, Justin Timberlake, LeAnn Rimes, and Carole King, just to name a few.

After a few quiet years at radio, Reba made a strong comeback with her 2009 album Keep On Loving You, which yielded the four-week number one smash "Consider Me Gone" - Reba's first chart-topper since 2003, and the longest running number one single of her career.

There were many talented ladies of the nineties who were deserving of a spot on this countdown, but it was Reba who led the pack.  In addition to being one of the most commercially successful female artists of the decade, she also delivered many of the era's best-remembered classics.  She also received ample recognition from the award industry during the nineties, receiving five Entertainer of the Year nominations and three ACM Top Female Vocalist Awards.  Thus, in determining country music's greatest woman of the nineties, Reba was the clear choice.

Top Ten Greatest Women of the Nineties
1. Reba McEntire
2. Trisha Yearwood
3. Patty Loveless
4. Shania Twain
5. Faith Hill
6. Pam Tillis
7. Martina McBride
8. Mary Chapin Carpenter
9. Lorrie Morgan
10. Kathy Mattea

Alan Jackson and Lee Ann Womack, "Ring of Fire"

A duet between Alan Jackson and Lee Ann Womack?  Be still, my beating heart!  Two great traditional country voices singing a timeless classic!  One would think the result could be only spectacular.  But oh, the irony!  I like Alan Jackson.  I love "Ring of Fire."  But I don't like Alan Jackson's version of "Ring of Fire."

Why not, you ask?  You may scoff at me for this, but it's the wild guitar riffs that ultimately sink the record for me.  Excuse me, Mr. Guitar Man - I'm trying to listen to Alan sing the song.  Why do you keep piping up with your electric guitar at all the wrong times?  It's very distracting, not to mention grating on the ears.  Still, I have to Alan props for not painstakingly copying the familiar Cash version, even if I do miss hearing those darling mariachi horns.  Unfortunately, the guitar chords don't sound like a reinterpretation so much as a misguided attempt to modernize the song.  Hey, if it ain't broke, don't try to fix it!

That combined with the fact that Lee Ann's vocals are scarcely audible during most the song.  It's advertised as a duet, but Lee Ann never gets to sing a verse on her own.  It seems her only purpose is to add commercial appeal by inserting her name in the credits (though she probably doesn't carry as much commercial appeal now as she did a few years ago).

This obviously doesn't hold up against Johnny's classic version, but that would have been extremely unlikely anyway.  The problem isn't that this record is necessarily bad.  The problem is that it sets extremely high expectations, and then it doesn't deliver.

ALAN AND LEE ANN'S SCORE:  5
(Scores are given on a scale of 1 to 10)

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Album Review: Keith Urban - Get Closer

Keith Urban, the wonder from down under, is widely known and loved for his Guitar Hero instrumental prowess, soap star good looks, and catchy pop-country ear candy.  In many ways, his new album Get Closer is classic Keith Urban.  The standard eight-track release might not win him any new fans, but neither will it throw any curves at his current fans.

As its very title would imply, Get Closer is largely a celebration of romantic bliss.  It is dominated by much of the same guitar-and-drum-machine brand of country-rock that has characterized the majority of Keith's output.  The set kicks off with the ultra-catchy current single "Put You In a Song."  The next track, "You Gonna Fly" is sonically enjoyable, though lyrically nondescript.  Snaky guitar riffs rip though "Long Hot Summer" in a super-cool arrangement that makes the song a promising choice for a single.

One standout track is "Without You," which is backed by a more simplified arrangement consisting of fiddle, banjo, and mandolin.  The song was written by Dave Pahanish and Joe West, though the sincerity in Keith's performance could easily lead one to believe that he had written it himself.  The album ends all too soon after only eight tracks.

...That is, unless you bought the "deluxe" edition from Target ("Deluxe" as in "actually long enough to be considered a full album").  One of the album's most striking tracks can only be found as "bonus" tracks on the Target version.  "The Luxury of Knowing" puts a welcome stain of heartache on the album's mostly happy and romantic mood.  The deluxe album closes out with some live versions of Keith's previous hits.

If were expecting Keith to break some new ground on this album, then I'm sorry to tell you that he doesn't, but he continues building on a formula that works well for him.  Get Closer could benefit from a wider variety of lyrical themes.  Still, organic arrangements and strong performances make it entertaining nonetheless.

KEITH'S SCORE:  7
(Scores are given on a scale of 1 to 10)

BUY IT ON AMAZON

Chuck Wicks, "Old School"

No way.  There is no way this is Chuck Wicks.  I swear this is James Otto, because this is the same sultry country soul that the big man with the big voice has put a trademark on.  Besides that, this is the best groovy little summer song I've heard since "Groovy Little Summer Song."

This isn't exactly the kind of song that I was dying to hear, having finally had a few months to recover from the annual summer song burnout.  But there's no denying that Chuck handles this material remarkably well.  When he sings about "old Panama Jack layin' back," his laid-back delivery would make you think that he's lying back in his chaise lounge while singing it.  His mellow vocal is complimented by a gently grooving arrangement with bluesy guitar licks and traces of steel.  Then we're hit with a catchy chorus full of playful rhyming schemes and "oh-oh-ohh" hooks.

As an extra asset, "Old School" has the distinction of a different-than-usual setting.  The song is set in an entirely urban environment where we find the narrator sippin' coolada at the Ramada, as opposed to playing up his country cred with backwoods cliches.  The verses carry an undercurrent of nostalgia throughout, with the narrator reminiscing longingly over his youthful exploits (which apparently took place at a time when tape decks were still widely in use).

So why is Chuck releasing what is essentially a summer song when summer is long over?  That's anybody's guess.  Maybe his label is banking on this song having a really long chart climb and peaking in June.  Either that, or this is just meant to provide some pleasant escapism during the cold and ballad-heavy winter months.  Regardless, "Old School" treats a tired-out theme in a way that doesn't feel tired-out, and it's always refreshing when an artist brings something new to the table.

CHUCK'S SCORE:  7
(Scores are given on a scale of 1 to 10)

Brad Paisley, "This Is Country Music"

Having just claimed been named CMA Entertainer of the Year for the first time in his career, Brad now gives us what is quite likely his most artistically significant career effort to date.  "This Is Country Music" is a strikingly ambitious offering, the likes of which have never before been heard on country radio.

Gotcha.  Actually, it's anything but.  "This Is Country Music" is basically every tired old country music cliche and pandering formula that we've come to despise, all wrapped up in a neat little package.  Cancer?  Check.  Jesus?  Check.  Soldiers?  You got it!  Brad's has it all covered here.  Apparently, artists are forbidden from singing about such topics but... (Get ready for the most boring hook ever)... "This is country music, and we do."  He ends by rattling off the titles of a few classic country songs, likely missing the irony in doing so, as it only invites unfavorable comparisons.

Brad is known for being witty and clever in his lyrics, but he's developing a tendency to build that repertoire on songs that aren't as clever as they like to think they are.  What's more, Brad is currently at the apex of country radio stardom, so he is in a positition where he could give us something better than this, and likely have it still be a hit.  I weep over the knowledge that country radio will immediately pounce all over this blatantly stupid song, and that they will play it to death.

Now let me think of something nice to say about this song.  It is aided by Brad's signature mix of traditional-meets-contemporary musical stylings.  Therefore we are left with a record that is musically pleasing but lyrically deficient, and in this case the deficiencies are simply unforgivable.  Brad would do better just to scrap these lyrics altogether, and leave this as an instrumental track.

BRAD'S SCORE:  4
(Scores are given on a scale of 1 to 10)

Album Review: Lacy J. Dalton - Here's to Hank

One of the most underrated country artists of the eighties pays tribute to her musical hero on this charming self-released collection.  Here's to Hank covers many of the essential classics by the legendary Hank, Sr.  "Your Cheatin' Heart," "Lovesick Blues," and "Hey Good Lookin'" are all included, though "I'm So Lonesome I Could Cry" is surprisingly left out.  In general, the album delves no deeper than the basic inclusions.

This album finds the 64-year-old "16th Avenue" singer still in fine voice, though her vocals do not quite have the same power that they possessed in her younger days.  Regardless, her nuance remains intact, and she nails the emotional aspect of the material.  She does not painstakingly re-create the originals, but instead she adds a few personal touches, though the songs are still clearly recognizable as being Hank's.  Her interpretation of "Hey Good Lookin'" sounds laid-back in comparison to Hank's sprightly original.  Her best performances are often found on ballads such as "Cold Cold Heart," which she sings with an emotional quiver in her voice.

Producer Steven Swinford slightly tweaks the sound of these songs to give a new variation that still stays true to the spirit of the originals.  The arrangement of "Your Cheatin' Heart" includes a touches of percussion and acoustic guitar hooks that were not heard on the original.  Her joyous rendition of "Jambalaya (On the Bayou)," laced with fiddle and cheeky guitar chords, is an absolute delight.  This album as whole, with it's simple traditional-styled arrangement, could hardly be more of a sonic pleasure to listen to.

Lacy doesn't reinvent the wheel on this collection, but we do get a hear a great singer paying homage to a country legend.  Her deep connection to the songs, and her profound respect for the man behind them, are easily discernible, so just pop this disc in for 32 minutes of sweet nostalgia.  Here's to Hank, here's to Lacy, and here's to all the great traditional country music that will never die (despite country radio's best efforts).

LACY'S SCORE:  8
(Scores are given on a scale of 1 to 10)

You can purchase this album at http://www.lacyjdalton.com/

Top Ten Greatest Women of the Nineties, #2 - Trisha Yearwood

Lately her focus has been more on cookbooks than on music.  But what was it that made Trisha a star in the first place?  It was neither her stuffed pork chops, nor her breakfast sausage casserole.  Rather, it was powerful and nuanced singing voice coupled with a good ear for worthy songs.  Trisha Yearwood is easily one of the most outstandingly talented and consistently excellent vocalists contemporary country music has ever seen.  She was able to wow the critics and appease country radio while never disappointing her fans with substandard material.

This Georgia native originally moved to Nashville to get an education at Belmont University, but she soon found work as a demo singer.  She became friends with Garth Brooks as he was attempting to break through in country music, and she became his backup singer when he secured a deal with Capitol Records.  With the help of producer Garth Fundis, Trisha was able to score a record deal with MCA - Nashville's top label.

Trisha's 1991 debut single, an effortlessly charming ode to young love in a small town, became an instant success.  With "She's In Love with the Boy," Trisha became only the second female in country music history to take her debut single to number one - 27 years after Connie Smith became the first in 1964 with "Once a Day."



Propelled by the runaway success of her first single, along with three subsequent Top 10 hits, Trisha's self-titled debut album reached double-platinum status, becoming the highest-selling debut album by a female country artist at that time.  Fittingly, Trisha was named the ACM Top New Female Vocalist for the year 1991.

But in her further career efforts, Trisha sought to make an artistic statement rather than re-create the success of her debut single. (Are you paying attention to this, Gretchen Wilson?)  She previewed her 1992 sophomore album with the lead single "Wrong Side of Memphis," a bluesy and ambitious country rocker about chasing dreams of Nashville stardom.  The song was a semi-autobiographical account of writer Matraca Berg becoming homesick for Nashville while living in Louisiana.



On her second album Hearts In Armor, Trisha continued to develop a style heavy on introspective ballads.  The number-two hit "Walkaway Joe" (which featured backup vocals from Don Henley) ranks as one of her finest.



In 1995, Trisha released her third studio album The Song Remembers When.  The first single and title track became a number-two hit, and one of Trisha's signature tunes, not to mention one of the finest singles the decade ever produced.  "The Song Remembers When" was a touching tribute to the power of music in dredging up forgotten emotions, and bringing back memories.  Trisha's flawless vocals were the final brushstroke that made this single a masterpiece.



Trisha took a more pop-friendly direction with her further efforts.  Her 1995 album Thinkin' About You produced a pair of chart-toppers (her first since "She's In Love with the Boy") in the title track and "XXXs and OOOs (An American Girl)."

"XXXs and OOOs," a single replete with catchy fiddle hooks, was a tale of an American girl growing up and learning to face real life "in her daddy's world." It was a song that Trisha discovered entirely by accident, having been written for a TV pilot, and originally meant to be recorded by Wynonna (who had to bow out due to illness).  When the TV pilot failed to take off, the song became the centerpiece of Trisha's fourth studio album.  No music video was produced for "XXXs and OOOs."  Listen to the song here.

Trisha's 1996 album Everybody Knows produced two more major hits - the chart-topping "Believe Me Baby (I Lied)" and the Top 5 title track.  Trisha showed a quirky and lighthearted side on the song "Everybody Knows" - a song about a woman bombarded with unsolicited advice on mending a broken heart.  Hey, if it has the words "jerk" and "chocolate" in it, you know it has to be good.



In 1997 Trisha was invited to sing the song "How Do I Live" for the Touchstone film Con Air, after the studio had rejected LeAnn Rimes' pop-flavored interpretation of the song.  After Trisha's version of the song was released to radio, LeAnn quickly released her version of the song, and the two versions began dueling for airplay.  Trisha emerged victorious in the country category, with her version becoming a number-two country hit, and being included on her compilation album Songbook: A Collection of Hits. (LeAnn's version, however, became a major international pop hit)



It was at this time that the award industries began recognizing Trisha once again.  In 1997, she won the ACM Award for Top Female Vocalist, and the CMA Award for Female Vocalist of the Year.  She repeated the latter win the following year.

Trisha released the pop-flavored album Where Your Road Leads in 1998.  This album was produced by Tony Brown instead of Garth Fundis.  The lead single "There Goes My Baby," became another major hit, peaking at #2.


In 1999, Trisha received two of the greatest honors of her career:  (1) Being inducted into the Grand Ole Opry by Porter Wagoner (2) Appearing on Sesame Street.

She released the album Real Live Woman in 2000, which was less successful at radio, but was praised by critics.  Her 2001 album Inside Out produced her final Top 10 single with the power ballad "I Would've Loved You Anyway."

Trisha then took a four-year break from recording before releasing Jasper County - her swan song album for MCA.  She later hopped over to the independent Big Machine label, and released the stunning set Heaven, Heartache, and the Power of Love in 2007.  Since then, she has taken time off to promote her two cookbooks (Georgia Cooking In an Oklahoma Kitchen and Home Cooking with Trisha Yearwood).  She has hinted at the possibility of releasing a new album "whenever the time is right."

Trisha achieved notable commercial success in her country music career.  But make no mistake about it - The high quality and artistic significance of her music itself is primarily what puts her so high on this list.  With a unique and powerful voice like hers, she could have coasted along on fluffy radio-friendly fare saved only by her performance.  Instead, she chose to deliver introspective material that made ambitious artistic statements.  Her music catalog that boasts artistic significance and consistency that few of her contemporaries could match.  She didn't just build a career; she built a legacy.