Heartland

Performer: The Judds
Artist: Emmylou Harris; The Jordanaires
Engineer: Brent Maher
Producer: Brent Maher
Distributor: (Independently by Label)

Notes: The Judds: Naomi Judd, Wynonna Judd (vocals). Additional personnel: Don Potter (conductor, acoustic guitar); Mark Casstevens, Craig Bickhardt (guitar); Sonny Garrish (steel guitar, dobro); David Schnaufer (dulcimer); Kirk "Jelly Roll" Johnson (harmonica); Bobby Ogdin (piano, organ); Craig Nelson (acoustic bass); Jack Williams (bass); Eddie Bayers (drums); Farrell Morris (percussion); The Jordanaires, Emmylou Harris (background vocals). Recorded at Creative Workshop, Inc., Nashville, Tennessee. One of the Judds' most successful releases, fourth album HEART LAND finds them smack dab in the middle of their commercial and artistic peak period. It spawned no less than three Number One country hits in the jubilant, hip-shaking "I Know Where I'm Going," the slow-burning, soulful "Maybe Your Baby's Got the Blues," and the bluesy, good-time "Turn It Loose," with a peppy cover of the Elvis Presley classic "Don't Be Cruel" following close behind. Throughout the album, the close harmonies of Naomi Judd and her daughter Wynonna create one of the most distinctive sounds to come out of Nashville in that era, while the arrangements seamlessly mix country, pop, and rock & roll flavors together, with consistent, hitmaking results. Opening as it does with "Don't Be Cruel," the listener might be led to believe that Heartland was a distinct follow-up to Rockin' With the Rhythm. But it's a misleading track. While "Don't Be Cruel" gives you a fresh, new interpretation of the classic so closely associated with Elvis that it feels like a the Everly Sisters reinvention rather than a redo, it's also different from virtually everything else on the album. Far from the nominal gritty funkiness of its predecessor, Heartland walks a thin line between roots rock and mainstream country. Mostly with producer Brent Maher and the same band that had been playing with them from the beginning, this set feels a tad uneven. Perhaps it's because the great songs here such as the aforementioned "Turn It Loose," "Cow Cow Boogie," and "I Know Where I'm Going" outshine the ballads not just in terms of energy, but in vocal experimentation. Only "The Sweetest Gift" with Emmylou Harris adding another voice to an already rich harmonic tapestry equals the bluesier, swinging country-rock tunes. That doesn't make this a bad or substandard record in any way, just one that creates a tension within itself that remains unresolved. ~ Thom Jurek

Mother/daughter duo the Judds captured fans' hearts with their simple, evocative songs, their rags-to-riches life story, their tabloid-ready personalities and lead singer Wynonna's astounding voice. Riding the wave of the country New Traditionalist movement of the '80s, Naomi and Wynonna parlayed their love/hate relationship into superstardom, until Naomi contracted hepatitis C and retired from recording and touring in 1991. In February of 2000, they launched a full-fledged reunion tour.

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