This will be a short review. I dreaded listening to and reviewing the latest No. 1 album when I saw it was Post Malone. I’ve never been a fan. However, I was intrigued to listen this time as I discovered “F-1 Trillion” was a country record. This features a plethora of who’s who from the scene, including young and old artists like Luke Combs, Billy Strings, Tim McGraw, and Dolly Parton. I really wanted to like the album for that alone. Unfortunately, Post’s incessant use of autotune ruined a record that had the potential of being great, with its lyrical content and sublime collaborations.
The media has been excessively hyping up Beyoncé’s latest album, “Cowboy Carter”, which her massive following eagerly anticipated. Despite the endorsement of some well-known country artists like Dolly Parton, Willie Nelson, and Luke Combs, the album fell short of the high expectations.
This is the second part of a trilogy that Beyoncé is producing, and the album features 27 tracks with a runtime of almost 80 minutes. It’s a collection that could have been a country music masterpiece, with big names like Dolly Parton, Willie Nelson, and Miley Cyrus, and Paul McCartney on a cover version of ‘Blackbird’. However, it doesn’t quite live up to its potential.
The 27 tracks are filled with pointless interludes that add nothing to the album. Although some of these interludes are meant to be like radio DJ introductions, they add nothing to the album but make it feel like a tough listen. I wish there were more complete tracks instead of these inane interludes. By the time I finished listening to the album, I was relieved.
There are a few good moments on the album, such as the lyrical content and the guitar and harmonica played by Stevie Wonder on the ‘Jolene’ cover. However, using autotune on some tracks didn’t work for me, and Post Malone’s track with Nile Rodgers was also a letdown. I didn’t like the cover of ‘Jolene’ either. It didn’t do justice to Dolly Parton’s original version.
In conclusion, I didn’t enjoy “Cowboy Carter” and wouldn’t recommend any specific tracks. The album isn’t worth the hype it’s been receiving, and I am disappointed with its overall quality.
I have never been a fan of the Bee Gees,and I didn’t care much about their soundtrack for the 70’s film Saturday Night Fever. However, I have always held Barry Gibb in high regard; he is a genuinely fantastic songwriter, even if the music may not be to everyone’s liking. Barry has always been a massive fan of country, and I am not in the least bit surprised he has written for such icons in that genre as Dolly Parton and the late Kenny Rogers. This album is for Barry and what he likes. It is predominantly country with some soul chucked in with various guests renowned in the music industry.
Now, I know I said I don’t like the Bee Gees. Still, Barry, flanked by producer Dave Cobb, has given the back catalogueby the band that featured his late brothers a lease of new life with the songs reimagined. You might forget what the songs are like in their original guise because they are suited wholly to country. Barryreturns to the music that inspired him when he lived in England and Australia, respectively. He has delved into country, bluegrass, blues, skiffle and added some soul tracks to the mix.
You have Brandi Carlile bringing a more aggressive approach to “Run to Me” (One of my standouts on the record.).Then Jason Isbell (Another artist and guitarist I highly respect along with his wife Amanda Shires.) brings an almost church-likepresence to “Words of a Fool”, but Barry’s distinctive falsetto vocals still rise above all else on the album. Ofcourse, you have Dolly Parton, Keith Urban, and other icons on the record, but another track that catches your ear is“How Can You Mend a Broken Heart” featuring Sheryl Crow (I can’t help but feel Al Green was overlooked for this. He has donea stunning rendition of the song.).
Yes, it is a Barry Gibb album with him having the majority of the spotlight; however, it isn’t always that way, and in some tracks, I have highlighted in the paragraph as mentioned above, Barry lets Brandi and Jason take over with their vocals on those individual tracks, and blends in like he was an instrument overDave’s lavish production. Even afterall these years of sharing vocals with his late brothers Robin and Maurice in the Bee Gees, Barry still is very democraticwith vocal performances, even though this is his record.
Song recommendations: “Run to Me”, “Words of a Fool”, “How Can You Mend a Broken Heart”
Honest Opinions 