Search - Chely Wright :: Right in the Middle of It

Upbeat contemporary country rooted in tradition

Peter Durward Harris | Leicester England | 05/11/2004

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This was the second of five albums that Chely recorded for Polydor and MCA before they parted company. It was her fourth, Single white female, that gave her recognition but this album, though not quite up to that standard, is brilliant in its own way. It also sounds more traditional than Single white female, although it still has a contemporary feel to it.Most of the songs are upbeat, including the ballads. None of the songs are well known, though it is possible that you might know What I've learned from loving you - it is a cover of a Lynn Anderson song from 1983 that Kenny Rogers also covered for his album, We've got tonight. Actually, it seems an odd choice of song for brown-eyed Chely. Hearing her sing about her eyes turning a deeper shade of blue doesn't sound quite right. Nevertheless, she sings the song superbly. Heart shaped world is NOT the same song that Jessica Andrews recorded. Tracy Byrd co-wrote It's not too late, but I can't find it on any of his albums.Following the commercial failure of this album, Chely moved from Polydor to the parent MCA and also changed producers. It proved to be the right move but this is a fine album that deserves to be heard."

Chely rocks!

03/26/1999

(5 out of 5 stars)

"A fabulous cd. Chely's unique voice is featured on this, her best album. This cd offers a wide variety of country styles ranging from blues to toe stompin traditional, to rockin' country. My favorate piece is the blues sounding,"What I Learned From Loving You.""