"I saw her at the Bluebird Cafe in Nashville a couple weeks ago and bought the CD immediately. I played it at least 4 times the following day driving around Nashville. It is still in the top 2 with Anita Cochran (who actually recommended it during the show)."
It's about time!!!
Paul | 06/05/1999
(5 out of 5 stars)
"We recently had the pleasure of seeing Karen live at the Bluebird Cafe in Nashville,TN. We were so impressed with her performance, we bought the CD the next day. If you ever have the opportunity to see Karen live-DO IT, if you can purchase this CD- DO IT!!!!!!!!! It's about time Karen started performing her own songs, nobody does it better!!!"
SUPER!!!! Excellent from beginning to end!
Paul | 10/13/1999
(5 out of 5 stars)
"Karen's voice and songwriting are incomparable. I bought the album in December, 1998 and haven't stopped listening to it. Her live performance of the songs was just the icing on the cake. Keep 'em coming girl!!!!"
Major country songwriter
Peter Durward Harris | Leicester England | 01/17/2005
(5 out of 5 stars)
"Like Matraca Berg, Karen has failed as a singer despite providing plenty of country hits for others. Karen had one album (Wildest dreams) released ten years before this one came out in 1998. The quality of both albums is impressive. Karen wrote or co-wrote all the songs here, though they were not all written specially for the album. Karen also provides brief comments about each song.
I first came across Karen's name on Patty Loveless' debut album, for which Karen wrote some of the songs. Two of those songs (Wicked ways, Half over you) are reprised here. Karen was inspired to write Wicked ways after hearing about a woman with an alcoholic husband. The woman always hid her sadness, so Karen followed her example by writing Wicked ways as an up-tempo, fun song, though as she points out, alcoholism is not fun.
The title track (another up-tempo song) presents Karen as a fearless woman but this, again, hides the truth as Karen explains that she would like to be motivated by hope rather than fear but it's not that simple.
Somebody's child is a song about the way some mean treat women as no more than objects for their entertainment, yet these same men will adopt a different attitude to the women in their family.
Breaking all the rules is inspired by people who Karen classifies as originals. Karen explains that she is not an original but aspires to be one. There are many other great songs here, ending with the rousing gospel song, God is in control.
If you enjoy contemporary country music, nineties style, you should enjoy this album."
Terriffic CD
Peter Durward Harris | 03/13/2002
(4 out of 5 stars)
"This husky-voiced, Wheeling Jamboree-winning, western Pennsylvanian beauty began in Los Angeles, almost immediately scoring a record deal with her stupendous talent. When the label and her deal folded, she relocated to Nashville and immediately established her mighty pen, writing hits for Holly Dunn (the Grammy-nominated "More Than Just A Face in the Crowd,") Reba McIntyre, Patty Loveless ("Lonely Days, Lonely Nights," "Wicked Ways," Half Over You,") Tracy Byrd ("Keeper of The Stars",) Faith Hill ("Take Me As I Am," "Let's Go To Vegas,") Terri Clark ("Everytime I Cry") and Trick Pony ("Just What I Need.") Her songs are upbeat ("Breaking All The Rules,") illuminating ("God Is In Control") and her steamroller tenor knocks you over. One of the most exceptionally gifted singer/songwriters to ever set foot in Music City, she handles most if not all producing, writing, and lead/background singing duties and she spans gospel, rock, and country genres. This (and her stupendous out-of-print MCA effort from 1989, "Wildest Dreams") serve notice of her astonishing abilites, and beg a question: could a neutral 3rd party producer have focused her formidable talent in a more mainstream country direction, perhaps giving Staley the long-overdue massive solo success she deserves?"
Track Listings (11) - Disc #1
