Search - Pam Gadd :: Time of Our Lives

Great songs , All-star backing, & Beautifully produced WOW!

John E. Richardson | California | 08/18/2001

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Pam Gadd is a talent that should be far more recognized than she is. She is recognized in bluegrass as a former Coon Creek Girl, and in country music her group "Wild Rose" had some hit songs that nearly broke them through to star status. Pam was the lead singer.This is Pam Gadd's most impressive release to date. First, she is backed by Marty Stuart (mandolin), Randy Scruggs (guitar), and Glen Duncan (fiddle).How much better can you get than that for a band? And she's a hoss of a banjo player to boot. So instrumentally it is a huge success, but it is Pam's songwriting and vocals that really steal the show. These are not cookie cutter country songs, built for the assembly line formula of todays market driven radio. This is an artist who writes from the heart and knows exactly how to capture a listeners ear. It's rock solid singing. The harmonies are done by co-producer's Billy Troy and Hugh Moore. The blend is perfect, and produced in a way that allows the beauty of the instruments, the songs, and the voices to equally share the limelight. This is a fantastic album!"

Former Wild Rose Member Returns

T. Yap | Sydney, NSW, Australia | 08/03/2001

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Former lead singer of Wild Rose, an early 90s country group, returns with her sophomore solo album. As already hinted in the Wild Rose records, Gadd continues to infuse country, folk and bluegrass here on this set. The instrumentation is sparse but by no means unimpressive -- here, we find stalwarts such as Randy Scruggs, Marty Stuart, Glen Duncan and Rob Ickes showcasing their instrumentation licks. The songs penned completely by the lady (except "Hold Your Horses" written by Gadd and Carl Jackson) are all top notched. My favorites have to be the ballads. They are contemplative, insightful, and contained well crafted lyrics. Take for example, the most outstanding track, in my opinion, on the album -- the heart wrenching "Living Room" -- contains the killer line "Oh, here in my living room I'm not living at all." Backed by a simple yet savouring melody is the slow pensive "Some Things Stay the Same." On her faster tracks, Gadd sounds a little like Rhonda Vincent and Claire Lynch. However, she shows she has some attitude in the fare thee well anthem "Virginia Man"; while basking in her love in "If I were a River."However, I have one major criticism: there were times on the CD where the production is far too unpolished. Gadd seems to be singing out of tune on certain tracks. This is unforgivable given today's modern technology. This explains why this CD is a 4/5. Maybe a little bit more investment on a better producer with better ears is in want."