Search - Exile :: Hang on to Your Heart / Exile

First and third of four upbeat country albums

Peter Durward Harris | Leicester England | 03/20/2004

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Exile hail from Kentucky so nobody should be surprised that country music was where they were most consistently successful. In fact, they started off as a pop group and had an international hit with Kiss you all over. It topped the charts in America and also made the UK top ten. They had some minor hits on both sides of the Atlantic but nothing came close to matching the success of Kiss you all over.



Meanwhile, country singers were covering their songs and having success with them. Janie Fricke had a huge hit with It ain't easy being easy. Dave and Sugar did Stay with me. Even more significantly, Alabama had number one country hits with Take me down and The closer you get. Mark Gray quit Exile to pursue a solo career as a country singer. Finally, the rest of Exile decided to go country although they remained firmly at the pop end of the country spectrum. Exile's music is not for die-hard traditionalists who like nothing else. I love traditional country but I also listen to many other forms of music too and there will always be a place for Exile in my collection.



Exile released four albums with the line-up that began their country career. Originally, they were all released on CD individually but they are now available as twofers. The first two original albums (Exile, Kentucky hearts) were, to my ears, sensational but I see that the record label has kept them apart when making up the pairs for release as twofers - a wise move commercially. Nevertheless, the third album (the first half of this twofer) is well worth hearing.



The first album (the second half of this album) begins with Take me to the river, my favorite Exile track. It was not released as a single - perhaps it was not what country radio was looking for - but it is a classic. The country hits were Woke up in love and I don't want to be a memory, both great songs, but every song here is outstanding. If I have to choose best of the rest, I'll go with Red dancing shoes and After all these years. Lee Greenwood makes a guest appearance, playing saxophone on one of the tracks.



The third album (the first half of this album) contains many fine songs including the title track, She's too good to be true, It'll be me, I could get used to you and Promises promises.



If you enjoy eighties pop-country music, particularly if you like Alabama or Sawyer Brown, you ought to give Exile a listen. Actually, I think that at their best (their first two country albums), they were better than those other groups, but they could not maintain that exceptionally high standard."

My Favorite Exile Studio Release...

Batmanbrb | Seymour, IN United States | 06/13/2003

(4 out of 5 stars)

"I'm referring to the second half of this disc, which was their country debut called "Exile". This debut of theirs is phenominal and one of the best recordings in country music of the 80's. From the jumpy "Take Me to the River" to the beautiful "I Just Came Back to Break My Heart Again", this is Exile at their best. These are some of the greatest country-pop tunes ever recorded and I'm not exaggerating! It also contains their mega hits "Woke Up in Love" and "I Don't Wanna Be a Memory". It is rare to find any CD where all the songs are good and this is one of them. You won't be disappointed in the second-half of this disc!! The first-half of this CD is from the "Hang On To Your Heart" release, which is fairly good, but not as spectacular as their debut release. I enjoy the hits "It'll Be Me", "She's Too Good to be True", and "I Could Get Used to You"; but the rest of the songs on the first half are ok, but nothing to get real excited over. All-in-All, this CD is worth your money, especially the last half."