The greatest Artists always find a way to reinvent themselves. Lionel Richie is no exception. The brilliant thing about his newest CD called TUSKEGEE, dedicated to his hometown of Tuskegee Alabama, is that Richie has stayed true to his roots while turning his own music towards a new destination. Richie has taken his biggest hits and given them a contemporary country flavor. The arrangements are outstanding. Each song sounds as if it was written yesterday but again, brings a shade of nostalgia with it without sounding retro or "old school". To make these songs even more current, Richie duets on each one with a superstar of country music. Highlights include YOU ARE with Blake Shelton, ENDLESS LOVE with Shania Twain, DANCING ON THE CEILING with Rascal Flatts, and EASY with Willie Nelson. One of my mother's favorite singers was Kenny Rogers and one of her favorite songs was LADY, so to hear Richie sing it with Kenny on this CD was one of those "cry in the car" moments. The CD ends with ALL NIGHT LONG sung by Richie and Jimmy Buffett. This is one of those CD's that will have a permanent home in my car. It's a terrific revisit to some of the great music of my generation with a contemporary country twist. An early contender for Album of the Year!
No matter if you are a country fan or a Lionel Richie fan, you will be a fan of this album. Excellent remakes of many of Lionel's best songs. Well blended, Lionel allows each of the country artists to put their mark on the song and to the credit of the country artists, none of them took liberties with these classic songs. This was the first full CD I have purchased in ages, tending to download one song at a time. I was so pleased I invested in the entire album. They did this one right, every song has memories yet sounds new.
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