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8 of 9 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Quite simply, the best album in my collection., 7 Jul 2002
I am 21 now, and from cradle to grave, I don't think I will find an album better than this. Let us now try to be more objective, shall we...No two tracks sound the same, yet there is a coherence in the record which makes it compelling listening from the breezy opening of So Called Friend to the winding down of the record that is Winter's End. What gels this record together is Sharleen Spiteri's vocals, the raw energy and power that those with just White on Blonde and The Hush in their collection would have only heard on the stunning 'Put Your Arms Around Me'. Whilst it is immediate why these two albums were extremely well received, this album although more off-beat than these is commercial enough to have paved its own path, wondering why the reinvention in 1997 was ever necessary. Rick's Road was successful in France, yet failed to make an impact in the UK. The 'pop' music to be found on 'White on Blonde' and 'The Hush' would obviously give Texas a much larger fan base, making them more accessible to the masses. In contrast, all the tracks on Rick's Road would come under the genre of soft rock, yet this description would do the variety and distinctiveness of the songs a huge disservice. The standout tracks are perhaps the ballads 'Listen To Me', 'So In Love With You' and 'I've Been Missing You', but this would merely imply that there are weaker moments, flaws or failings. This would be unfair, at best. The power and strength of Spiteri's vocals comes to the fore on these tracks, whilst in general many big ballads can grind, these are huge, 'huge' vocally, but not over the top or pretentious. Lyrically, the album does not disappoint, these lyrics would have been masterpieces on their own without there ever being the need to fit them to music. Yet it all comes together with Spiteri at her most powerful vocally, and the rest of the band providing a strong, unyielding yet pleasant backdrop to the vocals. The songs collectively could certainly make good background music (This was the only CD I played during my 'A' Levels in 1998 and I question I would have achieved what I did without having this on in the background) but it is much, much better when the volume is cranked up a few notches. Passion oozes from not only the ballads, but the more guitar-charged tracks 'Fade Away', 'I Want To Go To Heaven' and 'Hear Me Now'. This is a very genuine album, made with real heart and gusto, and represents Texas at the very pinnacle of its career, musically at least, if not in sales. Beautiful and stunning, a must.
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