Women of Country - The Internet's #1 Guide to Female Country Music

Album Review

Trisha Yearwood - Where Your Road Leads
MCA Records

Trisha Yearwood has enjoyed a high level of success over the last few years. The country music industry has showered her with critical acclaim and awards. Her 1997 greatest hits collection Songbook, chronicled her seven year climb to the top of her profession. Where Your Road Leads opens a new chapter for Yearwood. She is without a doubt one of the top female vocalists in the industry picking up a number of awards like the 1997 CMA Female Vocalist of the Year, the 1998 Grammy for Best Female Country Vocal Performance for her hit single "How Do I Live," and the 1998 ACM Top Female Vocalist of the Year award. Yearwood also without a doubt sports one of the most powerful voices recording to day, in any genre.

The slip up on this album isn’t anything that Trisha did, it is simply the change in producers. When Trisha and Garth Fundis worked together the results were a unique, powerful sound. Now teamed with Tony Brown, Yearwood is surrounded by a softer, pop flavored sound. While Tony is a great producer in his own right, this change doesn’t work very well. There are very few instances on this album where you see classic Trisha Yearwood music. One of them is on the current single "Powerful Thing," which is simply one of the best songs she has ever recorded. "That Ain’t The Way I Heard It," is also a catchy tune with some interesting guitar arrangements. Yearwood turns it into high gear and belts out "Where Your Road Leads." Garth Brooks also lends his vocals to the song, a nice touch.

The biggest flaw in the album is the ballads. They just aren’t as solid as Yearwood’s previous material. "Never Let You Go Again," and "Heart Like A Sad Song," are both extremely slow ballads that just don’t offer a whole lot. It gets marginally better with "Never Let You Go Again," a song about a woman who wouldn’t give up a love she lost if she could do it all over again. Trisha reclaims a little bit of ground with the touching "I’ll Still Love You More."

The faster paced songs are of better quality. "Wouldn’t Any Woman," lets Trisha take on the role of a woman who has had just about as much as she can of the relationship she’s in. The pace changes in "I Don’t Want To Be The One," and pure vocal intensity make it a winner. You also can’t count out the albums debut single "There Goes My Baby," an addictive little mid-paced tune.

Where Your Road Leads isn’t a bad album, it just isn’t all that was expected. There are more than a few songs that could be major hits, and there are also a few that you might find yourself skipping over. Trisha’s vocals can only do so much to average songs. Needless to say, Trisha is going to be turning out hit music for quite awhile. But my advice, go back to Garth Fundis. There is no reason to mess with a successful combination.

Album Review by Jeff Krasky

The WOC Rating Scale

The album stands above the rest. This is a record that every country music fan needs to have in their collection.

This album is better than the average release. A strong record with some flaws that keep it from reaching that 5 star level.

This album is an average country release. Doesn't posses qualities that make it stand out among all the other albums out there.

A weak record that lacks solid songs or good vocal performances. Sample before you buy.

This record is a bargin-bin reject that just isn't worth the time or the money. Completely misses the mark.