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

Album Review

Pam Tillis
Thunder & Roses
Arista Records

It’s been awhile since we last heard from Pam Tillis. She’s found herself struggling to get any kind of meaningful airplay for years now. She has one of the most distinct voices in country music and it’s a shame that radio has put her on the back burner. In 1998 she released Every Time and scored a minor hit with “I Said A Prayer”, which was a 360 degree turn from the sound we’re use to hearing from Pam. It succeeded in its goal. Pam was on the radio once again but it didn’t last long. Now three years later we finally hear from Tillis again in Thunder & Roses. It’s an awkward album that jumps all over the place. No doubt some of this had to do with the massive amount of producers who had a hand in attempting to mold Pam Tillis into another cookie cutter country star.

Pam Tillis has never recorded songs just like everyone else. She’s always had a unique style and has selected some really distinct tracks to call her own. Maybe that’s why it’s so disappointing that Thunder & Roses has sterilized that sound and made it so run-of-the-mill.

“Jagged Hearts” and “Space” get the album started off in great style. The first being a classic sounding upbeat Pam Tillis song and the latter really let’s Pam’s impressive vocals show. "Off White" is another winner. A classic Tillis ballad and her vocal performance leaves you in awe. It’s unfortunate that the rest of the album doesn’t live up to that quality. The debut single from the album is "Please". A song that on one hand is quite entertaining and then on the other hand annoys the hell out of you. These half-spoken songs are getting old real quick. "It Isn't Just Raining" and "Be A Man" are decent songs but they really aren't anything special. The title track "Thunder & Roses" is a cover of a Mindy McCready song and Pam's version doesn't have the energy of the original. The album also features the first ever recorded duet with Pam's father Mel Tillis. The problem is Mel sounds completely uncomfortable in the modern landscape of the song. It's a classic case of poor song selection.

Thunder and Roses is an average release. There are a couple glistening moments on this album where Pam Tillis reaches her full potential. The rest of the album is a mixed bag of songs thrown together with a mixed bag of producers. The end result is a middle of the road album that's enjoyable at first but ultimately is forgettable (like so many of the albums coming out of Nashville in the last few years). One can only hope that next time around Pam Tillis forgets about being accepted in the current batch of artists and records a batch of songs that are worthy of her impressive level of skill. Those types of songs are the ones people will still be listening years from now.

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.