Ann-Margret Albums (3)
'God Is Love: The Gospel Sessions'
Release Date 1/8/2002
Tracks 12
Label Art Greenhaw
See Album Tracklist and Review
What The Critics Say
Fans of Ann-Margret's music are required to have eclectic tastes considering the variety of her recordings. God Is Love: The Gospel Sessions, her first new album in a long time, travels in entirely new and surprising directions, even for someone already recognized for her versatility. In collaboration with the Jordanaires, long-running Western swing ensemble the Light Crust Doughboys, and gospel great James Blackwood, Ann-Margret has made a real down-home gospel album, mostly comprised of songs by Doughboys bassist Art Greenhaw. His love of gospel traditions comes through on "Low Singing Bass," a nostalgic Statler Brothers-style ensemble vocal piece that name-checks several legendary gospel artists. "The High Road" and "Looking Through a Stained Glass Darkly" add a little rockabilly riffing to the mix, while Blackwood and the Doughboys enjoy a few solo turns on standards like "I Am a Pilgrim" and "Peace in the Valley." Don't expect Ann-Margret's typical dramatic performances because she sings sweetly and softly here, but you can tell she's having fun in this new context. "The Hallelujah Yodel Lady" is a particular highlight (although, to answer the obvious question, she doesn't yodel). Ann-Margret recorded too little in the decades prior to this release, which is a shame considering her apparent willingness to experiment. ~ Greg Adams, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
Ann-Margret's RCA Victor debut album, And Here She Is..., didn't get much attention in 1961, but she did better with her bluesy single "I Just Don't Understand," which peaked in the Top 20 in September. That set up this, her second solo LP, which featured "I Just Don't Understand," and like it was recorded partially in Nashville under the aegis of Chet Atkins and Dick Pierce. The two naturally brought a slight country feel to some of the tracks, notably the remakes of Don Gibson's 1958 hit "Oh, Lonesome Me" and the 1960-1961 hit "My Last Date (With You)" (aka "Last Date"). But the closest approximation of the sound was the kind of country-inflected pop/rock being pursued by Elvis Presley around the same time, which made a rendition of Presley's first major hit, "Heartbreak Hotel," an appropriate choice. At 20, Ann-Margret was an effective singer, if something of a chameleon, seeming to adopt a different persona for each number. She was at her most seductive singing Otis Blackwell's "Slowly," and she came on like a Latin fireball on "Fever," but was demure on the singles-chart entry "What Am I Supposed to Do" and ingenuously winning on "Moon River." RCA Victor appears to have been hoping it had found a distaff Presley, and it's possible Ann-Margret might have justified such a hope if her film acting career hadn't quickly outpaced her recording career; by the time this album was released, her movie debut, Pocketful of Miracles, had been out for several months and State Fair, which would establish her as a redheaded bombshell, was just getting into theaters. (She was still a mousy brunette on the album cover.) On the Way Up was an appropriate title, but records would soon take a back seat to other career goals. ~ William Ruhlmann, All Music Guide
'And Here She Is...'
Release Date 1/1/1961
Tracks 12
Label RCA Victor
See Album Tracklist and Review
