Deana Carter Albums (6)
What The Critics Say
Duet records are big deals, especially in the country music world, where seasoned veterans seem to put them out just to get back on the charts or to keep from completely disappearing from view. Ask Willie Nelson, he's done at least half a dozen. Veteran Reba McEntire scored 500,000 units in the first week with her 2007 Reba Duets album. The Chain is a duet recording of sorts, though thankfully not everything here is one. Deana Carter's 2005 album The Story of My Life is one of the great songwriter recordings of the 21st century thus far, and if it was commercially under-appreciated it wasn't critically, and anyone who heard it needed to own a copy. It will always be a stellar aesthetic triumph in her career. Given her restlessness as an artist and her early brush with the charts and stardom on her 1995 debut Did I Shave My Legs for This? has probably been a thorn she's had to contend with ever since. Alas. What The Chain has to do with all this is that it feels contrived. A collection of cover songs is one thing, a way of paying back something to all the careers that inspired one's own. Carter's a fine singer and has always had some compelling ideas about production -- even if they are at times quirky, they more often than not bring some hidden depth and dimension to any song she cuts. Here, the production is wonderful, but the choice to use most of these people as singing partners -- and some of the songs she chose -- just don't get it. The set begins well, with her excellent reading of Roy Orbison's "Crying," it's full of soul even with its synth strings and loops. It works like a charm. There is even some tenderness when she duets with Kris Kristofferson on his "Help Me Make It Through the Night." The duets begin on Paul Simon's "The Boxer." Singing with Harper Simon, who just plain can't sing, makes its six minutes and 12 seconds feels like an hour. He and Dan Dugmore do some cool guitar stuff (the latter on pedal steel of course), but it's interminable because of the awful contrast of voices and its length. Carter's reading of Bob Dylan's "Lay lady Lay" feels stilted and plodding, despite its pristine sound and the nice backing vocal touches she adds. Dolly Parton's "Love Is Like a Butterfly" is quite beautiful and even a tad psychedelic thanks to Carter's production, but her reading of Robbie Robertson's "The Weight" should never have been attempted. The piano sound is there, but Carter is not Mavis or Pops Staples and that song has been defined by them at this point (yes, it is far superior to the Band's as well -- just ask Robbie Robertson), and should never be covered again in the current epoch. Her appearance with Jessi Colter on "I'm Not Lisa" works well enough; it's a simple song and skeletally produced, and Colter gets inside that heartbreaking lyric with her grainy voice and turns it inside out, as Carter comes off sounding like a younger version of a person living through the same thing. Two generations of women haunted by similar ghosts. The rough and rowdy version of John Anderson's "Swinging" is bigger, trippier, and at least as much fun in Carter's production: Anderson and Carter funk it up Muscle Shoals style and it works like a charm. Oh yeah, big surprise that Nelson is here to help out with Carter's radical re-interpretation of his "On the Road Again," that feels more like a psychedelic version of Jackie DeShannon doing Nelson. It's all pillowy, dreamy, and droney tune in her reading, and production-wise, it's interesting, but there's no way to pull off those words and that feeling without it being up-tempo. Shooter Jennings duets with Carter on Nelson's and his late father Waylon Jennings' "Good Hearted Woman," and adds some much needed grit to the proceedings. All one can say about Carter's version of Dickey Lee's "She Thinks I Still Care," done with George Jones, can only be mentioned with a question attached: "what was she thinking?" The album closes with Neil Young's "Old Man." Dugmore helps on acoustic and electric guitars, Randy Leago's spooky organ, her own electric piano work -- and a wise use of synth strings and minimal programming -- with her voice actually ringing out on that refrain for the first time on the entire record, sends it off with great vibes as it's the strongest performance on the set. The bottom line is that while Carter may have had every intention of paying tribute to her heroes on this one, which is admirable, the execution falls short of the mark by more than a hair here. It would have worked better as strictly a covers set, or had she written her own songs, produced them the same way, and paid tribute to her heroes that way. ~ Thom Jurek, All Music Guide
'The Story of My Life'
Release Date 3/8/2005
Tracks 11
Label Vanguard
See Album Tracklist and Review
What The Critics Say
Deana Carter who exploded on the Nash Vegas scene with her hit "Did I Shave My Legs for This?" always seemed like she was holding back. Reined in by the strict formula of Music City production, listeners may have connected with Carter's songs but there was too much other stuff going on -- and tunes by too many other writers. Her second and third records suffered from more of the same but it was obviously not the fault of the artist. Finally, a full decade after her debut, Carter gets to release the album she's always wanted to make with the Vanguard label. Carter wrote or co-wrote everything on this set, produced it, and had complete creative control. It stands head and shoulders above everything in her catalog. Carter's musical approach touches on everything from California rock circa the 1970s, to Fleetwood Mac to country and folk, with flourish, aplomb, and elegance. As the title suggests this is a deeply personal and autobiographical outing with the various faces of love, its beginning, flowering, aftermath and redemption as its catalyst . The opener, "The Girl You Left Me For," is a rocker, full of layered acoustic and roaring electrics on the refrains. If there is irony here, it's well hidden; this is the sound of a heart broken and torn that will not let go. Alanis Morisette or Fiona Apple could have recorded this without a stretch. "Ordinary," fueled by a Hammond B3 and strutting guitars, is the kind of love song that captures the moment where infatuation crosses the line into the real thing. "Sunny Day" is a bittersweet country-rock manifesto of love in the turbulence of modern life. It contains a killer hook, and a beautiful guitar solo by Jeff Carter that draws on Pink Floyd's David Gilmour for inspiration. In sum, this is a seamless collection of gorgeously written and sung tunes; there are no excesses lyrically, musically or in instrumentation. Story of My Life is polished, but it's far from slick; it's honest, wears its heart on its sleeve and is full of imagination, grace , and spit. Meet Deana Carter, recording artist extraordinaire. ~ Thom Jurek, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
Deana Carter had a hard time following up her acclaimed debut, 1995's Did I Shave My Legs For This?, stumbling with 1998's Everything's Gonna Be Alright before leaving Capitol Records and re-emerging nearly four and a half years later on Arista Nashville with I'm Just a Girl. A lot had happened in country music in the years that Carter sat out, including shifts toward both pop (in Shania Twain and Faith Hill) and roots (the O Brother Where Art Thou? phenomenon), and Carter continues to run outside the path by not pursuing either direction. Instead, she aims straight toward the heart of adult pop (slightly ironic, given the album's title and its 17 magazine-styled artwork), which really isn't too far off from where she was with on her first record. Still, there are telling differences: The production, apart from the closing raver "Girls' Night," is all smooth and polished, sweetened with pop and lacking nearly any hint of country, as well as the clear sense of humor. There's a keener eye toward a broader audience, right down to the cheesecake photos inside the liner notes, and the product placement in "I'm Just a Girl" sits uneasily (particularly since closing the chorus with "I'm a Chevy girl" makes it sound like an unofficial commercial). Those may seem disarming to those looking for the organic feel of Did I Shave My Legs, but Carter does this pleasing adult pop better than nearly any of her peers, partially because her ambitions are modest and her songwriting is sturdy and tuneful. At times, the production is so even, the music simply flows out of the speaker without distinction between tracks, but the result is a record that holds together as a nice mood piece while holding up as individual songs. True, it doesn't deliver a knockout punch upon the first listen, but it wasn't designed to. It's a quiet grower, filled with easy listening and sunny vibes. It might not earn quite the same audience as her debut, but this is about as good as adult-oriented pop gets in 2003. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
This holiday album manages to be great despite itself -- one of Deana Carter's strengths is her songwriting; this is a collection largely of standards. Even though it adds a kind of fireside charm, the guitar accompaniment, provided by her father, Fred Carter, Jr., seems ham-handed and often off-tempo. The only thing about the album that isn't flawed is her voice. Subtle and sweet, she charms throughout and sets a gentle, soothing tone that is perfect for a wintry evening. Carter has also managed to present a holiday album that manages to exude a down-home country style without resorting to stereotypical twanginess and fiddles. Father Christmas may not go too far to try to be original or different, but it is pretty memorable just the way it is. ~ Stacia Proefrock, All Music Guide
'Everything's Gonna Be Alright'
Release Date 10/20/1998
Tracks 13
Label Capitol
See Album Tracklist and Review
What The Critics Say
Deana Carter's debut album ,Did I Shave My Legs for This?, was a surprise hit, considering that its grace, subtlety, and wit were largely qualities unheard of in contemporary country in 1996, the year it climbed up the charts. It immediately marked her as a major artist, placing great expectations on her second album, Everything's Gonna Be Alright. Lacking the surprise element of Legs, Everything's is nevertheless in many ways its equal, since Carter has chosen to expand its sound, not to replicate it. There are more laid-back rock and pop elements to her style this time around, which fits well with her folky, melodic country. Even the presence of Lynyrd Skynyrd as the support band for "The Train Song" (earthy, not rowdy), works better than it reads. Furthermore, her songwriting is melodic and memorable, and her choice of covers, including Melanie's "Brand New Key," is inspired. As long as Carter continues to deliver albums as enchanting as Everything's Gonna Be Alright, things are going to be just fine for her and her fans. ~ Thom Owens, All Music Guide
'Did I Shave My Legs for This?'
Release Date 1/1/1995
Tracks 11
Label EMI/Patriot
See Album Tracklist and Review
What The Critics Say
Deana Carter's debut album may have seemed like the arrival of an overnight sensation, but that was hardly the truth. Carter cracked it finally at 30, after trying since she was 17 as the daughter of kicking country guitar picker Fred Carter. With its ironic odd title and its mix of singer/songwriter folk, new traditionalist country, and pop, Carter came up with a winner. Produced by Chris Farren and Jimmy Bowen, Carter's album features six originals, including the title track, "Count Me In," the amazing opener, "I've Loved Enough to Know," with its hooky guitars, shimmering fiddles, and cascading pianos, the gorgeous "Love Ain't Worth Making" and "Before We Ever Heard Goodbye," and "How Do I Get There." These are the album's strongest tunes, full of passion and sincerity regarding love, its fulfillment and impossibility, as well as its mystery. And the woman can write a hook. There's a radio-friendly rock and pop feel to tracks such as Mac Wiseman's hard country tonkin' "If This Is Love" and Matraca Berg's pedal steel-ringing "Strawberry Wine." That she sold a few million copies of this record to country fans is not surprising at all; that she sold a few million more to AAA radio fans and to those whose musical tastes are dictated by NPR is. Most of these folks bitch like crazy about "young country," and Carter defined it with her very first record in all the best ways: using the country tradition to make fine, well-crafted music that appeals to a broad range of tastes. ~ Thom Jurek, All Music Guide
