Jim Ed Brown Albums (20)
'One Man, One Woman'
Release Date 1/1/1980
Tracks 10
Label RCA Victor
See Album Tracklist and Review
'I'll Never Be Free'
Release Date 1/1/1978
Tracks 10
Label RCA Victor
See Album Tracklist and Review
'I Don't Want to Have to Marry You'
Release Date 1/1/1977
Tracks 10
Label RCA
See Album Tracklist and Review
What The Critics Say
Jim Ed Brown's post-Browns career included a string of hit duets with Helen Cornelius, whose double-tracked vocal lines sometimes created a simulated trio sound. The sound was so contemporary, though, that it never resembled the Browns except for the familiar feature of Jim Ed's rich crooning. I Don't Want to Have to Marry You was the duo's first collaboration and biggest album success, reaching the Top Three on Cash Box's country album chart. It was propelled up the charts by the number one hits "I Don't Want to Have to Marry You," and its follow-up, "Saying Hello, Saying I Love You, Saying Goodbye." (The latter reached number one only in Cash Box). "I Don't Want to Marry You" is a slice-of-life country song that states a romantic case for sexual abstinence before marriage, and "Saying Hello, Saying I Love You, Saying Goodbye" sounds like a song Conway Twitty and Loretta Lynn might have recorded. Brown and Cornelius each enjoy a solo turn, and join together on a few classic oldies like "I'm Leaving It All Up to You" and "Have I Told You Lately That I Love You." I Don't Want to Have to Marry You isn't necessarily the duo's best album, but it was their most popular. ~ Greg Adams, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
She's Leavin' is from Jim Ed Brown's solo period between the end of the Browns and the beginning of his successful partnership with Helen Cornelius. The title track, which borrows the "Auld Lang Syne" gimmick from the G-Clefs' 1961 hit "I Understand (Just How You Feel)," barely cracked the country Top 40 in 1971. The leadoff track, "Summerset," is a wistful beauty that should have been a hit and stands out as the album's highlight. The remainder is given over to love ballads old and new, from Cindy Walker's classic "Not As a Sweetheart (But Just As a Friend)" to Kris Kristofferson's "Help Me Make It Through the Night." Reinforcing the album's contemporary vibe, two songs come from Kristofferson's pen, and Freddie Hart's "Easy Lovin'" -- which must have been recorded while it was still on the charts -- closes the set. One might wish for more original material, but Brown has a beautiful voice that seldom disappoints. ~ Greg Adams, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
Following the success of Jim Ed Brown's biggest solo hit, "Morning," in 1970, he entered the Top 15 again a few months later with "Angel's Sunday," which brandishes a surprising vocal rhythm as a hook. Brown's albums are usually good, but Angel's Sunday is a little better than average thanks to the strong material and predominantly female background vocals, which re-create in spots the sound of his former trio, the Browns. Production touches add variety to what is mostly a platter of ballads, such as the Spanish guitar on "Four Seasons of Life," but the songs overall are so melodic that they require little more than Brown's honeyed voice to put them across. ~ Greg Adams, All Music Guide
