LeAnn Rimes Albums (11)
What The Critics Say
LeAnn Rimes planned to succeed This Woman, her 2005 return to country, with a pop album called Whatever We Wanna in 2006, but as This Woman continued to sell steadily in the U.S., that album wound up seeing the light of day only in Europe. Instead of issuing Whatever We Wanna in America in 2007, Rimes released an entirely different, brand-new album called Family, a record that was closer to country than her 2006 Europop excursion. Of course, this makes it tailor-made for the American market, where she is still seen primarily as a country singer, not a pop star, but Family isn't quite a crass commercial move. Instead, it's her first album of all original material (many co-written with Dean Sheremet, Blair Daly, and Darrell Brown in some combination or another), which makes this a bit of a relative risk, as Rimes has been known as song interpreter, not a songwriter, in the decade she's been recording. Then again, Rimes hasn't exactly been complacent during those ten years: she's recorded everything from classic country to dance-pop, dabbling in adult contemporary crossovers, inspirational music, and even rockabilly along the way. She's learned a lot in those explorations, as evidenced by Family, which may not touch on everything she's done but is surprisingly far-ranging underneath its soft country-pop veneer. There may be just a bit too much of the smooth crossover material here, particularly on the first half of the record, but beneath that gloss there are some sturdy songs, songs that play like a blend of Reba McEntire and early Dixie Chicks. Also, as the album rolls on, Rimes loosens up, first with the sunny party tune "Good Friend and a Glass of Wine," then eventually rolling to the swaggering Marc Broussard duet "Nothin' Wrong," which kicks up some genuine dirt, and then culminating in the slow, soulful crawl of "One Day Too Long." On songs like these, Rimes illustrates her range as a singer along with some true strength as a writer, and they help make Family a canny blend of the commercial and the confessional -- an album that feels heartfelt, yet is as accessible and enjoyable as her best records. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine, All Music Guide
'Whatever We Wanna'
Release Date 6/6/2006
Tracks 15
Label WEA International
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What The Critics Say
In the summer of 2006 LeAnn Rimes was only 23 years of age, and yet Whatever We Wanna was the 16th album release in her career thus far (including hits albums and oldies compilations). For a supposed country music star, she now had hit albums in an R&B style, and Whatever We Wanna was most definitely veering toward gaining her a rock audience -- not credible rock in the sense of Stevie Nicks or Pat Benatar, but AOR country crossover as Shania Twain and Faith Hill had successful managed before her (especially the song "A Little More Time," which could indeed have been Twain singing rather than Rimes). The rock angle was heaviest on the album's opening song, "Satisfied," as well as the title track, but Rimes slowed everything down to her usual country-influenced ballad style on "Strong," "This Life," "Some People," and "For the First Time," the latter of which was reminiscent of a Heart power ballad. As would be expected on a song featuring Brian McFadden (formally of Westlife), "Everybody's Someone" was also a slow ballad introduced by a piano, and surprisingly given his status as a guest on her album, McFadden opens the first verse with his sugary voice. Leann Rimes had co-writing credits on nine of the 15 songs. The release of Whatever We Wanna was delayed in the U.S. due to the ongoing success of her previous album, This Woman. ~ Sharon Mawer, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
LeAnn Rimes has taken so many twists and turns in her career that it's hard to know what to expect whenever she delivers a new record. Is she returning to the neo-traditional country that made her a star at 14? Is she singing country-pop, or trying to be a straight-up mainstream pop singer? Since she's dabbled in all of these styles since her 1996 debut, Blue, suffering upheavals in her management and label in the process, it's hard to tell exactly where Rimes fits into either country or pop music in 2005, nearly a full decade after her commercial breakthrough. It's even harder to tell if Rimes has a clear musical identity outside of her powerhouse voice and a desire to keep selling records. As long as she kept making solid records, this vagueness didn't really matter, but her 2002 stab at dance-pop and adult contemporary pop arrived too late and was too awkward to succeed, which was quite a surprise after her lithe crossover with the Coyote Ugly soundtrack. Its successor, 2005's This Woman, is a corrective measure, stripping away the sexiness and post-Britney pretensions of Twisted Angel and steering toward the middle ground between adult contemporary and contemporary country. This is territory that Shania Twain and Faith Hill abandoned as they became slick, sexy superstars, and it suits Rimes well. The tunes on This Woman are on a smaller, friendlier scale than those on Come On Over or Breathe, but their modesty is appealing, particularly because the melodies are sturdy and the production is polished without being too glossy. There are no knockouts here, but on a song-for-song basis, This Woman is her strongest album yet, not least because it's the record where Rimes sounds the most comfortable, where she's not yearning for pop hits or aping her idols. This is a sound and format that fits LeAnn Rimes, and with any luck she'll continue in this vein for a while -- but given her track record, it's reasonable to doubt that she will, so enjoy This Woman while it rides the country and adult pop charts. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine, All Music Guide
'What a Wonderful World'
Release Date 10/12/2004
Tracks 10
Label Curb
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What The Critics Say
Freed from her lawsuits, separated from the managerial control of her father, and now an adult, LeAnn Rimes redefines herself as a mainstream pop vocalist with Twisted Angel. If the title and the tarted-up sultry photographs didn't offer a clue that Rimes is no longer a country vocalist, the very first cut immediately offers proof that she's positioning herself somewhere between grown-up dance-pop and youthful adult contemporary. This is music for the hip middle of the road, then, which isn't a bad career move at all, since there's a void there with the absence of Whitney Houston, the breakdown of Mariah Carey, and Christina Aguilera's bizarre insistence to strip instead of sing. Rimes certainly has the voice for the crossover she desires, and the production is commercial, glossy, and ready for the radio, often appealingly so. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
With all the American flag imagery on the packaging, it's a good bet that this post-September 11, 2001, compilation benefited the disaster recovery -- even though no such promise is made on the insert. It does say, "These classic recordings were made while America was first discovering LeAnn Rimes." The obvious intention was to gather some of Rimes' inspirational and love songs that would uplift and encourage during the national crisis, and also make a nice little stocking stuffer that fits the patriotic mood. It's a nice cross section of American classics (her version of "God Bless America" is a showstopper), Christian-themed gems ("The Sands of Time," "Middle Man"), and even a soft-spoken country-pop version of "The Lord's Prayer." "Put a Little Holiday in Your Heart" is the one tune that actually goes beyond the heartfelt and into the truly fun. Her a capella version of "Amazing Grace" is also an impressive showcase for her well-known vocal chops. ~ Jonathan Widran, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
You have to wonder about Curb's choices for this album. Released amidst public notoriety that LeAnn didn't have creative input or support its release, I Need You is all over the place. If you had blinders on for the last five years and didn't know who LeAnn Rimes was, this album wouldn't tell you. There's no continuity in the songs or the sound. Is she country? Is she pop? Is she country-pop? I Need You contains some previously released material like the album's top ten title track, the hip "Can't Fight the Moonlight" from the Coyote Ugly soundtrack and the cheeky "Written in the Stars" with duet partner, Elton John.One thing that hasn't changed since 1996's Blue are LeAnn's powerhouse vocals. Hearing LeAnn sing ANYthing is always worth a listen, including the Rimes-penned "Together, Forever & Always" and the cool "One of These Days," but this time around, LeAnn fans would do well to support the 18-year-old and her management when they ask you not to buy the album. ~ Maria Konicki Dinoia, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
Essentially, LeAnn Rimes is a covers album, with one new song ("Big Deal") tacked onto the end, which makes it a return to her roots -- which, in turn, means that it's sort of a salute to her main influence, Patsy Cline. Rimes tackles no less than five songs from Cline's 12 Greatest Hits, plus "Lovesick Blues," which Cline also recorded. It's a tricky situation for a singer pegged as a Cline soundalike with her first hit single, "Blue." If those comparisons bother Rimes, it's impossible to tell from her performance, since she sings these six songs exactly like Cline does. As it turns out, imitation is a crutch Rimes uses quite often, since she mimics Janis Joplin on "Me and Bobby McGee" and pretty much uses Marty Robbins as a guide vocal on "Don't Worry." Since she has a good voice and these are, by and large, great songs, it's hard to complain -- given the best set of songs of her career, she delivers good, professional performances, stumbling only on "Me and Bobby McGee" with Joplin-like histrionics. So, LeAnn Rimes winds up being one of her better efforts, even if her vocals are fairly mannered and the arrangements are fairly predictable. But the most curious thing about this covers album is that Rimes turns in her best performance on the lone new track. She sounds loose, confident and exciting on "Big Deal," and even more importantly, she never sounds like one of her idols -- she sounds like herself. And since it comes at the end of the record, you can't help but wish she'd recorded an album of new, pure country songs as good as "Big Deal" instead of a collection of covers, no matter how well she sang those covers. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine, All Music Guide
'Sittin' on Top of the World'
Release Date 5/5/1998
Tracks 15
Label Curb
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What The Critics Say
Truth be told, the "country" label doesn't quite fit LeAnn Rimes. True, her debut single, "Blue," sounded like a lost honky tonk classic, but You Light Up My Life suggested that she wanted to be an adult contemporary crooner. Her third album (and, in many ways, the official follow-up to Blue), Sittin' on Top of the World, may be called country, but it's an adult contemporary album by any other name. Only three songs have any country feel to them, and they just barely fit that description -- there may be steel guitars on "These Arms of Mine," and "Rock Me" may shuffle, but they hardly feel country. Most of the record consists of mid-tempo pop songs, as produced by her father, Wilbur. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine, All Music Guide
'You Light Up My Life: Inspirational Songs'
Release Date 9/9/1997
Tracks 12
Label Curb
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What The Critics Say
As the official sequel to Blue (Unchained Melody was a collection of early recordings), You Light Up My Life: Inspirational Songs carried a lot of expectations. It was a record that should have consolidated LeAnn Rimes' status as contemporary country's brightest new star, but instead it does a curious thing -- it positions her as an adult contemporary crossover artist. You Light Up My Life has as much pop as country, relying on such easy listening standards as the title track, "The Rose," and "God Bless America." Rimes sings well throughout You Light Up My Life and displays her natural talent, but the album isn't the great leap forward it could have been. ~ Thom Owens, All Music Guide
