Pam Tillis Albums (11)
What The Critics Say
Let's face it: there is only one Pam Tillis. Her voice, one of the purest country instruments to come out of Nash Vegas in the last 30 years, draws on the music's rich and varied tradition, and points forward to the place where country, bluegrass, rock, pop, swing and soul meet. She may not be recording for the major labels anymore, but, as evidenced by Rhinestoned, she's making better music now than she's ever made in her life. The 11 cuts here, penned by some of Nashville's finest songwriters, are delivered with the kind of savvy and artistry that only a veteran can muster. Tillis delivers "Something Burning Out" with all the ache and confusion of a woman who cannot understand why love itself is not enough. She's not a victim, but an active participant. "Band in the Window," is a honky tonk story song with killer pedal steel by Dan Dugmore. She delivers Jon Randall's "Train Without a Whistle" with all the requisite warning and loneliness about a rounder that a country ballad can bear. And speaking of ballads, her rendering of Jim McBride's "Someone Somewhere Tonight," is full of pure, smoldering and desperate desire. Her soul voice comes pouring out like warm honey from the pit of her belly and out toward the listener like a balm. The banjo strut in "Down by the Water" is one of those two-steppers that makes the boots bound across the barroom floor. That it is also a tune of thwarted desire is poignant in and of itself. The point is, no matter what the tune here, it succeeds. Rhinestoned is a hard country record, coming from one of the music's most signature vocalists who extends that tradition even as she honors it. ~ Thom Jurek, All Music Guide
'Live: The Essential Collection'
Release Date 1/19/2006
Tracks 15
Label Double Play Records
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'It's All Relative'
Release Date 9/3/2002
Tracks 13
Label Epic/Lucky Dog
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What The Critics Say
Best known as an engaging and often humorous performer, and secondarily as Nashville songbird Pam Tillis' father, Mel Tillis deserves greater recognition as one of country music's more enduring and consistent songwriters. This oversight is addressed in It's All Relative, as Pam joins with a cast of Music City luminaries to interpret some of his better-known works. Her performance is right on the money from start to finish. On up-tempo tracks, whether honky tonk excursions like "Unmitigated Gall" or a brisk rockabilly sprint with Ray Benson through "Honey (Open That Door)," she's expressive, though somewhat restrained. It's at slower tempos that her abilities are most evident, as she exploits the interpretive room that ballads allow. An exceptional harmony singer, she knows how to play off of the unique timbre and phrasing contributed by Dolly Parton on a lacelike rendition of "Violet and a Rose" and Emmylou Harris in a more Daniel Lanois-influenced treatment of "Heart Over Mind." On her own, Tillis is even stronger; she turns "Detroit City" into an intimate journal, with misty memories of home and the weary grind of life in the city made equally vivid by her reading. Yet on "Emotions," backed by jazz pianist Beegie Adair, Tillis eases smoothly into a torchier style that has nothing to do with rural idylls. The last track, "Come On and Sing," brings Dad into the picture, along with a gaggle of his grandkids; it's a predictable cameo, but irresistible nonetheless and a perfect dessert for this rich repast. ~ Robert L. Doerschuk, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
The Tillis name is a staple in country music. Pam's dad, Mel Tillis, has graced country since the '50s, and Pam's been in the business since prior to 1979 either as a songwriter, backup singer, or club performer. She hasn't had a big career or even an exceptionally huge hit, but she has maintained a consistent career by keeping herself on the charts with songs like "Maybe It Was Memphis" and "All the Good Ones Are Gone." She continues her consistency on this 11-track collection of respectable, just-decent songs. Album number seven doesn't really offer anything new in terms of what you usually get from Pam, except for a first-time duet together with dad Mel. The bonus track, "Waiting on the Wind, is a thoroughly likable rendition of a song they've previously performed live together. "Jagged Hearts," the album's first track is also worth a mention. Thunder and Roses would make a fine addition to your Pam Tillis collection. ~ Maria Konicki Dinoia, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
Pam Tillis is in possession of a fine country voice, and on this particular project she displays her talent proudly, twang and all. While there is the usual overproduction that characterizes Nashville in the '90s, and some material that seems more in line with the pop world, Tillis has the strength to break through and shine. Especially good is the Leslie Satcher tune "Whiskey on the Wound," which seems to demonstrate just how deep Tillis' traditional roots run in spite of all the nonsense. Jamie O'Hara's composition, "Lay the Heartache Down," also allows Tillis to spread her wings and fly, but the most breathtaking cut is the Thompson/Cunningham co-write "A Whisper and a Scream"; the performance here is unsurpassed, heartbreaking, soul-shaking, and chilling. For this track alone, Every Time is bound to be counted as one of Tillis' most distinctive projects. ~ Jana Pendragon, All Music Guide
'Goldilocks & The 3 Bears'
Release Date 1/1/1998
Tracks 11
Label Virginia
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'Homeward Looking Angel'
Release Date 1/1/1992
Tracks 10
Label Arista
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What The Critics Say
Pam Tillis had an enviable challenge with Homeward Looking Angel -- topping the critically acclaimed and commercially viable Put Yourself in My Place, an album that spawned four Top Ten singles including "Don't Tell Me What to Do." Tillis' pure, full-bodied country voice can be both a boon and a burden. Some tracks on Angel seem cliché. On one cut, the retro "Do You Know Where Your Man Is," her genuinely throaty twang feels exaggerated to the point of annoyance. Yet other songs work seemingly effortless magic, including the sultry and sexy "Shake the Sugar Tree," and the wry and telling "Cleopatra, Queen of Denial." These songs, along with Gretchen Peters' ballad "Let That Pony Run" and the title cut -- one of four written by Bob DiPiero -- had no trouble finding their way to the chart heights of their predecessors and insuring Tillis another hit recording. While it may not be as flawless as Put Yourself in My Place, Homeward Looking Angel is a very solid -- and at times even stellar -- successor; it should be seriously considered by anyone who is curious about her music. ~ Roch Parisien & Thom Jurek, All Music Guide
'Put Yourself in My Place'
Release Date 1/1/1991
Tracks 10
Label Arista
See Album Tracklist and Review
What The Critics Say
The album that established Pam Tillis as a performer in her own right has a traditional country base cut with bluegrass, folk, and rock. It all creates the same sort of mixed breed she sings about in "Melancholy Child": "You take a black Irish temper/Some solemn Cherokee/A Southern sense of humor/And you got someone like me." Her characters are the awkward dancers of "I've Seen Enough to Know": bruised, tentative, and needing to be cajoled back to love. Even the throwaway songs are of a high standard; the best ones ("Maybe It Was Memphis," "Don't Tell Me What to Do") are truly enticing. ~ Brian Mansfield, All Music Guide
