It's All Relative: Tillis Sings Tillis
Tribute albums often suffer from a lack of cohesion, but not in this case. That's because the delightfulIt's All Relativefeatures just one singer--Pam Tillis--and the artist she celebrates just happens to be her father, the legendary singer-songwriter-actorMel Tillis. Daughter Pam tackles 13 of her dad's songs, some of them famous ("I Ain't Never," "So Wrong"), some of them more obscure ("Violet and a Rose," "Not Like It Was with You"). High-profile guests includeEmmylou Harris,Trisha Yearwood,Dolly Parton, theJordanaires,Delbert McClinton,Marty Stuart, Ray Benson (who produced four tracks), and Papa himself, who helps out on the rousing closer "Come On and Sing." Pam's arrangements are mostly familiar--she does "Burning Memories" in the same honky-tonk shuffle style thatRay Priceused on the hit version--but she takes liberties with Price's "Heart over Mind," here done as a heartfelt ballad, andBobby Bare's "Detroit City," played as an orchestrated, "Ode to Billie Joe"-style folk song. It all hangs together, though, makingIt's All Relativea success from start to finish.--David Hill