Fried Green Tomatoes
Ricky Van Shelton sticks to his guns, specifically, the no-frills new-traditionalist sound that established him in the mid-1980s. While some stars of that era desperately chase current Nashville trends, Shelton never once allows his powerful voice to be obliterated by today's obligatory booming drums and bass. True, the gimmicky "From the Fryin' Pan" may be a lame attempt at a dance track, but "Call Me Crazy" and "Your One and Only" hearken back to his earlier uptempo hits. His skills with a ballad remain unimpaired, evoking passion on "Foolish Pride" and vivid desperation on "You Go Your Way (And I'll Go Crazy)." He also revivesCharley Pride's magnificent 1969 plea "All I Have to Offer You Is Me." Yet occasional listlessness creeps in--understandable on the glib "Somebody's Gonna Lose," harder to fathom on the superior weeper "I Was Losing You." The album's true misfit, however, is "The Decision," a tale of an unwed mother's moral conundrum. This preachy homily clearly means a great deal to Shelton, but whether it fits the context of this particular album is another matter. Still, what's good here is good indeed, especially considering 2000's trendy market.--Rich Kienzle