After All These Years
For over three decades Eddy Arnold possessed greater staying power than any Nashville megastar, with a total of 67 top-ten singles and 28 number ones, several topping the charts for months. To their credit, RCA--Arnold's label for nearly his entire career--accord him a respect that few other major labels show to past country greats who once enhanced their profits. That's why the 87-year-old Arnold's return to the studio for album #100 is nothing less than courageous. His producer, legendary Nashville eccentric Cowboy Jack Clement, combines low-key acoustic accompaniment with vintage material, including a remake of Arnold's 1956 hit "You Don't Know Me" andRoger Miller's "King of the Road." While Arnold imparts class, dignity, and youthful spirit to every tune, even this vocal master isn't exempt from aging's inevitable toll on every human voice. Hearing him valiantly struggle to achieve what once seemed effortless is profoundly moving and occasionally painful. Nonetheless, his magnificent legacy, established decades ago, remains the gold standard for which he'll ultimately be remembered.--Rich Kienzle