How Very Nineties: Women Who Can Actually Sing, Part Three

6 Comments

1. I can’t help but appreciate a singer who can create a cry-fest on the Oprah show.

   Somehow I completely missed part one and two of this series, so thanks for making a part three to bring it to my attention, Kevin. :D

   This series does seem a bit unfair toward a few women of the 00’s, though. Women like Jennifer Nettles and Carrie Underwood that came to prominence then can definitely SANG.

   I’d argue that Underwood is up there with Yearwood purely based on vocal ability, but I don’t want to be run off by an angry mob. :P

   Reply

2. Great singer. My only quibble about Wynonna is that at times she throws away the lyric. My wife, who is not primarily a country music fan, pointed this out years ago. She said the same thing about Kenny Loggins on the pop side. At times, you have to get out the lyrics to find out what they’re singing.

   Reply

3. Nice to see another installment in this series! I enjoyed it. Wynonna’s performance of “I Want to Know What Love Is” was just epic.

   Reply

4. Wynonna is one of the best vocalists in country music. She’s the kind of singer with the rare gift to bring people to tears with her vocal ability. It’s too bad the craziness with her mom has overshadowed her singing ability in recent years.

   My favorite of her songs tend to be her ballads where she gets the chance to shine. “My Strongest Weakness” and “She’s His Only Need” rank among my favorites as does “All of That Love From Here,” an album cut from her solo debut. I also love “Only Love” and “To Be Loved By You.”

   But she can also rock with the best of them as well. “No One Else on Earth” and “Girls with Guitars” showcase this perfectly. I love her spunk and attitude and the sassiness has proven to be her trademark over the years. Wynonna is nothing if not entertaining.

   As for her work with her Naomi, who doesn’t love “Grandpa,” “Mama He’s Crazy,” “Love is Alive,” “Love Can Build A Bridge,” and “Young Love?” All timeless classics.

   She also does a great job covering Joni Mitchell’s “Help Me.” I prefer the live version from her HER STORY album. And her cover of “Ava Maria” from her Christmas Album is incredible. If you haven’t heard it, you have to, it’ll blow you away.

   In the 90s there was a lot of competition from very credible vocalists (i.e. Trisha, Martina, Reba, Pam, Suzy, Faith etc) that overshadowed her. A case can be made that she’s very good, if not better, than most of them. She should’ve won a Female Vocalist CMA in her day.

   I didn’t much care for the “When Love Starts Tallkin” biker image thing she had going on cira 1998 because she’s better than playing the tough girl. Her best music was on her first two solo albums and then she returned to form in 2003 with her best album yet.

   Like Kevin said in an earlier post, I would love new music from her. I was kind of taken aback with SING, because not only didn’t it sound like the Wynonna we’d all come to love, the arraignments didn’t make sense on many of the songs. When I first heard the album I had to remind myself who I was listening to. That’s never a good sign. I didn’t like it because I know she’s better than that. I had such high hopes for that project, too.

   It’s about time that she get the credit she deserves and this goes a long way. People need to be reminded, I think, of how commanding a vocalist she really is. And great choices for video clips.

   Reply

5. I love me some Wynonna. The first and last videos are probably my single two favorite performances from Wy, with ‘I Want To Know What Love Is’ coming in third. (I prefer the ‘Love’ from the HerStory DVD though.)

   Reply

6. LOVE Wy’s voice, I wonder why her voice sounded less like her previous vocals on her Sing album….

   I LOVE the HerStory DVD she released.

   Her cover of “I Want To Know What Love Is” is bone-chilling, and ranks among one of my favorite songs of all time.

   Reply