Shelby Lynne Love, Shelby CD

While alternative rockers such as Jewel are making forays into the Fresh Country market, ostensibly country performers like Shelby Lynne are preoccupied with blurring distinctions in the other direction. Lynne has positioned herself as quite the iconoclast, and in this successor to I AM SHELBY LYNNE, which was the first album in what is really the second act of a career that stretches back to the late 1980s, she further distances herself from her initial genre.

Aided by Alanis Morissette producer Glen Ballard, Lynne has come up with a diamond-hard pop nugget that's a world away from the faux-alternative country of its predecessor. With "Bend" she's in pop R&B territory, while "Jesus on a Greyhound" ploughs a "Me and Bobby McGhee" furrow, and "Tarpoleon Napoleon" recalls the torchiness of none other than k.d. lang. With the inclusion of a funky, drum-looped version of John Lennon's "Mother" as a kind of psychological finale, LOVE, SHELBY is a snapshot of an intelligent, eclectic artist in transition, making great music along the way.

Out of print in the U.S.! With her career resurgence in full swing, Shelby released this, her seventh album, to critical acclaim although commercially, it didn't garner the attention it deserved. Love Shelby was produced by Glen Ballard (Alanis Morissette, Dave Matthews Band) and features guest appearances from Bill Payne and Sonny Landreth. 10 tracks including a cover of John Lennon's 'Mother'. Universal.

Recorded at Conway Recorders, Hollywood, California.

Personnel includes: Shelby Lynne (vocals, guitar); Glen Ballard (guitar, synthesizer); Michael Landau (guitar); Sonny Landreth (slide guitar); Bill Payne (Hammond B-3 organ); Mike Elizondo (bass); Matt Chamberlain (drums).

Rolling Stone (12/13/01, p.148) - 3.5 stars out of 5 - "...LOVE turns from pain to pleasure, with a concept almost as simple as its title....Lynne's voice sounds less wounded now, showing Chrissie Hynde backbone and Tammy Wynette roots..."
Q (12/01, p.140) - 3 stars out of 5 - "...Continues in the same vein as its predecessor, matching Lynne's soulful vocals with an array of catchy tunes penned in collaboration with Glen Ballard..."
Uncut (11/01, p.120) - 5 stars out of 5 - "...That voice...soulful as hell! One minute it's all power, the next as smooth as silk....LOVE, SHELBY confirms that Lynne is quite simply the best female singer of the last 20 years...."