Kathie Baillie Love's Funny That Way CD

TOLEDO BLADEArticle published Sunday, March 25, 2007LOVE'S FUNNY THAT WAY Kathie Baillie (Aspirion Records)With her first solo effort, Baillie is making her comeback a most welcome event. As the crystal-voiced lead singer of the 80s trio, Baillie and the Boys, she was the heart of six successful country albums and 10 Top-10 hits. Thankfully for fans, her voice is as good as ever.Baillie got her start singing background for such artists as Dan Seals, Lynn Anderson, Randy Travis, and others. Then, with her future husband Michael Bonagura and pal Alan LeBeouf, formed a group specializing in close harmonies and catchy tunes. After the group's skyrocket with RCA fizzled, Baillie spent a couple years as a co-host and performer on the Nashville Network.Baillie's sound now, as then, is passionate, with vocals that seem geuninely heartfelt as they wring emotion out of the lyrics. The 10 numbers on this album are, without exception, very good. One special treat is "Old Glass Case," done with Baillie's daughter Alyssa Bonagura and the song's creator, Paulette Carlson. Another worth mention is Vince Gill's "Never Knew Lonely," with a vocal assist from Gill himself.- Ken Rosenbaum

Glancing at the CD case and liner notes, there are no less than 19 photographs of Kathie Baillie on Love's Funny That Way, including one borrowed from the video for "One Thing." There are so many photos that one has to snake his or her way around them to read the album's credits. The largest photo shows Baillie leaning on her acoustic guitar and gazing directly at the camera, giving the impression of an attractive, sincere person who dresses nicely (a bright red shirt to match her auburn hair). In a sense, the professional layout prepares the one for the professional, contemporary country sound of Love's Funny That Way. Baillie's resonant vocals bring a sure footing to the ten well-chosen songs, while the country-flavored arrangements, from the gentle "Each Day I Live" to the harder rocking title cut, provide a solid underpinning. Vince Gill makes a guest vocal appearance on "Never Knew Lonely," a song he penned, and Jim Photoglo adds his vocals to "Gone Away." Adding Gill to any song may seem like a smart career move, but their voices work exceptionally well together, ratcheting up the emotional quality of the song's chorus. Love's Funny That Way is a professional, well-made country album, and will work as a fine introduction to Kathie Baillie. ~ Ronnie D. Lankford, Jr.

Personnel: Alyssa Bonagura (vocals, piano); Tony Kerr (vocals); Rick Latina (acoustic guitar, electric guitar, banjo); Michael Bonagura (acoustic guitar, electric guitar); Stewart Duncan (mandolin, fiddle); Paul Leim (drums, percussion).