Patty Loveless

Strong Heart

Strong Effort

Review Score:

(10/10)
Patty Loveless finally returned in 2000 with her first album of new material since 1997's LONG STRETCH OF LONESOME, which I believed to be one of her best. It was hard not to have expectations, and I admit when I first heard this album it did not hit me like the previous one did, but after a few listens, I really grew to love this album. STRONG HEART opens with the Matraca Berg and Carolyn Dawn Johnson written "You're So Cool", and also supply the background vocals. It's a nice fun number to start off the album. I really like this song, Steve Earle makes an appearance on this track. "The Last Thing on my Mind" is a nice traditional ballad which has a unique instrumentation, very country. Rebecca Lynn Howard and Ricky Skaggs join her on this one. "My Heart Will Never Break This Way Again" is classic Patty, one of those ballads she just tears up, once again very traditional. Trisha Yearwood and Claire Lynch join her on this song, Patty describes it as her own "Trio" song since she loved the sound created by Emmylou, Linda and Dolly. Then we have "You Don't Get No More", an uptempo rocker song written by Emory Gordy Jr and Patty Loveless herself, nice and spunky. The album's first single was "That's The Kind of Mood I'm In", another fun upbeat driving in your car kind of song. "Thirsty" is a real standout on the album, a really beautiful devotion and declaration of love, never having enough. Travis Tritt joins her on this ballad. The title track is a beautiful song and unjustly ignored when it was released as a single. "The Key of Love" is another upbeat number, not a fave but not so bad. "She Never Stopped Loving Him" is a traditional ballad at its best, a nice story song. The album closes with "Pieces on the Ground", sort of melancholy yet offering a glipse of hope. Don't miss STRONG HEART, country radio may have not warmed up to it, but you would be missing out if you missed this one!

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