Stronger

I don't know why this album didn't receive more coverage but it's brilliant and heartreaking. She looks so much like Mother Maybelle Carter and sounds somewhat like her mother June but she's all Carlene.This album will break your heart with The Bitter End and, especially, Stronger. I haven't heard such a heartwrenching song since Alison Moorer's tribute to her mother in "Is Heaven Good Enough for You" or to both her mother and father (a murder-suicide) in "Cold, Cold Earth."Her song about Howie Epstein, "Judgment Day" is, well, tremendously sad.With all her sorrows, Carlene Carter has managed to rise about them and produce an album of stunning beauty amidst such sadness.A treasure that should be more widely known.

Totally unexpected, I went back and revisited my old Carlene Carter albums via recent CD releases, when I heard Ms. Carter was going to release a new record after more than a decade of silence. I have always loved her I FELL IN LOVE and LITTLE LOVE LETTERS albums, and despite the good reviews of STRONGER, I didn't think Carlene could possbibly beat those, but I took a chance. Boy, am I glad I did. After years in the wilderness and tragic personal losses, this new CD turns out to be anything but morose. It may be a bit darker, but this woman still knows how to rock. You know how most female vocalists, particularly songwriters, front load their albums with a couple of fast tracks and then spend most of their time on the ballads? Carter is the opposite. Her ballads are drop-dead gorgeous, as is "To Change Your Heart," heard here. It made me want to have a good cry, it's so lovely. But most of this album makes me want to dance. As usual, it's the rockers Carlene seems to have the most fun with, especially on "The Bitter End" and an update of her own "I'm So Cool" ... and yet when she relaxes into mid-tempo, like she does on the melodic "Spider Lace," I go into another realm completely. This may be the prettiest song Carter has ever sung. She doesn't stay in this space for long though, and that's why the track stands out and lingers in the memory. It's old-fashioned with a modern sheen; it simply sparkles. Following is a bluesy rocker that could have come from 1982 called "On To You," with its combination of seventies fuzz-guitar and eighties Oingo-Boingo-type beat. "Judgement Day," although a slow one, still has a heavy drum backing. It's my least favorite track on this CD, but others reviewing STRONGER for Amazon find it one of their favorites, so the listener will decide. The pace picks up again for a typical C. C. fast two-step, "Break My Little Heart In Two." Rock, but country, too -- without an annoying, fake twang, and with a kicky beat.The song, "It Takes One To Know One" has all the elements of a great country ballad: a lilting melody, steely guitars and dobros, and completely captivating singing. Carlene has never sounded better. The goose bumps were quick to come on this first listen.The last two songs bring the CD in for a strong close: a medium-paced rocker, "light Of Your Love," followed by the title tune. The lady knows how to save the one that packs an emotional wallop for last. This eulogy for her younger sister is heartbreaking in its beauty, and yes, it still manages to be life-affirming and positive. You know her heart is broken, but she is going to survive. If this one doesn't move you, check your blood pressure.

More uneven than her best work*, but at a budget price, it's worth it to get the highlights such as "The Bitter End", "Spider Lace", "To Change Your Heart" & "Break My Little Heart In Two". (But what the heck was she thinking with "I'm So Cool"?!?)*Of course, her best work set the bar awfully high: "I Fell In Love" and "Little Love Letters" were truly outstanding- perhaps among the finest C&W albums ever!

This is a very nice album. Some of the songs have the feel of her earlier work. Others have that, I'm mellowing with time feel to them. I just hope she doesn't mellow out too far and then do another album with none of her previous rock-a-billy style like the, "I Fell In Love" album. I would have loved to give this album 5 stars but, even though it's a good album, it doesn't rate up there with her previous work in my opinion.

Carlene is back with great new music. Considering the recent losses and other personal trials that Carlene has dealth with I was expecting a album filled with depressing, sad songs and although a couple of songs do reflect her recent trials ("Judgment Day" and "Stronger"), they in no way come off as depressing but rather showcase a determined woman that may have been knocked down but definitely not out.

I've always liked Carlene since I heard, "I Fell in Love", this album is well done but somehow lacks the vivacity of her earlier work. It could also be I haven't listened to it enough. Either way, I like her voice and singing. She can sing rings around pretty much any of the current R&B songtresses.

I have enjoyed this album very much.

Carlene Carter is just a great talent. Great album with some great tunes, the guitar work on this is darn good!

I can't get enough of this CD. Carlene's songwriting is top class, her voice sounds wonderful and the musicians playing with her are so good. I love it. And I really admire Carlene Carter for the honesty and love she has shared with us in these songs. So inspiring to know what she has gone through - and that she has, indeed, come out the other side stronger and still full of love and music.

I can see why another reviewer thought Carlene's voice is past its best but in my opinion it's the production, engineering and mixing of this CD which lets her down badly. All these tasks were entrusted to one man, John McFee, who also plays virtually every instrument on the album and while it's obvious from the liner notes that they share a great mutual admiration it sounds like he was too immersed in this project to bring any critical faculties to bear. Any spontaneity and soul which may have been present in the music to start with has been lost in all the overdubbing and her voice is so far back in the mix that I can only hear about half the words, a situation made worse by the fact that there's no lyric sheet provided with the disc. The sound stage is also very "thin and narrow" making it sound as if the music is coming out of a shoe box even when played on a decent system, just listen to this disc then play any track from her last album to hear what I mean. I can't help thinking that if John McFee had really wanted to do the right thing by Carlene Carter he'd have assembled a crack band and brought in a top notch producer for her to work with, then justice might have been done to her songs, they certainly deserve better than this.

Ich hatte Carlene Carter total aus den Augen verloren, obwohl ich in den 80ern alle ihre Platten mit Begeisterung gehört habe. Zufällig bin ich beim Surfen auf diese CD aus dem Jahre 2008 gestossen und habe sie gleich bestellt. Ich habe es nicht bereut! Immer noch diese tiefe, raue Stimme und die tollen Arrangements, die ohne die übliche Country Süßlichkeit auskommen. Ach ja und eine tolle Songschreiberin ist sie sowieso. Welcome back!

Le dernier album de Carlene Carter date de 1995,(une éternité).Aprés des années de tourments et la perte d'êtres chers en 2003 comme soncompagnon Howie Epstein(bassiste de Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers)de saMére June Carter,de son Beau Pére Johnny Cash et de sa Soeur Rosey CarterAdams,la sérénité et de retour pour Carléne et aprés un mariage en 2006avec Joseph Breen(Comédien),la belle s'est de nouveau mise au travail et nous livre aujourd'hui un album splendide,l'album de la maturité sans nuldoute.Amateurs de Country,Carléne Carter et de retour.Souhaitons simplement que le prochain album ne mette pas 13 ans à nous parvenir.

Not a bad album at all for a return after so many years. Brilliant,I don't think it is, but definitely worth buying if you're a Carlene fan