CD Reviews
UNSTOPPABLE
This is the Oaks debut release on their new label, RCA Records. The Oak Ridge Boys were with MCA Records for over 13 years, selling millions of records, yielding number one hit after number one hit, and leaving the label at the top of their game. As the Oaks were a hot commodity, you'd think RCA would be happy that they had signed a money making machine like the Oak Ridge Boys, right? Wrong! The Oaks were treated shabbily from the get go, and RCA did not take care of them at all. While this album has it's high points, the Boys were not allowed to record the "cream of the crop" songs they had selected, and subsequently recorded the songs that ended up on this CD.
Being the consummate professionals that they are, they still managed to give their fans a quality product in Unstoppable. The first single, a great song called "Lucky Moon" was a top ten hit for the Boys. While there were other really good songs on this release, the powers that be chose to release "Baby On Board" as the second single. Why this was, I'll never know. This is quite possibly the worst song on the album. Despite the craze of the "Baby On Board" signs in car windows, this song would not be a hit. The lyrics are so corny that it takes away from anything musical going on....and that wasn't much anyway.
Other highlights on this CD include a fantastic number sung by Steve Sanders called "Walkin' After Midnight". It's different than what the Oaks normally do, but it works well and would have been a nice single for the radio. "Your Love Made Me This Way" is a fun upbeat tune sung by Richard Sterban, complete with a horn section behind him. On the fun, swanky side of things is a cool song called "Love This Cat" that features a bass vocal rhythm-line, that despite Steve Sanders fantastic lead performance here, still puts Richard Sterban in the limelight once again. "When It Comes To You" is another great song on this platter.
Regardless of the behind-the-scenes friction that hampered the release of this album, The Oak Ridge Boys still have a record here that they can hang their hat on. This is a bit of a departure from the country style they're known for, but that is really overlooked as they adapt so well to the diverseness of these songs, and let their pure singing talents lead the way.
Outstanding Cuts:
Lucky Moon, Walkin' After Midnight, Love This Cat
Cut Outs: Baby On Board, Our Love Is Here To
Stay
---Edward Wille
This is the first full-length studio album the Oaks released
with RCA Records (after leaving MCA, their label of 13 years), and almost from
the get-go, there were problems. Disagreements between the group and label brass
resulted in nearly every song the Oaks picked being thrown out and the album's
release being pushed back 6 months. Somehow, several of the songs RCA
deemed "unworthy" wound up becoming hits for label mates Alabama and Wynonna!!!
The album DOES have some good moments,
including the number-one hit "Lucky Moon" (featuring Steve Sanders) as well as
"If I Were You" and (if you have the CD and not the cassette or vinyl) "Our Love
Is Here To Stay."
Overall, given the material they were presented with, The Oak
Ridge Boys sang the snot out of each song (no matter how mediocre). I'd say that
RCA is to blame for the problems.
---Kyle Boreing