Essentially, LeAnn Rimes is a covers album, with one new song ("Big Deal") tacked onto the end, which makes it a return to her roots — which, in turn, means that it's sort of a salute to her main influence, Patsy Cline. Rimes tackles no less than five songs from Cline's 12 Greatest Hits, plus "Lovesick Blues," which Cline also recorded. It's a tricky situation for a singer pegged as a Cline soundalike with her first hit single, "Blue." If those comparisons bother Rimes, it's impossible to tell from her performance, since she sings these six songs exactly like Cline does. As it turns out, imitation is a crutch Rimes uses quite often, since she mimics Janis Joplin on "Me and Bobby McGee" and pretty much uses Marty Robbins as a guide vocal on "Don't Worry." Since she has a good voice and these are, by and large, great songs, it's hard to complain — given the best set of songs of her career, she delivers good, professional performances, stumbling only on "Me and Bobby McGee" with Joplin-like histrionics. So, LeAnn Rimes winds up being one of her better efforts, even if her vocals are fairly mannered and the arrangements are fairly predictable. But the most curious thing about this covers album is that Rimes turns in her best performance on the lone new track. She sounds loose, confident and exciting on "Big Deal," and even more importantly, she never sounds like one of her idols — she sounds like herself. And since it comes at the end of the record, you can't help but wish she'd recorded an album of new, pure country songs as good as "Big Deal" instead of a collection of covers, no matter how well she sang those covers.

LeANN RIMES

(Curb D2-77947)

October 26/1999
Produced by Wilbur C. Rimes

Marty Walsh, B. James Lowry, Jerry Metheny - guitar
Milo Deering - steel/fiddle
Junior Knight - steel
Mike Brignardello, Curtis Randall - bass
Paul Leim, Fred Glieber - drums/percussion
Randy Fouts, Kelly Glenn, Austin Deptula, Gary Leach - piano/organ/keyboards
Charlie Barnett, Carl Albrecht - percussion
Darrell Holt - vibraphone
Strings:
Robert Mason, David Angell, Grace Bahng, David Davidson, Carl Gorodetzky, Lee Harrison,
Anthony LaMarchina, Kathryn Plummer, Pamela Sixfin, Julia Tanner, Alan Umstead, Catherine Umstead,
Gary Vanosdale, Mary Kathryn Vanosdale, Richard Grosjean, Carole Neuen-Rabinowitz, Karen Winkelmann,
Clara Olson, Gerald Greer, Elisabeth K. Small, Connie Ellison
Vocals:
Debi Lee, Rita Baloche, Matthew Ward, David Pruitt, Perry Coleman,
Annagrey LaBasse, John Sharp, Chris Wann, Denise Baker

1.
CRAZY
(Willie Nelson)
« © '61 Tree Publishing, BMI »

Crazy I'm crazy for feeling so lonely
I'm crazy crazy for feeling so blue
I knew you'd love me as long as you wanted
And then some day you'd leave me for somebody new

Worry why do I let myself worry
Wondering what in the world did I do
I'm crazy for thinking that my love could hold you
I'm crazy for trying and crazy for crying
And I'm crazy for loving you

I'm crazy for thinking that my love could hold you
I'm crazy for trying and crazy for crying
And I'm crazy for loving you
**********
2.
DON'T WORRY BOUT ME
(Marty Robbins)
« © '56 Mariposa Music, BMI / Unichappell Music, BMI »

Don't worry bout me it's all over now
Though I may be blue I'll manage somehow
Love can't be explained it can't be controled
One day it's warm the next day it's cold

Don't pity me cause I'm feeling blue
Don't be ashamed it might happen to you
Oh oh oh oh oh love kiss me one time then go love
I'll understand don't worry bout me
[ guitar ]
Sweet sweet sweet love I want you to be
As happy as I when you love me
I'll never forget you your sweet memory
It's all over now don't worry bout me

When one heart tells one heart one heart goodbye
One heart is free and one heart will cry
Oh oh oh oh oh sweet sweet baby sweet baby sweet
It's all right don't worry bout me
**********
3.
LEAVIN' ON YOUR MIND
(Wayne P. Walker - Webb Pierce)
« © '62 Cedarwood Publishing, BMI / Songs Of PolyGram, BMI »

If you've got leavin' on your mind tell me now get it over
Hurt me now get it over if you've got leavin' on your mind

If there's a new love in your heart tell me now get it over
Hurt me now get it over if there's a new love in your heart

Don't leave me here in a world filled with dreams that might have been
Hurt me now get it over I may learn to love again

If there's a new love in your heart...
Hurt me now get it over if there's a new love in your heart
**********
4.
FADED LOVE
(Bob Wills - John Wills)
« © '51 Anne Rachel Music, ASCAP »

As I look at the letters that you wrote to me
It's you that I am thinking of
As I read the lines that to me were so dear
I remember our faded love

I miss you darling more and more every day
As heaven would miss the stars above
With every heartbeat I still think of you
And remember our faded love

As I think of the past and all the pleasures we've had
As I watch the mating of the dove
It was in the springtime when you said goodbye
I remember our faded love

I miss you darling more and more every day...
And remember our faded love
**********
5.
BORN TO LOSE
(Frankie Brown)
« © '43 Peer International, BMI »

Born to lose I've lived my life in vain
Every dream I dreamed has only brought me pain
All my life I've always been so blue
Born to lose and now I'm losing you

Born to lose it seems so hard to bear
How I long to always have you near
You've grown tired and now you say we're through
Born to lose and now I'm losing you
[ strings ]
Born to lose I've lived my life in vain...
Born to lose and now I'm losing you
**********
6.
CRYING TIME
(Buck Owens)
« © '64 Tree Publishing, BMI »

Oh it's crying time again you're gonna leave me
I can see that faraway look in your eyes
I can tell by the way you hold me darling
That it won't be long before it's crying time

Now they say that absence makes the heart grow fonder
And that tears are only rain to make love grow
For my love for you could never grow no stronger
If I live to be a hundred years old

Oh it's crying time again you're gonna leave me...
[ piano ]
Now you say you found someone that you love better
That's the way it's happened every time before
And as sure as sun comes up tomorrow
Crying time will start when you walk out the door

Oh it's crying time again you're gonna leave me...
It won't be long before it's crying time
**********
7.
SHE'S GOT YOU
(Hank Cochran)
« © '61 Tree Publishing, BMI »

I've got your picture that you gave to me
And it's signed With Love just like it used to be
The only thing different the only thing new
I've got your picture she's got you

I've got the records that we used to share
And they still sound the same as when you were here
The only thing different the only thing new
I've got the records she's got you

I've got your memory or has it got me
I really don't know but I know it won't let me be

I've got your class ring that proved you'd care
And it still looks the same as when you gave it dear
The only thing different the only thing new
I've got these little things she's got you

I've got your memory or has it got me
I really don't know but I know it won't let me be

I've got your class ring that proved you'd care...
I've got these little things she's got you
**********
8.
I FALL TO PIECES
(Harlan Howard - Hank Cochran)
« © '60 Tree Publishing, BMI »

I fall to pieces each time I see you again
I fall to pieces how can I be just your friend

You want me to act like we've never kissed
You want me to forget pretend we've never met
And I've tried and I've tried but I haven't yet
You walk by and I fall to pieces
[ steel ]
I fall to pieces each time someone speaks your name
I fall to pieces time only adds to the flame

You tell me to find someone else to love
Someone who'll love me too the way you used to do
But each time I go out with someone new
You walk by and I fall to pieces
You walk by and I fall to pieces
**********
9.
YOUR CHEATIN' HEART
(Hank Williams)
« © '52 Acuff-Rose Music, BMI »

Your cheatin' heart will make you weep
You'll cry and cry and try to sleep
But sleep won't come the whole night through
Your cheatin' heart will tell on you

When tears come down like fallin' rain
You'll toss around and call my name
You'll walk the floor the way I do
Your cheatin' heart will tell on you
[ guitar ]
Your cheatin' heart will pine someday
And crave the love you threw away
The time will come when you'll be blue
Your cheatin' heart will tell on you

When tears come down like fallin' rain...
Your cheatin' heart is gonna tell on you
**********
10.
LOVESICK BLUES
(Irving Mills - Cliff Friend)
« © '49 Mills Music, ASCAP »

I got a feelin' called the blues oh Lord since my baby's said goodbye
I don't know what I'll do all I do is sit and sigh oh Lord
The last long day he said goodbye well Lord I thought I would cry
He'll do me he'll do you he's got that kinda lovin'
Lord I love to hear him when he calls me sweet baby
Such a beautiful dream I hate to think it all over
I've lost my heart it seems
But I've grown so used to that man somehow Lord I'm nobody's sugar baby now
And I got lonesome I got the lovesick blues

Well I'm in love I'm in love with a wonderful guy that's what's the matter with me
Well I'm in love I'm in love with a wonderful guy but he don't care about me
Lord I tried and tried to keep him satisfied but he just wouldn't stay
So now that he is leavin' this is all that I can say

I got a feelin' called the blues oh Lord...
Yeah I got lonesome I got the lovesick blues
**********
11.
ME AND BOBBY McGEE
(Kris Kristofferson - Fred Foster)
« © '69 Combine Music, BMI »

Busted flat in Baton Rouge waitin' for train
I was feelin' nearly faded as my jeans
Bobby thumbed a diesel down just before it rained
To rode us all the way to New Orleans
Well I pulled my ol' har'poon out of my dirty red bandana
I's playin' sad while Bobby sang the blues
With the windshield whipers slappin' time
I's holdin' Bobby's hands in mine
We sang every song that driver knew

Freedom's just another word for nothin' left to lose
And nothin' and nothin' honey it ain't free
Yeah feeling good was easy Lord when we sang the blues
And no feein' it was good enough for me
Good enough for me and my Bobby McGee

From the Kentucky coal mines to the California sun
Bobby shared the secrets of my soul
Through all kinds of weather through everything I always done
Bobby baby you kept me from the cold
Then one day near Salinas Lord I let him slip away
He's a lookin' for the home I hope he'll find
And I'd trade all of my tomorrows for a single yesterday
To be holdin' Bobby's body next to mine

Freedom's just another word for nothin' left to lose...
La la la la la...
**********
12.
BIG DEAL
(Al Anderson - Jeffrey Steele)
« © '98 Al Andersongs, BMI / Mighty Nice Music, BMI /
My Life's Work Music, BMI / Songs Of Windswept Pacific, BMI / Yellow Desert Music, BMI »


Well he used to be mine not so very long ago
I ways crazy to ever let him get away
Girl you should have known better than to go braggin' in my face
So forgive me for what I'm bout to say

Big deal so what who cares you just got lucky that's all
It was shut up don't want to hear another word about
Candlelight and long stem roses and how you're fallin' head over heels
In love so what big deal

He's perfect I heard ya the first ten times that you told me
Yeah yeah it's amazing it's lovely I can't believe I let him go
I regret it there I said it
You call yourself a friend but you just keep rubin' it in

Big deal so what who cares...
[ guitar - steel ]
Congratulations I'm just so happy for you I can't contain the way I feel
Big deal so what who cares...
In love so what big deal big deal
**********

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Le Ann Rimes Discography