Comments on: Rank a Discography: Patty Loveless

By: Jeremy Dylan

Jeremy Dylan — Mon, 05 Jul 2010 05:08:45 +0000

the fantastic “You Don’t Seem to Miss Me,” a duet that met with a cold reception at radio but was rightly awarded the CMA Vocal Event of the Year prize in 1998.
This really should have been a hit – one of the best tunes Jim Lauderdale ever wrote. Maybe someone should cut a new version.

By: Jim

Jim — Thu, 10 Sep 2009 14:10:33 +0000

That is a great list. The top 5 are in my regular rotation. I believe that DMD is a little disconnected. For instance “Big Chance” was a little out of place. Not that I am not happy it is on it. It is better suited for Mountain Soul II. I love all of the records I have of hers. The nine albums I have are your top eight plus Up Against My Heart. I too think that one is a little underrated. However, trying to rank her records is like trying to rank your children. I love them all for different reasons.

By: J.R. Journey

J.R. Journey — Sun, 30 Aug 2009 16:19:24 +0000

My favorite Patty Loveless album overall is probably The Trouble With The Truth, but I've been playing Long Stretch of Lonesome a lot more lately. I may have even said When Fallen Angels Fly last week. It's hard for me to pick a favorite among those three, since they're decidedly different, and one or the other is my pet Patty project, depending on the mood I'm in. I definitely agree her 90s work is peerless, to virtually every other 90s female act - with a few exceptions for Reba and Trisha Yearwood. I'd say Patty was the most consistent of the three though.

By: Chris D.

Chris D. — Sun, 30 Aug 2009 07:37:35 +0000

I agree with #9 on, but in my book Trouble With The Truth needs to be moved up a few places- it’s my favorite Patty album for sure. When Fallen Angels Fly is in my top 4 as well- but it’s so hard to pick with Patty’s albums.

By: Blake Boldt

Blake Boldt — Sat, 29 Aug 2009 18:38:17 +0000

@Steve: I omitted the Christmas album from this feature simply because it would be difficult to compare (or contrast) with her studio albums. I like Dreaming my Dreams, but I felt the album was missing that common thread which bound her other stellar albums.

@J.R.: Do you have an absolute top favorite album? I think Patty’s ’90s work was about the best in the business, and it was very difficult to choose among them or place them below 1-3.

@Razor X: Any favorites from Up Against My Heart? It was really hard to do the ranking, but that album just didn’t stick with me as some of the higher ones did. I enjoyed the two singles and “God Will,” though. Strong Heart suffers from that opening track, probably the worst thing I’ve heard Loveless record, but there are some truly special cuts, though I can understand this not being a favorite compared to the rest. Again—there’s not a really bad album in the bunch.

By: Occasional Hope

Occasional Hope — Sat, 29 Aug 2009 14:40:08 +0000

I’d put Sleepless Nights at the very top, and Strong Heart at the bottom.

By: Steve from Boston

Steve from Boston — Sat, 29 Aug 2009 00:05:14 +0000

Great stuff Blake, excellent ranking and write ups..

I think the top of our lists would be very similar, but my top 10 would have been something along the lines of this, with DMD solidly in the top 5.

-1) Mountain Soul
-2) Sleepless Nights
-3) On Your Way Home
-4)Dreamin’ My Dreams
-5)Blue Grass and White Snow ( it is an exquisite Christmas album and it has also served me well as a transitional MS II to tide me over until we get the real thing later this month, (;
-6) Honky Tonk Angel
-7) Only What I Feel
-9) The Trouble With The Truth
-!0) With all of her other fine albums being tied for 10th in excellence with the incredible ” When Fallen Angels Fly”

I actually really like Strong Heart as well, even though most if it is not my favorite style from Patty, she just does even the Country Pop stuff so well, with a healthy dose of Rock and Blues thrown in. She transcends contemporary forms and lays down a template that today’s stars would do well to follow. And I think “Thirsty” and” My Heart will Never Break this Way Again” rank as some of Patty’s finest vocal performances ever…

But I love her Mountain stuff the best, and her “hard-core Country” …Just can’t go wrong with Patty, no matter what..

Oh, nice touch with the visual aids, (;

I cannot wait for Mountain Soul II, !!

By: Tad Cook

Tad Cook — Fri, 28 Aug 2009 22:31:02 +0000

Mountain Soul might be my favorite, and now 8 years later, Mountain Soul II will ship in a month:

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B002K0UNXC/

After listening to the brief samples, Mountain Soul II looks like another winner for Patty.

By: Razor X

Razor X — Fri, 28 Aug 2009 17:24:10 +0000

Up Against My Heart is a very underrated album that I would have ranked a bit higher, and I would have put Strong Heart dead last, but other than that I'm in agreement with everything you wrote. NIce job.

By: J.R. Journey

J.R. Journey — Fri, 28 Aug 2009 15:49:01 +0000

My list would look a little different – I tend to prefer her mainstream albums to the ‘mountain music’ stuff she’s been recording lately. Not that I don’t appreciate those records for brilliant artistic statements they are, they just don’t fit my tastes as well as albums like The Trouble With The Truth or Long Stretch of Lonesome.

I really enjoyed reading these summaries – especially for the four Loveless albums I don’t have.