To say that this release is a breath of fresh air after more than a decade of the almost-pristine, saccharine pop fluff that has been passed off as mainstream country music is an understatement. This project, dedicated to Mel Street, is all about cheating, a subject that used to have a home in country & western music. Always controversial, writers like Street put words to an activity that was ignored by polite society. Ignoring adultery did not make it go away; thus the popularity of such tunes. With an all-star lineup of
Rosie Flores,
Dale Watson, guitarist Dave Biller, and many others,
the Wandering Eyes renew country music's love affair with cheatin' songs. Included here are all the background oohs and ahs that gave cheatin' songs a real sense of style, as well as two of Street's biggest hits, "Forbidden Angel," awith lead vocals lovingly done by
Jason Roberts, and
Dale Watson's solid version of "Lovin' On Backstreets." In addition, "It's a Cheatin' Situation," "Hell Yes, I Cheated" and "In Some Room Above the Street" are outstanding highlights of this project. Watson contributes an original tune, "Unspoken Kind" and brings the genre up to snuff. Outstanding performances abound;
Ted Roddy is notable for his work on "Cheatin' Traces," a
LeRoy Martin composition.
Kelly Willis does an updated version of "Me and Mr. Jones," while
Rosie Flores sounds better than she has in years. Produced brilliantly by David Sanger, this is a project that retains all the integrity of the original material while allowing the artists involved to stretch their wings. Solid in every way,
Songs of Forbidden Love lets a little reality seep into country music in a most delightful way. Wherever Mel Street is, he surely must be smiling over this one. ~ Jana Pendragon