While I am not a huge fan of Jim Ed Brown, his hits excluded I have to admit he rides the waves quite nicely here. It may be three decades since he was charting, and last recorded with female singing partner Helen Cornelius but the country act, with a little help on selected tracks from The Whites and Vince Gill, plus his sisters Maxine and Bonnie makes a fair fist of it. His sisters recall their days together, when as a trio they enjoyed a bunch of hits as The Browns; best known of which you had million selling single “Three Bells”. Brown’s solo work, like his duet work with Cornelius produced a bunch of hits, the former included “Pop A Top” and “Southern Loving”. Always smartly dressed, Brown fit the slick Nashville image of the day. Not short of talent as he lent on the style of Eddy Arnold a vocalist he still sounds up to a point quite good today. For his voice on a couple of songs, not surprisingly does shows signs of wear.
Heard best on a fine version of the Carl and Pearl Butler golden oldie, gospel country favourite “Don’t Let Me Cross Over” (as both acts pull back the years in style) opening track “When the Sun Says Hello To The Mountain” with his sisters, and to a lesser degree on collaborations with Gill (“Tried And True”) and The Whites (“You Again”). Although he does get to close the record in good form via the humorous “Am I Still Country”.
Maurice Hope