
Rodney s most commercial album - Rodney has achieved considerable success as a musician, songwriter and record producer but his determination to do things his way has resulted in a patchy career as a performer - not because any of his albums are anything but brilliant, but because they rarely appeal to mainstream fans. Nevertheless, Rodney showed via this album that he could appeal to the masses. It was by far his most commercially successful album, yielding five number one hits on the American country charts.The big hits were Above and beyond (a cover of an old Harlan Howard song that originally provided Buck Owens with a major country hit), It s such a small world (a duet with then-wife Rosanne Cash), I couldn t leave you if I tried, She s crazy for leaving and the Grammy-winning song, After all this time. The opening track, Crazy baby, is an upbeat rocking song featuring nifty piano playing by Barry Beckett but I wonder what the track might have sounded like with Jerry Lee Lewis or Marcia Ball on piano. Barry is good but not in their class. Of the other tracks, I particularly like I know you re married and I never knew I could lose you. Brand new rag and Last waltz, also excellent original songs, completed the original album. This re-mastered edition features three bonus demo tracks recorded at around the same time.This is undoubtedly a classic album. Whether it is Rodney s best work depends on your perspective. Nevertheless, this remains by far Rodney s most popular album and serves as a great introduction to Rodney s music.