Pop Go The Country Women

When Country women stray from their roots they get lost. On her first album in 3 years, Lee Ann Womack is strong with the traditional stuff on Call Me Crazy. Womack has never been a chart monster. But her albums are usually worth a listen. But when she tries to Pop her records, it's painful. But Womack is but a handful of women who started their careers with traditional ideas, only to get sucked up by record company folks telling them to cross over, and in return put out the worst music of their career.
I'm thinking of Patty Loveless, Martina McBride, Sara Evans, Lorrie Morgan, Trisha Yearwood and the mother of them all Dolly Parton. The lure to keep up with the new and latest crossover Country cutie has just about derailed most of these women.
Country music execs want hits. That's the price you pay for being signed to a big label. If you want to experiment they say go Indie. Lee Ann Womack is still signed to MCA and her new album is produced by Tony Brown. But at least she has stuck to her guns and given us a decent Country outing. But I wouldn't bet she'll do it again on the followup.