Tift Merritt Tamborine

OK, I just checked -- the great track on the unreleased version of *Love Shelby* is "Star Broker," a rocking sort of "Star Star/Star Fucker" update about the record industry, and just about the only time since her comeback that she hasn't sounded way too reserved and held-back and careful for my tastes; i.e., just about the only time she really sounded like she was letting loose like her drunken crazy rep suggests she should (and like I'd prefer her to do even if she didn't have such a rep). A good collection of her pre-comeback-hype years is *Epic Recordings,* which I'd probably take over any of her last three albums. *Identity Crisis* is the album that completely put me to sleep. And I'm pretty sure the early '90s video hit I'm referring to is "Feeling Kind of Lonely Tonight," which I believed involved riverboats rolling on the river and mint juleps and such.

(well, actually, even saying that Shelby really let loose on "star broker" is probably a gross exagerration, to be honest. but at least she *hints* at wanting to let loose in that one. which is a start.)

(and, as soul-blues c&w divas go, terri gibbs's best early '80s stuff -- "somebody's knockin'," "ashes to ashes" -- was even better than anything k.t. or lacy jay or joe dee ever did, by the way.)