Country legend Reba McEntire has released a 14-track, stripped-back album of her iconic hits including, of course, ‘Fancy’. Produced by GRAMMY-award winning producer Dave Cobb, these ’80s and ’90s classics feature a lot more fiddle and steel guitar behind Reba’s traditional powerhouse vocals.
It is the main holiday season for retailers, with Thanksgiving and Christmas around the corner, and fans of the legend can also order a limited edition ‘Not That Fancy’ box set, which also includes the album, an apron and Reba-branded stationery to go with a book entitled ‘Not That Fancy: Simple Lessons on Living, Loving, Eating and Dusting Off Your Boots’; the title of that tome seems anything but simple.
As well as recognisable Reba songs, like ‘The Fear of Being Alone’, ‘I’m A Survivor’ and ‘The Night The Lights Went Out In Georgia’, Reba’s two legendary duets appear. ‘If You See Him, If You See Her’ features Brooks & Dunn and Dolly Parton joins Reba, again, on ‘Does He Love You’ in place of Linda Davis, who featured on the original version.
And this is my issue with ‘Not That Fancy’ (the album) in that we had a similar version during the pandemic year of 2021, with three albums in one box set, ‘Revived, Remixed and Revisited’. The latter album also featured similarly-produced tracks to this one, so there’s very little to distinguish them, apart from one original song on ‘Not That Fancy’, ‘Seven Minutes in Heaven’ which is a lovely ballad about what you could do if you had seven minutes at the pearly gates. The other two albums are very different, too, and well worth a listen.
I much preferred Reba’s 2019 album, ‘Stronger Than The Truth’, with 12 tracks written by talented songwriters that we know of in the 21st Century, such as Brandy Clark, Hillary Lindsey and Erin Enderlin. Reba’s superpower, as well as those vocals, is her gregarious, enthusiastic personality and star status. I would love to hear Reba’s vocals showcase more contemporary stories from the wealth of songwriters, including those trying-to-make-it-from-the-truck storytellers. That would be a legacy. And with Reba appearing as a coach on Seasons 24 and 25 of NBC’s ‘The Voice’, the path is certainly clear for that kind of take on Country music.
On ‘Not That Fancy’, I do appreciate that the lyrics of murder ballad of ‘The Nights The Light Went Out In Georgia’ are clearer; it is a complicated, twisting story made all the more powerful in this non-production production.
Any hardcore Reba fans will likely buy ‘Not That Fancy’, particularly the box set with all the home-based goodies and there is certainly some original merch available with this album. The book promises to share “funny, poignant and deeply personal stories, photos, lifestyle tips and recipes from Reba”.
Track Listing: 1. The Fear of Being Alone 2. Consider me Gone 3. Somebody Should Leave 4. How Blue 5. If You See Him, If You See Her (with Brooks & Dunn) 6. Till You Love Me 7. Seven Minutes in Heaven 8. The Night The Lights Went Out In Georgia 9. Does He Love You (with Dolly Parton) 10. One Promise Too late 11. The Last One To Know 12. New Fool At An Old Game 13. I’m A Survivor 14. Fancy Record label: Release date: 6th October Buy ‘Not That Fancy’ now
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