It’s safe to say the Judds – made up of mother Naomi and daughter Wynonna – are one of the most iconic duos in country music. Between 1983 and 1991 they released six studio albums, won five Grammys and nine CMA Awards, and racked up 14 number one singles on the Billboard Hot Country charts as well as being inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame in 2022. Now, to celebrate the pair’s 40th anniversary, a star-studded cast of country artists have come together in a musical tribute to them, partnering with the National Alliance of Mental Illness in honour of Naomi after she passed away last year.
The 13-track collection opens with ‘Girls Night Out’ featuring Reba McEntire, Carly Pearce, Jennifer Nettles and Gabby Barrett. I thought this was a great way to start things off, with all four vocalists getting their moment to shine over the twangy guitar and punchy chords and showcasing the different generations of women in modern country music. The quartet delivered some great harmonies on the chorus in particular and I really liked the playful, cheeky quality they brought to it as well as having great energy throughout the song.
One thing which I noticed about this project was how well the vocalists and songs have been paired. Whether that’s Gwen Stefani and Blake Shelton putting a funky, sultry spin on ‘Love Is Alive’ that’s reminiscent of her early No Doubt days, the funk-meets-gospel of Barnett, Lynne and West’s charming version of ‘I Know Where I’m Going’ (plus added harmonica) or LeAnn Rimes’ soulful, bluesy barroom take on the defiant ‘Have Mercy’, it feels like there’s been a lot of thought that’s gone into who’s taking which song, allowing the artists to remain true to the spirit of the music whilst also incorporating it in their own way. I felt Megan Moroney’s performance of ‘Why Not Me’ was a great example of this, emphasising the sweetness of her vocal and yearning quality over the bright melody and executing the number well despite its deceptively simple sound. There’s also a notable 1950s-style influence throughout, with Ashley McBryde (who recently toured alongside Wynonna Judd herself) and Shelley Fairchild showing off their vocal chops as they belt out the lively ‘Rockin’ With The Rhythm Of The Rain’ and Wendy Moten and O.N.E. The Duo channelling a girl group doo-wop feel – along with a huge opening note! – on the stripped-back yet swinging ‘Had A Dream (For The Heart)’.
Several of my favourite tracks came early on in the album, with Lainey Wilson and Dolly Parton’s rendition of ‘Mama He’s Crazy’ providing a soft, mellow moment. I loved the richness in Lainey’s voice and the emotion she poured into the song, particularly on the big chorus, and her vocals married so perfectly with Dolly’s warm tones – it felt like it could have been lifted straight from a collection of Parton’s classic 80s duets. Meanwhile, ‘Grandpa (Tell Me ‘Bout The Good Old Days’ was a warming glass of whiskey in a song, with a lovely nostalgic feel and a beautiful depth and smoothness in Cody Johnson’s vocals and soaring harmonies with Sonya Isaacs, and ‘Young Love (Strong Love)’ struck a good balance between the softness and maturity in Ella Langley’s vocal before the transition into Jamey Johnson’s more gravelly sound. It’s one of the more interesting approaches to the duets on this project and I like how it emphasises the contrast between their voices.
That said, there’s also plenty to like later on, including Carl Perkins and the Mavericks’ Raul Malo taking on ‘Let Me Tell You About Love’ with its shuffling, driving rhythm and lush vocal quality from the two of them, as well as the rattling ‘John Deere Tractor’ which is full of vivid imagery and details of a child writing home to their family and reminiscing about home (big shout out to Molly Tuttle here whose voice has such a gorgeous delicate, fragile feel about it that really captures the emotion of the song).
However, one song which really stood out to me was Wynonna Judd herself appearing alongside Trisha Yearwood on ‘Cry Myself To Sleep’. It’s got a much darker feel than a lot of the other tracks, with a spoken word intro and a swampy feel that highlights the rawness in Wynonna’s voice in particular. There’s a bite to her and Trisha’s delivery which really adds to the drama and the underlying anger in the lyrics about a cheating lover, and I was absolutely wowed by the belt she delivered in the chorus too. You can tell these songs have a huge amount of meaning to her and the emotional impact was absolutely incredible.
The album closes with ‘Love Can Build A Bridge’, featuring Jelly Roll, K. Michelle and The Fisk Jubilee Singers. Jelly Roll may not seem like an obvious choice for a project like this, but the switch from his growling, gravelly tones to the more soulful sound of his huge voice works perfectly for this track. It adds an almost dreamlike quality to it and helping to create a wall of sound alongside the gospel harmonies of The Fisk Jubilee Singers and some amazing vocal runs from K. Michelle too, before dropping away at the end. It’s such an uplifting note to finish on and felt like the ideal way to conclude this project to me.
Overall ‘A Tribute To The Judds’ is a great introduction to the duo’s music for those who may not know them whilst also showing just how well-loved and respected they are within the country music community. You can feel in every one of these songs how much of an impact they’ve had on the artists performing them and it’s a real testament to the enduring power of great songs. It feels like a really fitting homage to two legends of the country genre and hopefully will allow even more new fans to discover them – and maybe some of these tracks will pop up in the artists’ own shows too (I’m crossing everything we get a live version of ‘Mama He’s Crazy’ at some point!).
Track listing: 1. Girls Night Out – Reba McEntire, Carly Pearce, Jennifer Nettles, Gabby Barrett 2. Mama He’s Crazy – Lainey Wilson and Dolly Parton 3. Why Not Me – Megan Moroney 4. Grandpa (Tell Me ‘Bout The Good Old Days) [feat. Sonya Isaacs] – Cody Johnson 5. Rockin’ With The Rhythm Of The Rain – Ashley McBryde and Shelly Fairchild 6. Young Love (Strong Love) – Ella Langley and Jamey Johnson 7. Have Mercy – LeAnn Rimes 8. Love Is Alive – Gwen Stefani and Blake Shelton 9. Had A Dream (For The Heart) – Wendy Moten and O.N.E The Duo 10. I Know Where I’m Going – Barnett, Lynne & West 11. Let Me Tell You About Love – Carl Perkins and Raul Malo 12. John Deere Tractor – Rob Ickes & Trey Hensley and Molly Tuttle 13. Cry Myself To Sleep – Wynonna Judd and Trisha Yearwood 14. Love Can Build A Bridge – Jelly Roll, K. Michelle, and The Fisk Jubilee Singers Record label: BMG Release date: 27th October 2023
