Aces (CD - 1991)

Personnel: Suzy Bogguss (vocals); David Campbell (conductor); Gerald Alan Boyd (acoustic guitar, background vocals); Brent Rowan (guitar); Tommy Spurlock, Paul Franklin (steel guitar); Richard Bennett (tiple, guitar); Danny Parks (fiddle); Mark O'Connor, Sam Bush (mandolin); Kirk "Jellroll" Johnson (harmonica); Joey Miskulin (accordion); Matt Rollings (piano); Johnny Neel (Wurlitzer piano, keyboards); John Jarvis (keyboards); Leland Sklar (bass); Eddie Bayers (drums); Tom Roady (percussion); The Gay Caballeros (hand claps); Vince Gill, Beth Nielsen Chapman, Harry Stinson, Karen Staley, Rick Yord, Victoria Shaw, Jana Stanfield (background vocals).

Recorded at Emerald Sound Studio, Nashville, Tennessee.

Personnel: Suzy Bogguss (vocals, background vocals); Brent Rowan (acoustic guitar, electric guitar); Gerald Boyd (acoustic guitar); Paul Franklin, Tommy Spurlock (steel guitar); Mark O'Connor , Sam Bush (mandolin); Danny Parks (fiddle); Jelly Roll Johnson (harmonica); Matt Rollings (piano); Johnny Neel (organ, keyboards); Eddie Bayers (drums); Tom Roady (percussion); Rick Yord, Harry Stinson, Jana Stanfield, Karen Staley, Victoria Shaw, Vince Gill, Beth Nielsen Chapman (background vocals).

Recording information: Emerald Sound Studio.

Arranger: David Campbell .

Employing such A-listers as Vince Gill, Beth Nielsen Chapman, and Mark O'Connor helped make this a strong outing, but Suzy Bogguss' appealing girl-next-door approach, her choice to straddle the fence between contemporary and traditional C&W and her perfectly pitched voice are what helped this album be the catalyst for making her a household name among country music fans. Whether she's handling the parting of mother and daughter in "Letting Go," the sorrowful heartbreak of "Part of Me," or the spunky "Outbound Plane," she expresses such sincerity you never doubt an emotion. Additionally, not many mainstream artists have the nerve to take on a subject that doesn't involve boy-girl love. But Bogguss' choice in the compelling title track shows just how savvy she is. Concerning envy of success between friends, Cheryl Wheeler's "Aces" is smart and hits just the right nuances without ever being as cloying or manipulative as many adult contemporary singles are in their need to be touching. Immediately following that emotional twister is the album's second strongest cut, "Someday Soon." A twangy, yearning tune of a girl longing for a boy who loves "his damned old rodeo" as much as he loves her, Bogguss elicits youthful hope that hasn't leaned toward jaded frustration quite yet. Not many singers can make riding the rodeo sound like the most romantic thing in the world, but that's what makes Bogguss an artist and not just a vocalist. ~ Bryan Buss minimize