Twisted Angel (CD - 2002)

Personnel includes: LeeAnn Rimes (vocals); David Campbell (arranger, conductor); Peter Amato, Gregg Pagani (arranger, keyboards, programming); Eric Jackson (acoustic & electric guitars); Corky James (guitar, bass); Gary Leach, Michael Thompson, Michael Landau (guitar); Joel Derouin, Charlie Bisharat, John Wittenberg, Michelle Richards, Peter Kent, Sid Page, Sara Parkins, Susan Chatman (violin); Denyse Buffman, Matt Funes (viola); Larry Corbett, Steve Richards, Rudy Stein, Dan Smith (cello); Stephanie Bennett (harp); Jon Clarke (alto flute, oboe); Joe Meyer (French horn); Abe Laboriel, Leland Sklar (bass); Steve Ferrone, Abe Laboriel, Jr., Vinnie Colaiuta (drums); Brad Dutz (timpani); Luis Conte (percussion); DJ Mega Man (vinyl scratches).

Producers: Desmond Child, Peter Amato, Gregg Pagani.

Personnel: LeAnn Rimes (vocals, background vocals); Gyan Evans, Andreas Carlsson, Nora Payne, Sue Ann Carwell, Jeanette Olsson (vocals, background vocals); Eric D. Jackson (guitar, acoustic guitar); Corky James, Gary Leach, Michael Hart Thompson , Michael Landau, Robbie Nevil (guitar); Stephanie Bennett (harp); Kazi Pitelka, Simon Oswell, Darrin McCann (violin, viola); John Wittenberg, Anatoly Rosinsky, Rudy Stein, Ana Landauer, Gerry Hilera, Edmund Stein, Bob Peterson, Eve Butler, Charles Everett, Joel Derouin, Sid Page, Peter Kent, Patrick Kiernan, Sara Parkins, Margaret Wooten, Gavyn Wright, Michele Richards, Susan Chatman, Berj Garabedian, Charlie Bisharat (violin); Matt Funes, Philip Dukes, Denyse Buffum (viola); Tony Pleeth (cello); David Campbell (strings, French horn, timpani); Jon Clarke (alto flute, oboe); Joe Meyer (French horn); Peter Cobbin (piano, programming); Michael Norfleet (piano); Greg Pagani, Pete Amato (keyboards, programming); Jonathan Schwartz, Zev Katz (acoustic bass); Abe Laboriel, Jr., Steve Ferrone, Vinnie Colaiuta (drums); Brad Dutz (timpani); Luis Conte (percussion).

Audio Mixers: Chris Clark; Michelle Lynn Forbes; Manny Marroquin; Pete Novak; Peter Cobbin; Rob Chiarelli.

Recording information: 1023 Productions, Hollywood, CA; 123 Productions, Hollywood, CA; Capitol Studios, Hollywood, CA; Cello Studios, Hollywood, CA; Conway Studios, Hollywood, CA; EMI Abbey Road Studios, London, England; Goodnight LA, Van Nuys, CA; Henson Recording Studios, Hollywood, CA; Larrabee East, Los Angeles, CA; Sound Image, Van Nuys, CA; The Enterprise, Burbank, CA; The Gentlemen's Club, Miami Beach, FL; West Lake Audio, Los Angeles, CA.

Photographers: Dah Len; Ellen Von Unwerth.

Arrangers: David Campbell ; Greg Pagani; Pete Amato.

TWISTED ANGEL shows just how far the newly adult vocalist has come from her teenage-prodigy beginnings. For one thing, she seems determined to leave her country roots far behind. Though she started down the pop route as early as 1997's YOU LIGHT UP MY LIFE, TWISTED ANGEL is completely devoid of any country inflection whatsoever, focusing instead (as have a couple of Rimes's previous efforts, to varying degrees) on modern, often even danceable, pop. Rimes may be closer to Britney Spears than to Kitty Wells these days, but she seems to be expressing more of her inner self. It's surely no coincidence that three of the four songs on which she gets co-writing credit utilize the imagery of the angel with dirty wings, the child star with tears behind the smile. Lyrically, Rimes is clearly exploring the conflicts and contradictions that her childhood fame brought her, which may or may not take her higher up the pop charts, but can only be a positive artistic step for a still-young singer. minimize