Reviews of
This Time:

Colleen Shanley's "This Time" is like a box of chocolates, you never know what you're gonna get. What can I say? I love that line from the movie "Forrest Gump." This CD truly is box of tasty delights. Colleen ranges from country rock, blues, and nightclub jazz sounds on this solid recording. No, this not a country album, I just wouldn't have the ear nor the stomach for the slick pop country sounds of Garth Brooks or Shania Twain thank you very much. This is a very good production with stellar musicianship highlighted by versatile and flexible vocals. This girl makes it through thick and thin of every groove her top-notch band lays down. At times I was reminded of the legendary Ms. Peggy Lee. Her voice made me think of Ms. Lee several times. There is just something about the way she delivers a song, particularly the jazz inflected tunes like "Who Will Be Your Next Fool" and "Night Life." The rockin' bouncy pop of "Calling Dr. Jekyll" offers up some infectious country-rock-pop that will set your toes to tappin' and your heart pumpin. "Better Of With Blues" is an excellent venture into some emotionally drenched blues. I would like to hear more of that; Shanley is a natural blues singer if I ever heard one. The multitude of instruments that pushes her along allows the singer to go wherever her heart desires. There are Dobros, pedal and lap steels, mandolins, fiddles, saxophones - by God its regular hootenanny going on here! So saddle up, move em' out, and get ready for a fun ride with Colleen Shanley and her crackerjack band.

Colleen Shanley's latest CD is one that really shows up the wide range of style that she's capable of handling. From country to a touch of jazz, she and her backing musicians, including her husband, Casey O'Neal, can deliver the goods. This Time begins with "Endless Circle," a very radio-friendly tune that should play well in Nashville, or at least on country stations. A sprightly beat is offset by a Dobro in the background while the steel guitar takes front and center for the solo. Colleen sings the lyrics with strong conviction, about how this relationship is just a mess that won't end. It just keeps going around and around like a circle. It has a very catchy melody, which finds you humming right along.

"Better Off With the Blues," composed by a trio of songwriters (Delbert McClinton, D. Fritts, and Gary Nicholson) is also a song that carries a lot of certainty in it. This affair is so bad that the blues seem a picnic compared to it. Sung tongue in cheek by Colleen, she imparts a bluesy swagger that carries a ring of truth. Backed again by the Dobro (a great instrument that really should be on more albums), the song shows that sometimes the blues are not quite as bad as some other feelings.

"I'll Be Gone" is another tune sung with panache and verve. Western swing in nature, it moves and groves with a rousing fiddle to a two-step along with the obligatory steel guitar. This cut is a lot of fun to listen to and dance as well.

"Who Will Your Next Fool Be," written by Charlie Rich, showcases the powerful sax played by Ron Holloway. The saxophone punctuates the ballad of love lost and the feeling that you've been taken for a ride. Accompanied by a jazzy piano and mournful steel, the tune has a nice sultry feel to it.

Lastly, "This Time" again has "Hit" all over it. An uptempo country ditty, the riff is one that can't be removed from your brain, no matter how hard you try! The melody is very memorable and seems tailor made for the CMAs!

There's a lot of terrific musicians who contributed to the CD, and all of them provide very sympathetic backup to Colleen's vocals. She conveys a lot of empathy and captures what the songs are about through her singing. This time around is a good time to hear Colleen Shanley.

Reviews of
Let's Go For The Ride:

Bob Clay of the Country Plus Magazine says,

"A simple duet arrangement on "Blue Into Gold" is a highlight with Colleen's smolderin' vocals and Casey's extremely bluesy Dobro accompaniment"

AND:

"Colleen has assembled a pleasing potpourri that is worth the ride."

Mike Joyce of the Washington Post says,

"....no question that she has a flair delivering songs that smoothly blend country, swing and blues traditions."

AND:

".....tunes begin to insinuate themselves and invite repeat listenings."

Alan J. Phillips of Music Monthly says,

"It's nice to hear a voice like Colleen Shanley's, for it is a voice that is home in every setting presented......"

And......

"No surprise, then, that I thoroughly enjoyed her album from beginning to end."

The Journal's Lou King - Aug. 6, 1999

"Shanley's gift is honesty, both in her arrangements and in her singing. While other would-be divas might want to doll up their voices or try all their tricks at once, she's content to sing whatever a particular song calls for. She's appropriately throaty and growling on the album's rocking title cut, but sounds tender and hurt on the sorrowful "Blue Into Gold"

And......

"O'Neal's mellifluous contributions, which also include Dobro and lap steel, are the perfect understated counterpoint to Shanley's earthy style"

Contact Colleen & Casey at caseyoneal@aol.com
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