Love, Prison, Wisdom And Heartaches

What becomes a legend most? If the legend is Connie Smith, its singing hard country music with the grace and authority that made her a star in the 1960s, and at the age of 82 shes issued her 55th album that shows she still has the talent and the voice she possessed in her glory days. 2024s Love, Prison, Wisdom and Heartaches finds Smith paying homage to some of the other legends of the golden age of honky tonk music, interpreting songs originally recorded by the likes of George Jones ("Beneath Still Waters"), Loretta Lynn ("World of Forgotten People"), Merle Haggard ("The Fugitive"), Dottie West ("Country Girl"), the Glaser Brothers ("If You Won’t Tell on Me [I Won’t Tell on You]"), Skeeter Davis ("End of the World"), and more. Sixty years on from "Once a Day," her first hit, Smiths voice is in superb condition -- the slight grain her instrument has acquired over the years only adds to the authority of her performances, and she can still make weepers tug at your heart, playful love songs sound spunky, and songs of pride in who she is sound like heartfelt statements of purpose. In many respects this could pass for one of Smiths classic LPs of the 60s in both strength and execution. She is fortunate to have a fan in husband Marty Stuart, who as producer understands Smiths abilities and documents them with respect and without excess gingerbread. Stuarts excellent road band the Fabulous Superlatives back Smith on these sessions, and they emulate the polished honky tonk sound of her glory days with ease, while legendary Nashville sessionmen Gary Carter (on pedal steel guitar) and Hargus "Pig" Robbins on piano also lend their talents to these songs. (Robbins contributions were among his last performances before his death in January 2022.) This far into her career, Smith knows who she is and what she does best, and she makes no effort to change that on Love, Prison, Wisdom and Heartaches. And when youre one of the greatest country singers of your generation and still able to deliver like you did in your prime, why on earth would you want to? ~ Mark Deming