Lionel Richie – Tuskegee: Album Reviews

Not someone usually thought of as a country musician, Lionel Richie can claim as much right as anyone to a bit of southern twang, being born and raised in Tuskagee, Alabama. Richie’s latest album, which has topped both the US Billboard and Billboard Country charts and reached number 2 in Australia, is a collection of re-imaginings of his greatest hits, arranged as duets with country music luminaries including Shania Twain, Willie Nelson, Kenny Rogers and Jennifer Nettles.

Highlights include Deep River Woman, enriched with the wonderful harmonies of Little Big Town, and Hello, endowed with a new urgency by Jennifer Nettles. And who could resist Willie Nelson crooning Easy? Not me, that’s for sure. While the album’s rearrangements may not be particularly daring, they are never less than tasteful (excluding perhaps, a gung-ho version of Dancing on the Ceiling, recorded with Ohio’s Rascal Flatts).

So… if you’re a Lionel fan who happens to like country music too, this album will be the treat you’ve been praying for. The reverse may also apply, but you’d have to be a pretty tough soul not to find something to love on this album – perfect for those long, easy-listening afternoons.