Ashley Cleveland "Bus Named Desire"

Ashley Cleveland

Bus Named Desire

1993 Reunion Records

Produced By: Kenny Greenberg & Wally Wilson

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Track Listings

End of a Long Goodbye (4:23)

Skin Tight (4:01)

Feel Like Falling (4:29)

Henry Doesn't Care (3:44)

I'm Not Made That Way (4:00)

Better You Get Ready (3:31)

Water (3:35)

Bus Named Desire (4:07)

Trust (3:59)

Light at the End of the Tunnel (5:14)

Musicians

Lead Vocals: Ashley Cleveland

Guitars: Kenny Greenberg, Ashley Cleveland

Bass: Jay Davis, Michael Rhodes, Glenn Worf

Drums: Chad Cromwell, Craig Krampf

Percussion: Marcos Suzano

Keyboards: Mike Lawler, Carl Marsh, Wally Wilson

Background Vocals: Marshall Chapman, Pat McLaughlin, Chris Rodriguez, Pam Tillis

Long before Sheryl Crow cut her first album, there was Ashley Cleveland. Ms. Cleveland is yet another artist I give my older brother the credit for introducing to me. My very first listen of Ashley was this very album. For awhile I thought this was her first album, little did I know that she started out recording for Atlantic Records with "Big Town" circa 1991. I wouldn't listen to that album for many, many years after. Perhaps for that reason I'm more fond of this effort than I am her debut album.

Ashley Cleveland has a great soulful, bluesy type of voice. She has that grit to her sound, yet has a smooth sound at the same time. She's a talented songwriter and contributed to many of the songs on this album. Kenny Greenberg, her husband, helped pen some of the songs, produced the album and provided some great guitar playing on the majority of the songs.

With most albums there are one or two songs that you just don't care for and tend to skip. Not with this album. Every song is great and there is enough variety to the songs and lyrics to keep just about everybody listening.

I could be wrong, but I swear I remember there being some sort of "controversy" with the song Skin Tight...at least in Christian media. I can't seem to find anything on Google, other than the song lyrics so I could be wrong. Regardless, it's a great song and one of my favorites. I'm Not Made That Way is one of the more upbeat, rocking songs. Easily one of the best songs in my opinion.

Overall this is a fantastic album and one that needs to be listened to. It may just be me, but it seems as this album has more of a secular feel, akin to Big Town. That's not necessarily a bad thing as I'm not a fan of when an artist feels like they have include the word Jesus in their songs so many times. I think many of the songs on this album can be deciphered in different ways so I'll let you listen to the album and come to your own conclusions. The album is long out of print and it's not available in her store on her webpage, but you can find sealed copies for less than $10 on eBay. Do yourself a favor and pick it up if you haven't heard it or don't own it as it's an excellent album from beginning to end.