DEBORAH ALLEN - TELEPATHY

So first off, let me say...  I'm not entirely sure this album is a legitimate release or a bootleg, but if it's a boot, it's the best boot I've ever seen.  Down to the barcode number.

This album came out in 1987 and I'll be completely honest with you, I picked it up because Prince wrote the title track.  That's right, folks, you heard me...  Country Western singer Deborah Allen enlisted a song from Prince for her latest album.  Absolutely shocking.

I guess from a certain standpoint it makes sense.  Allen was experiencing some cross over success at the time and had seen some airplay on the Adult Contemporary charts.  But that hardly justifies what happens on this record.  Under the right circumstances, Prince could'be contributed a strong R&B ballad for her and she might've had a hit with it.  Instead, he sends along this funk jam that seems out of place on her record.  If she'd had more funky sounds on this record, she could've pulled it off no problem, but the rest of the album fits solidly in the same Country Western/Adult Contemporary she'd gained recognition for on previous releases.

I remember rocking this album out on cassette and feeling sorta stupid because I loved the second track on the record, 'You Can't Say No'.  Of course at the time, I didn't like anything that wasn't part of the musical world I'd built around myself.  Oldies were a joke and hair bands were ridiculous.  I didn't gain an appreciation for any of these groups until much later.

It would stand to reason, based on who Deborah Allen was, that I wouldn't listen to the rest of her record, but I did.  And let me tell ya, Allen wasn't a joke.

When I got this disc in the mail, I put it in the truck and went for a long drive.  I wanted to remember the entire disc and I wasn't disappointed.  Surprisingly, the tracks on this album might sound a little dated today, but they're lyrically strong and have interesting musical ideas that keep the listener engaged.  'You're The Kind Of Trouble', 'One Step Closer' and 'What's Right Tonight' are all excellent examples of the country rock Allen delivers.  They're infectious, fun to sing along with and catchy as all get out.

The one song I could probably write anything negative about would be 'You Can Tell Me Anything'.  And I would only say that because I feel like the sentiment expressed here is slightly overused and unimaginative.  Musically, it's the least exciting of the bunch and doesn't really move the record along.  Otherwise, the album is strong and tight.

'Telepathy' is Prince at his finest and this song deserves to be on a Prince record surrounded by tracks that compliment it.  Here, it sticks out like a sore thumb.  To her credit, Allen didn't change anything from the master recording Prince sent her with the exception of her vocals.  His signature sound is absolutely bursting with purple power, but it still feels out of place.  Even Allen's vocal delivery, which she does her best to deliver, falls flat against the onslaught of his funk.

I think the record sounds better if you listen to it starting with track 2.  'You Can't Say No' is truly a sleeper hit.  I think if she'd released it as a single, it would've done well.

This is a musical mismatch, but at the same time, you have to give both Prince and Allen credit for making the attempt to bridge such musical divides.  Oddly enough, I think Prince could've easily written a song in the style Allen was performing, but he didn't.  And we'll never know why.

This album was originally released on Cassette and Vinyl.  It didn't get a CD release so I'm extremely happy to find it now.  The track, 'Telepathy' was released on CD by Allen many years later in the form of an edit on her Greatest Hits compilation.  As grateful as I was then to have a copy of the song on CD, I'm even more happy to have it here in its full glory.  This is definitely an excellent addition to any Prince collection and to any Deborah Allen collection.  Get it while you can.

My final words:  AN OUT OF PLACE SPICY TRACK ON A TRULY DECENT COUNTRY RECORD!

DEBORAH ALLEN - TELEPATHY
01. Telepathy
02. You Can't Say No
03. You're The Kind Of Trouble
04. One Step Closer
05. Don't You Think I Don't Love You
06. What's Right Tonight
07. Take A Picture
08. You Can Tell Me Anything
09. Somebody For Everybody

DEBORAH ALLEN - ANTHOLOGY

My reason for buying this little item is fairly obvious if you know your Prince history. Deborah Allen is a country singer who never really topped the charts. She developed enough of a following to garner a string of albums in 80's and she had some success as a songwriter. Janie Fricke, LeAnn Rimes, Tanya Tucker and Patty Loveless are some of the artists that have recorded her songs. Personally, I consider her a minor musical figure at best. Although she's been able to capitalize on the success she's had, Allen's never been what I would call a musical genius. I find the majority of her work mediocre. I actually feel kinda sorry for this review because I like her as a person. She seems nice. But if I'm to be honest in my critique I can't pull my punches just because she's a nice lady.

This disc usually sells on Ebay or Amazon anywhere from $26 to $60 dollars. I'm sure there's a few reasons for the demand for this record. First, most of Allen's earlier material never surfaced on compact disc. She had releases on Cassette and Vinyl, but when the change to compact disc occurred, Allen's material wasn't re-released. In addition, her 1987 album "Telepathy" didn't rate a compact disc version even though that year was the first year CD became the standard format. For many Allen fans, this is a chance to have a digital copy of so many of her songs. The other reason I suspect this album commands such a high price is the inclusion of 'Telepathy'. Although the version released here is an edit of the full length album version, it's the only place you can find the track in any form on CD. Most of the competition I've seen for this CD happens between Prince fans rather than Allen fans.

The disc starts off with three tracks recut by Allen as a duet between herself and the late Jim Reeves. The songs are ok. The most interesting aspect of the tracks is that they are more in the vein of 1960's popular music, but they sound right at home with popular country at the time. It seems country is becoming more and more like rock and roll as time goes by.

Even though she has good ideas now and again, the majority of Allen's material is run of the mill. There's not a lot going on here that isn't happening on 50 kazillion other songs. I used to have a friend who wanted to be a famous song writer. He recorded a couple of CDs and used to talk about how interesting he thought he was as a lyricist. He would go on and on about his ideas and yet none of it was anything I hadn't heard a million times before. I couldn't point it out to him because he just didn't want to hear it. He was totally convinced of his own genius. Sadly, I think that's what's happening with Allen. She doesn't develop unique ideas or offer anything music lovers haven't heard a thousand times before. 'Telepathy' is the one exception on this record and is easily the stand out track.

If you're a casual country music fan, you can certainly find better songs. And better singers. Allen has a strong voice, and there is a lilting quality to her sound, but her delivery is always so technical and attempting to deliver a flawless performance that you don't get a great deal of soul or emotion. In my opinion, she doesn't have the chops to handle the leading spot. Of course I've never seen her perform live. It makes it hard to judge her true quality. In the end, however pricey this disc is, it's true value is best determined by Prince fans rather than country music or Allen fans. You're not going to find this disc circulating at an affordable price and it's hardly worth the effort unless you're specifically looking for the material on it. My final words: TREAT IT LIKE VINYL AND SKIP IT.

DEBORAH ALLEN - ANTHOLOGY
01. Don't Let Me Cross Over
02. Oh, How I Miss You Tonight
03. Take Me In Your Arms And Hold Me
04. Nobody's Fool
05. You (Make Me Wonder Why)
06. You Look Like The One I Love
07. After Tonight
08. Baby I Lied
09. I've Been Wrong Before
10. I Hurt For You
11. Heartache And A Half
12. Let Me Be The First
13. I Can't Stand It
14. Rockin' Little Christmas
15. Don't Worry 'Bout Me Baby
16. Telepathy
17. Undeniable
18. Rock Me (In The Cradle Of Love)
19. If You're Not Gonna Love Me
20. Break These Chains
21. Cheat The Night