Me and Pepper
MEL TILLIS
(Collector's Choice Music/Elektra)
By the time Tampa native Mel Tillis went into the studio to record Me and Pepper, he had emerged as a Nashville star thanks largely to his 1979 country-pop smash "Coca Cola Cowboy." Me and Pepper finds Tillis offering a soothing, first-rate collection of countrypolitan sounds, replete with lush strings, an army of female backup singers, heavy kick drum and sweet guitar and piano licks courtesy of James Burton. The songs stick to classic themes: The singer is smitten ("Blind in Love," "All My Love"), cheatin' ("Lyin' Time Again," "Fooled Around and Fell in Love") or drinkin' ("Black Jack Water Back"), and Tillis sells each one with heart.
This article appears in Jun 11-17, 2008.