Music : Welcome to my World - 23 Classics from the Jim Reeves Songbook

Rating: - A magnificent tribute to Gentleman Jim
While Daniel has been successful with up-tempo material, I have always preferred him as balladeer - he seems particularly suited to romantic love songs. In particular, I always considered Daniel as a latter-day Jim Reeves, so I was very pleased to see Daniel release this collection of songs made famous by his most obvious influence. I was also pleased to see that Daniel focused on the ballads that he is so good at singing.

In his own career, tragically cut short when he was killed in a plane crash, Jim Reeves had many hits in Britain, which were often different from the hits he had in America. For this tribute album, Daniel has chosen to record many of Jim's biggest British hits.

Here you can listen to Daniel singing his own version's of Jim's British top ten hits - Welcome to my world, I love you because, I won't forget you, There's a heartache following me, It hurts so much and, of course, Distant drums, with which Jim had a posthumous number one hit. Other classics such as Adios Amigo, He'll have to go, You're the only good thing, When two worlds collide and Not until the next time (all of which made the UK top twenty for Jim) are also included.

Daniel has not limited himself to UK hits, but has also included some other fine songs such as Anna Marie, Am I losing you, Blue side of lonesome, Don't let me cross over and How can I write on paper - every one of them well chosen, as they particularly suit Daniel's style.

It is futile to debate the relative merits of Daniel's versions compared to Jim's. As far as I'm concerned, Jim is unbeatable - at least when it comes to his later recordings (from which most of the songs here are selected), but his music will only survive for future generations if artists such as Daniel keep it alive. There will be some people who will buy their first Jim Reeves album because they like this tribute album, and who might never have done so otherwise. What I will say is that there is no singer anywhere is the world who is better suited to doing an album of Jim Reeves songs than Daniel O'Donnell. This album is proof of that.

This magnificent tribute should appeal to existing fans of Jim and Daniel alike. It might even bring them a few new fans who previously didn't take much notice of either of them.

---

Rating: - DANIEL HAS TOUCHES OF VELVET!
BY DECIDING TO RECORD AND RELEASE A TRIBUTE ALBUM OF JIM REEVES SONGS, DANIEL O'DONNELL SET HIMSELF A HARD TASK. A TASK THAT, THANKFULLY, HE MANAGES TO PULL OFF WITH EASE AND STYLE.

FROM THE GLORIOUS OPENING OF 'WELCOME TO MY WORLD' WHICH IS BEAUTIFULLY OPENED WITH STRINGS, TO THE CLOSING BARS OF 'YOU'RE THE ONLY GOOD THING' THIS IS AN ALBUM THAT IS COUNTRY THROUGH AND THROUGH. IT IS ALSO PURE CLASS.

STYLISH RECORDINGS OF FAVOURITES SUCH AS 'FOUR WALLS', 'ADIOS AMIGO', 'AM I LOSING YOU', 'HE'LL HAVE TO GO' AND 'IS IT REALLY OVER?' ARE FANTASTIC TO LISTEN TO. THE SURPRISE OF THE ALBUM IS THE SUPRISE INCLUSION OF 'HOW CAN I WRITE ON PAPER (WHAT I FEEL IN MY HEART)', ONE TRACK ON WHICH I FEEL THE PUPIL EXCEEDS THE MASTER.

GENTLEMAN JIM WAS KNOWN AS 'MR. VELVET VOICE' AND DANIEL CERTAINLY HAS MORE THAN A TOUCH OF VELVET. IN FACT HE COULD BE THE NEW 'MR. VELVET VOICE'.

DANIEL O'DONNELL FANS WILL LOVE THIS. THOSE WHO HAVEN'T HEARD DANIEL WILL TAKE ONE LISTEN TO THIS AND BECOME A FAN.