REBA MCENTIRE - RUMOR HAS IT

Despite the oddly Greta Garbo-like look Reba McEntire affects on the album cover, RUMOR HAS IT is a straightforward early '90s mainstream country album. In addition to a few co-written tunes, including the soaring opener and first single "Climb That Mountain High," and a handful of tunes from the Music Row songwriting factory, RUMOR HAS IT allows McEntire to cover a few obscure old favorites. Jesse Winchester's folky singer-songwriter gem "You Remember Me" is given a heartfelt reading, but the album's highlight is an absolutely fabulous reading of Bobbie Gentry's "Fancy"--a story song about a woman looking back on her dirt-poor upbringing and subsequent life as a high-class prostitute. The key to "Fancy" is that the narrator is proud of how her life has turned out, and McEntire sings the somewhat over-the-top lyrics with a mix of sly humor and flinty resolve that fits perfectly with the character. It's one of McEntire's most entertaining covers, and a highlight on a somewhat overlooked album.