Lonesome Is Me

AMG Review of Lonesome Is Me

Richie Unterberger
All Music Guide

Charlie Louvin's second solo album, like his first (1964's Less and Less and I Don't Love You Anymore), signified his transition from the down-home rootsy country-folk he'd sung with the Louvin Brothers to much smoother, mainstream Nashville country. It's not likely to be a favorite listen of Louvin Brothers fans, not only because of the absence of brotherly vocal harmonies, but also for the less exciting material and approach. Taken out of the context of the Louvin Brothers, it's adequate mid-'60s country-pop without many characteristics of note. Louvin himself did little writing (penning one tune on his own and co-writing another), some of the other songs being contributed by esteemed country writers like Ed Bruce and Justin Tubb. The energy level really rises, though, on the sole (if midsize) country hit on the LP, "You Finally Said Something Good," which is a pretty lively, bouncy kiss-off of a honky tonker. One wishes he'd dipped into that bag more often on this record, though one other song, the tuneful and bittersweet Bruce-written title track, certainly sounds like it should have been a hit.