I Wish That I Had Loved You Better

AMG Review of I Wish That I Had Loved You Better

Greg Adams
All Music Guide

Eddy Arnold recorded for RCA nearly his entire career, but spent three years on MGM in the mid-'70s in the middle of a long slump. The switch to a new label didn't have the desired effect of reviving interest in Arnold's music, but he did -- at times -- sound fresher than he had in a while. The first half of I Wish That I Had Loved You Better is very good, and the title track gave Arnold his first Top 20 hit in nearly five years. After a strong side, though, the album digresses into the bland country-folk-pop pap that fills many of his early-'70s RCA albums. The second single, "Butterfly," is a syrupy revival of a minor pop hit, and the remainder is cast in the same mold. Give the A-side a chance, but scrap the rest.