Album Review – “It’s All Her Fault, a Tribute to Cindy Walker”

Classic country (#510.1) and some Rockabilly (#514) on the Country DDS.

It wasn’t just the songs that Cindy Walker wrote. It’s how Cindy Walker songs went on to define what we consider country music to be. Cindy Walker was one of the most important and prolific songwriters in country music history, penning some 500 recorded songs, and some 400 of them charting in the Top 40, spanning across five decades starting in the 1930s. If you disappeared the legacy of Cindy Walker from country music, it would sound significantly different, and significantly more dull. That’s the reason her plaque rests in the Country Music Hall of Fame.

That’s also the reason why singer/songwriter and voice actor Grey DeLisle took it upon herself to assemble some of the top women in traditional country and beyond to record a tribute to Cindy Walker called It’s All Her Fault, convincing Summer Dean, Brennen Leigh, Melissa Carper, Kimmi Bitter, Rosie Flores, Amythyst Kiah, Jolie Holland, and more to join her, with with streaming proceeds going to the Cindy Walker Foundation.

Though tribute albums can often be great for for cherry picking through or for finding a new artist you might have not heard before, they often present a challenge to listen to cover-to-cover due to how they commonly cobble together songs from different and disparate recording sessions by various contributors. Sometimes these contributors aren’t even working in the same genre. It’s All Her Fault takes a more holistic approach. It’s like you’re listening to Cindy Walker album, just with different women taking the role as singer in Cindy’s absence.

It’s All Her Fault utilizes the same basic studio crew for most all of the tracks, and includes some of the finest musicians around such as pedal and lap steel extraordinaire Chris Scruggs, Jacob Woodside on electric guitar, drummer Lisa Pankratz, with additional instrumentation by Deke Dickerson. With the exception of Amythyst Kiah’s take on “Goin’ Away Party” done acoustically, the band is the same for each song.

This doesn’t mean all the songs are country or sound the same, because Cindy Walker didn’t just work exclusively in the country realm. She also had standards in rockabilly, Western swing, big band jazz, and classic pop. Commensurate with this legacy, an array of classic genres are represented on this album in both sounds and participating artists. Era is paramount as opposed to genre, even though on the whole, this is certainly more a classic country record than anything else.

As for the singers, if we’re being honest, there are a few of the selections on the tribute where you wonder if a different key wouldn’t have been more appropriate or flattering for the performer by finding the sweet spot in their range. That said, some of the performances on It’s All Her Fault are so lights out, they feel like the definitive versions of these Cindy Walker songs.

Fiddle player Katie Shorr’s stellar performance of “You’re From Texas” is an excellent way to start off this tribute. Some might be be familiar with the Cindy Walker song “I Don’t Care” from renditions by Webb Pierce or Ricky Skaggs. Kelly Willis turns in a version that is as good or better as any of them. Brennen Leigh and Grey DeLisle’s tag team on “You’ve Got My Heart Doing a Tap Dance” is another standout.

Melissa Carper truly has the voice and style that is perfectly emblematic of the era that marks Cindy Walker’s heyday. Carper’s version of “Take Me In Your Arms” is absolutely sublime. One of the names folks were most intrigued to see in the track list was Gail Davies. Mostly retired, she was enticed by the opportunity to toast one of her mentors, and turns in a bone-chilling rendition of “The Warm Red Wine.” For those who might not be aware, Gail Davies also happens to be the mother of guitarist Chris Scruggs.

Most importantly though, It’s All Her Fault: A Tribute to Cindy Walker is a testament to women in country and roots music, and how they owe those roots to Cindy Walker. It’s a celebration of generations of country women and excellent songwriters, reminding us how important women were to the foundations of country, and how critical they are to preserving those traditions today.

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Purchase It’s All Her Fault – A Tribute to Cindy Walker on Bandcamp

TRACK LIST:

1. You’re From Texas – Katie Shore  
2. Don’t Talk To Me About Men – Summer Dean 
3. Hey, Mr. Bluebird – Kimmi Bitter
4. Goin’ Away Party – Amythyst Kiah
5. It’s All Your Fault – Mozzy Dee 
6. You Don’t Know Me – Rosie Flores
7. I Don’t Care – Kelly Willis
8. You’ve Got My Heart Doing A Tap-Dance – Brennen Leigh, Grey DeLisle
9. Take Me In Your Arms (And Hold Me) – Melissa Carper 
10. Dream Baby (How Long Must I Dream) – Mandy Barnett
11. The Warm Red Wine – Gail Davies
12. Don’t Be Ashamed Of Your Age – Jolie Holland
13. The Day You Left Me – Ginny Mac