European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - November 28, 1990, Darmstadt, Hesse                                The �?T80s lady is Back in the 90s byjoe Edwards associated press go r Graffito was printed neatly in Black Ink on a bathroom stall in a cafe in due West . Quot i ainu to never Gonna love nobody but Cor fell Crawford Quot it declared. When country Singer . Oslin read it she chuckled. Then pondering its directness and determination she knew she had a song. The result is Cornell 1 Crawford one of Osling a songs on her j third album love in a Small town. To is Osling a first album in two years a i rather Long hiatus for country music. So this normally Gutsy Singer songwriter confesses to a touch of trepidation. Quot if you done to put out an album every year you can be dead meat Quot the 48-year-old performer said. Quot but i done to think you become dead meat until you Are doing inferior  based on her previous records Oslin has Little reason to worry. Her albums 80 s ladies and this woman both sold More than 1 million copies. She won three grammy awards and in 1988, she unseated Reba Mcentire As the country music associations female vocalist of the year. Mcentire had won the Honor four straight years. On love in a Small town Oslin presents themes and emotions from everyday life. The Cut come next monday is about a woman vowing to end a  is about staying Home from work and frolicking and Mary and Willie is about two people with no love interests in their life. Love is strange is Osling a remake of a 1956 rhythm and blues hit by Mickey amp Sylvia. And Cornell Crawford inspired by the bathroom Graffito tells of dedication for the Man who makes Sparks Fly. Quot we All wish we had a Cornell Crawford Quot Oslin mused. A a in be been doing it in the live show for two years and it gets some of the Best response of anything. People Are intrigued about someone that emphatic. The sincerity of it struck  Kay Toinette Oslin was born in Crossett ark., but grew up in Mobile Ala. As a teen Ager she settled in Houston. Ending up in new York she was a chorus girl in theatrical productions then worked As a studio backup vocalist and and Jingle Singer. She also showed a flair for songwriting. An aunt Lent her $7,000 to finance a Nashville showcase performance which caught the attention of Ria records. She signed an Ria recording contract in 1986 at a time when most record companies were looking for singers almost half her age. Oslin became one of Nashville a most intriguing personalities launching a new career in her mid-40s and writing songs from the perspective of a Strong woman. Quot i was different Quot she said. She also was outspoken. She has said candidly that she hated country music when she grew up. Quot when i listened to country music in the �?T50s, it was almost All males who seemed very old and Sang about drinking and cheating on their wives or girlfriends. A 15-year-old does not relate to that Quot she said. Quot fortunately it has changed and people who say today that they done to like country music probably Haven t listened to it. Quot some of it i like today some of it i Don t. I Don t like the real twangy hardcore straight ahead old style country  Osling a current album is not her Only new project. She just recorded a duet with Barry Manilow baby it s cold outside which will be on his next album. She also has received considerable attention for her music video of come next monday in which she portrays the Bride of Frankenstein. Quot it has nothing at All to do with the song Quot Oslin explained. Quot i thought it was time to show that i had a sense of humor. My videos have All been great but rather serious. We just went the crazy route. Its  country Singer songwriter . Oslin has released her third album a love in a Small  replacements a All Shook Down this album really should be called Paul Westerberg s St Solo record. Fellow replacements Tommy Stinson Hris Mars and slim Dunlap Only appear sporadically and the Complete foursome plays together Only on the relative Oss away attitude. The album is Westerbergh a from Start to finish and its a More Laid Back and acoustic than any of the previous seven replacements records. There Are a couple upbeat modern rockers most notably Bent out of shape and the excellent my Little 3roblem, which features a duet with Concrete blonde vocalist Johnette Napplitano. But the Overall Pace of the ecord is decidedly slower than the Carefree careening glory Days of the replacements on such Post Punk classics As Tim and let it be. In the past Westerberg often paired his Mournful lyrics with hard driving defiant Rock backgrounds. On this album songs like sadly Beautiful and All Shook Down Are As melancholy As the heartaches Westerberg sings  is a tremendously talented songwriter and no Shook Down is an impressive collection of rough personal songs particularly the haunting japanese favored title number. But the slower mood takes away some of the Power of his delivery. When Westerberg is belting out his songs full bore and sacked by his Loose but loud guitar he defies the sadness or frustration of the lyrics. Slowed Down it sounds As if he succumbs to them. Brian Rooney up Hubert Sumlin a Healing feeling Black top records has backed up Hubert Sumlin with just about everyone on the Label a guitarist Ronnie Earl singers Darrell Nulisch and James Quot thunderbird Davis and sax player Mark Quot Kaz Quot Kazanoff but this recording works Best when everyone Steps Back and gets out of Sumlin s Way. After All the Man played Lead guitar for howling Wolf and has been an influence on everyone from Eric Clapton and Keith Richards to the Vaughan Brothers. Sumling a guitar is Crisp crackling and Quirky throughout with touches of shuffle and jazz. He can Lope through just like i treat you and make his Case soulfully on something like play it Cool. His break on i Don t want no woman merits repeated playing. The three instrumentals Are real treats too. Sumlin solos through Down the Dusty Road a robust improvisation with Chuck Berry overtones and jacks up the title song with some bold bouncing licks. Blues for Henry is slow and beautifully Moody with Sumlin and Earl playing off each other. Wednesday november 28, 1990 sumling a voice May not be a National treasure but the two songs he does sing the driving come Back Little girl and Honey dumplings have a Gutsy authenticity. The latter also features Sumlin s and Earl s guitars bubbling up around Kazanoff a sax. Otherwise the vocals by Nulisch a texan who can sound like Kim Wilson and Davis a Louisiana soul Singer Are sufficient but secondary. Sumling a guitar is the Star Here. William , Palmer a done to explain thaw out the White faced video mannequins. Robert Palmer has a new album. The Slick Palmer squeezes in a Bountiful 18 songs on his latest work and typically Many of them fall into two distinct and incompatible categories hard rockers and soft pop that sounds like it comes from the 40s and 50s. The rockers Are capable and energetic and full of Good Palmer like Hooks. None however is As infectious As palmers previous hits addicted to love or simply irresistible. Then palmers latent lounge Lizard tendencies come out. He climbs into his sonic time machine bringing out the strings and woodwinds. In the miscellaneous category Palmer turns on the emotion and scores big with Otis Redding s soul jerking dreams to remember and a Marvin Gaye Medley mercy mercy me i want you. The Caribbean is represented on the album As is Funk music. A . The stars and stripes a a a Page 17 we a to a what s not record a review