When Fallen Angels Fly
"People want to know they're not the only ones
to experience something
or feel some way...
a marriage that's on the rocks
or a relationship that's failed.
They've made mistakes,
but they know you've come through it
and survived.
It gives people hope
and lets them know they're not alone."
If there's anything that sets hard country torch singer Patty Loveless apart, it's that commitment to connecting with people's moments of doubt, loss and exhilaration. With the near-platinum success of Only What I Feel, boasting the two week #1 "Blame It On Your Heart" and the poignant chart-topper "How Can I Help You Say Goodbye," Patty Loveless staked her claim as the woman willing to turn her heart inside out to touch people.
On When Fallen Angels Fly, the follow-up to her critically acclaimed Epic debut, Loveless brings a new depth to her songs' emotional cores. Part of that stems from her own acceptance of who she is, what she's done and where she's going.
"To me, the title of this album is about embracing the fact that we're all human and that it's okay," she begins. "You look around you and you realize everyone makes mistakes, everyone has shortcomings -- and that's part of how we become who we're supposed to be. We don't have all the answers, only the journey, and those mistakes are part of it.
"There's mortal angels out there, people all around who help us. Some of them are the people in our lives and some are people who make music. For me, there was an awful lot in those Loretta Lynn and Dolly Parton songs, Merle Haggard and George Jones and the Stanley Brothers."
And in the process of defining who she is in song, the woman who was born in Pikeville, Kentucky, has dug deeper into her own soul. The result is an album that delves even further into the feelings that are so much a part of life in today's world.
"The last album really allowed me to do a lot of soul searching," Loveless says of her growth. "There's a lot of me there. But as I'm traveling on the road and people come up to me and tell me their stories, it becomes obvious how much of what's inside us is the same.
"I used to worry about talking about myself on-stage, about why I sang the songs I have. But this year, I've seen how much these songs have touched people -- and how they've opened people up to tell me their stories. Experiencing that made me want to reach even deeper inside."
Certainly a song like the haunting "You Don't Even Know Who I Am," which deals with the decay of a marriage into two people inhabiting the same house with two unrecognizable lives, captures the sad demise of many relationships. Focusing on the slow process from honeymoon to isolation, it refuses to lay blame and offers a chilling reminder not to take the one you love for granted.
The same can be said for "Here I Am," a wrenching ballad about an old flame that won't die for the one who leaves or for the one left behind. The song marks the kind of passion everyone has known just once. "It doesn't matter who you are," Loveless explains, "we all have loves and passions we can't run from. Yet we can't help trying. And it isn't always a person, either. The way the song feels, it's real traditional sounding, but there's something universal to it, too. That's what I'm looking for."
Again teamed with husband/producer Emory Gordy Jr. (George Jones, Bill Monroe, Jimmie Dale Gilmore), the pair have fashioned an album that is staunchly traditional, yet takes classic country and injects it with a fervor that reflects contemporary production. There's a power to the tracks, be it a hushed ballad like "Over My Shoulder," the plucky fire of "I Try To Think About Elvis" or a chugging neo-Rolling Stones rocker like "Old Weakness (Coming On Strong)," that makes these songs hit home.
In the process, Loveless' voice -- a flesh, sweat, blood and blues instrument capable of emotional quivers and powerful surges -- has never sounded so rich. There's a confidence that's never been there before tempered by the vulnerability of a woman who's finally ready to just be.
"I've spent eight years doing this and after all the years singing other people's songs, it really takes you a while to feel like 'Okay, this is who I am.' I know that when I listen to songs, I'm always looking for songs that reach inside me and set off an emotional reaction I can't ignore...those are the only songs I should be cutting.
"The longer I do this, the harder those songs hit me. And I think the people who come to the shows feel it, too. They're all wonderful people -- especially the women, but the men, too -- who care so much about me and treat me like I'm this distant friend. They feel they know me from the songs, so they open up and tell me their stories...there's no greater compliment in this world."
For Loveless, making friends through song is something she's been doing since she was a tiny girl going to the Pollyanna Drive-In in Pikeville with her father. "I was 5 years old and Lester Flatt and Earl Scruggs were playing between the two movies," she recalls. There was something about the music that just reached down inside me and spoke to me about things I felt that I couldn't even explain. I knew then that was what I needed to do."
Being the youngest daughter in a family of seven living in a true Kentucky holler, Loveless was exposed to the raw emotion of country music from the beginning. It left an indelible mark on who she would always be -- and that is the one thing that sets her apart no matter what kind of song she sings.
"You listen to Loretta Lynn and she is so sassy, you can't help but want to be that. Or Patsy Cline, who was so sultry. I'm not sure I understood what it was, but I knew her music made me feel something when I was little that was very powerful. Even Merle Haggard, he had that electricity. When you experience things like that, you can't help but want to embrace them.
"I mean, 'He Stopped Loving Her Today' just floors people still, because great emotion never wears out. And that's the thing about country -- it's real and there's no limit to how much of your feelings you show. A lot of young people have never heard anything like that, and I think that's why people of all ages are being drawn to this music.
"And I'm a bit more traditional, which can be very hard-hitting. But I don't think it comes from how loud we play, but how deep we feel. Even a song like 'Handful Of Dust,' which is bluegrass, is so heartfelt that you can't help but be struck by it. It's almost gospel in its sentiment, but it has this wonderful melody that picks you up and carries you along -- and it's only later that you realize the strength of the song.
"That's what I'm trying to do. I'd like to sing songs that are country, but that reach out to people, I know how much music has motivated me and gotten me through rough spots. People have been so wonderful to me over the years and I'd like to give back to them. To me, if you can make a difference in people's lives even if I never get to meet them or spend a lot of time with them, that's the best part of being an artist.
"Everybody deserves that. I've always been lucky to find hope and strength in music. If I can do that for somebody else, then I couldn't be happier. It's certainly what I'm striving for."
On When Fallen Angels Fly, Patty Loveless not only strives, she soars. With an eye on the horizon, she redefines the emotional possibilities of both traditional and contemporary country music with a grace that comes from looking inside and accepting one's self.
When Fallen Angels Fly
Song By Song
"Songs are like truth, and the best ones speak to you. To me, every one of these songs just gives me chill bumps. I don't think I've ever made a record where I've shown as much of me or what I think I may have seen inside as many people."
-- Patty Loveless
"A Handful Of Dust"
To me, this song is real spiritual. It's about the value that love brings to things. And it's country. That real traditional, hard country that I was raised on and love. That's why we opened the album with this one.
"Halfway Down"
The thing about a heartache is that you can either surrender or fight it. And sometimes it's good to wallow in it, but it can feel just as good to throw yourself into feeling better. There's real strength to it -- and I think that comes through.
"When The Fallen Angels Fly"
This is a Billy Joe Shaver song and, to me, it's about the fact that we're all human. People need to accept the things they've done in their lives, try to embrace the notion of looking back and understanding why things happened. To me, just knowing other people have had hard times or made mistakes and have survived is a real source of strength. I think there are mortal angels all around -- and they're what gets us through.
Certainly fallen angels can fly. I think that's what this whole album is about -- and that's why I wanted it to be called When Fallen Angels Fly.
"You Don't Even Know Who I Am"
People want to know that they're not the only ones experiencing something or feel some way. Like this song, nobody ever intended to let the relationship die. They just neglected it and it did. No one's at fault, because these things happen, but the hole it leaves inside...you think no one knows how you feel, but they do.
"Feelin' Good About Feelin' Bad"
This is another one of those up tempo songs about getting over it. I think we need more songs that try to help you heal -- and this one says there's no better place to heal than getting back out into the mainstream.
"Here I Am"
Of course, some heartaches never die. You drag 'em around with you always. The funny thing though is that those loves that haunt you probably haunt the other person, too, even if they don't know it.
Plus, I love the way the melody moves. It captures the song so well.
"I Try To Think About Elvis"
I've been real lucky, because I've always had a real young audience and I love those kids -- especially the little ones! When I heard this song, it was so much fun. I knew that those kids would have fun with this...and it kind of picks you up on a slow day and moves you right along.
"Ships"
Country music tells stories about real life and real lives. I don't know if these two people really ever existed, but there's a piece of them in all of us. That young person who never dies is something we should never forget -- or lose their hope.
"Old Weakness (Comes On Strong)"
The funny thing about getting over stuff is that there are moments when you have those little flashes. It's just as strong as ever. But the good news is, it's an old weakness.
"Over My Shoulder"
To me, the most important things is hope. As you live your life, you're constantly letting go of things. But if you can keep hope, you will keep moving forward and growing. I never want to forget that fact -- and that's why I wanted to close the album with this song.