POP MUSIC REVIEW : Gayle Lets Only Her Hair Down at the Crazy Horse

It’s been a few years since Crystal Gayle has released an album. But her appearance Monday at the Crazy Horse, the first of two nights, brought good news for her assembled devotees: a new disc is on the way, to be released at the end of this month.

So let the promotion begin. The first show was preceded by what was dubbed the “world premiere” of her new video, “Three Good Reasons,” the title tune and first single from the new album. The video, alternating between scenes of Gayle and her swirling tresses with sparsely staged visions of a single mother and her two children, is the kind of heartfelt, yet assertive statement that Gayle has parlayed into major success in the past.

Gayle has always been one to straddle the pop-country fence. The new number leans more toward the latter with the story of a woman’s survival in the face of down-home domestic problems, delivered with plenty of drawl and twang.

And, just in case anyone forgot about the video once the singer took the stage, she aired the tune again, this time live, early in her set, bridging the gap between short- and long-term memory with a delivery that replicated her performance on the video down to the last emotive refrain. The ovation this cloned rendition received--the evening’s loudest--made you wonder why she didn’t do some of her other selections twice.

The rest of the show was mainly a rehash of past glories, and that suited the audience just fine. Gayle’s voice seems almost too pure and clean to do well against some of the posh, two-beat arrangements (“Why Have You Left the One You Left Me For?”) and her singing often seemed overshadowed by the six-piece River Road band that accompanied her.

Her best efforts were during sparser settings (“Talking In Your Sleep”), in which she was backed in reserved fashion by keyboard, acoustic guitar or mandolin. Those moments gave her a chance to employ a limited number of stylistic tricks: breathy phrases that indicated pain, almost-spoken lines to signal sincerity.

The lack of character in her voice during up-tempo numbers was covered by harmonies added by her sister, Peggy Sue, and the two blended for sugary tones that carried them above the band.

Gayle’s sibling took a turn of her own on “Don’t Come Home A-Drinkin’ (With Lovin’ On Your Mind),” a tune she wrote with help from their other sister, Loretta Lynn. Peggy Sue’s coarse tones were a convincing complement to the scolding lyric. Her common-folk voice is more suited to country material than Gayle’s angelic sounds and it would have been nice to hear more from her. As it was, she joined Gayle for an “Everly Sisters” medley after some tired risque patter, before being banished to the back of the stage.

Gayle also brought out bassist Jim Fergusson to sing “You and I,” a tune she recorded in 1982 with Eddie Rabbitt. The ballad’s soft atmosphere again allowed Gayle’s sunny tone to shine.

Even if some of the arrangements were too crowded, the tunes received fine treatment from the River Road band, highlighted by Jay Patten’s soprano saxophone echoes (he also played guitar and mandolin) and fine fiddle work from Buddy Spicher.

For the most part, Gayle just went through the motions, without the conviction that she’s shown in the past. But just in case you’re wondering, the hair, down to her heels, still looks great.