Turn the World Around

Turn the World Around begins like any other Eddy Arnold album from the late '60s, with easy listening vocal performances that connect tenuously, at best, with country music. Arnold was a popular balladeer and recorded many cherished albums in that style, but if you enjoy a little variety in your music, things pick up considerably halfway through the present album. Side two kicks off with the title track, a crossover hit that topped the country chart, and a cover of Wynn Stewart's big hit "It's Such a Pretty World Today," before moving on to a couple of ace up-tempo performances. "There's This About You" is a wonderfully catchy pop song that is grounded in the country idiom with tasteful lead guitar work, and "Love Finds a Way" is nearly as good. It is so rare to encounter spirited country music (well, country-pop...) on an Eddy Arnold LP from this period that almost anything that picks up the pace is welcomed. These two songs add enough spice to the platter to make Turn the World Around one of the more engaging albums from Arnold's later years. ~ Greg Adams