Suzy Bogguss - Nobody Love Nobody Gets Hurt (1998)

Suzy Bogguss runs the gambit as far as the material she elected to use on this project is concerned. From great tunes by Cheryl Wheeler, Bobbie Cryner, and Julie Miller to run-of-the mill country-pop songs that elicit a response of little more than a yawn, Bogguss does almost nothing to excite her listening audience either way. With a few exceptions, her little-girl voice is ineffectual and mild-mannered. However, Bogguss does seem to come to life on a tune she co-wrote with Matraca Berg and husband Doug Crider called "Somebody to Love." She also exhibits a little fire on "Take Me Back," the Julie Miller tune that stands out because of its bluegrass charm. Assisted along the way by friends Patty Loveless, Trisha Yearwood, Alison Krauss, Kathy Mattea, Harry Stinson, and guitarman Dan Dugmore, this should have been a landmark recording for the likable singer who thrilled fans when she worked with cowboy bard Michael Martin Murphy and Nashville legend Chet Atkins.