Dave's Review

Label: 3ABN Music
Producer: E. T. Everett
Website: www.3abn.com
Song Titles: "Makin' Memories," "I Need You," "It's All About God," "Only Jesus," "You Are The One," "Glory To God," "My Jesus I Love Thee," "Wonder Of God," "Crazy," "Nothing But The Blood," "Make My Life Yours Today," and "Spread A Little Love Around"

Linda Shelton writes most of her own songs and hires the right musicians to get excellent sounding music tracks. She has a pleasant voice. Makin' Memories consists of 12 tunes, nine written by Shelton plus two traditional hymns and a new song by Harley Allen and John Wiggins ("Spread A Little Love Around").

Reggie and Ladye Love Smith along with Judy Rodman provide background vocals for most of these songs. Linda's husband Danny joins her for a love song duet titled "You Are The One" and again for a verse on "Glory To God." Milton Smith created synthesizer orchestrations for four tunes, while the Nashville String Machine contributed the real thing to seven others. Smith is really a specialist in this area. It's difficult (often nearly impossible) to tell what's live and what's "Memorex" unless the songs are pointed out and you listen very closely.

A few miss-steps notwithstanding (accents on the wrong syl-LA-ble, for instance), Shelton's lyrics are generally pretty good. I wish she would loosen up and be just a bit more expressive vocally, though. She sings everything correctly which is usually a great point, but Shelton is so correct she sounds sterile in some spots. "Spread A Little Love Around" has borderline novelty lyrics, for example, but it doesn't come across as a novelty song at all. Even so, fans of singers (like Anne Murray) who don't overly decorate their delivery should enjoy Makin' Memories.