"AN INDEPENDENT VIEW"
by: Linda Fryer
© March 2003

"SWEET FIRE"
ARTIST: MICHAEL ELVIN HUNT
CD TITLE: SWEET FIRE
PRODUCER: MIKE PALMER
LABEL: NIGHT WINGS RECORDINGS
Picture this, folks. I'm just getting on my new "Total Body Trainer, by Jake", and NOT happy about it, when suddenly this SONG hits me! And I mean, HITS me! I forgot about the exercise I was forcing myself to do, and instead, just concentrated on this great music. Is it possible for one to FORGET they're exercising?? Yep, I can attest to that. At least if it's the music of Michael Elvin Hunt! This CD, "Sweet Fire", arrived not long ago, and I really didn't intend to review it quite yet. BUT, I thought I'd give it a listen, just to get a feel for what's coming up for me. However, when I heard it, and FELT it, I knew I had to write about it…TODAY!

Michael is one terrific performer. He knows how to sing a song, and he and his producer, Mike Palmer, know how to line 'em up on the CD. First we have a song, "Some Sunny Day It Is"(Michael Elvin Hunt), that gets your attention. It's the kind of song I'd expect to hear from a band at a club, when I first see them get up on stage. The kind I'd just sit back and listen to, to see what they have to offer me. Quite an offering, I'd say!! Next up was "Even Tho'"(Willie Jones/Curt Peeples/Webb Pierce), which made me think, for some reason, of the old Gene Autry sounds. Then Michael and his band ( a fabulous one, by the way!) hits us with a song that just says "hey, get up and dance!!". Okok, I couldn't exactly 'get up and dance', but I did lose a whole jean size, during that song! (not that I NEEDED to, of course. I mean, geeeez…okok, I'll shut up) J

I loved the way these songs were layed out on this CD. And yes, it does make a difference, at least for me. If a string of songs is choppy, and doesn't really LEAD you anywhere, it's got too many surprises to suit me. Now, don't get me wrong, I LIKE surprises, and there are a few on this CD, too. But I find it very comforting, for a nice change, to listen to an album that LEADS me somewhere. This one does that. My compliments to everyone involved in that decision.

So, anyway, here comes song #4, and Lord have mercy! Just after getting my heart rate going 90 miles an hour, comes a song that brings me back to earth. And thank goodness for that! I needed a little rest by now! This one, "Night Wings" (Michael E. Hunt) truly tells you to sloooow down and get close and dance with your very favorite partner. It's smooth, and it's cozy, and it's oooh so romantic. Then, WHAM! Track five shakes you and wakes you and says "pay attention!" I LOVE it! And who else would write a song to wake you up from a romantic moment, better than good ol' Delbert McClinton? Yep, track #5 is "Victim of Life's Circumstances". Great choice, Michael! In fact, great choices all the way through this 11- song album!

Now, bottom line, folks, is that this is a GREAT CD. And it's been done for you dancers out there. It even includes, on the liner notes, the right dances! You don't have to figure it out. You just have to get up and dance the night away!
I couldn't have picked a better CD for my morning routine, than this one, and I have a feeling that you'll agree. Whether you're out dancing, doing your workout, or just buzzing through the house with a dust-cloth, you can't have better company than Michael Elvin Hunt and his newest CD, "SWEET FIRE". Take a moment and go to his website at http://www.michaelelvinhunt.com , and listen to this one. If you like country music, if you like country swing, you're gonna LOVE this one! …..'course, that's.....