EDDIE O’STRANGE, CM PRESENTER, NEW ZEALAND
I still love your album, good selection of songs, good playing and production. But the special thing is your voice quality - you have the rare qualities these days of being both distinctive and utterly attractive…can’t mistake you for anyone else!
ELIZABETH LORD & LEIGH JAMES
Love it, love it! You seem to be growing younger with every passing day. You inspire me, delight me and give me hope for the next decade of my life. We love you Clel.
MARYLOU STEPHENS, ABC COAST FM
Love the website, love the DVD of your launch. Your voice is magnificent. it’s one thing to sound great in the studio, but when you sound as good as you do live, it’s brilliant. You age getting better and better. it’s a real joy. I love the song on the DVD with Ted (Tillbrook) and (Paul) Wookey’s voice is sounding good too. what a great band, what a wonderful woman. You go girl!
BOB ANTHONY JNR. Up Country
February, 2005
Northern Rivers NSW resident Clelia Adams has lived through the ups and downs of life, but one thing is certain, she has never lost her love of music. The talented country singer has made a name for herself singing country, and this album shows plenty of her vocal versatility. From the catchy upbeat opening original, through the classics, great uptempo rhythms and very interesting arrangements of the songs, which are well known to country fans, makes this album easy to listen to and allows it to have broad appeal. There’s a lot to like about this album, which is familiar and friendly, and a real party pleaser.
EDDIE O’STRANGE, Town & Country Radio, New Zealand
Another lovely collection. And they say the sophmore album is statistically never as good as the debut! You proved that theory wrong, working with Stu, Michel, Camille and the other tasteful and creative musicians was certainly an inspired decision. Your “Heartbeat Highway” is a bona fide beauty!! We’ll be featuring this album.
DEBORAH MINTER, Capital News
March, 2005
A real toe tapper, “Heartbeat Highway”, is a fantastically appealing track to open Clelia Adams’ new album by the same name. Clelia wrote the song and it stands up admirably beside the “hillbilly/country pop” covers that complete the CD. Produced by Feral Swing Katz’ Stuart French and using the fine musicians in the band, the album is filled with sure-fire audience favourites. Practically every track makes you want to dance. Clelia lets the vocal chords loose with “Yodellin’ Blues” and “Cowboy’s Sweetheart”, and if 11 tracks aren’t enough, there’s 3 bonus tracks. There’s a lot of fun going on with this album and it shows, in the brightness and cheerfulness in Clelia’s voice. Go on folks, get dancing!
ALBUM OF THE MONTH: Bjarne C Hessellbjerggaard, International Country, “Country-Action Show” Denmark
20 May, 2005
Jacques (Rockin’ Boy) Dufour, Country Web Bulletin
21 June, 2005
The heart stopper this month comes from Australia with a very simple album of pure country music. On this vast continent, on the other side of the world, country music has always been popular. Australia has its pioneers from the 50’s and 60’s, such as Slim Dusty. The tradition relies on ballads about the bush, but the last few years has seen the arrival of a group of young artists more inspired by the sounds of Nashville than the story of trains criss-crossing the outback. Some of these artists have successfuly emigrated to the US, such as Jamie O’Neal, Sherrie Austen & Keith Urban, but the local scene remains highly vibrant and Clelia Adams does not dream of becoming the next Australian Shania Twain. Her music does not have a hint of pop. Just to five you an idea, her (Clelia’s) previous album (2001), dug into the repertoire of Bob Wills, Hank Williams, Jimmie Rogers, heather Myles and Rosie Flores. her latest release “Heartbeat Highway” offers more of Hank Williams (Settin The Woods On Fire), but also Iris deMent, Patsy Montana and even a true/real Clelia Adams original. You will find some waltz, honky tonk and even some yodeling rock (Yodellin’ Blues). And none of it sounds back-ward looking. She is accompanied by the best studio musicians in Australia, some of whom are Michel Rose (pedal steel & dobro), and Stuart French (guitar). And one can really hear the steel pedal, the dobro and even the accordian. ONE OF THE BEST ALBUMS OF TRUE COUNTRY MUSIC FOR THIS YEAR!
ALBUM OF THE WEEK, Pete Smith, “The Advertiser”, U.K
16 May, 2005
It was almost 3 years ago that I first brought this exciting Australian talent to your attention with her album “Bring it On”. It was almost as it that album title was an instruction, for Clelia has certainly “brought it on”, country style for her latest release. The eleven superb performances span the generations with songs from Patsy Montana’s “Cowboy’s Sweetheart” (wonderful yodel!) to Hank Williams, Iris DeMent, Kay Starr, Doris Day and more. Bavk on the strictly country beat, there are Clelia’s own “Heartbeat Highway”, “Talk of the Town”, “Settin the Woods on Fire” and one of my all time favourites “Back In Baby’s Arms”. As a bonus, there are three rock and roll favourites “Mountain of Love”, “Stupid Cupid” and “My Boy Lollipop”.
BURT EVERETT, Country Pickins, Bundaberg Guardian
8 June, 2005
Very occasionally, an album comes along that has the knack of leaving you feeling happy, and such is the case with “Heartbeat Highway” from Clelia Adams. The young lady is comparitively new on the scene, but one gets the feeling that before long, she will be maiing rather large waves in the Australian Country Music world.
Originally from Tamworth, Clelia now calls the Northern Rivers district of NSW her home. A country music album mainly (heartbeat Highway, Half As Much, Back In Baby’s Arms, Cowboy’s Sweetheart, Yodellin’ Blues and many more), this album will tug at the heartstrings of many old rockers with songs like Green Door, Stupis Cupid, Rock and Roll Waltz and My Boy Lollipop coming into the equation. My pick on this CD would have to be Clelia’s great version of Iris DeMent’s classic “Our Town”. The vocals are great, the backing (headed by Stuart French), is spot on, and if this CD doesn’t leave you feeling warm and happy, you’d be strongly advised to book an appointment with your friendly GP, because man, you’ve got a problem!