Juice

by Stephen Thomas ErlewineJuice was Juice Newton's breakthrough album, sending her into not only into the country Top Ten, but also to the top of the pop charts. The key to her success was how her country-pop not only drew from country roots, but also '60s AM pop, folk-rock, and roots rock. For instance, the country production on "Angel of the Morning" can't disguise its soft rock roots. Similarly, "Queen of Hearts" simply replicates Dave Edmunds' version from Repeat When Necessary, down to the vocal inflections and guitar breaks. But Newton's version is slicker, which appealed both to country and pop radio. Throughout Juice, Newton straddles the line between country and pop, playing to both sides of the market. As it happened, she appealed to both. As an album, Juice has its weak moments, but she sings well throughout the record, and when she has the right material -- as on the hit singles -- the results are highly entertaining.