My esteemed colleague and friend Vodkapundit began this series for our VIPs telling the stories of underappreciated albums. He has set the bar high — but apparently not high enough because he invited me to contribute.
My musical journey started with the middle-of-the-road ‘70s pop and the early-era Beatles that my mom listened to, my dad’s country music obsession, and the classic rock that my aunts exposed me to. From there, I’ve branched out to eclectic tastes; I listen to a little bit of almost everything.
One of my all-time favorite female vocalists is Maria McKee. I’ve been a fan of hers for most of her career (I’ll explain why I say “most” later), but not many people know about her. If you’ve seen the movie “Days of Thunder,” you’ll recognize her song “Show Me Heaven.” You may know "A Good Heart," a song she wrote that made the "Road House" soundtrack, or you might be familiar with her duet with Dwight Yoakam, “Bury Me.”
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I first heard about her through her work in the seminal ‘80s cowpunk band Lone Justice. She was a petite young woman with a big voice, and the apocryphal story that circulated around L.A. at the time was that when she sang “Don’t Toss Us Away” live with Lone Justice, couples who were having trouble would reconcile right there on the spot. Dolly Parton once called her “the greatest girl singer any band could ever have,” which is high praise indeed.
McKee recorded an impressive self-titled solo album in 1989 after the band broke up, but her second record four years later is a truly underappreciated classic. 1993’s “You Gotta Sin to Get Saved” isn’t a perfect album, but that unpolished sound that’s so far from slick is part of what makes it so great.
McKee teamed up with George Drakoulias, fresh off of producing the Black Crowes’ first couple of albums, for a set of country-rock songs that cultivate the right kind of ‘70s, Laurel Canyon vibe. Nothing rocks too hard, and almost nothing is too soft. It's not the too-slick-for-its-own-good Jimmy Iovine production of Lone Justice's second album "Shelter," and it's not the Shawn Colvin-lite of her eponymous solo debut.
“You Gotta Sin to Get Saved” mixes appealing originals with some inspired covers. She tackles two Van Morrison numbers — “My Lonely Sad Eyes” and “The Way Young Lovers Do” — and manages to make them her own, while her take on Dusty Springfield’s “I Can’t Make It Alone” gives the original a run for its money, and it’s my favorite one to harmonize to.
The original songs are equally compelling, and they demonstrate McKee’s vocal power and versatility. “I Forgive You” builds in intensity as McKee’s protagonist tells her lover that bygones can be bygones. “Only Once” tells the story of a woman who’s been around the block a few times but still recalls the one time she fell in love.
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McKee’s Christian faith weaves its way into the album in subtle ways. It’s not like she’s making a statement of faith, but you can catch what was then her worldview in snippets. “My Girlhood Among the Outlaws” is a semi-autobiographical account of her time with Lone Justice, and it includes the confession: “I tried to live outside grace, and I was humbled.” “Why Wasn’t I More Grateful (When Life Was Sweet)” is one that we all can identify with, even if we’re not going through difficulties.
Then there’s the title cut (and the last track). “You Gotta Sin to Get Saved” is a tongue-in-cheek romp that’s meant to sound like a live recording even if it isn’t actually one. In this song, McKee’s protagonist wants to sow her wild oats and remain unrepentant until it’s time to settle down with the man she wants to marry. And it’s absolutely fun.
I mentioned earlier that “You Gotta Sin to Get Saved” isn’t a perfect album, and one track falls short of the rest of the album’s near-perfection. I suppose “Precious Time” isn’t a bad song, but it’s nothing close to the other nine sublime tracks. It’s the most country track on the album, but it just drags, especially when you consider that it sits between two compelling covers.
That one disappointing track aside, “You Gotta Sin to Get Saved” is an album that any lover of good music should listen to at least once. The production is impeccable, the musicianship is top-notch, and it doesn’t sound the least bit dated. But above all, Maria McKee’s voice is the star of the show.
It was the last album McKee made on a major label (Geffen), but she went on to make a few independent albums that were uneven but always fascinating to listen to. Around 2018, she declared herself pansexual and began to act like a foul-mouthed lesbian on social media. I don’t know if she still claimed to maintain her Christian faith at that point, but that revelation was hurtful for a longtime fan who appreciated her beliefs, and I couldn’t listen to her music for a few months.
But I always have the music of hers that I loved, and “You Gotta Sin to Get Saved” is one of my favorite albums, hands down. You can listen to it on Apple Music in lossless audio and on Spotify. Don’t miss out on this underrated classic.
