Untasted Honey
Kathy Mattea · 1987
34 min · 10 tracks · country music
A rich blend of heartfelt storytelling and traditional country melodies, woven through evocative instrumentation.
Top tracks — play these first
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Eighteen Wheels and a Dozen Roses — This track showcases Mattea's signature storytelling style, vividly narrating the life of a long-haul trucker and his partner, embodying both romance and resilience.
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Goin' Gone — A poignant exploration of loss and longing, this song highlights Mattea's emotional vocal delivery against a backdrop of gentle instrumentation that enhances its bittersweet narrative.
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Untasted Honey — The title track encapsulates the album's themes of unfulfilled desire and introspection, offering listeners a reflective moment that resonates deeply within the context of her work.
Elevation
Our rating, out of 100 — and why.
AI-generated from five scored dimensions. An opinion, not a measurement.
The album showcases solid songwriting and instrumentation typical of its genre, with effective pacing and emotional depth.
What we noticed
- The first three tracks establish a strong narrative focus, with storytelling lyrics that draw the listener in.
- Several songs feature prominent fiddle and acoustic guitar arrangements, typical of traditional country music.
- The final track features a gradual fade-out, leaving a lingering sense of reflection at the end.
- Composition 25% of the score
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7/10
- Craft 20% of the score
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6/10
- Durability 25% of the score
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6/10
- Distinctiveness 18% of the score
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6/10
- Sequencing 12% of the score
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7/10
the writing — melody, harmony, structure, lyrics
production, performance, arrangement
whether it rewards returning to it
whether it sounds like itself
running order, pacing, length
Known within its scene. Reported but not counted — how far a record travelled describes its reception rather than the record, and a newer release has had less time to travel than an older one.
Is this for you?
Good fit if you like
- steady mid-tempo reflective moments
- heartfelt narratives for quiet evenings
- rich storytelling with emotional depth
- for afternoon drives
Maybe skip if you
- seeking high-energy party tracks
- prefer standalone singles over albums
Where this album fits
- Career context
- Released on September 28, 1987, Untasted Honey was Kathy Mattea's third studio album, following the commercial success of her previous album, From My Heart. At this point in her career, she was solidifying her reputation as a leading voice in country music, known for her ability to blend personal narratives with broader themes.
- Stylistic neighbors
- Mary Chapin Carpenter· Emmylou Harris· Nanci Griffith
Tracklist
Best experienced from track one — press play and let it unfold.
- 1 Untold Stories 3:04
- 2 Life as We Knew It 3:20
- 3 Eighteen Wheels and a Dozen Roses 3:23
- 4 The Battle Hymn of Love 2:56
- 5 Late in the Day 4:31
- 6 Goin' Gone 4:28
- 7 Untasted Honey 3:27
- 8 Like a Hurricane 3:30
- 9 As Long as I Have a Heart 3:03
- 10 Every Love 2:57
Reference: Wikipedia · MusicBrainz · Wikidata
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