Faith Hill Albums (8)
'Joy to the World'
Release Date 9/16/2008
Tracks 11
Label Warner Bros.
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What The Critics Say
Faith Hill's holiday album Joy to the World is a proudly old-fashioned record -- almost too much so, really, as there is nothing surprising about it, from its collection of shopworn standards to the full-blown yet curiously stiff production. Basically, this is an album where if you read the title, you will know how the song will sound: "Joy to the World" gets a big, bombastic, orchestral arrangement appropriate for a concert recital, "Santa Claus Is Coming to Town" swings like Sinatra conducted by Billy May, "Little Drummer Boy" is prim and proper, "Holly Jolly Christmas" feels pulled from Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer, "Away in a Manger" is sweet and stately. Everything is business as usual, right down to Hill's performances: big, not blustery; they're immaculate theater, sometimes verging on grandstanding but often suited for the occasion. Which might not make Joy to the World a singular holiday album in any respect -- it's too pat and perfect to be memorable -- but for anybody looking for a new old-fashioned Christmas album, this suits the bill just fine. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
It's clear from the cover photo on 2005's Fireflies that Faith Hill is beating a retreat from her half-baked, half-successful 2002 pop diva makeover, Cry. Not that the album was bad, or even an outright flop -- it just failed to do what it was intended to do, which was to make Faith Hill a true rival to Shania Twain, where her pop success was as great as her country following. Big and polished Cry may have been, but it just wasn't memorable or hooky enough to be great pop and unlike Shania's very clever everywoman pose, Hill's pop move was too detached, too snooty for her country audience. Since she's no fool, Faith Hill has quickly returned to the country-pop and big ballads that brought her stardom on 1999's Breathe, but that doesn't mean she's not playing it smart and savvy. She's recorded several songs by John Rich -- best known as half of Big & Rich, but also a professional songwriter who is pretty close to being ubiquitous in 2005, in the wake of his duo's success. Here, he proves to be a sharp professional by bringing his craftsmanlike musical skills but not his oversized humor to the table with such songs as the laid-back, breezy "Sunshine and Summertime" and the appealingly slick power ballad "Like We Never Loved at All," delivered with harmonies by Hill's husband, Tim McGraw. Of course, this being a 21st century pop album, he's not the only collaborator or songwriter on board. Longtime Hill producer Byron Gallimore once again produces the great majority of the album, and he's as instrumental in steering Hill back toward the country-pop mainstream as he was in pushing her toward the pop mainstream, helping her deliver a set of strong, professionally crafted songs, highlighted by three selections from acclaimed singer/songwriter Lori McKenna. While it's hard not to wish that Hill had a few more loose, funny numbers like "Dearly Beloved" -- a kissing cousin to the Dixie Chicks' "White Trash Wedding" that's not only the purest dose of fun here, it's also the purest dose of country, too -- this is a good straight-ahead mainstream country album, aiming squarely at the middle of the road and hitting its target perfectly. The songs are solid and square, sounding comfortably familiar on the first listen and growing more memorable with repeated plays, Hill never oversings, and the entire affair is perfectly likable and pleasant -- the kind of thing that will shore up her support after the shaky Cry, even if it breaks no new ground. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
Lavishly produced and packaged, Cry marks the continued ascent of Faith Hill from the lowlands of down-home authenticity to the heights of pop superstardom. Though plenty of Nashville A-team players back her up, the sound they churn out has almost nothing to do with country music. Riding a tide of massed synthesizer textures, sweeping orchestral strings, thundering drums, rock guitar licks, and melodramatic dynamics, Hill strives for the biggest possible gestures in her performance. The results are the kind of glitzy fireworks normally associated with Star Search or American Idol, in which the lyrics take a backseat to raw exhibitionism, and only the most cursory nod is made toward country lyrical convention. ~ Robert L. Doerschuk, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
"What's in It for Me," the first track on Breathe, Faith Hill's follow-up to her starmaking third album Faith, is livelier than anything on its predecessor, but that doesn't mean it's country, even if it kicks off with sawing fiddles. This builds upon the pop overtures of Faith and turns Hill into a full-fledged diva -- something that should be clear from the cover of Breathe, where she's moussed and styled like a supermodel. And Breathe is as bold and brassy as any big pop album, which only makes sense since this is a country album in marketing only: it's an adult contemporary album, as Faith was before it, but where that was a bit of a humble affair, Hill is perfectly comfortable with acting like a star here, belting out songs whether they're rockin' anthems like "I Got My Baby" (which could have been a big hit for Whitney Houston in 1985), effervescent pop like "The Way You Love Me" or a power ballad like "Breathe." She's still celebrating love instead of singing about heartbreak, and while this doesn't have the warm, cozy feel of Faith, it has a punchy, rousing feel that makes this an inspirational aspirational record -- something to push you forward instead of being happy of where you are. If Hill still doesn't have the gaudiness or hooks of Shania Twain, or the sense of fun, that's fine -- this isn't music for the weekend, it's for getting through the week, and it's as good in an office as it is at home, the defining moment of Faith Hill's superstardom. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine, All Music Guide
'Love Will Always Win'
Release Date 4/19/1999
Tracks 13
Label Warner Bros
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What The Critics Say
On her third album, simply titled Faith, Faith Hill put all her chips on a big pop crossover move, picking songs by Diane Warren and Sheryl Crow to sing and giving the entire album a sleek, glossy finish that makes it as comfortable on adult comptemporary radio as it would be on country radio. This may not be country in its sound but it is in its sentiment, as it celebrates love -- there are no heartbreak songs here, just love songs -- hope and optimism, where "The Secret of Life" is a good cup of coffee, mom's apple pie and a beautiful woman: all things that make it comfortable, mature pop. Unlike Shania Twain, Hill never goes for big, outsized gestures -- there's no glamour or glitz here, nor is there much humor, as there is on The Woman in Me and Come on Over -- she goes for cozy and comforting, and while that can make Faith a little bit too warm and fuzzy (and despite its sheen, it does feel warm) for some tastes, it nevertheless is an expert middle of the road pop album, one that goes down easy, one that blends into the background yet is melodic and endearing enough to be listened to closely, and that's due to Hill's strong voice and open personality. This is before she became a diva -- it's what gave her that status and while that is a subtle difference, it is nonetheless an important one. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine, All Music Guide
'It Matters to Me'
Release Date 1/1/1995
Tracks 10
Label Warner Bros.
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What The Critics Say
On her second album, Faith Hill confirmed that Take Me as I Am was no fluke. Like her debut album, It Matters to Me is an ambitious, diverse set of contemporary country that proves Hill can tackle virtually every subgenre of country, singing rockers, ballads, socially-aware stories, and love songs with an equal amount of grace. The singles "Let's Go to Vegas" and "It Matters to Me" aren't the only strong songs here -- the entire album is rich with first-rate songs, as well as superb singing from Hill, one of the most promising female vocalist of the mid-'90s. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
Faith Hill's debut established the willowy singer as the lady-in-waiting to Reba McEntire's throne. Like McEntire, Hill's voice could crackle just as well as it sparkled, and Take Me as I Am allowed her to do both. The wide-open abandon of the hit single "Wild One" was immediate and undeniable, and Hill delivered the vocal with sassy, youthful exuberance. But she was just as convincing on the low-key heart-tugger "Just About Now" and the Gary Burr-penned ballad "Just Around the Eyes." She figured out a way to channel Janis Joplin's vocal during a country-fried retelling of "Piece of My Heart," in spite of a canned meat-quality backing track, and handled the Larry Steward duet "I've Got This Friend" with ease. By focusing Hill's vocal and supporting her with unobtrusive instrumentation, producers Burr and Scott Hendricks helped make Take Me as I Am that much more effective, and ensured that no one would forget about Hill anytime soon. ~ Johnny Loftus, All Music Guide
