Jo Dee Messina Albums (5)
What The Critics Say
Not counting a Christmas album and a greatest-hits compilation, Jo Dee Messina didn't release an album between 2000's Burn and 2005's Delicious Surprise. Five years is a long, long wait between records, and Messina does what any smart artist should and pretends that the gap doesn't exist by patterning her new album after the prevailing trends in current country music. At the midpoint of the 2000s, the hottest thing around is the Muzik Mafia spearheaded by gonzo country-poppers Big & Rich, whose protégée Gretchen Wilson is the biggest new female country singer of the mid-'90s. Messina uses Wilson, or at least Wilson's rowdy redneck image, as the foundation of her comeback on Delicious Surprise, which is filled with sexy pictures of Messina, starting with her toned stomach on the back cover to a shot of her topless on a white piano in the liner notes (for those interested in such things, the poster promised on the back cover is nothing more than the large picture on the fold-out booklet, meaning that if you tack this up on your wall, your CD no longer has a booklet). Wilson's attitude is also apparent on the sassy first single, "My Give a Damn's Busted," which sports not only the funniest lyric here, but also the leanest, liveliest arrangement. That's because, for all of the exterior makeover, Messina pretty much remains the same as she was in 2000: a dynamic, charismatic singer who's good enough to make her professionally crafted Nashville country-pop sound less formulaic than it is, but that doesn't disguise the fact that it's often standard Music City fare. And it's not the songwriting that's a problem -- she gets some of the best professional tunes on the market and her original material here (four songs, which is a grand total of a quarter of the album) is assured, confessional, and among the best material here -- but it's the production and presentation, which are too safe, predictable, and radio-ready. True, Delicious Surprise is well done, sounding as good as anything in mainstream contemporary country, but as "My Give a Damn's Busted" proves, Messina's already appealing vocals sound better in arrangements that don't rely on soaring choruses and aren't polished til they shine. Not that she sounds bad -- it's just that she doesn't sound as distinctive as she could or should, given that great voice of hers. All things considered, Delicious Surprise is a solid comeback -- after a five-year hiatus, it's simply good to have Jo Dee Messina back -- but the best moments here, whether the aforementioned single or her searching ballad "It Gets Better," are good enough to hold out hope that she releases an album of songs that consistently strong the next time around. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
Co-producers Tim McGraw and Byron Gallimore struck gold on Burn, Jo Dee Messina's third offering for Curb, and her last for five solid years. The formula on her first two offerings, her self-titled debut (1996) and I'm Alright (1998), seemed to work, and the pair didn't tinker with it all that much, except for the fact that the pair could see the bend in the road where the fork between contemporary country and slick adult pop came together and they met it head on. Given the monster set of contralto pipes that Messina possesses, it didn't matter; she crossed over into the pop mainstream anyway. The hits here include the awesome "These Are the Days," written by Holly Lamar and Stephanie Bentley, which wound layers of acoustic guitars, pedal steel, and a soaring harmonica that filled the center as fiddles and mandolins colored the backdrop. Messina expressed the "never say die" philosophy in the song with hunger and verve, putting it across with conviction and even a little mischievous delight. The title track is a love song like no other she'd recorded before. Its ringing guitars and nearly urban R&B bassline carried the monochromatic melody line into deep emotional territory, and once more Messina put the song across as if she'd lived it all, asking the question "Do you want to be a soldier, for love?" with all the authority necessary to communicate it to fans. "Dare to Dream" is such a straight-up pop/rocker it's a wonder it wasn't on every Top 40 station simultaneously. The album opens with the killer single "Downtime," which defines the heart of contemporary country: its themes of determination in the face of adversity, the belief in true love as a redemptive force, and a musical backdrop that is equal parts pop, country, and the light rock that powered the 1970s. There's even a more convincing argument for rock on the set in the Roy Hurd and Templeton Thompson tune "Nothing I Can Do," which has a near thundering guitar riff in the verse. Burn is a kind of small masterpiece that never dates, despite its occasionally sugary sound and very slick production; it's a testament to the vocal prowess of Messina, who is able to convey even the most ordinary lyrics with authority. Of the recordings she issued between her debut and 2005's Delicious Surprise, Burn remains her finest moment. ~ Thom Jurek, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
On the follow-up to her self-titled breakout debut, Jo Dee Messina and her production team of Tim McGraw and Byron Gallimore don't mess with what's not broke. Messina took two years to get I'm Alright to the fans, quite frankly because she was so busy touring in support of her hit record. Certainly a fencepost in the foundation blueprint for contemporary country records in the 21st century, I'm Alright contains ten cuts that either walk the line between country and straight-up radio-friendly pop or fall just to the country side of that fence. Messina has an enormous voice. While she doesn't have to stretch her contralto range much, her sense of dynamics is a near trademark, learned from the very best in the business. For proof, all one needs to do is go to the ballads, such as the Kostas and John Sherrill-penned "Because You Love Me," with its sense of restraint until the key moment in the refrain when caution is tossed to the wind and the singer delivers the proof in her conviction. The other tune Sherrill contributed to the set is the poignant "Even God Must Get the Blues," co-authored with Dene Anton. Messina's real musical companion in the tune is a lost and lonely Hammond B-3 organ -- which seems to have become a standard in contemporary country just as the upright piano was to the countrypolitan sound of the '60s -- and she walks with it, strolls with it, and dances with it through this socially conscious heartbreaker. But Messina can deliver party tunes, love songs, and break-up songs as well as anyone, as evidenced by the title cut that opens the disc. Driven by banjo, mandolin, pedal steel, and acoustic guitars, this one rolls with a backwoods back-porch vibe, and all is well with the world. Certainly the record is clean, perhaps a bit too clean, but the song selection is close to impeccable. Gallimore and McGraw were still finding their way with Messina here, and they hit pay dirt with her next record, 2000's Burn, where they found the perfect balance between country, pop, and '70s soft rock to dress Messina's voice in. ~ Thom Jurek, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
Country singer Jo Dee Messina has been voted top new female vocalist by the Academy of County Music, and walked away with the Country Music Association's Horizon Award. Before then she made her full-length debut into the music world with this 1996 self-titled album. Producers Byron Gallimore and well-known singer Tim McGraw oversaw the recording. The resulting album was an impressive outing for Messina. On this recording, music lovers can enjoy country ballads like "He'd Never Seen Julie Cry," "On a Wing and a Prayer," and "Every Little Girl's Dream," as well as upbeat, energetic pop-flavored numbers such as "Do You Wanna Make Something of It" and "Heads Carolina, Tails California." The latter is an early favorite of many Messina fans. After such a great first effort, it wasn't surprising that her next album, I'm Alright, released two years later, went double platinum. ~ Charlotte Dillon, All Music Guide
