John Michael Montgomery Albums (11)
What The Critics Say
It's been four years between John Michael Montgomery's Letters from Home, his final Warner Bros. album, and the independently issued Time Flies, and the veteran country singer throws a couple of curve balls to longtime listeners. Produced by Montgomery and Byron Gallimore, the album has a sound reflecting the post-2005 slickness that the ever-finicky contemporary country market calls its hallmark for this season, but never compromises the singer's trademark identity as one of the best baritones in the business. It kicks off with the rollicking rocker "What Did I Do," a ne'er-do-well's version of a love song that is more braggadocio than substance, but it's uptempo and the best excuse for a drinking song on the whole set. The more staid ballads come next, but Montgomery doesn't sound contented in them. They are full of desire, yearning, loss, regret, and devotion. "Let's Get Lost" is an empathic reassurance to a loved one who is uncomfortable in her present surroundings. The midtempo 4/4 tune is classic Montgomery, as strings, guitars, and slightly edgy fiddles rise and fall with his lines. "If You Ever Went Away," one of the slowest tunes here, is sung with desperation and humility as a B-3 and fingerpicked acoustic guitar offer ready support to the singer. Other notables on the set include the humorous honky tonk nostalgic love song "With My Shirt On," the swaggering two-step "Mad Cowboy Disease," and the devastatingly beautiful "Drunkard's Prayer." It's unlikely that Montgomery will set the charts on fire with Time Flies, but that has more to do with the youth-centric market for contemporary country than the quality of the music here, which is quite consistent and as good as anything out there. Montgomery's still got it: he's a signature performer in a generic business, and what's weird about that is that it might work against rather than for him. ~ Thom Jurek, All Music Guide
'Letters from Home'
Release Date 4/20/2004
Tracks 10
Label Warner Bros.
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What The Critics Say
Theoretically, the record that follows a greatest-hits album offers artists an opportunity to redefine themselves, to try something new, or at least jump to a new label. On Letters From Home, John Michael Montgomery's first album since the comprehensive 2003 collection The Very Best Of, the country singer doesn't do any of these things. He's continuing in the mellow, nostalgic direction of his last album, 2002's Pictures, toning down some of his rowdier ways and settling into middle age. He's not alone in retreating toward the familiar. Many of his peers have also spent much of the first part of the 2000s basking in nostalgia and patriotism, which is a reasonable response to 9/11. Unlike Toby Keith or Alan Jackson, Montgomery never mentions the terrorist attacks explicitly on Letters From Home, but the title track is from the perspective of a soldier overseas and on "That's What I'm Talking About" he turns away from the talk of war by slipping under the covers. The entire album is basked in a warm, burnished nostalgia, which suits Montgomery's rich baritone well, even if the preponderance of slow songs can make the record a little sleepy; even the handful of faster songs, such as the endearingly silly "It Rocked" and the closer, "Little Devil" (which is the closest this comes to honky tonk, thanks to its sawing fiddle and twangy guitars), are relaxed, not energized, which actually helps give the album cohesion. The end result is not Montgomery's best album, but it's a sturdy work that showcases the country crooner what he does best: smoothly singing heartache tunes, odes to the past, and love songs. It may not be a new beginning, but fans aren't likely to complain, either. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine, All Music Guide
'Mr. Snowman'
Release Date 1/1/2003
Tracks 10
Label Warner Bros./Nashville
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What The Critics Say
Perhaps it's a sign that time is creeping along, but after ten years of success, John Michael Montgomery dilutes some of his lovable rascal persona with a more mature perspective on Pictures. The titles hint at his broadening focus: "Love and Alcohol," with its good-time beat and shouts of "Hey, bartender," admits right up front that the women get better looking with each new round. But on the title track, Montgomery offers grandkids yet to come and wedding pictures that are far from yellowed as measures of a life well spent, and on "I Wanna Be There" he similarly anticipates a future of idyllic fatherhood with his young daughter. He presents all of this with his reassuring baritone croon, backed by an idiomatically correct assembly of Nashville studio all-stars. If there's any distressing detail here, it's the formulaic writing. Each song, whether sentimental or mischievous in its intent, projects a one-dimensional image of a life concerned with nothing weightier than drinkin', dancin', drivin', or looking back on those wild days, or forward to a time when other things matter more. Attempts to push past these limits seem a little awkward; nobody who talks like the folks in these songs would say, as Montgomery does in "It Goes Like This," that some little hottie over there has a "thunderstorm of love" inside of her. On the other hand, these concerns are real to lots of people, and if they need a singer to articulate them in song, then Pictures serves that purpose. ~ Robert L. Doerschuk, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
Montgomery's eighth album Brand New Me will no doubt meet with the same kind of success many of his storytelling songs like "Hello L-O-V-E" and "Home to You" have before. But songs that tell a story and tug at the heartstrings are what he's about. And there isn't much that differs on this album from anything you've heard from Montgomery before. Produced by Buddy Cannon, Norrow Wilson, and Montgomery himself, fans will surely enjoy "Bus to Birmingham," a touching ballad about a man who has to let the love of his life go; "Even Then," another moving ballad about a man who can't love his partner enough; and, for fans looking for the upbeat Montgomery that gave you previous hits like Sold!" and "Cowboy Love," there's the likable "Brand New Me" and the catchy ditty "That's What I Like About You." ~ Maria Konicki Dinoia, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
John Michael Montgomery settled into a groove early into his career, choosing to never push things too far. He had an easygoing style and a mellow baritone that sounded equally good on country rockers and love ballads. To the dismay of hardcore country purists, Montgomery chose to keep things easy -- his rockers never pushed too hard and his ballads were clean and calm. This inclination to keep things smooth only increased as his career progressed, and his sixth album, Home to You, is his smoothest yet. Nearly every song on the album is a love ballad, and all of them sound better-suited for adult contemporary radio than contemporary country radio (in the case of "Nothing Catches Jesus by Surprise," it could fit right into a CCM station's play list). Not that this is necessarily a bad thing, since Montgomery's strength has always been ballads, but the album winds up sounding very homogenous and bland after a while. It's hardly an unpleasant listen, yet few songs distinguish themselves from their peers. Those that do will undoubtedly sound fine on the inevitable second greatest-hits collection, but in this context they're part of the sonic fabric on an album that is essentially romantic country mood music. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
John Michael Montgomery's fourth album, What I Do the Best, doesn't tamper with his hitmaking blueprint at all. Essentially, it follows the same pattern as its three predecessor, relying equally on heart-tugging ballads and clean, up-tempo neo-honky tonk and country-rock. Occasionally, the material is below par and Montgomery's delivery doesn't quite save the weaker songs, yet the best moments of What I Do the Best are among his greatest, blending well-written songs with crisp production and assured singing. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine, All Music Guide
'John Michael Montgomery'
Release Date 1/1/1995
Tracks 10
Label Atlantic
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What The Critics Say
It doesn't really matter that John Michael Montgomery replicates the formula of its hit predecessor, Kickin' It Up. Even though it has the same country-pop ballads, slick country-rock and honky tonk numbers that made Kickin' It Up a monster commercial success, the record doesn't sound dull or repetitive. Most of the album's success is due to the clean, commercial production, which makes even the weak material entertaining. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
As the title suggests, John Michael Montgomery kicks up the tempos and reveals a stronger country-rock bent. He still leans heavily on contemporary ballads ("I Swear," "Rope the Moon"), but proves just as capable on the brawnier songs. Kickin' It Up became a number one album on the pop charts shortly after its release. ~ Michael McCall, All Music Guide
