Martina McBride Albums (10)
What The Critics Say
Shine is Martina McBride's first recording in two years, following up her successful album Waking Up Laughing. While the previous album was entirely self-produced -- a rare reward in Nashville, but one McBride earned with a string of platinum selling recordings -- on this set she is listed as a co-producer with the veteran Dan Huff. As is customary, husband John recorded and engineered the set. McBride has long been associated with anthemic songs, and an album by her without them would seem incomplete; in other words, there have to be real showcases for that incredibly powerful singing voice of hers, and Shine is no exception. The album's first single, "I Just Call You Mine," has the big swelling choruses, enormous string arrangements, wailing electric guitars, and singing pedal steel -- all with larger than life drums by Matt Chamberlain -- fits that bill. The set opener, "Wrong Baby Wrong," is another trope in McBride's arsenal in that it contains an uplifiting message of perseverance in tough times all set to a catchy, insistent, guitar-based rocker complete with power chords in the intro. What's most compelling about Shine, though, is its sound. In many ways, McBride has always been among the most contemporary sounding of her peers while always maintaining a sound of her own. Not so this time out. In fact, this disc sounds more like a Keith Urban record than it does one of McBride's. And that's not necessarily a criticism, just a bit of a shock. Musically it's consistent all the way through. The songs are all of a piece and flow seamlessly from one another. Textures are also remarkably similar, but the difference is the rock & roll sound at the heart of Shine. And make no mistake, McBride can sing rock as well as anything else she sets her mind to. Check the wildly celebratory single "Ride," with its shuffling, big drums and chugging guitars (which feel almost like outtakes from .38 Special's hit book) and the gradually ascending chorus. That said, even the ballads come across with a very modern slant -- check the faux Celtic "Wild Rebel Rose," or the breakup anthem "Walk Away," that gives way to rock in the chorus with its Urban-esque banjo textures flowing through the drums, pedal steel and power chords with a lilting fiddle tag. The set closes with another McBride trademark, the big, sophisticated adult contemporary ballad disguised as contemporary country music -- the one thing here Keith Urban wouldn't attempt on one of his own records: "Lies." A lone piano accompanies the vocalist through a heartwrenching verse. It threatens to explode at every turn, especially when the strings enter, but the tension just builds as synths, a slow, funereal snare and bass drum, and a dollop of acoustic guitar come in. Finally, two thirds of the way through, it does, but it's McBride's voice exploding over the top of the instrumentation that never competes with her. It remains staid so she can allow the catharsis to come pouring out. This is a solid, consistent date all the way through that is evidence of McBride's long chart success. ~ Thom Jurek, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
Martina McBride scored big with Timeless, her collection of classic country tunes in 2005. It was yet another feather in the singer's cap. McBride's reign near the top of country music's pantheon has been near constant. She's picky about the songs she chooses to sing, she works with sympathetic producers, and her voice is, well, timeless. She's got the Southern twang, but its timbre carries within it a vast scope of American music. Check "Anyway," the first single and video from 2007's Waking Up Laughing, and one of two tunes on the set McBride had a hand in writing (and she produced the set herself -- she's earned the right). It's subject is to pray regardless, take the action and leave the result in the hands of Divine Providence: "God is great, but sometimes life ain't good/When I pray it doesn't always turn out like I think it should/But I do it anyway/I do it anyway." It's anthem to the beauty of failure, the courage in tenacity, and a testament to the willingness to do the right thing no matter how it turns out. It's got a massive string section, a slow, pronounced piano. The guitars crash against the strings in the refrain and the entire thing nearly lifts off the ground. The only thing holding it steady is McBride's big contralto. This kind of drama is her stock-in-trade. Celine Dion has nothing on her. Song itself is where McBride's quest as an artist resides. In the opener, "If I Had Your Name," rocking guitars, fiddles, mandolins, and big bad drums underscore McBride's scathing indictment of another's character flaws: "If I had your name/I'd be changin' it by now." A popping bassline and twin lead guitars fill the middle with menace and rage. "Everybody Does" feels like a flip side for "Anyway," with the subject of failure in love. "Loveland" and "House of a Thousand Dreams" have less of that large, theater-sounding dynamic. They are more traditionally "country" songs, a term that in the 21st century can mean almost anything -- and yes, that's good: it simply stands for American music these days. Waking Up Laughing is another brick in Martina McBride's astonishingly consistent catalog. Her continual affirmation for Christian faith may alienate some but will no doubt register with many country fans. Any way you look at it, Waking Up Laughing is a winner. ~ Thom Jurek, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
Timeless refers to the 18 songs Martina McBride covers on her seventh studio albums, classic country tunes every one. Most of the songs date from the '60s and '70s -- the oldest songs here are the opening pair of Hank Williams' "You Win Again" and Ray Price's "I'll Be There," both dating from the '50s, along with Hank Snow's "I Don't Hurt Anymore" and another Price perennial, "Heartaches by the Number" -- and the great majority of these songs are quite familiar. "I Can't Stop Loving You," "(I Never Promised You A) Rose Garden," "Today I Started Loving You Again," "Satin Sheets," "I Still Miss Someone," "Love's Gonna Live Here," "Make the World Go Away," and "Help Me Make It Through the Night" have all been covered regularly and remain radio staples to this day, and even such comparatively obscure choices as Harlan Howard's terrific "Pick Me Up on Your Way Down" (made into a hit by Charlie Walker) are well-known to hardcore country fans. Instead of being a detriment, the familiarity is a blessing, since these well-known songs illustrate McBride's range, power, and subtlety as a vocalist, as well as her skill as an interpreter. Timeless strikes a tricky and effective balance of being traditional -- the thoroughly annotated, well-detailed liner notes reveal that this extended down to the recording, where mostly vintage equipment, with no digital plug-ins, were used -- and contemporary. The songs and sounds are familiar, and even when McBride does an unexpected arrangement -- the mellow, introspective acoustic-based "I Still Miss Someone" -- they're not wildly unexpected, yet this all feels fresh, due to the excellence of the band, McBride's sterling taste in material, and, best of all, her extraordinary voice. She has always been one of the greatest vocalists in contemporary country, but Timeless is the first time that she's recorded a full-fledged singer's album, one where she not only has the material to showcase her range, but also a sympathetic band, arrangements, and production to highlight her remarkable voice. The result isn't just one of the best country albums of 2005 but her best album since The Way That I Am. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
One of the greatest voices in country music today and reigning CMA female vocalist of the year shines on this, her sixth album. McBride's previous catalog of music has always been intelligent and full of emotion, and these 12 tracks are decidedly no different. True to womanhood, Martina embodies the spirit of being female in every role. McBride sings about a bride-to-be in the guitar-strumming "Wearing White," as a daughter in the gospel-infused bluegrass "Reluctant Daughter," as a mom in the affecting ballad "In My Daughter's Eyes," as a confident lover in the smooth and gentle "When You Love Me," and as a friend in the soft, midtempo "She's a Butterfly." Other standouts include a delicious reinterpretation of "Over the Rainbow" as only McBride could sing it and the dramatic "How Far" in the style of her 1997 hit, "Whatever You Say." In a lush career that now spans ten years, Martina McBride always has something new to offer with immeasurable artistry. ~ Maria Konicki Dinoia, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
Emotion is the fifth installment in a series of platinum albums from one of the most underrated voices in country music. After two years since the release of her double platinum Evolution, Martina McBride tears into these tracks showcasing the range and power of her incomparable voice. Evolution was a big-sounding record with lots of overdubbing and production. Emotion scales back musically using a very small band and the result is fresh and authentic, allowing McBride to captivate us with her resounding vocals. Aptly titled, Emotion, with lyrics like "anything's better than feelin' the blues" and "love's the only house big enough for all the pain in the world," tugs at the heart strings at times. But it's in "Do What You Do" that McBride lets us know that she's just doing what she does: "If you want to give them something different -- something to sink their teeth into -- well baby, you just do what you do." ~ Maria Konicki Dinoia, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
Evolution is an appropriate title; it's clear that Martina McBride has grown -- evolved -- between Wild Angels and this terrific follow-up. That's not to say Wild Angels wasn't wonderful in its own right -- its blend of rootsy country and contemporary production was clever, and her singing and songs were spot-on -- but Evolution is different and special in its own way. It is true that it's smoother than its predecessor, especially with polished duets like "Valentine" (with Jim Brickman) and "Still Holding On" (Clint Black). What makes Evolution work is the purity and power of McBride's voice -- she is one of the few contemporary country singers who can pull off this kind of country-pop. And that's not all she can do, as the rocking "Keeping My Distance" or the gospel-inflected "A Broken Wing" prove. Furthermore, McBride's songs remain staunchly independent and strong-willed, with clear feminist overtones, which helps make Evolution a rarity among contemporary country albums -- it's catchy and it has a heart. ~ Thom Owens, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
Coming two years after her smash The Way That I Am and her mind-bogglingly successful single, "Independence Day," Martina McBride had nothing to prove -- except to the folks in accounting at her record company. Wild Angels continues her exploration of melding classic country influences and modern pop -- long before Shania Twain dreamed it -- in the same way (albeit in a radically different time and context) that Patsy Cline did 30 years earlier. Using the same production team of Ed Seay, Paul Worley, and herself -- with a literal boatload of engineers -- McBride and company assembled a fine collection of songs and performers, including the Band's Levon Helm and Ashley Cleveland on backing vocals, to deliver a powerful set that is her most consistent yet despite not having a single as memorable as "Independence Day" (but you only get those once or twice in a lifetime anyway, right?). Here there are many standout tracks, not the least among them being a rocking & rolling country version of Delbert McClinton's classic "Two More Bottles of Wine" that blows away Emmylou Harris' version and rivals McClinton's. In addition, there are a couple of Matraca Berg cuts, including the modern country title track and the soulful weeper "Cry on the Shoulder of the Road." The Bunch/Stinson-penned "You've Been Driving All the Time" has that irresistible lead-in of acoustic guitars that gives way to compressed ringing electrics that underscore her voice so well and make the track a winner. But there aren't any weak moments here, and McBride proves for the third time that she not only is for real, but that she has the ability a lot of her peers don't to make consistently engaging, moving, and memorable music from album to album. That's an achievement. ~ Thom Jurek, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
While Martina McBride's blend of traditional country and progressive folk styles -- along with her powerful, remarkable voice -- got country audiences to sit up and take notice in 1992, it was The Way That I Am, and most notably its Gretchen Peters-penned single "Independence Day," that blew minds. While the song itself -- told from the point of view of a surviving daughter of an alcoholic wife-beater and an abused, long-suffering wife and mother -- ends in a tragedy of suicide and death, it is nonetheless a redemptive song that makes no moral judgments yet asks real questions about what "independence" actually means. Set on the Fourth of July, it pointedly asks, Does Independence Day mean independence for everyone or does it mean making the choice to free yourself from your bonds, no matter how horrific the consequences? Is it a choice made independent of society, morals, and cultural and religious mores because of the depth of one's convictions? McBride delivers the story with a tough, matter-of-fact, barely concealed rage, and yet that gives way to a transcendence in the refrain so stirring and shatteringly moving it was used in the aftermath of September 11th (even if it was taken out of context in the same way that Bruce Springsteen's "Born in the USA" was). It was an instant classic and remains one over a decade later. It's the kind of troubling song you cannot immediately -- or perhaps ever -- fathom. The listener is carried into the heart of the contradiction of a day of celebration and raw horror inside a tune so seductive and catchy it feels at odds with its lyric, yet comes together on the refrain only to split again into more fragments than can be counted. When McBride declares, "Now I ain't sayin' it's right or it's wrong/Maybe it's the only way/Talk about your revolution/It's independence day," the entire world inside the song comes apart, and you are left wondering who the right, wrong, and guilty are in the refrain, and you have to make out your own point of consideration regarding a "day of reckoning." There are no answers, just facts, questions, and ciphers. The single could have sold the album alone, but the other nine tracks here are quality as well. From the opener, "Heart Trouble," to "She Ain't Seen Nothing Yet," to the closer, "Ashes," the feel on the album, set by the completely modern country-pop sound of the single, is up-tempo, glossier, and more streamlined in its focus than her debut, but that's fine because McBride proves herself capable of delivering any kind of song in the end. There isn't a weak track in the bunch, and despite the more modern, less traditional sound, it makes little difference because McBride is a singer's singer: tough, true, and in full control of her gift. ~ Thom Jurek, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
Rest assured, it's highly unlikely that Martina McBride will ever issue another record that sounds like The Time Has Come. With co-producers Paul Worley and Ed Seay (who also worked with her on her breakthrough, The Way That I Am), McBride delivers a set of neo-traditionalist country and progressive country-inflected folk songs that showcase her ability to get to the heart of a song and turn it into something communicative and thought provoking. With a host of Nashville superpickers and backing vocalists from Garth Brooks and Carl Jackson to Kathy Chiavola, McBride turns in intense performances of the Emory Gordy/Jim Rushing classic "Cheap Whiskey" for a neo-honky tonk feel, as well as the stompin' nightclub country of the Longacre/Wilson-penned title track and the Lonnie Wilson/Charlotte Wilson/Herbert Wilson weeper "Losing You Feels Good." The album ends with Gretchen Peters' "When You're Old," a meditative love song delivered with the empathy, grace, and elegance that have become McBride's trademark. This is a very solid debut, even if it resembles none of her other work. ~ Thom Jurek, All Music Guide
