Song Listing | ![]() |
Disc 1
| | Song Title |  |  | | 1. Last Dollar (Fly Away) |  | | | 2. I'm Workin' | | | | 3. Let It Go | | | | 4. Whiskey And You | | | | 5. Suspicions | | | | 6. Kristofferson | | | | 7. Put Your Lovin' On Me | | | | 8. Nothin' To Die For | | | | 9. Between The River And Me | | | | 10. Train #10 | | | | 11. I Need You | | | | 12. Comin' Home | | | | 13. Shotgun Rider | | | | 14. If You're Reading This | | |
| | Tim McGraw has spent the last decade in the upper reaches of the entertainment world. His is a career marked by superlatives--by record-breaking tours and multi-platinum albums, and more recently by an expanding presence in movies. And yet, at bottom, McGraw's success is part and parcel of his Everyman status, of his ability to be known as husband and father as well as singer and actor, as citizen and friend as well as superstar. It is his believability, his knack for connecting with his audiences, whether he is singing a classic like "Live Like You Were Dying" or portraying the troubled father in Friday Night Lights, that have made his hard-won triumphs possible. Now, McGraw carries that legacy forward with the release of his latest CD, Let It Go, a collection with all the passion and vitality his legions of fans have come to expect from him. Let It Go, co-produced by McGraw with Byron Gallimore and Darran Smith, longtime lead guitarist and bandleader for McGraw's band, the Dancehall Doctors, showcases both his believability and the talent and charisma that have parlayed him into superstar status. Its themes are life and love, pain and joy, and the universal human striving for betterment, for rising above our surroundings and ourselves. The width of its 13 track spectrum can be gauged from two songs about freedom, "Last Dollar," the album's debut single, with its light touch on the subject, and the title cut, a soul-searing look at the process of carrying on in the wake of the baggage the past can hang on us. It deals with the pain of regret in "Whiskey And You" and "Kristofferson," "I'm Workin'" and "Comin' Home," suspicion in the song of the same name, and even revenge, in "The River And Me." Faith Hill joins Tim on two of the album's tracks, "I Need You," a bit of passion and power in the tradition of their widely acclaimed duets, and "Shotgun Rider," which channels "Desperado," offering some of the hope and solace that the Eagles classic only hinted at. Tim also offers fans a rare glimpse at his songwriting skills, with the album's tenth track, "Train #10," a bit of classic country indecision in the face of a bad relationship. Throughout, Tim reaffirms his position and triumphs as one of country music's premiere talents, a man with the ability both to select and to fully inhabit meaningful and compelling songs.
| | Album Notes and Credits |
Notes & Personnel Info |  | Personnel: Bob MInner, Byron Gallimore (acoustic guitar); Denny Hemingson, Darren Smith (electric guitar); Dean Brown (fiddle); Jeff McMahon (Hammond b-3 organ); John Marcus (bass instrument); Billy Mason (drums); David Dunkley (percussion); Greg Barnhill, Wes Hightower, Russell Terrell (background vocals). | | Additional personnel: Faith Hill (vocals). | | On his first album in nearly three years, Tim McGraw delivers more of the rock-influenced country that has made him one of Nashville's biggest stars, but in a more reflective, at times almost somber, mood. The title track sets a tone of heartbreak and unspecified desperation that's amplified through the album's other 12 songs. Even the traditional duet with McGraw's wife, the eternally sunny Faith Hill, is darker than usual: "I Need You" flirts with themes of addiction and helplessness, as does the rock-edged "Between the River and Me." In this context, the album's first track and leadoff single, the Big Kenny co-write "Last Dollar (Fly Away)," has a slightly weary vibe underscoring its good-times surfaces. Other highlights include the respectful tribute "Kristofferson," a version of Lori McKenna's "I'm Workin'," and the powerful "Nothin' To Die For," which encapsulates the undercurrent of desperation throughout the album as a whole. While not a cheerful listen, LET IT GO is a complex and ultimately hopeful album that ranks among McGraw's finest and reveals a previously unknown artistic depth. |
Producer: Byron Gallimore; Tim McGraw; Darran Smith | | |
| | Compilation Appearances |
| | Associated Artists and Works |
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| Tim McGraw When it came time to record his new record, Live Like You Were Dying, Tim McGraw knew just what he wanted. He was, after all, coming off the extraordinarily successful Tim McGraw and the Dancehall Doctors, which he and his longtime touring band had recorded in a mountaintop studio in upstate New York. The natural and creative atmosphere, the isolation that allowed them to concentrate fully on the music, and the attendant camaraderie all beckoned him to return. It was a decision that began paying off the moment they drove up. "It was like going away to summer camp," he says. "You've got all these guys that are your best friends who you've traveled around with forever and you go to the top of this great mountain, with snow outside and fireplaces inside. We were actually giddy about getting there." Capping it all is the fact that collectively they produced an album (which debuted at #1 on both the Pop and Country albums charts with sales of 766,000) that has already given Tim's incredible career another stellar moment. The CD's first single and title track, "Live Like You Were Dying," became one of his fastest-to-the-top singles ever and stayed on top for a 30-year record breaking 10 weeks at #1. The Tim Nichols/Craig Wiseman-penned smash is, among other things, testament to Tim's long-proven ability to tap Nashville's best writers for their most profound and touching work. In 2004 and 2005 the song has collected every award it was nominated for - CMA & ACM Single and Song of the Year and also Country Song of the Year at the Grammy's. "It's just a great song," he says. "Probably anybody could have recorded it and had a big hit, but it helps that we're in a great place in our career--things just seem to keep getting better. Five years ago I figured we were at the top of our game and that was the best it was going to get, but with every album it seems to keep on building on itself." Collectively, Tim's achievements are as remarkable as they are numerous: 9 albums spawning 25 #1 singles and selling 33 million copies, tours that consistently rank near the top in financial and entertainment terms, and scores of awards and among those a 2001 CMA Entertainer of the Year nod, 2 Grammy's and the 2004 People's Choice Award for Favorite Male Musical Performer. He is one of only three men ever to grace the cover of Redbook, his NBC Live Concert Special in 2002 ranked higher than specials by U2 and Paul McCartney, he was the headline act at the 2003 Nobel Peace Prize Concert, and in November 2004 made a stellar major motion picture acting debut with a role in the Universal/Imagine film Friday Night Lights with Billy Bob Thornton. His second NBC Concert Special aired Thanksgiving Eve 2004 winning the night for the network. 2005 kicked off with Grammy nods as Country Album of the Year for Live Like You Were Dying and song nominations too and his duet with Nelly, "Over and Over," has stayed atop the Urban charts for 12 weeks. In 2005 McGraw continues his celebrity cabinet board membership with the American Red Cross. Many artists have achieved great longevity or amazing levels of success, but Tim's career has indeed been remarkable for the way in which both have been intertwined for so long. That makes Tim's decision to reinvent a major portion of that career, combining road and studio into a seamless whole, that much more impressive. For Tim, though, the logic lies in the results.
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| Buy.com Total Price: $13.87 |
| | | In Stock: Usually Ships in 1 to 2 business days. |
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