| Country Strong Posted: This review is for both the standard edition of "Country Strong", and the additional music album "Country Strong : More Music from the Motion Picture"
Casting Gwyneth Paltrow as the lead in "Country Strong" may or may not have been a good idea, but she sounds spectacular on record. Most of you must have heard her lead vocals on "Cruisin'" and her lesser-known cover of "Bette Davis Eyes", but as a full-fledged country singer on this album, she really brings it. While I'm certain that country music audiences perhaps won't take too well to her (its hard to imagine someone so prim and proper singing about dusty backtown roads & whiskey, after all), Gwyneth achieved some airplay with her title track from this CD, and even though it stalled at No. 30 on the Country Songs chart, the album as a whole has been a consistent seller (someone compared it to the "Hope Floats" soundtrack, and that is a VERY reasonable comparison).
This review is for both CDs of "Country Strong". The first is the standard release thats available in stores, and the second is the download-only "More Music" album, which ironically contains some of the better cuts. I don't believe that one album can be chosen over the other, as they are both good (and very different) from one another. Still, it gives us a major recording star, a revelation in fact, in Garrett Hedlund, who sounds very close to Ryan Bingham here. The second album is packed with Hedlund tracks and thats a good thing.
Gwyneth Paltrow's songs here are often the highlights - some of them are rather iffy, such as the very un-country "Coming Home", but when she gets it right, she soars. Consider the albums best track - "Me and Tennessee", a duet with Tim McGraw that works on every possible level. Excellent production, songwriting, and Paltrow's vocals are much better than many contemporary country vocalists. Theres a richness there that cant be denied. Granted shes no Miranda Lambert, but I would rate her vocals ahead of Carrie Underwood (whos screeching sometimes borders on annoying) and Taylor Swift (who basically just talks over some instruments). Her "Travis" is exceptional - a rough musical number that is interspersed with dialog from the film, and its a surprising standout even in such demo condition. She has less luck with the overwrought "A Fighter", which seems to try too hard, but even here, you cannot deny her command over her vocal instrument.
However, the vocal standouts come on the second album. Garrett's inspired cover of "Silver Wings" is breathtaking. Its a perfect "cruising down the interstate" song, and one that sounds remarkably deep on a good sound system. Thats the other thing about this album - all the songs, save for "Travis", are mastered so well - even better than most current country albums; certainly light years ahead of even "Speak Now" by Taylor Swift or the last Lady Antebellum CD. I dont know why exactly this is, but its obviously a good thing.
Leighton Meester, who plays Blair Waldorf in "Gossip Girl" is a little out of her element here despite the fact that in real life she is actually a recording star (how on earth that happened one never knows). Pitifully, she is given rather insipid material to work with here, and they are often bookended by such good songs that you end up skipping her tracks entirely. On the first album, she sings "Words I couldn't say" with an affected southern accent that is rather grating. At least Paltrow gets the twang right (on her singing voice). Meester cant do that. Things get better for her on the second album where she gets one of the best songs - "Summer Girl". This sounds like a remnant of the 1990s all spruced up (which it is), but Meester does her best Colbie Caillat imitation here, and it works to some degree. At least its listenable. I much prefer her tracks with Hedlund, especially on "Give in to me".
Elsewhere on the first album, there are some great songs by Faith Hill (a good return to form), Sara Evans (who sounds so much lighter and refreshing on "A Little Bit Stronger" - also her lead single from her 2011 album - than she ever has), and Lee Ann Womack (who according to me is one of the last remaining true country singers). And of course, any compilation has to have a Hank Williams Jr song, so thats here as well. The second album has a plethora of Garrett Hedlund tracks, and in fact at times it feels as an advertisement for perhaps his solo country album, but the fact remains that all of these songs are SO good, and so timeless, that its impossible to find fault with them in any way at all.
Even a 'filler' track sung by songwriter Nikki Williams called "Fly Again" sounds like a radio-friendly country single - so high are the quality of the songs here. Even if you didn't see the movie, "Country Strong" CD1&2 are superb examples of how to create a compilation country album or soundtrack. It has all the elements for repeat playing, the engineering and sound quality are so good that you just have to buy the physical CD (Im an old-school sorta person), and the genre of country here is real country music, not that pop-rock stuff that often passes for country music these days. Just turn the lights down, get yourself a glass of somethin cold and turn on "Me and Tennessee" and tell me I'm wrong. Virtually flawless on some levels.
Five Stars. Finally a country album worth paying full retail for.
Tracklisting:
1. "Country Strong" - Gwyneth Paltrow 4:15
2. "Love Don't Let Me Down" - Chris Young and Patty Loveless 2:57
3. "A Little Bit Stronger" - Sara Evans 5:03
4. "Chances Are" - Garrett Hedlund 3:25
5. "Liars Lie" - Lee Ann Womack 5:19
6. "She's Actin' Single (I'm Drinkin' Doubles)" - Ronnie Dunn 3:28
7. "Shake That Thing" - Gwyneth Paltrow 3:54
8. "Thirsty" - Hank Williams, Jr. 3:12
9. "Give In to Me" - Faith Hill 4:11
10. "Timing Is Everything" - Trace Adkins 3:28
11. "Words I Couldn't Say" - Leighton Meester 4:26
12. "Coming Home" - Gwyneth Paltrow 4:13
13. "Me and Tennessee" - Gwyneth Paltrow and Tim McGraw 4:43
Country Strong (More Music from the Motion Picture)
1. "Silver Wings" - Garrett Hedlund 3:21
2. "A Little Bit Stronger" - Leighton Meester 5:17
3. "A Fighter" - Gwyneth Paltrow 4:33
4. "Hard Out Here" - Garrett Hedlund 3:09
5. "Summer Girl" - Leighton Meester 3:22
6. "Keep Me Hangin' On" - Jypsi 3:36
7. "Take Me Away" - Hayes Carll 4:12
8. "Kissin' In Cars" - Jesse Lee 3:30
9. "Turn Loose the Horses" - Garrett Hedlund 3:05
10. "Travis" - Gwyneth Paltrow 4:49
11. "Fly Again" - Nikki Williams 3:55
12. "Give In to Me" - Garrett Hedlund and Leighton Meester 3:29
13. "Hide Me Babe" Garrett Hedlund 3:08
14. "Timing Is Everything" Garrett Hedlund 3:24 |
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