Martina Mcbride : Hits And More (RCA)
This new hits package is the sort of release you expect to come out just before Christmas but McBride and her label decided to release this generous 20-track CD only this week. The reason is probably in the title that includes the words ‘And More’ where the ever popular McBride is most likely hoping for yet another hit in her lengthy string of them with the three new songs found here.
McBride released a Best Of set about a decade ago and there is some crossover of material with the two collections but the focus here for long time fans will be the new songs with hit potential in the rootsy empowerment song Just Being Myself and the string-laden tear jerker ballad Straight To The Bone.
The country music business is notorious for abandoning stars of a certain age and, at 46, McBride is pushing the envelope of what narrow minded country radio will play. But her new material is as strong as anything in this set that includes major hits such as Ride, Independence Day, This One’s For The Girls, A Broken Wing, My Baby Loves Me, Wild Angels etc.
I have always admired McBride because she comes off as genuine where her songs and focus is almost always about family, and devotion that often borders on a spiritual tangent and that can be found in abundance on Hits And More.
B
James Durbin: Memories Of A Beautiful Disaster (EMI)
James Durbin came in fourth in last years American Idol sweepstakes and he did so by the less travelled route of singing hard classic rock and post grunge. He covered tunes by the likes of Motley Crue, Guns N’ Roses, Judas Priest and even Muse with their neo-evergreen Uprising.
Unfortunately, none of the songs that earned Durbin such a high placement are included on Memories Of A Beautiful Disaster as Durbin sings songs written for him by the producers, although he is listed as a co-writer on a couple of tunes.
Mick Mars does show up to play guitar on one of the better songs, Outcast, that is not without appeal in spite of the heavy studio audio compression.
Durbin sounds downright silly on the weepy ballad May (the name of his dead girlfriend) where Durbin seems to be trying to copy the loopy hit cover territory that Pearl Jam enjoyed with Last Kiss and its similar story line.
The closer, Stand Up, is also one of the two featured songs and if Durbin is going to have a hit here it is probably with this somewhat credible rocker.
C
