Search - Various Artists :: Totally Country 6

Another Package of Treats Comes Rolling In

Plastic Salmon | 02/22/2007

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Once again a collection of recent country hits under the title of "Totally Country" arrives on the music store shelves; to provide a sampling of today's modern selection of country fare. These songs were on the country music charts in 2005 and/or 2006. In general, many of these are modern-style, mid-tempo tunes dealing with contemporary issues of daily life, with a few slower, and some faster tracks included in the package.



Country newcomer and American Idol winner Carrie Underwood presents "Don't Forget To Remember Me", a sentimental pop country hit, about a young woman who has moved out to her own place. It first depicts her mother telling her to remember her, then the daughter asking her mother and then God to remember her during this life transition.Two fast-paced, upbeat hits by female singers include "Sunshine & Summertime" by Faith Hill, a pop tinged song about summer fun, and Gretchen Wilson's "California Girls", a semi-traditional yet semi-pop hit featuring fiddle and guitar (not to be confused with an older song of the same title by a different artist). In moving the focus from play to work, Sugarland performs "Something More", a bouncy pop/country hit describing a career woman who desires more from life than just her tiresome, stressful job.



Life (or love) is not always ideal as illustrated in several of the songs in this collection such as "Life Ain't Always Beautiful" by Gary Allan, a slow, soft ballad about the downsides in an otherwise beautiful ride; Lonestar's "Mountains" about conquering challenges in one's life; and "I Never Promised You A Rose Garden" by Martina McBride, a remake of Lynn Anderson's 1970s hit about love's imperfections. Breaking up is featured in "Leave The Pieces" by the new female duo The Wreckers, in which the woman urges her undecisive man to leave their doomed relationship; Keith Anderson's "Everytime I Hear Your Name" features a man who is reminded of a former girlfriend and their relationship whenever he hears her name. George Strait's "She Let Herself Go" is a basically traditional gentle-sounding piece with a title that suggests the woman went to pieces when her man left her, but she let herself do some fun things instead.



Losing someone is featured in a couple of songs here. Kenny Chesney's "Who You'd Be Today" is a soft track about experiencing the loss of a friend or loved one and wondering what they would have been like and what they would have become or done if they were still living. The ballad "Last Day Of My Life" by Phil Vassar begins with an acoustic piano accompaniment, in which the death of a friend's girlfriend inspires the singer to love his own girlfriend and be as close to her as possible as if he might not have another chance.



Love songs are included here, as this is a tradition in country music. Blake Shelton's "Nobody But Me" is soft and low key, about a guy telling his girlfriend that he is the only one who really cares about her and loves her that much, and reminding her not to love anybody but him. Against a backdrop of a fast thumping beat, hurried fiddle, and guitar, "The World" by Brad Paisley, tells his girl that she means the world to him, even though other people know her as just another (fill in the blank here) as though she is just another one in the crowd. "Must Be Doing Something Right" by Billy Currington is a soft, gentle romantic ballad possessing a flavor of rhythm and blues blended with country.



"Something To Be Proud Of" by the Kentucky duo Montgomery Gentry is a mid-tempo piece that mixes country with a heavy rock sound. It features a boy talking with his father first about an event in war the elder recalls, and later (as a grown man) about his low-paying, humble job. His father reminds him that living an honest life and working hard to provide for the family are things to be proud of. Finally, Big & Rich present "The 8th Of November", a story of a Vietnam veteran reflecting on a day and event in the war nearly 40 years ago (at age 58 looking back on that historical day while he was 19 years old).



Overall, this is a well-rounded taste of today's popular country songs which are played on the radio. Many of these hits are also featured in music videos that can be seen on country music television networks. This album deserves 5 and 1/2 stars on a scale of 1 to 5."

If you don't know which artists to buy...

Marc A. Baldwin | Catonsville, MD USA | 12/10/2007

(5 out of 5 stars)

"... then buy this CD. I like country but I'm not country crazy. So I wanted to buy some music but had no idea about any of the artists' music except what I was hearing on the radio. This was a pretty good solution to my problem. You get the best of the country songs that they play on the radio instead of buying a particular artist's CD with only one song that you know. You really can't go wrong with these mix CDs."

Just barely made it

Rodney L. Beckett | winchester, ohio | 12/30/2007

(3 out of 5 stars)

"I've made a dedication to myself to collect each and every single totally country album. It was vol. 3 that got me started. All the beforeward and afterward records seemed pretty good. But this once was purchased by me by the skin of its teeth. Where's Rascle Flatts? Where's Eric Church? Where's Trent Tomilson?



The only songs to me that really made me think about buying it would have to be "8th of November" from Big & Rich, "Mountains" from Lonestar, and "Last Day of My Life" from Phil Vassar. The rest of the songs were either horrible or not very good.



Seriously, "Don't Forget to Remember Me" from Carrie Underwood is all played out! I mean, back when it was on the charts, that damn songs was coming on the radio all the time! If they could have put "Jesus Take the Wheel" on there instead then I would have been happy.



Faith Hill "Sunshine and Summertime" is exactly the same way. If she could put a little less effort into making it bright and upbeat, then maybe it would be a decent song.



We all know Gary Allan felt his wife's suicide when he recorded the song "Life Ain't Always Beautiful". I mean seriously, if you hear the song a little too much, you'll go into a deep depression that will last years!



For the most part, these songs come on the radio too often. The other totally country albums included some monster hits along with other songs that never made it too far, which is a good mix. But most of this CD is just worn out radio tunes. It's not worth the 14.99 I had to pay for at Wal-mart, but the only reason I got it is because I wanted to have the entire set."