Tim Time (Everywhere - Tim McGraw)

Member Name: GuruOnAMountain

Product:	Everywhere - Tim McGraw
Date:	03/09/04 (131 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: More pop-like than cheesy country.

Disadvantages: Fiddles and the country drawl might put some people off it.

Well I suppose it's time for me to come out the closet and admit my guilty pleasure. Yip, I like a bit of country music. Oh, the shame! But before you all run for the hills screaming, let me point out that I'd heard the cheesy line-dancing music and the old-time songs with lyrics that made you feel like ending your life, and I wasn't too keen on going near it with a ten-foot barge pole until Tim McGraw changed my mind.

After a friend visited Tennessee, she came back home singing the praises of a certain Tim McGraw, and she sent me home with a CD in my hands telling me to give it a listen. The CD happened to be Tim McGraw's "Everywhere".

The first thing that struck me was the modern, stylish look of the CD insert. I guess I was expecting something a bit cheesier from country music, but instead a black and white photograph of a sultry looking, bearded man adorned the front with the words "Tim McGraw Everywhere" in the right hand bottom corner. The back had the track list and a picture of the side of Tim leaning against a wall. The fact that this is a country CD becomes a bit clearer here as you can clearly see his cowboy hat and boots, but I had to admit he was a pretty good looking guy, which is probably what made me give in eventually and stick it into the CD player.

A lot of country music purists don't like Tim McGraw and similar artists because they think they've made country music too rock-esque. Maybe they have a point. The music sounds more like slightly countrified pop and rock hits you'd not be too surprised to hear on a British radio station. However, you can hear fiddles quite clearly, the distinctive country drawl of McGraw's voice and a lot of country style guitar work, so
it is certainly more unique and fresh than anything you'd expect to hear on the radio.

There's quite a lot of melisma throughout the album (when there's more than one note sung to a syllable) and bending of sung notes etc. which is quite odd to hear in a male voice at first, I found, but you soon get used to it. The fiddles are always creeping in in some way, but after a while you don't really notice them in the background, as usually you tend to be more focussed on the vocals, a guitar solo etc.

For a quick track run-through:

1. Where the Green Grass Grows
This is a really great track to start the CD off with. It's country influences are very clear as it starts off with a fiddle introduction, but the drums and guitar soon burst in. The chorus is quite upbeat (Ok, and I'll admit, ever so slightly cheesy), and basically it is a cheery little song where McGraw sings about going to live "where the green grass grows", even though things might not be perfect for him right now. It lasts for 3 minutes and 22 seconds, according to the CD case.

2. For a Little While
This is another upbeat little number that features a piano as well as the usual guitar, drums and fiddle and the lyrics sing about a girlfriend that was a fiesty character who leaves, but the singer is just pleased that she was his for a while. 3 mins 33.

3. It's Your Love
This is a downbeat, lovey dovey number sung with Faith Hill (McGraw's wife) who went through quite a popular period here not too long ago. This song doesn't sound particularly country (well apart from the distinctive accents), and is a sweet little song with the two voices harmonising nicely in the chorus. 3 mins 45.

4. Ain't That The Way It Always Ends
Considering
this song's lyrics are about disappointments in peoples' love lives, it is another very bouncy, cheery little number. It features a nice little guitar solo near the end for those of us who like to do a bit of air guitar while listening to music. 2 mins 47.

5. I Do But I Don't
Another quite downbeat number, with the fiddles being very prominant. The lyrics are about a woman that keeps popping back up into the singer's life and he doesn't know whether he wants or not. 3 mins 28.

6. One of These Days
A very sentimental, reflective number. The lyrics are quite nice, and I'm sure we can all relate at least partially to the little boy sung about who is bullied at school, either as the victim of bullying, the bully or as someone who sat aside watching what was going on but not stopping it. 4 mins 41.

7. Hard on The Ticker
This has to be one of my favourite songs on the album. It is really upbeat and rocky, and is one of those songs you can't help but sing along to. It's nice and gritty and features great lyrics such as "That girl is such a hazard that she ought to have a sticker saying hard on the ticker". Great song to just play when you're coming home from work or Uni on a Friday. 3 mins 40.

8. Everywhere
This is the title song of the album and is another quieter, more contemplative track, which contrasts nicely with the previous song. The lyrics are quite nice to listen to, and I definately like this song, although I feel it is a bit more country than some of the other songs on the album, so that might put some people off this track a bit. 4 mins 50.

9. Just To See You Smile
Another cheery one, even though the lyrics are slightly sad at the end. It has a nice little upbeat rhythm to it, but is definately one of the chee
siest tracks on the album, but fun nonetheless. 3 mins 34.

10. You Just Get Better All The Time
Another slower track, and for some reason some parts of the song sound kind of 'crooner-esque'. It is a sweet song with a pretty guitar part, but I find it somewhat boring. 3 mins 21.

Bonus Track:
The final track on the album is entitled You Turn Me On and it reminds me somewhat of Hard on The Ticker. It is another lively rocky track, with guitar and drums playing a major role and has great rock out value, and more fantastic lyrics. I love the drums at the start of the chorus. It really is hard not to at least tap your feet to this tune. 3 mins 41.


The words 'country music' tend to frighten some people off, but it really is rather good stuff. Tim McGraw is a little on the cheesy side at times, but in a fun way rather than in an off-putting way.

This is an older album of his (it was released in 1997), and I'm surprised it's not available cheaper on Amazon (it's £12.99), but I'd say it's worth it just for some music to prance about the living room to.

Capital letters courtesy of: http://www.chuckleweb.co.uk/fixit.php

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