Search - Various Artists :: Totally Country 2

Great compilation!

12/30/2002

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I don't normally waste my time writing reviews...but this release is a winner. All these songs are hits! Some of them are must haves! Including "The Impossible" by Joe Nichols. "I'm Movin' On" by Rascall Flats. "I Breath In, I Breath Out" by Chris Cagle. This compilation has 17 songs..all hits! Can't beat that for the price! If your a country fan and like to have the classics that will be listened to for years...there are more than a few on this compilation. A few other favorites of mine that are on this compilation are, "The Best Day" by George Strait. "Wrapped Around" by Brad Paisley. "Just What I Do" by Trick Pony. If you are a serious country fan...you will already know that these songs. For others who are looking for a great hits country compilation covering that last couple of years of country...this compilation is a must!"

A Great Bunch of Country Treats

Plastic Salmon | 06/30/2007

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Once again, a package of recently released (at the time this album first became available) country hits that are considered great arrives on the market shelf. In general, many of these songs sound relatively traditional, or neotraditional and deal with typical country themes. Give the rapid turnover in radio airplay nowadays, some of these tracks are played infrequently on mainstream country radio lately, even though they are no more than five to six years old at this time. Fortunately, the producers of this album captured these hits in a collection that the fan can listen to as often as he/she would like to, preventing these gems from slipping into the forgotten oblivion.



Story songs are abundant in this collection. Travis Tritt presents "Modern Day Bonnie and Clyde", a bluesy poem about a man and a woman trying to rip off some cash. In "The Best Day", George Strait gives a soft traditional sounding chapter-by-chapter account of a young man and his relationship with his father as he grows from childhood to adulthood. In "She Was", Mark Chesnutt also delivers a parent-child story in chapter form: about a mother as told by her son, in soft traditional country sound. Another traditional, soft-sounding country song is "Life Happened" by Tammy Cochran, in which a woman tells about how major plans are diverted by life's events. "The Impossible" by Joe Nichols, yet another gentle and traditional track, is about how the unexpected events in life seem striking and fascinating to a boy. Finally, "Ol' Red" by Blake Shelton is a bluesy, humorous story of a prison guard dog, and a prisoner's creative, clever method of escape using the dog to assist him (ironically to the dog's usual behavior) in his plan.



Love and romantic songs are also plentiful here. Slow-paced and ballad type love songs include "I Breathe In, I Breathe Out" by Chris Cagle, and "The One" by Gary Allan. Moderately-paced, yet relatively gentle songs are the religiously-themed "But For The Grace Of God" by Keith Urban, and "That's When I Love You " by Phil Vassar. Somewhat more uptempo love songs such as the bouncy "Wrapped Around" by Brad Paisley and the neocountry-flavored "Just What I Do" by Trick Pony round out the happy romantic section of this album.



The downside of love is also explored in "I'm Moving On", a melancholy ballad by Rascal Flatts that deals with the aftermath of a breakup; the high-energy "I Don't Want You To Go" by Carolyn Dawn Johnson; and the percussion-laden "Ashes By Now" by Lee Ann Womack.



In a theme frequently explored in country music, a down-home song found here is "My Town" by Montgomery Gentry, a lively song about one's home town, background singers cheer the home town as they accompany the principal singers. Another common theme found in country music is drinking, as presented in the dance track "Ten Rounds With Jose Cuervo" by Tracy Byrd. In this performance, the popular beverage is consumed in a game-like fashion, as told by the singer as he downs one drink after another (and describing the effect the alcohol has on him after a given successive number of drinks, in stepwise fashion). This party song adds a twist to this package of country hits.



Overall, this collection is a nice package that the listener can find handy whenever he/she wants to enjoy the great sound of neo-traditional country music. This album deserves 6 stars on a scale of 1 to 5."