簡短的樂評 Tracy Lawrence - For the Love Album review by: Cheryl Harvey Hill, Sr. Staff Journalist When his very first album, Sticks and Stones in 1991, landed him at the top of the country music charts and produced three number one hits, Tracy Lawrence stated in several interviews that his personal goal in this industry was "longevity." Sixteen years, sixteen number one hits, twenty top ten hits, two platinum albums, two double platinum albums, and countless accolades and other awards later, Lawrence shows us, once again, why he won't have to look too far For the Love once his new album is released. The album starts off, and ends, with a song that, in true country music form, delivers a message that just about everyone will relate to. The difference between the first cut of "Find Out Who Your Friends Are" and the last is the vocal accompaniment. On the first track you are treated to Lawrence's solo rendition of this song but on the final track, he is joined by two of his long time, real-life friends; none other than Kenney Chesney and Tim McGraw. Although Lawrence doesn't need any vocal assistance, I enjoyed both versions of the song and it is clear that this trio had a good time recording the bonus track. All of the songs on this album are really well written and contributed by several top notch songwriters, but one of my favorites was the only track written solely by Lawrence; "Speed of Flight." This track certifies that Lawrence is not only a tried and true honky-tonk balladeer but a first rate songwriter as well. This particular track is lyrically strong and "faster than the speed of flight" is a clever hook. You're Why God Made Me," written by Billy Yates and Will Nance, was another song that stood out for me: When God made me, I believe, He had a real good plan / Well, my lips were made to whisper / Sweet nothings in your ear / My hands were made to wipe away / Every single tear / My arms were made to hold you tight / My eyes were made to see / You're why God made me / Brad Arnold, of Three Doors Down, joins Lawrence on the title cut (For the Love, written by Paul Nelson and Rick Huckaby) and the end result is an edgy song with a contagious beat. This track is followed up by "As Easy As Our Blessings," written by Tony Martin and Mark Nessler; a beautiful song whose lyrics are intensified by Lawrence's passionate delivery: Lately I've been having more / Nights that I can't sleep / The storms of life keep blowin' in / Sometimes it gets so heavy/ It drives me to my knees ... And up in Heaven sometimes I wonder if God sits / There and listens to all His children / Thinking it'd be nice if we'd forget / Our troubles as easy as our blessings / "Just Like That," written by Michael Brown and Flip Anderson was another stand out track for me. This easy flowing, two-steppin' ditty with clever lyrics, strong instrumental riffs and a feel-good melody, is guaranteed to lift your spirits and get your feet moving. This album is the first release on his own Rocky Comfort Records and based on the song selection and quality of production, I'd say that "longevity" in this industry is a given. "My music is evolving to a place that is more spiritual and reflective of the heart," Lawrence says. "I can see the transformation over several albums, and I see it continuing to grow. I'm eager to see where the journey continues to take me." I have no doubt that it will take him, rightfully, to the next level of success. For the Love is classic country with the emphasis on class. ※ 引述《loveyourself (I Still Believe)》之銘言： : 一月份沒什麼重量的藝人出專輯，但是像Tim McGraw、Kenny Chesney都已經先 : 推出單曲，準備在排行榜上撕殺了。他們倆的好麻吉Tracy Lawrence在月底就要 : 先發行專輯『For The Love』。 : 現在cmt.com網站可以試聽整張專輯： : http://www.cmt.com/artists/az/lawrence_tracy/1405623/album.jhtml : 專輯曲目： : 01 Find Out Who Your Friends Are : 02 Just Like Her : 03 You Can't Hide Redneck : 04 For the Love : 05 As Easy as Our Blessings : 06 Speed of Flight : 07 Rock and a Soft Place : 08 Til I Was a Daddy Too : 09 You're Why God Made Me : 10 Just Like That : 11 Find Out Who Your Friends Are (featuring Tim McGraw and Kenny Chesney) : 聽了幾遍感覺不錯，還是有Tracy他固有的風格在，走的還是以主流鄉村樂，但是這次 : 有一、兩首較偏搖滾，和專輯同名單曲『For The Love』是和3 Doors Down的主唱 : Brad Arnold合唱的曲子，他們兩個也不知道怎麼搭上，變成哥倆好之後就計劃合唱一 : 首歌曲，於是For The Love就這樣誕生。 : 另外，他也終於一嚐所願和Tim McGraw、Kenny Chesney兩個哥兒們一起合唱Find Out : Who Your Friends Are～他的聲音或許剛開始接觸會不太習慣，聽久了其實會發現他的 : 嗓音韻味十足，去年他發的精選輯一直是我不斷在cd player重覆播放的專輯之一。 : 以下是每首歌曲的小故事：(http://tracylawrence.musiccitynetworks.com/) : Find Out Who Your Friends Are : We talked a great deal about which song would be the leadoff single, and it : was a tough call but the message of this one really stood out. As you look : behind you, you can tell who your friends are by who's been there when times : are a little bit tough. This song feels autobiographical and, at the same : time, it's a very universal message I felt like everyone could relate to. : Just Like Her : I wanted something that was a little more nostalgic, and this kind of had : that old Buck Owens feel to it. I've never done anything like that, the true : honky-tonk shuffles. I knew it would add real spice to the album. I観 really : pleased with how it turned out. : You Can't Hide Redneck : I think this has got strong commercial appeal. It's edgy in a rock kind of : way, and I think it's got a huge appeal to large portions of the country, : especially in the South and Southeast. It旧 sort of a reality check that many : can identify with whether they choose to admit it or not. : For the Love (with Brad Arnold from Three Doors Down) : This is a fresh sound. It feels more contemporary with a pop edge than, I : think, anything on the album, yet it doesn急 veer so far off the path that it : clashes with the rest of the material. It旧 a real good fit, and lyrically : it's right where I want to be going. Its message is about being passionate : about what you do, about caring about the craft, and what you've chosen to do : with your life, being happy with that and proud of a job well done. Brad : Arnold and I have become good friends. We挙e been searching for a song that : made sense to record together. This song seemed to fit both our genres and : our respective musical styles. : As Easy As Our Blessings : This may be my personal favorite on the album. For so long now, I've been a : fan of Mark Nessler's writing, and this song is another reason why. It's the : most reflective of where I am in my personal life right now, and what it is : I'm so thankful for. : Speed of Flight : I've been trying to write mormore on my own, but it often takes more structure than I have by myself镎y : schedule keeps me pretty scattered. But out on the road one day, with the : quiet all around me, I got an idea and thought, "I'll just pick up my guitar : and see if I can wrestle this thing down." The melody started coming, the : hook line was good, and I worked on it about four hours. I was able to finish : it by myself and I was proud of that. : Rock and a Soft Place : A lot of people I've played this for tell me it reminds them of some of my : earlier songs. I don't know that I really saw that originally, but I can see : now where it's reminiscent of songs like "Better Man, Better Off" and "Can't : Break It To My Heart." It's a groove I slip into sometimes when I'm producing : myself. : Til I Was a Daddy Too : I tried every way possible while we were writing this song to make it about : girls because I don't have any boys yet, but when we got on a roll with it, : it took on a life of its own. It turned out to be about a father and a son, : and it still hit a nerve with me just as a parent. It actually reminded me a : lot of my own dad. : You're Why God Made Me : We cut a smoking track on this, and it's one of the most fun things on the : entire album. It all started off with fiddle player Aubrey Haynie in his : little room in the studio noodling around on the instrument, and the thing he : came up with became the intro riff, a massive gang lick that's just amazing. : It's wonderful to watch that kind of thing unfold, and it's something I've : never tired of being a part of钠hose magic studio moments when real : creativity takes place. : Just Like That : This is just one of those fun songs I had in my publishing catalog. I : remember doing the demo, and when I went in with my band to cut some sides, : we did this one and I really loved how it turned out. People love to dance to : swing tunes like this in clubs, so I thought it would be something fun to : include on this CD. : Find Out Who Your Friends Are (with Tim McGraw and Kenny Chesney) : I had so much fun recording this record with two of my dearest friends. Tim : and Kenny and I have talked for a long time about getting together in the : studio, so when I found this song I sent it to them. We just let our guard : down for a couple of hours, recorded and hung out a while, and found that we : picked up right where we left off the last time we were together. : It's grounding. It was fun, like turning the clock back for a moment. It got : us talking and laughing and reminiscing about our lives and the friendship : we've shared over the years. We knew each other before we could afford more : than hotdogs and fried potatoes, back when we were all struggling musicians : hoping for a chance to step into the spotlight. -- (C)lass 【 分組討論區 】 7 視聽劇場 偶像, 音樂, 廣電 10 Music_World 音樂 Σ音樂世界遊樂園 15 CountryMusic 音樂 ◎鄉村音樂 歡迎光臨 --

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