Tim McGraw Reflects on his career for a second time.

In the music business, if an artist is around long enough to release a “Greatest Hits” or “Best of” collection of songs, they’ve achieved something. Six years into his career, Tim McGraw released his first greatest hits album. Six more years later and he’s now releasing his second “best of” collection with no immediate signs of slowing down. During much of that time, Tim’s been one of country music’s brightest stars.

From 2000 until now, Tim’s released three albums with one was considered a commercial flop (2001’s “Set The Circus Down” ), though it did contain four #1 hits. And here’s the first problem I run into with This Greatest Hits CD. It’s missing two of them (Angry All The Time and Unbroken). This was an issue with the first hits album which was missing “Not A Moment Too Soon (A multi-week No. 1 hit) and “Everywhere.” And, as to rectify the missed chance, both are placed squarely in the middle of this. The other two albums represented here are “Tim McGraw And The Dancehall Doctors” and the personal “Live Like You Were Dying.”

The latter album’s title track (and multiple award winning song) leads off this hits record. It’s the kind of career-defining song that many artists hope to record but few ever do. It was and is a song that is a celebration of life rather than a “I wish I did that” song. It’s a personal song for Tim for it was recorded around the time his father (former baseball player Tug) was sick and released after he passed away. “My Old Friend” is the second track from the same album. It’s a well-written song from the pen of Craig Wiseman (1/2 the writing team of “Live…”) and Steve McEwan the UK Rocker who’s also placed a cut on Faith Hill’’s record. The song talks about celebrating the time one had with a friend and loved one. Again, it’s a personal song for McGraw.

Like We Never Loved At All” is a track from wife Faith Hill’s “Fireflies” record. It’s a nice song about love lost, obviously something McGraw and Hill haven’t felt (hey isn’t McGraw Hill an educational book company?). The Cowboy In Me,” A multi-week Number One from the “Circus” album is an interesting pseudo ballad while the first new track on the CD is the already (after two weeks of release) Top 20 hit “When The Stars Go Blue.” Written and originally recorded by Ryan Adams for his “Gold” record, Tim’s version of the song isn’t much different than Ryan’s sonically other than being, perhaps, a bit more “produced.” To long-time traditionalists, Tim’s non-traditional production style is nothing new but to his fans who consider him quite country, the adult pop sound of the song may startling.

The Southern Rock stylings of “Real Good Man” comes next and with the recent popularity of artists like Van Zant, Big & Rich, Keith Anderson and Jason Aldean this song no doubt sounds more like a new track than a three and a half year old one (which it is). Two more popular #1 hits follow in the romantic “She’s My Kind Of Rain” and the sentimental “Grown Men Don’t Cry.” Recorded 12 years ago, “Not A Moment Too Soon” seems a bit out of place on the record nonetheless the fans that became McGraw fans from the first Greatest Hits or later will be glad to have this early classic on disc.

The Elton John like “Watch The Wind Go By” follows next and it’s a cute little love song. Many fans will be asking just what the h-e-double-hockey-sticks is the huge pop/rap hit song, Nelly’s “Over And Over doing on a Tim McGraw CD? The answer is quite clear: it features Tim and and it’s a greatest hits CD. The perfect chance for Tim’s fans to get the song without having to buy a Nelly CD. “Everywhere” is next and is followed by the second of four new tracks. “Beautiful People” chronicles the good, everyday people in this word, “they’re just friendly friends and neighbors doing what they’ve always done…” the song says.


After the once-controversial “Red Ragtop” (gasp! it talks about abortion!), the sentimental “aww” inspiring “My Little Girl,” a song made for the film “My Friend Flicka,” is next. It sounds like a wonderful choice for future single, especially for the June graduation time. “I’ve Got Friends That Do” is considered a “bonus track” but it’s a wonderful, piano driven song that will be a hit.

While there was an initial alarm in wondering how the record label could miss three big number one hits, when it’s all said and done, Tim McGraw’s “Reflected: Greatest Hits Vol. 2” is a nice compilation of hits and with those 3 hits missing, the third volume of hits is well on its way to a good start while not cannibalizing the catalog sales of the previous records, even if two of the hits are off a CD that now retails for $5.99 or less at most stores. Fans of early 21st century country would do well in picking up this record.

Tracks

1. Live Like You Were Dying (#1 Hit)
2. My Old Friend (Top 5 hit)
3. Like We Never Loved At All (Duet With Faith Hill) (Top 10 hit)
4. The Cowboy In Me (#1 hit)
5. When The Stars Go Blue (New Release)
6. Real Good Man (#1 hit)
7. She’s My Kind Of Rain (#1 hit)
8. Grown Men Don’t Cry (#1 hit)
9. Not A Moment Too Soon (#1 hit)
10. Watch The Wind Blow By (#1 hit)
11. Over And Over (Nelly Featuring Tim McGraw) (#1 Pop and Rap hit)
12. Everywhere (#1 hit)
13. Beautiful People (New Release)
14. Red Ragtop (Top 5 hit)
15. My Little Girl (Theme song from “My Friend Flicka” – New Release)
16. I’ve Got Friends That Do (New Release)

Released March 28, 2006