CD Review: Tim McGraw "Let It Go"

With sales of over 24 million in the U.S. to date off his string of seven consecutive multi-platinum albums, Tim McGraw has firmly established himself as one of the faces of Country music. One of the things that I truly enjoy about Tim's music is that he is always willing to try something different. Over the years the "Indian Outlaw" has made a lot of traditional Country & Rock laced tunes, but he's also never been afraid to venture into other genres and also put his own spin on classics - his huge number 1 Pop hit with rapper Nelly "Over and Over" along with his outstanding remake of Elton John's classic "Tiny Dancer" are a testament to the fact that Tim's music knows no boundaries... not surprisingly, Tim's latest release with the Dancehall Doctors called "Let It Go" further cements Tim's reputation as a risk-taker, and no doubt will extend his string of multi-platinum efforts to eight.


The first track on "Let It Go" is the very infectitious "Last Dollar (Fly Away)." Currently at #2 on the Country charts (and almost sure to hit #1 in a few days), the song is a very optimistic song about not being tied down and having the freedom to just "fly away" at any time. It also features vocals at the end of the song from his (and wife Faith Hill's) children.

Next up is a great ballad called "I'm Workin'" on which he sings about work taking priority over his personal life and how he wishes it wasn't that way. This one has "single" written ALL OVER IT!

Third up on this CD is the title track, "Let It Go." A very catchy mid-tempo tune about letting go of the past and starting anew. The tone of the tune is optimistic as he sings "I know, I know, I know, I'm gonna start livin.'" Yes, this one is also VERY "single worthy".

Track number four is a traditional Country tune called "Whiskey and You." Not surprisingly, it's a song about guy has girl, guy loses girl, guy has regrets and turns to drinking to help him deal with it. He bemoans "I drink because I'm lonesome, I'm lonesome cause I drink."

The fifth track is a great remake of the late Eddie Rabbitt's tune "Suspicions." Although he's caught himself quite the great woman, he's also very afraid of losing her as he bemoans "I can't help it you're just so good lookin'. I'm afraid somebody's gonna steal you away from me. When I go out to a party with you, you always turn every head in the room."

Track number six is a tune which pays homage to the legendary Kris Kristofferson. On "Kristoferrson", Tim once again bemoans about losing his love and he's going to drink and write a song about it just "like Kristofferrson would do."

The seventh selection is called "Put Your Lovin' On Me." It's a song about how his love helps him forget about the reality and harshness of everyday life.

Next up is a personal anthem called "Nothin' To Die For." This track is about a guy who is so giving that he often forgets to take care of himself... and if you don't take care of yourself you're not going to be any good to those others.

Track nine is a tune called "Between The River And Me." This is perhaps the most moving song on the entire CD... it's a very up-tempo song with a very dark message - a young boy and his step father make a trip to the river and one of them doesn't come back home...

The 10th track is appropriately called "Train #10." This one is about a vengeful man who in a nutshell is tired of his circumstances and is now taking the last train out of town to "say goodbye to you and all the things you've done."

Track 11 is a duet with his wife Faith Hill" called "I Need You." This isn't your typical Tim and Faith ballad - no, Tim throws us a curveball here as this one is a traditional Country tune about smoking, drinking and reminiscing. However, the song comes full circle in the end and it's just as full of passion as any of their famous duets - "I need you... like a needle needs a vein" gives you a feel of how he truely feels about her.

Up next is a song called "Comin' Home." It's an optimistic song about starting fresh and anew and he thanks his girl for helping him through some "stormy weather" and setting him free. This is one that definitely could be a single at some point.

The 13th and final track is called "Shotgun Rider." It's a traditional Country tune in the honky-tonk mode about a musician who is wondering if he should continue on his current path of being on the road playing in bars or if he should settle down for good with his love.


Needless to say, I really enjoyed this CD and have been playing it over and over again since I picked it up. The tone overall may be a little darker than most of his previous work, but the quality of this latest work of his is second to none! This is one that any Tim McGraw fan will truly love, and it also has a lot of potential to attract new fans. The most likely candidates for future singles would include "Let It Go", "I'm Workin'", "I Need You", "Comin' Home" and "Suspicions." By the way, for those of you that don't know, it's always best to try and get your new CD's the first week of release as you can often find them for under $10 - It's currenly available at my local Wal-Mart for only $9.72.