Martina McBride - Hits and More Review

The new Martina McBride greatest hits package takes listeners on a chronological audio tour of the singer’s career. ‘Hits and More’ — released by McBride’s old label RCA Nashville — proves she is a timeless artist, whose early hits (‘My Baby Loves Me,’ ‘Independence Day’) still sound as relevant today as her most recent radio successes.

Fans of the singer have long since picked out their favorites, and there is nothing new added to these songs to change anyone’s opinions. ‘Love’s the Only House’ feels especially relevant in 2012, but others will strike fans or first-time listeners in obvious ways....full text Hits and More accomplishes its titular objective: to offer a summary of McBride’s biggest hits, along with a modest helping of new material – and of course to continue making money for RCA long after McBride has left the label. It falls a degree short of being a definitive collection, though to be fair, such would probably require two discs instead of one. It’s an adequate career introduction for the new Martina convert, even if her 2001 Greatest Hits album is still an overall better value. If you’re looking for a good place to start your Martina collection, you will likely find Hits and More to be a satisfactory purchase, but if you’re a longtime fan who already owns most of her material, you can safely pass on it....full text McBride has an absolute winning formula: A mix of flat-out rockers tinged with just enough steel guitar and country cliches to still be called country, plus emotive ballads about sad subjects such as love gone wrong and abused children.

All the big hits are here, from My Baby Loves Me and Independence Day, through the angel songs - Wild Angels, Broken Wing and Concrete Angel - to This One's for the Girls, Blessed, Ride and I Love You. That last song had to be playing in every gym in Saskatoon at one time. We also get the excellent Love's the Only House, with its strong and meaningful lyrics.

New song Surrender is a tense rocker, while Straight to the Bone is an acoustic guitar ballad of longing and Being Myself is some skipalong rock about being true to one's own self....full text If you've ever heard Martina McBride sing O Holy Night or Over the Rainbow, maybe you've felt the goosebumps with her unmistakable, soaring soprano. In a genre full of splendid singers, McBride's voice stands atop them all.
Unfortunately the unreleased tracks, which may simply be the only "new" leftovers on hand, can't keep up to those landmarks. The plodding Straight to the Bone makes a mess. It's a slow walk through tall brush, a song in search of a melody. Surrender hits a snag as well, with a hook that hasn't sharpened enough. But these hiccups couched inside such an impressive body of work, and a voice that won't be forgotten in this century, can be forgiven....full text