Country Strong: Original Motion Picture [Soundtrack]

Tim McGraw | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (October 25, 2010)
• Original Release Date: 2010
• Number of Discs: 1
• Format: Soundtrack
• Label: Sony
• ASIN: B003ZTQN1I
• In-Print Editions: MP3 Music
• Average Customer Review: 3.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (137 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,250 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Editorial Reviews

The Original Motion Picture Soundtrack for the film Country Strong (described below) includes original songs from the movie performed by Gwyneth Paltrow, Garrett Hedlund, and Leighton Meester.

Soon after a rising young singer-songwriter (Hedlund) gets involved with a fallen, emotionally unstable country star (Paltrow), the pair embark on a career resurrection tour helmed by her husband/manager (McGraw) and featuring a beauty-queen-turned-singer (Meester). Between concerts, romantic entanglements and old demons threaten to derail them all.

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

172 of 177 people found the following review helpful

1.0 out of 5 stars Disappointed January 8, 2011

By Matthew

Format:Audio CD

I rarely ever write comments so take it for what it's worth. I'm disappointed to find out that the CD doesn't contain the actual artists that performed the songs in the movie. I think Faith Hill is talented, but Give In To Me performed by Leighton Meester and Garrett in the movie is so much better. I just watched the movie and was planning on buying the soundtrack, but will save my $15 for something else.

Like I said. Take it for what it's worth.

43 of 43 people found the following review helpful

2.0 out of 5 stars Buy the other one January 18, 2011

By ms

Format:MP3 Music

If you are looking for the songs from the movie, buy "Country Strong (More Music from the Motion Picture" which is avalable as an MP3 download through amazon. This cd is ok, but the other one is what most people were expecting to get from the soundtrack for Country Strong.

50 of 61 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars ATTN ACADEMY: OSCAR TIME, TIM & GWYNETH PERFORMING ME & TENNESEE LIVE. GOT THAT? October 27, 2010

By Intro Spective

Format:Audio CD

Updated 10/28/10. After a couple of listens, boy does this one grow on you. Wow.

You heard it here first:

1) Both "COUNTRY STRONG" and "ME & TENNESEE" will be nominated for Best Song when Oscar comes a callin' this year.

2) Although Country Strong is beautiful, maybe SUPERB, Me and Tennesee is simply sublime, like no other song you've heard, different, beautiful, soaring, memorable, ONE FOR THE TIME CAPSULE. The harmonies will just stay with you forever. THIS SONG WILL WIN.

3) The Oscar ceremony MUST include a live duet of Me and T, sung by these 2. It will be SO POWERFUL, it will be one of the most memorable, electric Oscar performances ever. So make it happen powers that be. The people (person) have spoken.

Now for my revised and updated original review (increases stars to the max for it really needs a couple listens to fully appreciate, added some more text):

I must begin this review by stating that I am a huge fan of Tim Mcgraw, sort of a Faith Hill fan on ocassion, and importantly, a long-standing fan of the BEAUTIFUL, smooth-as-honey singing voice of the supremely talented Gwyneth Paltrow. Having been BOWLED over by the totally unexpected GP vocal gifts exhibited in DUETS, (out of nowhere at the time), especially Cruisin' and Just My Imagination (both pop classics, those renditions)- I was on the edge of my seat for months anticipating Country Strong. Then came the titular single last month. EXCELLENT - very strong and catchy. Great song. Passed my marker which is me singing it constantly in the shower. So, I was first up at Best Buy last night. Just imagining a duet with Tim McGraw! Those 2 together! (BTW GP's voice, pure and crystal clear, has an inherent twang to it, PERFECTLY suited for country).... Bought the CD last night. It's a keeper, with some great, some sublime, one so-so track as follows:

Track 1: "Country Strong", the title track, is a winner. Correct to put that out as the initial single. Pathos, emotion, strength, a super voice, individual, unique. Beautiful. Future classic. Every time the word "fragile" is uttered I get a little teary eyed.

Track 2: "Love Don't Let Me Down", a cute little ditty from Chris Young and Patty Loveless. Cute, took a few spins but now can't get it out of my head.

Track 3: "A Little Bit Stronger" Sara Evans. Lovely voice, powerful. Great. For anyone who has ever parted ways with a loved one (the whole human species).

Track 4: "Chances Are". Garrett Hedlund. Nice. What an amazing voice. An actor. Unforgettable (and really sexy) deep smoky vocals. Yum.

Track 5: "Liars Lie". Lee Ann Womack. very catchy, adorable lyrics, from the wonderful Lee Ann Womack. Strong track. Stays with you.

Track 6: "She's Actin' Single....", Ronnie Dunn. I'd never heard of him. Funny, memorable lyrics, great hooks, catchy song.

Track 7: "Shake That Thing" - Gwyneth Paltrow. My ONLY critique of this set. She has an amazing voice, this song does not properly showcase her vocal talents in their studio production and arrangements. Almost spoken, better suited to a less vocally strong singer, not her style. Sorry. Kinda trashy song. I know the lyrics must tie in to the story - but with all the talented people behind this, a better song could have been chosen. Song written for a vocally weak singer. It's almost a spoken timbre, IMHO way beneath Gwyneth's talent. Note to producers: YES GP can carry a tune by herself and does not need to be drowned out by studio sonics. (Also a little on Coming Home but thats a a great song)

Track 8: "Thirsty". Hank williams, Jr. A song about getting, um, our thirst quenched. Not my cuppa tea but in it's endearing way, what country music is all about.

Track 9: "Give in to Me" - Faith Hill. Sultry, bluesy, sexy, moody song, sung to perfection by FH. One of the 3 strongest songs, stands on it's own apart from this soundtrack. As an amateur but well-versed music fan, this seems almost to have been produced separately from the rest. It kind of stands out as not part of the rest of the album. All great this just stands apart.

Track 10: "Timing is Everything" - Trace Atkins. Cute song. Nice strong voice this guy has. Masterful, great lyrics sung by this beautiful voice. Sad song kind of, poignant lyrics.

Track 11: "Words I Couldn't Say" - Leighton Meester - Suprisigly clear voice. Nice. Standard Pop-Country girl song, sort of Taylor Swiftish, - no, I've amended that to Miley-ish; Taylor is a ct above. But nicely done song. Surprisingly catchy and listenable.

Track 12: "Coming Home". Gwyneth Paltrow. Slower, mid-tempo half-ballad (or should be, as written). Great Song. Beautiful, soaring, almost symphonic arrangement and vocals. Teensy bit too loud on the studio volume, GP gets drowned out at points, but it's such a great song anyway - you get past that and will hum this tune all day long, (especially the anthemic chorus), as I am right now. Just a beautiful song, about that one place in all of us - HOME.

Track 13: "Me and Tennessee" Tim Mcgraw and Gwyneth Paltrow, (and Chris Martin?) So they say Chris is in here somewhere. I can't hear him. That's OK. (although would've been neat) GREAT SONG. WILL STAY AROUND FOREVER. LOVELY. BEAUTIFUL BUT FUN duet sung by GP and TMcG both in unison (perfect harmony) and alternating verse. SUBLIME as far as the singing and the song itself, an up-tempo done-each-other-wrong-but-in-a-happy-song way. Very catchy. Humming it all night tonite on train - getting stared at on subway A KEEPER. The strongest - should be a single - I think even better than the title track I've loved this past month - those 2 and the Faith Hill and really all of them make this one a classic.

Fitting that the CD is bookended by the 2 of the strongest songs.

The take home message: For any type of country fan, for any Tim McGraw, Faith, Gwyneth, it's a MUST-BUY. All around it's very entertaining. It's just a super, super great soundtrack. It is worth buying, and any music or country music listener would be missing out by not doing so. It's really solid, my only gripe is that I love Gwyneth's singing voice so much, and she does not choose to record a whole lot of music, so ...maybe I wanted to hear a little less studio in the middle GP songs and just hear the singing and the words .....but that may be just me... Gwyneth, you have a masterpiece ahead of you with your singing, that was shown in DUETS and INFAMOUS. Please in future give us another opportunity to hear you sing.

ps: perspective: I'm a woman in her 30's, a life-long New Yorker, classic rock, pop, alt-rock (Coldplay!) and classical music (my hubby) are strong influences. Read more ›

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful

3.0 out of 5 stars If you want artists from movie go to Itunes January 11, 2011

By Lori G.

Format:Audio CD

I saw the movie and loved it. After viewing the movie I wanted to buy the soundtrack but found that this one on Amazon.com had the songs I liked but not sung by the artists who sang them in the movie. I was disappointed. There is a second album released from this movie that I found on itunes that has the original artists who sang the songs in the movie. My favorite, Give Into Me sung by Garrett Hedlund and Leighton Meester in the movie is on the second album, not this one on Amazon. I downloaded this song and Timing is Everything by Garrett Hedlund from itunes.com. If you want the real soundtrack, skip this one.

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful

2.0 out of 5 stars Disappointed too January 15, 2011

By Glenyce Sievers

Format:Audio CD

I just saw the movie tonight and was so excited to get the CD. I'm sure glad I read the reviews & description of the CD because like a previous reviewer, I'm disappointed that many of the songs are not sung by the artists that sang them in the movie. I'm particularly disappointed to see that Garrett Hedlund has only one song on the CD. Because of this, I've decided my collection can do without this CD. If I want to listen to the music, I can watch the DVD when it comes out.

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful

3.0 out of 5 stars Very disappointed January 10, 2011

By Lisa

Format:Audio CD

This a a great CD, but I'm giving it only 3 stars because Garrett & Leighton's performance of Give In To Me is omitted. Listening to Faith Hill sing it after hearing them just made me sick.

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Itunes Has Another Version January 10, 2011

By Ryan Hays

Format:Audio CD

If you go to Itunes they have another CD on there and it is all the original songs from the movie and it is so much better......

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful

1.0 out of 5 stars Not what I wanted January 10, 2011

By roxym00493

Format:Audio CD

I saw the movie and loved the songs as they were performed in the movie. I was looking forward to purchasing the album, however, was very disappointed that the "original movie soundtrack" only contained about four songs from the movie.
If they were going to have country stars sing the songs from the movie, why couldn't a dual CD been offered: one CD with the songs as performed in the movie and the second with country stars performing them.
Very disappointing, especially not including the Garrett Hedlund/Leighton Meester the Give Into Me duo.