Crowd Goes Wild

Mark Wills | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (October 21, 2003)
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Island / Mercury
• ASIN: B0000DC185
• Also Available in: Audio Cassette  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #120,911 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com

A reliable, if unspectacular hitmaker, Georgia native Mark Wills serves up country for the karaoke set--folks eager for a momentary thrill of emotion, but not necessarily steeped in the tradition of the genre. His newest delivers the expected populist rewards, including a snappy title song that works the testosterone charge of NASCAR into a theme of self-empowerment, and a Southern rocker tribute to long-distance truckers, "Prisoner of the Highway," a duet with Ronnie Milsap. The former points up one of Wills’ strengths--a knack with rhythmic novelty songs a la 2002’s hit, "Nineteen Somethin’." But mostly he excels at heartfelt family values, as in "What She Sees in Me," which gives mother, wife, and daughter equal time. If the latter seems cloying, things get even sappier on the closer, "Singer in a Band," in which he deflects the hero label in favor of ordinary folks who’ve made real sacrifices. That’s country, of course, but it’s also the very definition of why so many folks run screaming from the format. --Alanna Nash

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Mark Wills is back...with his best album ever!, October 21, 2003

By 

DanD - See all my reviews
(TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: Crowd Goes Wild (Audio CD)

"And the Crowd Goes Wild" may not drive YOU wild. After all, Mark Wills has had more hits with ballads than with up-tempo songs. After "19 Somethin'", though, it's obvious he's trying to go with this re-vamped imaged. And I say: Hell, he was always better on the up-tempo songs anyways! Way to go!

Well, let's get on to this album. It's not a masterpiece--but did you expect it to be? It's GOOD, it's REALLY GOOD. Not every song on here is a home-run; some of them narrowly avoid the cliche. And there's the fact that Wills no longer contributes to the songwriting...which may or may not be a good thing. At least he has an awesome, purely country voice.

The hightlights of this album: the title track is a bit...campy? Immature? But how can you not love it? The chorus is a great sing-along, and it teaches a good lesson. "What Hurts the Most" is a heartbreak ballad that has some catchy verses. "Nothin' But a Suntan" is a slick, engrossing, sexy little number (penned by James Slater, who's appearing everywhere now). "How Bad Do You Want It" talks about what you really need to have to make it in life...aspiration! (Another good sing-alonger, too.)

And then we get to the standout track...the one that beats all the others, and most I've heard this year. "A Singer in A Band" is a humbling tune...how, though he may be center-stage, a singer really doesn't deserve the title of hero as much as others...such as the firemen of 9/11, or cancer patients, or soldiers...I'm a guy, and so this is hard for me to admit, but I cried when I heard this song. It's that moving. (And no, I don't cry easily.) This is most certainly the best song of Wills's career...and one of the best I've heard, period.

"And The Crowd Goes Wild" is Mark Wills's sixth album, coming after his "Greatest Hits" which, ironically, featured what is probably his greatest hit to date, "19 Somethin'". That "Hits" album is almost entirely ballads...but with that up-tempo smash, Marks Wills seems to be trying to enter country music with a new angle. And do we like it? You betcha! Wills has never sounded better than he does on this album. And for those of you who prefer "Wish You Were Here" to "Everything There is to Know about You": there are still some exemplary ballads on this album, too. Don't worry: he's still, after all, Mark Wills. And that means he's pretty darned good!

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Crowd Goes Wild for this one!, January 29, 2004

By 

Katelyn (Bakersfield, California) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Crowd Goes Wild (Audio CD)

Mark Wills has done it again. This album, with many upbeat songs, is the perfect follow up to the 'Greatest Hits' album which was made up mainly of gorgeous ballads. Mark Wills comes back strong, but with a new sound. In this album, Wills goes from storyteller to lover, and then from lonely to inspirational. Many different views go into the songs, and in return come fun and very well-written songs. Although there is no song that even gets close to the calibur of his previous smash hit '19 Somethin', many of the songs deserve recognition and together they form an excellent album. Some of the highlights are 'He's A Cowboy', which I can listen to over and over, 'Nothin' But A Suntan' - with its extremely catchy chorus, how can you NOT like it?, and 'Singer In A Band' which is gorgeously written and brings forth lots of emotion. It is an excellent song to end the album with. All and all, I highly recommend this album to any today's country fan, and it is definately a must for any Mark Wills lover.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars And the Crowd Goes Wild/ Mark Wills, August 21, 2004

By 

A music fan - See all my reviews

This review is from: Crowd Goes Wild (Audio CD)

Simply stated, I just love this album, as it proves that Mark Wills continues to grow as an artist. Whereas he's always been one of the best interpreters of ballads in contemporary country music, he reminds us with this release that he can easily rock the listener as well, beginning with the rousing title track, which takes off like a comet, relentlessly pumping the adrenaline. The story songs that Mark sings so well are here, too. I especially like "He's a Cowboy." And he reveals his sexy style with the smokey "Nothing But a Suntan", before coming back strong with a feverish "How Bad Do You Want It." He closes the disc with the sentimental "Singer in a Band" which really touched my heart.

I only recently saw Mark Wills perform in concert. He's a dynamic singer with a commanding stage presence who sincerely connects with his audience. I wish him well, and a long, successful career.