Customer Reviews

Learn To Live [+digital booklet]

5 star:		(90)
4 star:		(24)
3 star:		(6)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

To say Darius Rucker is new to country would be a slight, he grew up in the South and has cut his share of country tinged material, just take a listen to Scattered, Smothered and Covered to hear Rucker's excellent baritone in full bloom -- the guy can sing. And it is a wonderful thing to know that the material stands up to his earnest delivery.

Rucker approached the material by gathering a gaggle of current country mainstays to lend their talents, Brad Paisley's paw prints are all over, "All I Want" and that's a good thing. "Forever Road" carries the same weight of a great chorus (that you can sing along with) and a catchy hook that could get a bite from a fish without bait. But the stomper goes to "Drinkin' and Dialin'."

The ballads are the selling point here, Rucker's voice sells them. Rightfully so, he's clear in the mix, he sounds sincere on songs such as "History in the Making," and "Don't Think I Don't Know." A standout track is the contemplative "If I Had Wings," it could have been too cloying, too schmaltzy, but Rucker's voice won't allow it to be, but credit also belongs to Vince Gill and Alison Krauss for their amazing backing vocals.

An excellent pop-country disc that will get its share of radio play, and rightfully so.

When I picked this up yesterday I was not sure what to expect. I assumed there would be 3-4 tracks that would stand out, along with some filler. But, this is an excellent record. Every track is exceptional on its own. The gems are the humorous "Drinkin and Dialin", the upbeat "It's Alright", and the touching "It won't be like this for Long", and "If I Had Wings." I am the Father of a beautiful little girl, and I literally cried listening to "It Won't be..(Damn you Darius). If you are a parent you will too, if not you should be ashamed of yourself.

But whatever your musical tastes may be, and I am not a pop country fan, but this album is earnest and real, and the musicians are excellent. Darius' baritone has never sounded better, and for all Hootie haters, you must appreciate his talents and give him his due. He has sold millions of records and can write quality music in any genre. Although, he did receive some collaborative help from some of today's best country talents, combined with his song crafting skills, the effort is worth the price. Darius states that he has found his niche, and has signed on for several albums with Capitol (Nashville), and if "Learn to Live" is just the beginning-look out! Mr. Rucker will be performing in Huntsville, AL at Big Spring Jam, Saturday Sept. 27, @ 7:30pm, and I cannot wait to hear this new material-live.

I was a little hesitant on this album... I love Darius and Hootie, but country? Of course I had heard the single and liked it, and my husband got the album for me. My initial reaction, not being much of a country fan, was, "Wow, this really IS country!" I didn't like it the first time. But I listened again and now I can't stop listening to it. I have tuned out the twang that I don't care for in country music and absolutely LOVE Darius' voice and lyrics on these songs. "It won't be like this for long" makes me cry every time I hear it, and I find myself singing along with a smile to "Drinkin' and dialin'". This is a great album and I love it!

It's been a while since I wrote an album review, but I just had to give my two cents on this one. This cd is spectacular! When I first heard Darius Rucker was going country, I was quite excited as 1)I have been a fan since I first saw the video for "Hold My Hand", and 2)I have recently been converted to a full-blown country music fan. And Hootie & The Blowfish's music really isn't that far from country anyway, so I knew it wouldn't be a stretch.
If you are a Hootie fan, you will love this. If you're a country music fan, you will love this. If you're any kind of music fan in general, and just appreciate a good song, you will love this. If not, you just have your head up your a$$.
Although there have been some good albums come out recently (particularly country albums as current rock pretty much sucks right now), I would go as far as to say this is the best album of the year. I wouldn't be surprised if Darius wins multiple awards for this.
Now for my detailed review/rating of each song:
1. Forever Road - Perfect opening song. You pretty much get the feel for the album with this one. By the end of the first chorus you find yourself going "yeah!" 5/5
2. All I Want - This is one of my favorites on the cd. It's so Dwight Yoakum! Very clever lyrics..."all I want you to leave me is alone". Brad Paisley plays guitar on this one. Pure country enjoyment. 5/5
3. Don't Think I Don't Think About It - the first single, and a perfect choice as far as I'm concerned. Many people have heard this on the radio and didn't realize who it was. 5/5
4. Learn To Live - the title track. It's a cute little song where he sings about sitting on his grandpa's knee, and what he's learned from him. Besides having the more "country" production sound, this really sounds like it could have been on a Hootie album to me. 4/5
5. If I Had Wings - This is a beautiful song. The title itself kind of gives it away. I would love to see this one performed live, perhaps at an awards show? Alison Krauss & Vince Gill sing backup. 5/5
6. History In The Making - Another great, solid, well-written song. It also sounds like it could have been a Hootie song. 5/5
7. Alright - a happy little song, which I expect from Darius. This reminds me of Jason Mraz. This could probably get in your head, but I have to admit, it's probably my least favorite track (hey, you have to have one, right?) 4/5
8. It Won't Be Like This For Long - This is my other favorite song, next to "All I Want". I first heard this as I was searching youtube, and found a radio performance he did. I knew right then I had to get this cd. This is a song about his daughters, about how they grow up so fast. If you're a parent, you may need to grab the tissues. 5/5
9. Drinkin' And Dialin' - Perfect song almost anyone can relate to, whether you've been drunk or had a drunk friend that called you at 4AM. Very clever. 5/5
10. I Hope They Get To Me In Time - This is the only song Darius didn't have a hand in writing. It's very sad, about being in a car crash and seeing his life flash before his eyes. 4/5
11. While I Still Got The Time - Another "Hootie-ish" song to me. It has that kind of "sing-along" feel to it when it gets to the end, which I guess it why I think of Hootie. 4/5
12. Be Wary Of A Woman - Another perfect, cleverly written song. This is about being a guy who's fine with being single and free, doesn't wanna be tied down. Until he's got this great woman who doesn't wanna change him, so he's telling other guys to "be wary of a woman like mine". 5/5
Now go buy this cd!

Every song on this album could potentially be a hit...it's THAT good. Musically, vocally, and lyrically, Darius is at the top of his game. Suffice it to say that this could be one of the best albums of 2008.

The mastering, however, is awful. Once again, like everything else released these days, the audio is over-compressed to maximum volume levels. There is clipping and distortion on several tracks, and in general the album sounds harsh, cold, and digital. On what should be soft ballads (like If I Had Wings), the violins are compressed right to the top of the dynamic range and they just scream through the mix. On the uptempo songs everything is so loud that distortion can be heard. I hate to detract stars from this album but I have to do it simply for the terrible mastering. I don't care how good the music is...if its presented like garbage I will rate it as such.

When are these record companies going to stop selling us sonically damaged products? Then they wonder why no one wants to 'buy' CD's any more!

I haven't felt compelled to write a review of a music album since Miranda Lambert's debut (which I wore out.) When I heard that Darius Rucker was working on a country album, I was cautiously optimistic. He has such and incredible sound to his vocal talent .. but another 'cross over' country artist?

When the single for "Don't Think I Think About It" came out, I was excited. It's a good song. But the album blows that single away. Forever Road reminds me of some of Keith Urban's work. It's by far my favorite on the album (it's a happy song.) The bonus song to his mother "I Wanna Thank You" puts me in tears, along with "It Won't Be Like This For Long".

This album is fantastic! Thank you Darius Rucker!

This CD was more than I could have imagined. I loved his voice with Hootie and the Blowfish, but this is a wonderful addition to the country genre!

Just wanting to say that this CD is a definate MUST and any music lover that does not have a copy of this absolutely wonderful collection of songs is missing out. Darius, Please stay Country and PLEASE continue to release quality music and lyrics.

This is just the perfect country album. Every song on it sounds like a hit. It seems as if you're listening to a greatest hits album from an artist with a long country career. While Rucker's work with Hootie and Blowfish has always been tinged with a southern rock/country flavor, this album is full on country and it is AWESOME. I am especially impressed with the quality of the musicianship. You can tell this man has been listening to and enjoying country music for a long time. This is not some pop star with a floundering career looking to slum it in Nashville. I'm not going to describe the songs. Just listen to them. They say everything.

If you liked Hootie and the Blowfish and you like country music, what are you waiting for? And if you're trying to decide whether to buy a few of the best songs or the whole album, go for the whole thing--there's no junk here. Let's face it, there are a few singers in country music whose voices are suspect, but their song writing skills get them on the radio. Darius Rucker's rich baritone voice is just top notch. Let's give him a big welcome to country music so he'll keep putting out great stuff like this.