Customer Reviews

Mark Mcguinn

5 star:		(21)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

I'm not sure the guy from Idaho and I were listening to the same album. I too had been waiting with great anticipation to purchase this CD to see if it lives up to the buzz. I must say it's all that and MORE!

If you are buying it for a whole album of Mrs. Steven Rudy's soundalikes, you will be sorry. This album is one of the most diverse I have heard in a long time. Each song offers something a little different.

I found the lyrics intelligent and certainly not predictable, the production pretty darn amazing (once again NOT the typical Nashville country formulation)and the music itself very refreshing in the arrangements (banjo's, loops, fiddles, B-3, acoustics, mandolin, steel)tied up in a nice little package.

My standout favs include: -Mrs. Steven Rudy (but of course)

-Heaven Must be Missing You (ok, so this one pulls at my heart)

-No Way (Clever story song)

-That's a Plan (I loved the video on this one too. It is the B side of Mrs. Steven Rudy single...and a bonus video to boot...so I've had this one for a long time and it never leaves the deck)

-If The World Was Mine (The perfect love song...I want to be loved like that!)

-One of Their Own (the intro is so Don Henley and that first line just sweeps you up)

-She Doesn't Dance (George Strait / B&D are going to wish they'd gotten hold of this one)

-All About the Ride (This should be a summer single. Roll down the windows and take a drive in the country)

I LOVE THIS ALBUM!

There are very few songs on country radio today that I can listen to over and over and not find myself wanting to scream at the monotony - Mrs Steven Rudy is one of these few. On the CD, that fun romp gives way to the touching "Heaven Must Be Missing You" and 10 more songs that show what a diverse songwriter, talented singer, and creative producer McGuinn is. Those interesting instrumentals carry through the CD - if you love the banjo on "Mrs Steven Rudy" there is more where that came from!

It's rare these days to find a CD that seems to fully capture an artist at a specific place in time - it's obvious that VFR Records let Mark do what he wanted with this record, and it is a shame that more artists don't get this chance - because the outcome is a fabulous CD of 12 awesome songs. Don't miss it!

If you want to spice up that country selection, BUY THIS CD! If you aren't a die-hard country fan, BUY THIS CD! Point is neither would be disappointed. This music is a cross-section of well written, clever lyrics with some unusual new thoughts on the typical "country" production. Country audiences are going to pick up on the banjo and fiddle...but wait! There are loops too!

I've heard this guy compared to Garth (there was even some heavy rumors early on that he WAS Garth in another "form"), James Taylor, Don Henley and even Bare-Naked Ladies. Now that's an interesting combo. The majority are not sure how to classify him as there is really nothing else out there exactly like it. It's not that it's "out there", it's easy to love on the first listen through. It's just different enough from what we're all tired of hearing every day that it grabs you. There's country as cornbread ballads but sophisticated crossover potential as well.

Watch for this guy's name in the future. He's not only an artist in his own right but a great songwriter as validated by Lonestar's "Unusually Unusual" too.

Ahhhh...Mark McGuinn. A new kind of hat act. I feel refreshed now.

Finally, someone had the guts to put out a country album that is fresh, interesting, and beautifully written!! The songwriting on this record is stellar!! (...and, unlike my friend above from Idaho, I actually write songs.) Peppy instrumental??? The guitar overdubs were played by none other than Ray Flack, known as one of the world's greatest living players of the Fender Telecaster. We have warm ("Heaven Must Be Missing You"), funny ("No Way"), inciteful("Done It Right"), and, well, AMAZING ("One of Their Own")on this record. Oh, yeah. If you can find a woman on this planet who would not want to have the words from "If the World Was Mine" sung to her, I will show you a woman without a soul. Top to bottom, this album rocks!! I think I see a Grammy nomination in this guy's future.

The new guy with the berret: That's the first thing that went through my mind when I saw McGuinn's video "Mrs. Steven Rudy." How was I to know there was much more to it than that? "Mrs. Steven Rudy" is a great song, make no mistake about it, but it's only the tip of the iceberg. This album is full of potential number-one hits. "Heaven Must Be Missing You" is a wonderous song, and the same theme--and quality--goes for "If The World Was Mine" and "One of Their Own." "No Way" is described simply as "catchy," while "That's a Plan"--the only song not co-written by McGuinn--tells of a young man leaving his hometown behind. "She Doesn't Dance" is a traditional ballad, at the same time breaking your heart and making you sing along. "Silve Platter" simply tells how it is, as banjo-ladden as "Mrs. Steven Rudy." "All About the Ride" states that it ain't where you're going--it's who you're going there with. "Love Don't Float" is another beautiful ballad of love gone bad. "Busy Signal" is a look at how a woman's life is so busy, she can't spend time with her man. "Done It Right" wraps the CD up, with a chorus that goes: "What if Columbus gave in and gave up/And Rosa had moved to the back of that bus/And Martin stopped marching and Elvis droves trucks/What if they'd done it right." As you could guess, a great tune by a great singer/songwriter. Look beneath his berret to see the music underneath: McGuinn is a great new artist making his debut in the business. He's turning heads; why not yours?

I love this CD! I heard Mrs. Steven Rudy on WXTU and bought the album hoping there would be other songs just as good. I was not disappointed. That's A Plan is going to be my anthem for the summer. I can't stop listening to One Of Their Own and She Doesn't Dance is a classic country song. This guy looks and sounds different. I love that!

A Highly Enjoyable CD that Gets Better after every listen. It's Worth Every Penny You Spend on it and it's Sure to be a big hit with radio. Mark McGuinn WILL NOT be a "one hit wonder." here's my thoughts on each song. Mrs Steven Rudy (Mark McGuinn and Shane Decker)- A banjo infused song that talkes about a guys desires to see his neighbor become his girlfriend..."That wedding ring is ugly (to me) as your husband is to you."

Heaven Must Be Missing You (Mark McGuinn and Trey Matthews)using contemporary sounds with an original lead acoustic guitar sound, Mark sings about a Girl who is so great that he cannot believe the luck he has in having her by his side.

No Way (Mark McGinn and Trey Matthews) - written about a couple from two different types of families and how their love is stronger than what people think of them.

That's A Plan (Bobby E. Boyd and David Leone) - the only song NOT co-written by Mark McGuinn, this song talks about dreaming large and leaving the small town where you come from and keeping the plan going. Similar vibe musically as "Rudy."

If The World Was Mine (Mark McGuinn and Shane Decker) - With one of the best guitar leads i've heard in country, and a great use of dobro, This song talks about how McGuinn plans to make that special girl's world perfect.

One Of Their Own (Mark McGuinn and Bobby E. Boyd) - Contemporary sound again with drum loops and a heavy dose of banjo that talks about how his girlfriend must be an angel because he feels as "if heaven is at hand anytime she's close"

She Doesn't Dance (Mark McGuinn, Don Pfrimmer and Shane Decker) - The most Country sounding of songs with the delicate piano intro and fiddle echos throughout the song. The theme here is about a guy who tries to rationalize his wife or girlfriend being at a bar and cheating him... God I hate that woman..but I love the one at home..

Silver Platter (Mark McGuinn and Trey Matthews) - Heavy banjo again on this song. Uplifting song that says you have to earn everything you get and that nothing comes on a "Silver Platter."

All About The Ride (Mark McGuinn, Bobby E. Boyd and Billy Davidson) - Kind of has a sound reminicent to a Garth Brooks circa "Ropin' The Wind." Again, There's a heavy use of banjo. A song that tells that time spent together is time well spent, even if it is in a car driving.

Love Don't Float (Mark McGuinn and Jim Foster) - Great Music background on this track My favorite track on the CD. Vocally similar to James Taylor on this song, This song talks about how rare it is to find a true love and how you must grab at the chance to achieve it.

Busy Signal (Mark McGuinn and Trey Matthews)- The sound sounds as if the song is sung through the phone(For a reason) this song talks about how Mark cannot get his girlfriend to have a real talk wit him.

Done It Right (Mark McGuinn, Don Pfrimmer and Shane Decker) - talks about how you gotta take a chance and do something for a dream. Interesting drums accompany

A while back, a friend of mine played a song to me called "Mrs. Steven Rudy". I loved the song immediately and when I asked which artist it was, I was told that his name was Mark McGuinn. I had never heard of him before, but I thought that he was quite good if he wrote a great song like that. A few months later, my friend gave me a copy of his album at school. I took it home and listened to it immediately, and I just adored it. Every song sounds so good. It is a wonderfully produced album. It sounds so new and fresh, and it is a joy to listen to in any mood that you are in. All of the songs have a transition between happiness and sadness, especially "Mrs. Steven Rudy". My favorite song is "She Doesn't Dance". It is such a beautiful track. For all the people out there thinking about buying this album, please do. You will definitely not regret it.

With everything going against Mark McGuinn you'd think he wouldn't succeed. First off, he is signed by an independent label which makes getting airplay pretty tough. Second, his music isn't "traditional" to the country music industry which has proved to hurt other artists. This didn't seem to hold Mark McGuinn back as his first single, "Mrs. Steven Rudy" blasted through the charts. His second single, "That's A Plan", will also prove to be a great hit with time. Other standouts on this album are "Busy Signal", "Silver Platter", and "She Doesn't Dance" along with all of the other songs. This is a great representation of what is to come in country music.

You can't go wrong with this album, regardless of what kind of music you are into. If you enjoy albums that give you slow, introspective songs as well as fun, uptempto songs, if you enjoy well written lyrics, good production and great instrumentation, than this cd is for you.