Songs About Me

Trace Adkins | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (March 22, 2005)
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Liberty
• ASIN: B0007QS3TC
• Also Available in: Audio CD  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 3.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (58 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #109,354 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)
  • #20 in Music > Music Deals > $9.99 and Under

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com

It's no surprise that the best cuts on Songs About Me are produced by Scott Hendricks, the man who gave Trace Adkins his major-label deal and best understands the psyche of a 6-foot-6 Louisianan with a past full of close calls, high emotions, and deep soul searching (getting shot and nearly dying, later going to rehab). Adkins, with his tender-tough, bottom-of-the-riverbed baritone, sings country music because he's lived its eventful story songs. That's something he celebrates in the title song, which deftly lays out the reasons for the genre's popularity, even to folks who wouldn't ordinarily gravitate to the twangy side of the radio dial. Perhaps anyone could make that song a hit, but it takes a singer of far more subtlety to deliver the incredibly well-written (by Jeremy Spillman and Dave Turnbull) "Arlington," a uniquely different type of war song. Elsewhere, Adkins runs the gamut of themes, from the heartfelt ballad "I Learned How to Love from You" to the randy "Baby I'm Home" to the high-octane "Honky Tonk Badonkadonk" (produced by Dann Huff). If some of it seems like awfully familiar territory, Adkins elevates it to the art of blue-collar soul. --Alanna Nash

Product Description

Trace Adkins is on fire! The highly anticipated seventh album from multi-platinum Country music recording artist features the hit single 'Songs About Me' and has been Adkins' fastest moving single to date. Capitol. 2005. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

65 of 88 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars It's Called HONOR, not Exploitation!, August 27, 2005

By 

LINDA VANTASSELL (Rustburg, VA USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Songs About Me (Audio CD)

While compelled to write a review of this album, I was further compelled to write a review after reading the review by Mrs. A. Browning, a supposed wife of a soldier, who denounced the album as exploitation and suggested that others not buy the album.

Country singers such as Trace and Toby are not exploiting our soldiers in an effort to "cash in," as Mrs. Browning suggests. Rather they are among the rare and the few who have the glandular fortitude to honor our men in uniform in this age of political incorrectness and anti-war fervor.

A true wife of a soldier would honor the sacrifice that her husband is making for his country. She wouldn't denounce it. No, it's not romantic, but it's something to be honored. This is specifically what Trace does in his song, "Arlington." He honors the sacrifice that our soldiers have made. He honors their lives and their deaths. He not only honors it, he memorializes it, capturing it in a song that will bring anyone to tears. It's a tearful subject, and it's not one that should go unappreciated.

We need to remember. We need to remember the men, their sacrifices, and their lives. Most of all, we need to remember that we wouldn't be celebrating our lives as free Americans were it not for those buried at the Arlington National Cemetary.

Trace ... thank you for honoring the dead by capturing their essence in song. I appreciate your willingness to honor the dead by singing of them in song. The hearts of those men were beautiful, and they willingly gave all for many who will never give any.

Purchase the album for the quality of the music, which is excellent. If you're anti-war and anti-Bush, perhaps, you should go visit Michael Moore's site. He has more than enough hatred to drown you in.

6 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Songs about Trace, February 18, 2006

By 

A. Winhofer "eternal desire" - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Songs About Me (Audio CD)

I have to say, I've been a long-time fan of Trace Adkins. He has a very beautiful Baritone Voice when he sings that just melts your heart. All his songs have a special meaning to them, some are sad and Heartfelt, others are Happy and Upbeat. One of the stand-out songs on this album is the song "Arlington", it's a beautiful strong Patriotic song to a Fallen soldier. This album is definetly worth buying for your collection, don't miss out!!!!

24 of 34 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars "Songs" Has A Universal Appeal, March 25, 2005

By 

Timothy Yap "thy4568" (Sydney, NSW, Australia) - See all my reviews
(TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Songs About Me (Audio CD)

Prime Cuts: Arlington, Honky Tonk Badonkadent, I Learned How to Love You

Despite the stiff and often aggressive competition, country music has remained sacrosanct. On the title track, "Songs about Me," Adkins uncovers the genre's tenacity: "(they are) songs about loving and living/and good hearted women and family and God/yeah they're all just songs about me." Not since Clinton Gregory's "(If It Weren't For Country Music) I'd Go Crazy," has there been a better apologetic paean. With a finesse that is moving, this bluesy guitar driven midtempo title track is only proleptic of the aręte material to follow. On the whole, "Songs about Me" is perhaps this lanky Texan's most balanced and amicable CD. Attributive to the album's affectation is that most of these songs come from Music Row's finest scribes including River Rutherford, Tim Mensy, Tom Shapiro, George Teren, Shane Minor, Tony Martin and Ed Hill amongst other maestros.

Charming as the title track is, "Arlington" is even more beguiling. A sensitive ballad told from the perspective of a fallen soldier being laid to rest a "thousand stones away" from his granddad in the same field of honor, this is heart wrenching stuff. Adkins' muscular yet mesmeric baritone has never been utilized to greater effect than on the sensitive power ballad "I Learned How to Love You." Co-written by Tim Mensy and Steve Nathan, this piano and string laden number is postcard perfect for being a radio darling. Possessing the same romantic vibe is the more upbeat Shane Minor and Wendell Mobley's "Find Me a Preacher;" this time finding a lovesick Adkins ready to pounce on the thought of tying the knot.

In the wake of the successes enjoyed by more maverick acts such as Big and Rich and Gretchen Wilson, it's assuring to find major acts starting to color outside the lines. Suspending all rules of political correctness (that have given so many of Nashville's products such an artificial sheen) "Honky Tonk Badonkadent" is a salacious and rowdy barnburner that ought to make every red-blooded male proud. Packed with punch over some macho pounding drums, the feminine vile has not much celebrated with such honesty since Confederate Railroad's "Trashy Woman." On the other extreme, you will find a more sensitive Adkins on the limpid "My Heaven." Coming from the pens of Jim Collins and Chris Wallin. "My Heaven" finds a homely dad likening the celestial city with the comforts of home.

However, not all works. Veering too close to Toby Keith's in-your-face bawdy terrain is the "Baby I'm Home." Unlike Keith who is often interesting, Adkins' bluesy-rock "Baby I'm Home" with its uncalled for sensuous storyline is on the patronizing side. Equally forgettable is River Rutherford and George Teren's "Bring It On"--an average 70s rock number with that occasional fiddling just to remind you that it is country.

Nevertheless, despite a few tarnishes, there's much to savor on Adkins' sixth CD bearing the Capitol Nashville logo. This is perhaps Adkins most lyrically diverse album with all the major themes of country music covered ranging from romance to family to the honky tonks to the military. Also, there's a deeper sense of maturity evident in Adkins' nuances. This has added an emotional heft to his delivery making listening to his ballads such as "Arlington" and "I Learned How to Love You" a real treat.