Then & Now: The Hits Collection

Tracy Lawrence | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (October 18, 2005)
• Original Release Date: 2005
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Mercury Nashville
• ASIN: B000AXWGQ8
• In-Print Editions: MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (21 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #34,896 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com

Country's honey-voiced hopeless romantic gleans his career with this satisfying collection featuring rerecordings of 14 hits, his original version of "Paint me a Birmingham," and two new numbers. He's made fresh gold with "Used to the Pain," which sounds like a classic Tracy Lawrence ballad, full of regret over a heartbroken past, yet dappled with hope for the future. There's also "If I Don't Make It Back," a sentimental male-bonding story of a departing soldier's words to his buddies with a tearjerker ending. The older tunes, like "Birmingham" and "Today's Lonely Fool," stand time's test, as does the undiminished emotional palette of Lawrence's voice. Although most of these numbers are sad or starry-eyed honky-tonk, the set ends with the rowdy "If the Good Die Young," a rocker with the kickin' line "I'm gonna live forever if the good die young." But with more #1 hits than Glen Campbell, Ernest Tubb, and a host of other legends, Lawrence has already attained his own brand of longevity. --Ted Drozdowski

Product Description

There are 17 songs in this hits collection. I re-recorded 14 of my past hits, included the original version of "Paint Me A Birmingham," and recorded two brand new songs. In making this record, I got the chance to study myself as a vocalist and as a person. I listened to what I did with "Sticks And Stones" all the way through what I did with "Paint Me A Birmingham." It was pretty educational to go back through 14 years of my life and pick myself apart. I learned a lot about myself.

We were intent on recapturing the magic for this CD. I wanted the cuts to be as close sonically to the original recordings as we could make them. We matched tempos, snare sounds and guitar licks--everything. I even sang along with the originals to try to get my phrasing as close as possible. We did all that we could, short of stepping back in time, to get as close to reliving the moments those records were recorded.

We worked with a lot of the same players that played on my original recordings. We talked about the studios we played in. We cut up and reminisced about all of the good times on the road during those years. We talked about the path my music had traveled with different producers. I could hear my growth and I could hear the strain in my voice during the times when there was pain in my life. It brought it all back to life for me. In a lot of ways I found the whole process healthy and therapeutic.

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Great CD, A re-recording notice woulda been nice though., June 4, 2006

By 

James C. Beard IV (Greenville, SC USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Then & Now: The Hits Collection (Audio CD)

I have to give this CD 3 stars only because there was no notice anywhere on the CD cover mentioning that this CD contains new recordings of his old songs instead of being a true "Greatest Hits" collection CD. In fact, the sticker on the cover leads you to believe otherwise. None-the-less, the recordings are extremely close to the originals and he does include the original "Paint Me A Birmingham" which makes it an ok buy.

6 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Only Tracy can make you feel this way, November 5, 2005

By 

Betty "Butterfly" (Tennessee) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Then & Now: The Hits Collection (Audio CD)

Then and Now?
Country, true country, at it's best.
This is the ulitimate celebration of love, life, and loss, brought to us by one of the few True Country voices on radio today. This C.D. contains old and new; however the stories of love, loss, friendship, turning points, Lessons Learned, and Time Marching On, are timeless classics. It is back to back stories from a young excitable boy in If the Good Die Young, to the different man he is today in Used to the Pain. A voice so real, and honest only he can sing these songs. You will feel lonely and strong at the same time while feeling the worst of loss and the best of love. The new track if I Don't Make It Back will ring true to many, many generations and perhaps bring them together in a way never dreamt of. And who among us have never felt the loss in Used To The Pain? Tracys voice lets you know love may be lost but life does go on and it doesn't have to be so hard. In the end it screams "think of me" for all people in the world. Think of all you may have loved and lost, embrace the pain with him, and remember them with your own Birmingham. He encourages you to celebrate that you loved once, and will again. This one of a kind voice will have you pushing the repeat button over and over. Once again, true country at its most honest. TLIFC

4 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Tracy.....Thanks for the Memories., October 26, 2005

By 

TL FAN #1 "Stephanie" (Georgia) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Then & Now: The Hits Collection (Audio CD)

As a long time country music fan I have often felt like Tracy Lawrence was the most under rated artist of his time. After, suppling the music industry with 16 number one songs and even more top tens radio refused to give him the air time he had earned with his hard work and dedication to his music and fans. With the release and success of " Birmingham " I was estatic with the long overdue attention Tracy was finally receiving from the media. Upon hearing of the impending relaese of a new album "Then and Now" on Oct. 18 I couldn't wait to hear the magic I knew Tracy would deliver. However, not even I expected the Honesty and Purity of the already unique voice we have come to know and love.
The first trak on the album "Used to the Pain" is one of two new releases on the album and has that classic T.L. sound. Without a doubt, this is destined to be one his signature songs. The second new release and the third trak is one that is destined for greatness "If I Don't Make it Back". WOW! If you are in need of a good cry this one will certianly do it for you. The raw emotion of Tracy's voice and the touching lyrics of this song puts all in a place too many of our neighbors have been in all to recently. From here, there are a number of previously released classics that Tracy has re-recorded. It is amazing for me to hear these songs again even better than before. The level of maturity Tracy's voice has reached has raised the bar for any future recordings. Thanks for the memories Tracy! Hey don't forget to check out all of Tracy,s music at [...].
submitted by: Stephanie Meyers "TLIFC"