Categories : Country + Western, Music Reviews.
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Rating: 2.5/5 Released: October 2, 2007 Reviewer: David Coats |
Few female artists have had the impact on mainstream country Faith Hill has had (Shania Twain and Reba McIntyre may be the only others). Thirteen years after the release of her first record, The Hits is an overdue retrospective of Hill’s career.
As with most of these “hits’ packages, this one is a collection of singles committed fans will already own, along with the requisite teasers, including two new songs (‘Red Umbrella’ and ‘Lost’), a live version of 2002’s ‘Stronger,’ and the inevitable duet with husband Tim McGraw, ‘I Need You.’ The most disconcerting aspect of this collection is that there are fifteen songs by fifteen song writing teams, none of which include Hill herself. The result is run-of-the-mill CMT pop, featuring trite, inspirational messages (“Let it fall, I’m gonna be okay, so let it rain / Let it wash my tears away, tomorrow’s another dayâ€), banal biographical clichés (‘Mississippi Girl’), and predictable love ballads (‘Breathe,’ ‘There You’ll Be’), making Hill mainstream country’s answer to Celine Dion. It’s also interesting how, like Shania, Hill has become less ‘country’ over time.
Hill is a strong vocalist, with more power and range than most of her peers, and the impressive live performance of ‘Stronger’ cements that she is far more than a product of the studio. Beyond that, she is undeniably wholesome (which always comes across in her music and delivery), and, let’s face it, she’s among the most beautiful women in music. It is no coincidence, then, that the packaging features photos from her childhood alongside shots featuring Hill staring seductively into the camera.
Obviously, Hill has been embraced by the popular culture like few other artists have. Her success speaks for itself, but truthfully, The Hits doesn’t allow us to know any more about Hill than the pop ‘formula’ (voice, image, and teams of songwriters) allows, which, after thirteen years, is disappointing.
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