CD REVIEW OF

TIM MCGRAW'S "
All I Want"

(Curb Records, 1995)


by Sandra L. Toney

All I Want, Tim McGraw's latest CD, his third, is a country music masterpiece. McGraw's previous release, Not A Moment Too Soon, put McGraw in the spotlight with his unique voice as well as the megahit, "Indian Outlaw," which quickly became a dance club favorite.

But, Not A Moment Too Soon, while a good album with good selections, featured a more immature McGraw, not in his style as much as his voice. No one will forget the whining hit, "Don't Take the Girl," which, while I am a big McGraw fan, I just couldn't barely stomach.

Luckily, All I Want shows a more mature Tim McGraw, almost as if his voice has strengthened between the two album releases. With his recent marriage to country superstar, Faith Hill, Tim McGraw looks to be in a good position in his career and his personal life. At a recent McGraw/Hill concert, Tim dedicated his latest chart-climbing hit, "She Never Lets It Go to Her Heart," to his new bride. Although he isn't a songwriter, the songs on this album seemed to be "made" just for him.

McGraw can croon a ballad with the best of country's crooners. The sad ballad, "Can't Be Really Gone," could bring a tear to anyone's eye as McGraw describes an empty house after a woman has left, although the man she left behind can't seem to believe she's really gone because she also left SO MUCH behind, "Her book is lying on the bed/The two of hearts to mark her page/Now, who could ever walk away/With so much left undone/So, she can't be really gone." Anyone who has been in his shoes can relate.

Some really good upbeat songs are on this album as well. My personal favorite is "Renegade," because Tim McGraw, with his good looks and long mustache, certainly fits the part as a renegade. Other sure-to-be hits are "That's Just Me" and "You've Got the Wrong Man." Of course, "I Like It, I Love It" already made it to the top of the charts and it certainly deserved that placing!

Finally, the title hit, "All I Want," is a fun, upbeat tune that tells the tale of not having enough in life as the chorus states, "All I want is a life/To drink from a glass from a well that ain't dry/I'm sick of the crumbs . . . I want a piece of that pie/All I want is a life."

McGraw certainly won't have to worry about getting his share in the near future. I think it's safe to say that, for now, he has ALL HE WANTS!


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