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Vince Gill
These Days
(MCA Nashville/Universal)
Say what you will about Vince Gill, you can't call him lazy.
The country star has been recording for 23 years. He's made over a dozen albums. Scored a ton of hits. Won a slew of awards. And cameoed on countless tunes by other artists. So it's no surprise he's finally put out a box set. What is remarkable, though, is that the four-disc These Days is no retrospective -- it's 43 brand-spankin' new originals.
That's a lot to take in at once, but Gill helps out by dividing the $50 set into chapters. Workin' on a Big Chill: The Rockin' Record has 36 minutes of roots-pop and hillbilly boogie like Nothin' for a Broken Heart and Sweet Thing, with guest stars from Gretchen Wilson to Rodney Crowell. The Reason Why: The Groovy Record delivers 53 minutes of soulful heartbreak and countripolitan ballads, highlighted by a sultry jazz duet with Diana Krall called Faint of Heart. Some Things Never Get Old: The Country & Western Record is 35 minutes of honkytonk twang and pedal steel, along with the Everlys homage If I Can Make Mississippi. And Little Brother: The Acoustic Record hits the porch for 40 minutes of bluegrass and folk with the help of Del McCoury and Guy Clark.
Other names on the VIP list include LeAnn Rimes, Alison Krauss, Bonnie Raitt, Sheryl Crow, Trisha Yearwood, Patty Loveless, Emmylou Harris, Lee Ann Womack and wife Amy Grant. But the real drawing cards here are the same key elements found on all of Gill's discs: His mellow Crowellish pipes and his ability to pen instantly familiar, flawlessly beautiful songs. The only difference here is that you get a few dozen more examples of his handiwork than usual.
Say what you will about Gill, you can't complain about that.
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Track Listing:
Disc 1:
1. Workin? On A Big Chill
2. Love?s Standin?
3. Cowboy Up (featuring Gretchen Wilson)
4. Sweet Thing
5. Bet It All On You
6. Nothin? For A Broken Heart (Duet w/Rodney Crowell)
7. Son Of A Ramblin? Man (featuring Del McCoury)
8. Smilin? Song (featuring Michael McDonald)
9. The Rhythm Of The Pourin? Rain (featuring Bekka Bramlett)
10. Nothin? Left To Say
Disc 2:
1. All Prayed Up
2. Cold Gray Light Of Gone (featuring The Del McCoury Band)
3. A River Like You (featuring Jenny Gill)
4. Ace Up Your Pretty Sleeve
5. Molly Brown
6. Girl (Guest Vocalist: Rebecca Lynn Howard)
7. Give Me The Highway (featuring The Del McCoury Band)
8. Sweet Augusta Darlin?
9. Little Brother
10. Almost Home (Duet w/Guy Clark)
Disc: 3
1. This New Heartache
2. The Only Love
3. Out Of My Mind (featuring Patty Loveless)
4. The Sight Of Me Without You
5. I Can?t Let Go (featuring Alison Krauss & Dan Tyminski)
6. Don?t Pretend With Me
7. Some Things Never Get Old (featuring Emmylou Harris)
8. Sweet Little Corrina (featuring Phil Everly)
9. If I Can Make Mississippi (featuring Lee Ann Womack)
10. Take This Country Back (Duet w/John Anderson)
Disc: 4
1. What You Don't Say (featuring LeAnn Rimes)
2. The Reason Why (featuring Alison Krauss)
3. The Rock Of Your Love (featuring Bonnie Raitt)
4. What You Give Away (featuring Sheryl Crow)
5. Faint Of Heart (Duet w/Diana Krall)
6. Time To Carry On (featuring Jenny Gill)
7. No Easy Way
8. This Memory Of You (featuring Trisha Yearwood)
9. How Lonely Looks
10. Tell Me One More Time About Jesus (featuring Amy Grant)
11. Everything And Nothing (featuring Katrina Elam)
12. Which Way Will You Go
13. These Days