From the Vault...

11/01/1998
#601

info
John Michael Montgomery
"John Michael Montgomery"


© Atlantic Records

Year of Release: 1995
Rating:

track listing
  • Cowboy Love
  • Sold (The Grundy County
    Auction Incident)
  • I Can Love You Like That
  • High School Heart
  • Just Like A Rodeo
  • Holdin' On To Something
  • Long As I Live
  • No Man's Land
  • Heaven Sent Me You
  • It's What I Am

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    John Michael Montgomery related sites:
    John Michael Montgomery Website
    Wikipedia
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    John Michael Montgomery
    "John Michael Montgomery"



    Country's John Michael Montgomery has something in common with the Soul group All-4-One: Two songs by him were recorded by All-4-One, I Swear, and I Can Love You Like That. I Swear became one of many songs that would stay at #1 for the most weeks (11 weeks). All-4-One's version of I Can Love You Like That did not reach #1, but in my opinion, it should have.


    The 1995 self-titled album by John Michael Montgomery features ballads like I Can Love You Like That, as well as your typical honky-tonkin' country styles.


    Cowboy Love and Sold (The Grundy County Auction Incident), and Holdin' On To Something all have the basic honky-tonk country sound. Cowboy Love is almost compared to Montgomery's hit Be My Baby Tonight, a song from his 1994 album, Kickin' It Up. Also in the honky-tonk style is Just Like A Rodeo, yet it has a bluesy style to it, and the vocal style could pass as a song that could be recorded by Garth Brooks.


    High School Heart has the same quality as I Can Love You Like That; they're both great sounding ballads. Another great ballad is Long As I Live, where it has a somewhat Ronnie Milsap feel; Milsap's I Wouldn't Of Missed It For The World comes to mind here. No Man's Land and Heaven Sent Me You are other good soft-sounding ballads.


    Ending the album is the honky-tonk Hank Williams' Jr.-tinged It's What I Am, and it's like his previous song heard on this album, Cowboy Love. Also, it's a good song to end the album.


    John Michael Montgomery is a damn good country album. It combines the great sounding country honky-tonk and ballads. There is a great balance of both of these country styles in this album. My inspiration in Montgomery's music was his two ballads I Can Love You Like That and I Swear, which are two songs I truly enjoy, and his ballads found here on this album are the standouts that make this album damn good. It seems that the softer ballads grab my attention more than the rock influenced/honky-tonk country songs. The lyrics are more sensitive (they're either about heartbreak or falling in love), and as for the love ballads, they can be great wedding songs. (How many people have used either All-4-Love's or Montgomery's I Swear and/or I Can Love You Like That as wedding themes?)


    Today's country sound is defined in John Michael Montgomery's music. His sound is also found in many present-day country groups and artists. So if you're wondering what the sound of country is like today, grab any of John Michael Montgomery's albums and you'll hear that sound.


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    Previous Review: #600
    Soundtrack--Footloose
    Next Review: #602
    Bruce Springsteen--Another Side Of Bruce Springsteen