Freedom - Andy Griggs

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Reviewed by Jennifer Webb

Andy Griggs' last album, You Won't Ever Be Lonely, was released in 1999 and had such hits as "She's More," "You Won't Ever Be Lonely," and "I'll Go Crazy." With Freedom, there is a higher amount of confidence found in the songs and it really showcases his great vocals even more so than in his great debut.

From the first note in the title cut, "Freedom," I was immediately drawn in to everything about it as Andy sang about a lonely man who finally found a true love that helped him get away from his old ways of being wild. The message is that, just because you have freedom, it does not mean that things will always go smoothly - at one time in a person's life they need to grow up and settle down.

I love the way "Practice Life" starts out with guest vocalist, Martina McBride, singing a drawn out "Oh yeah" before Andy starts narrating the story of a woman who said that she never loved her man so she left and took their kids to her mom's house. Meanwhile, in the second half of the song, a man realizes he works too hard and is about to lose his wife and family so he calls and says that he is coming home to her. The chorus is so true when it says: "This ain't no practice life. We only get one shot and our love ain't throwaway - it's all we've got." We should all evaluate our current situation and do the best we can to keep the ones we truly love, because there will never be a second chance. Martina and Andy sound amazing together and I hope they do more songs in the future.

An upbeat tune, "Custom Made," written by Andy with David Lee Murphy and David Malloy, is one of those songs you feel like singing along to every time you hear it. It sounds very radio-friendly so I hope it is released as a single at some point. The guy in the song cannot believe how wonderful the girl is that he met, and he says it is just like she was sent down from heaven to be his one and only because their personalities fit so well together.

A song about seeing someone for the first time in years and being surprised, "How Cool Is That" has a certain amount of irony in it. The man sees the preacher's daughter that he used to have a crush on, and at first he did not even think she would remember him, until she said that she had the "hots" for him in Sunday school. It turns out that she is different than she used to be because as they talk he notices a tattoo on her back and spots the beer in her hand. Sometimes life is funny and you cannot help but wonder why certain things happen or change.

"Tonight I Wanna Be Your Man" is a beautiful song that any woman would love for her man to sing to her and Andy does a fantastic job getting the soul and love to come across in it. Life may be hectic but he wants to show his wife just how much he loves her, by having a romantic night together. During the week they barely have time to talk because she is busy with the kids and he is off at work, but the couple needs time to be a couple so when the world is in bed sleeping, they can be alone together. It is no wonder that this, the second single, is doing so wonderfully on the charts because I cannot imagine any other artist singing it better than Andy.

There is always one song that pops out and grabs my attention and becomes my absolute favorite - "Sweetheart Of Beinja Bayou" is the one from this album. This upbeat Cajun flavored song is about a girl that the man just met and instantly starts thinking about all of the time, going so far as to say that he would fight off an alligator and wade high water just to see her beautiful face. The instruments combined with Andy's voice just put a smile on your face and makes you feel better. You feel like getting up, dancing around, and having some fun with this one.

On both albums he has released, Andy has had some sort of tribute, whether it is a clip or a song, to his brother and inspiration - Mason Griggs. As a hidden track, Andy acoustically performs a song that Mason wrote, entitled "Someone Like Me," listening to it could bring a tear into the eyes of some because of not only the story, but because you can feel the love and admiration he had, and still has, for his older brother that passed away in 1991. Andy still has his faith and his morals and a bond with his family that will never be broken, even as he steps into the spotlight more and more with each release and it shines through on Freedom.

Song List:

1. Freedom
2. The Road To Lasting Love
3. Practice Life (w/ Martina McBride)
4. Always
5. Custom Made
6. A Hundred Miles Of Bad Road (w/ Tom Keifer)
7. How Cool Is That
8. I've Learned
9. Tonight I Wanna Be Your Man
10. Sweetheart of Beinja Bayou
11. Brand New Something Going On
12. Where's A Train
13. Someone Like Me