| S.H.A.R.E. Songs of Hope, Awareness & Recovery for Everyone - Various Artists | |
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Reviewed by Matt Bjorke
Alcohol and Drug addiction are problems that affect millions of people in the United States yet not many people really want to talk about it or
donate their time and/or efforts to helping find ways for people to be cured of these diseases. Until Now. S.H.A.R.E. Songs of Hope, Awareness
& Recovery for Everyone is a project compiled by a group of artists and counselors with the hopes that any royalties generated from the album can
go to help those who need it the most, the addicts in treatment centers. The principles of the project and those with the national recovery group
"Join Together" decided to join with Nashville recording artists, producers and musicians to record a special song written for the project.
The song, "When Love Rules The World" features Rhett Akins, Susan Ashton, Sherrie' Austin, Kent Blazy, T. Graham Brown, songwriters Gary Burr, Blair
Daily, Tom Douglas, singers Ricky Lynn Gregg, Sonya Isaacs, Carolyn Dawn Johnson, Hal Ketchum, Raul Malo, Kathy Mattea, Martina McBride, Michael
Peterson, Jon Randall, Collin Raye, Daryle Singletary and Mark Wills. All of these artists and the producer Paul Worley donated their time to the
project. There are 16 songs that follow the themes of what it was like to be addicted to alcohol and drugs, the recovery (or what happened to get
there), and of course life after recovery.
Hal Ketchum's "Unforgiven" is from his wonderful Awaiting Redemption album. It's a deeply emotional song about the demons of alcoholism and his own self-awareness of his problem. This autobiographical song was written when Hal was overcoming the demons of his addictions.
"Cheap Whiskey," from Martina McBride's debut album This Time Has Come, finds a man who is now sober realizing what his drinking did to ruin the relationship that he had "when he traded her love for a drink." It's a poignant song that foreshadowed the powerful healing and redemption songs Martina has now become known for.
A Top 40 hit from 1997, Michael Peterson's "When The Bartender Cries" is a tale about a man who seems to have lost it all only to realize "You know you're in trouble when the bartender cries." It's a song that finds the bartender telling his story of how he used to be in the same shoes as the man. The end of the song finds the man saying goodbye as he goes off on his first step to recovery. A poignant song then, it still is now which
makes me wonder why Michael Peterson hasn't had a hit single since that wonderful debut album.
Ashley Cleveland is a treasured session vocalist who sings an absolutely stunning version of Neil Young's "The Needle and The Damage Done." About a subject (drug abuse) that country artists seem to steer away from, "Needle" is one of those brutally honest songs that Neil Young is so well known for.
Classic country music fans will recognize "I'm Gonna Hire A Wino To Decorate Our Home." A #1 hit for David Frizzell in 1982, this song was written by Dwayne Blackwell ("Friends In Low Places") and it describes a couple who argue over the man's alcohol problems. As the liner notes of the CD suggest, it is the "the ultimate payback fantasy" of the wife to basically turn her home into a bar so she knows where he is at all times.
From the album Caught In The Webb, BR549 does a masterful job with "There Stands The Glass," a classic Webb Pierce hit from 1953. About an alcoholic who feels the power of the liquor has over him and how it alters his perception.
Russ Taff recorded an album in the mid-1990s for Reprise Records and after it failed he returned to his Christian music roots. In 1999 he recorded
"Things Will Be Different" for his Right Here, Right Now album. This song was placed on this soundtrack because it represents how alcoholism is a problem for the whole family not just the actual drinker. While not theoretically a country song, the theme certainly is and it stands out as one of the best tracks on the CD.
Collin Raye recorded Gary Burr's "Time Machine" for his I Think About You album in 1995. While it wasn't one of the singles from that monster album, the song still stood out to me as a highlight to the album. This version is performed by Burr, and is as equally stunning as Raye's version was. Acoustically rendered, the light graceful melody backs up a set of lyrics that tells a story of a man who is transfixed when he sits on the
barstool: "To the casual eye it's a barstool, it's really much more than it seems, just a few drinks and then, she'll be with him again, as he sits
on the time machine."
With his well-documented troubles with alcoholism, George Jones seems like a natural fit for this collection of songs. "Choices," although written
by Billy Yates and Mike Curtis, is an autobiographical song for "The Possum." "I was tempted, by an early age I found I liked drinking and I
never turned it down, there were loved ones, but I turned them all away, nown I'm living and dying with the choices that I've made" George sings on
the first verse of the song. Called "No Show Jones" at the height of his problems, George had a Top 30 hit with this song in 1999, even as he
succombed to his problems later on that year in an alcohol influenced one car accident.
I have heard three other versions of Darrell Scott's "It's A Great Day To Be Alive" (including Travis Tritt's No. 1 version) but after hearing the original version by Scott, I am amazed that he himself didn't have a hit with this lyrical masterpiece. Much like frequent songwriting partner Marcus Hummon, Scott possesses a soulful voice that has depth and emotion in every line performed. For those that don't know, this song is about all the joys of being alive in the world.
When you add up the 16 tracks along with two (book ended) renditions of "When Love Rules The World," SHARE Songs of Hope, Awareness & Recovery for Everyone is a special album. The goal of the album is to not only bring awareness to the all-too-common problem of addiction but to also support the efforts to help people recover from a disease that has impacted many (including this reviewer's family). If you want to own a copy of the all-star song "When Love Rules The World," why not support the cause of this CD by purchasing it and supporting those trying to correct the problems in their life.
Song List:
Album cover and mp3 clip courtesy of SHARE.
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