Martina McBride

Hits and More Sony Rating 5

Fans of Martina McBride will want to add this album - Hits and More - to their extensive collections, though, in truth, the More part of the title includes only three out of the 20 songs (and one of those came out on a limited release album a few years ago).

McBride has an absolute winning formula: A mix of flat-out rockers tinged with just enough steel guitar and country cliches to still be called country, plus emotive ballads about sad subjects such as love gone wrong and abused children.

All the big hits are here, from My Baby Loves Me and Independence Day, through the angel songs - Wild Angels, Broken Wing and Concrete Angel - to This One's for the Girls, Blessed, Ride and I Love You. That last song had to be playing in every gym in Saskatoon at one time. We also get the excellent Love's the Only House, with its strong and meaningful lyrics.

New song Surrender is a tense rocker, while Straight to the Bone is an acoustic guitar ballad of longing and Being Myself is some skipalong rock about being true to one's own self.

McBride's got it all: Topical lyrics, excellent musicians and a voice that hits the money note whenever she wants it to. This is another blockbuster.

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