Burn

by Jo Dee Messina

Overview

Co-producers Tim McGraw and Byron Gallimore struck gold on Burn, Jo Dee Messina's third offering for Curb, and her last for five solid years. The formula on her first two offerings, her self-titled debut (1996) and I'm Alright (1998), seemed to work, and the pair didn't tinker with it all that much, except for the fact that the pair could see the bend in the road where the fork between contemporary country and slick adult pop came together and they met it head on. Given the monster set of contralto pipes that Messina possesses, it didn't matter; she crossed over into the pop mainstream anyway. The hits here include the awesome "These Are the Days," written by Holly Lamar and Stephanie Bentley, which wound layers of acoustic guitars, pedal steel, and a soaring harmonica that filled the center as fiddles and mandolins colored the backdrop. Messina expressed the "never say die" philosophy in the song with hunger and verve, putting it across with conviction and even a little mischievous delight. The title track is a love song like no other she'd recorded before. Its ringing guitars and nearly urban R&B bassline carried the monochromatic melody line into deep emotional territory, and once more Messina put the song across as if she'd lived it all, asking the question "Do you want to be a soldier, for love?" with all the authority necessary to communicate it to fans. "Dare to Dream" is such a straight-up pop/rocker it's a wonder it wasn't on every Top 40 station simultaneously. The album opens with the killer single "Downtime," which defines the heart of contemporary country: its themes of determination in the face of adversity, the belief in true love as a redemptive force, and a musical backdrop that is equal parts pop, country, and the light rock that powered the 1970s. There's even a more convincing argument for rock on the set in the Roy Hurd and Templeton Thompson tune "Nothing I Can Do," which has a near thundering guitar riff in the verse. Burn is a kind of small masterpiece that never dates, despite its occasionally sugary sound and very slick production; it's a testament to the vocal prowess of Messina, who is able to convey even the most ordinary lyrics with authority. Of the recordings she issued between her debut and 2005's Delicious Surprise, Burn remains her finest moment. ~ Thom Jurek

Product Details

Release Date:	05/27/2022
Label:	Curb
UPC:	0715187797727

Tracks

1. Downtime
2. That's the Way
3. Dare to Dream
4. Burn
5. If Not You
6. Closer
7. These Are the Days
8. Saturday Night
9. Angelene
10. Nothing I Can Do
11. Bring on the Rain

Album Credits

Performance Credits

Jo Dee Messina   Primary Artist
Tim McGraw   Primary Artist,Guest Artist
Aubrey Haynie   Fiddle
Biff Watson   Guitar (Acoustic)
Kim Parent   Vocals (Background)
Paul Franklin   Drums,Guitar (Steel)
Steve Nathan   Keyboards
Gene Miller   Vocals (Background)
John D. Willis   Guitar (Acoustic)
Lonnie Wilson   Drums
Michael Landau   Guitar (Bass),Guitar (Electric)
Mike Brignardello   Bass
Brent Mason   Guitar (Electric)
Larry Byrom   Guitar (Acoustic)
Lisa Bevill   Vocals (Background)
Byron Gallimore   Guitar (12 String Electric)

Technical Credits

Joel Green   Hair Stylist,Make-Up
Steve Werfel   Composer
Glenn Sweitzer   Design,Art Direction
Adrienne Follese   Composer
Greg Fogie   Engineer,Assistant Engineer
Roy Hurd   Composer
Chad Brown   Engineer,Assistant Engineer
David Bryant   Engineer
Bishop Phillip Coleman   Composer
Mike Dy   Engineer
Matt Silva   Engineer,Mixing Engineer
Holly Lamar   Composer
Ann Callis   Production Assistant
Marvin Green   Composer
Billy Montana   Composer
Mary Beth Felts   Make-Up,Hair Stylist
Pam Reswick   Composer
Templeton Thompson   Composer
Stephanie Bentley   Composer
Carolyn Dawn Johnson   Composer
Doug Sax   Mastering
John VanNest   Digital Editing
Dennis Davis   Engineer
Ron Davis   Photography
Ronnie Rivera   Engineer
Ricky Cobble   Engineer
Julian King   Engineer
Tom Shapiro   Composer
George Teren   Composer
Helen Darling   Composer
Woody Woodruff   Engineer
Annie Roboff   Composer
Tim McGraw   Producer
Tim Nichols   Composer
Tina Arena   Composer
Aimee Mayo   Composer
Erik Lutkins   Engineer
Chris Lindsey   Composer
Chris Lord-Alge   Mixing Engineer
Jane Bach   Composer
Richard Hanson   Engineer
Steve Kaplan   Engineer,Mixing Engineer
Byron Gallimore   Producer
Earl Cox   Make-Up,Hair Stylist