Live Like You Were Dying

iTunes Review

Some artists wait their entire careers to record an album as powerful as 2004’s Live Like You Were Dying. In Tim McGraw’s case, it took a decade’s worth of country music success to reach this level of emotional honesty and creative nerve. Personal sorrows – most notably the passing of his father — doubtlessly contributed to the weightiness of the project. But for whatever reasons, this album is easily McGraw’s most substantial work, a 16-cut exploration of faith, loss, endurance and fleeting happiness. Its title track is a defiant celebration of life in the face of tragedy, and the rest of the album maintains as high a standard. Though he didn’t write these songs, McGraw makes each of them sound like a personal confession. From the raw ambition of “How Bad Do You Want It” through the last-gasp desperation of “Drugs Or Jesus” and the bruised determination of “We Carry On,” there’s a toughness to these tracks that sets them apart from typical Nashville fare. Tunes like the nostalgic “Back When” add a needed dash of humor. Live Like You Were Dying is remarkable for its integrity, courage and candor.