Rating:
Genre:
Country
Release Date: 10/18/2005
The title of
Tracy Lawrence's 2005 album
Then & Now: The Hits Collection suggests that it's a greatest hits album -- in fact, the sticker on the front cover bills the album as a "greatest hits" -- but that's a little misleading. Instead of being a compilation of original hit recordings,
Then and Now finds
Lawrence revisiting a selection of his biggest hits -- such as
"Sticks and Stones," "Alibis," "Texas Tornado" and
"Time Marches On" -- adding two new songs (
"Used to the Pain" and the war-themed
"If I Don't Make It Back") to the mix. These new versions are a little more laid-back than the originals, and they're a little slicker too. And while that doesn't necessarily suit
Lawrence's voice, which has grown a little thinner over the years, that doesn't make
Then and Now a bad listen. It's a mellow, mature, comfortable record that finds
Lawrence in a warm, reflective mood, and if his fans share his mood, they should find this enjoyable.
~Stephen Thomas Erlewine, All Music Guide