Track Listing

1. Tim McGraw
2. Picture to Burn
3. Teardrops on My Guitar
4. Place in This World
5. Cold as You
6. Outside
7. Tied Together with a Smile
8. Stay Beautiful
9. Should've Said No
10. Mary's Song (Oh My My My)
11. Our Song
12. Tim McGraw [Multimedia Track]

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #66556 in Music
• Released on: 2006-10-24
• Number of discs: 1
• Formats: Enhanced, Import

Customer Reviews

Creatively Distinct. 3 Stars.
Taylor Swift is a superstar in the making. This debut proves it. The album is one of substance - half being solid pop-country tracks that are artistically fantastic, the other half streaming the words `filler' and `bland'. A vocalist, Swift is not, but her vocal style is distinctly singer-songwriter - her writing style being very emotional, and not pretentious. She accepts her youth, and bathes in it lyrically - much to the delight of her demographic, much to the annoyance of country purists.

Since bursting onto the scene at the tender age of 16 with this album, Swift has stirred up country music. Purists outright reject her, country radio have embraced her fully - as have her peers, and the awards shows seem to land somewhere in the middle of the 2 extremes. The songs she writes are truly `teen' in themes, and this is what seems to split people. The arrangements are country/pop through and through - some melodies being country, others pop, each balanced out with the arrangements.

`Tim McGraw' is a sincere song about young love in the summer. In vein with Deana Carter's `Strawberry Wine', but on a more innocent level; the theme is honest, and the lyrics are really good. The melody is stirring, and rightfully the lead single of this album. `Picture To Burn' is serious country kiss-off, but with the twist of being in the vein of teen. The song is killer, and one of the best on the album. The instrumentation is fantastic, and the lyrics are strong: although on the re-issue a line in the first verse seems to have been censored and changed - unfortunate as the original would be perfect for country radio.

`Teardrops on My Guitar' is Swift's best composition on this album. The theme is teen, but completely transcends. The lyrics are the best on the album, and the chord progression is amazing. Touching and heartbreaking, the song is pure genius. Even purists like Alan Jackson have shown their respect for this song, acknowledging Swift as one of the best songwriters of the new breed. `Cold As You' is a great track that channels singer/songwriter flair, with a great arrangement. The lyrics are very mature, and possess a theme that has levels to it. Very impressive.

`Should've Said No' is another kiss-off song, but leans heavy on the heartache of the kiss-off. Fantastic arrangement, and the lyrics are quite stirring, although they are again very teen. This went to #1 on country radio, and it is very commercially appealing. `Mary's Song' is a nice melody that talks of small-town love and transience - a genuine good feel track that you'll want to listen to again. `Our Song' was another #1 smash for Swift, spending 6 weeks atop the Country charts. A cute love song with a great melody, the arrangement is perfect for the song's theme. Swift wrote this for one of her high-school talent contests, and really shows how mature of a songwriter she is for her age.

`I'm Only Me When I'm With You' is a driving melody with small-town themes, and an adorable hook. The song talks of spending most of the narrator's days with their best friend, and that they can't be happy without that person. The lyrics are gorgeous and the song is very likeable. Now that I've mentioned the gems on this album, it's time to summarise the not so great. `A Place In this World' is weak melodically, and pales to the three tracks before it. Tackling the theme of identity, the lyrics are somewhat bland, and lack an actual sense of identity. It's an odd affair. `The Outside' is a forgettable track. So-so melodically, snap for the lyrics. A track that you won't really have an opinion on ultimately. `Tied Together With A Smile' is a frustrating track. The concept and lyrics are perfect; you can't fault them - so mature and insightful: boasting flair. But the melody is terrible. It's very frustrating because the words deserve so much better.

`Stay Beautiful' is in vein with `Tied Together..' also. The lyrics are strong and creative, but the melody is weak. It doesn't spark the same response as `Tied..', but deserves better. The youth of Swift could explain the lack of melody to these two songs - perhaps if she explores music even further, and with age, her chord progressions and melody work will improve. `Invisible' tackles the same theme as `Teardrops..' but is so inferior that it leaves no impression. The lyrics are weak, and shouldn't have been included. `A Perfectly Good Heart' addresses the theme of youthful heartbreak, which has been battered throughout the album, and with a weak melody, it becomes kind of annoying.

Overall, this album is a good offering from Swift. Alright, her vocals are weak, and some of the melodies and lyrics are poor, but there are several tracks here that show she is a seriously good writer, with a distinct, interesting point of narration. If she can maintain the better half of this CD, she'll be a superstar. Both in country, and pop. Maybe a more rootsy offering will set her voice at a better steadfast, but I'm sure she'll improve with age and training. Overall, solid.

3 Stars.

Excellent Debut By Country's Biggest Newcomer!!!
Taylor Swift is having huge sucess in country right now with this debut no.1 album which has gone x3 Platinum-and it's easy to see why.She's a very talented girl,having co-wrote all the songs and she plays acoustic guitar.
It includes her big hits Tim McGraw(love that fiddle solo)Teardrops On My Guitar,Our Song,Picture To Burn and You Should've Said No(her great kiss off song) which are all fantastic songs.There's also the lovely Stay Beautiful and the smart Tied Together With A Smile(about self worth)
She's very mature for her age(18) but she still writes songs that teens will relate to.You will also enjoy this album even if you aren't a teenager.
It's perfectly produced Pop/Country at its best.Taylor's going to go a long way in country music.You can't go wrong with this cd...

A star in the making
I listened to it and was blown away, and that was before I found out she was a mere 16 years of age when she "cut" this record. Precocious is not the word really is it!

Of course it could all be a case of "so far, so Nashville dream" but from the opening track Tim McGraw this proves to be something quite above the factory-line output that exists in Nashville in the 21st Century. Of course the lyrical trick is nothing new, least of all in Country music, but Swift manages to make it sound fresh and original.

That said there are occasions when a little too much producer sheen is added to some of the tracks, but the fact that you notice this actually proves that she's not really in need of it.

Equally adept on the slow stuff (Cold As You, Stay Beautiful) as she is on the more uptempo songs (Picture To Burn, The Outside) there is hardly a dull moment to digest. And even the songs that don't quite work aren't dreadful by any means, with the only one real disappointing moment being the rather plodding Tied Together With A Smile, which is perhaps the one track which could have done with some "producer" touches to liven it up.

By the time the album closes, however, with Our Song the overall feeling is one of stunned excitement. It's not a perfect album by any means but if she's this good at 16, just how good is she going to be with a little more time behind her? Country music may have found itself a new superstar in the making.