What a fun album and a great one to sing along with in the shower. It feels very close to Reckless in that it has a little bit of everything and some great anthems. Her voice is so strong and powerful on this album.
It's funny. I listen to a lot of Martina but there are a number of her albums I don't know that well, and
Shine is one of them.
Usually when I listen to an album for the first time I'll play to it in full and in order at least once. Songs that speak to me will get moved into either my
Favourites playlist or one of a couple of MM playlists (one for songs I love and one for songs I want to get to know better). But along the way some of the other songs get overlooked or forgotten.
Back when discovering Martina, I recall I bought a number of her albums in one hit from an eBay seller who had listed several. As I recall, that purchase included most of her albums from
The Way That I Am through to
Shine. I started listening to them in chronological order, but at some point, I think I got overwhelmed and didn't listen to the later albums in full.
Shine was one of the albums that got overlooked. I do recall
Lies speaking to me immediately, and that was about it at the time. A short while later, I fell for
You're Not Leaving Me, then
What Do I Have To Do?. Those two songs haven't really been out of my Favourites playlist and get regular plays from me.
As you know, I kind of stumbled on
I Just Call You Mine again recently. With a good number of songs I like, there's an association of where I was when I first heard it, but I have a couple of
very specific memories attached the (re)discovery of IJCYM, and can even pinpoint the day and time I went from enjoying it to loving it. Two months ago on a road trip I was playing it in the car and stopped to take some photos of a stunning view with the sun low in the sky. So I even have photos attached to the memory. It's safe to say it's cemented as a favourite.
Weirdly, I don't enjoy
Lies anymore. I still think it's a great song, but it's one of those songs I overplayed and burned out with. I have a similar relationship with
Heart Trouble and a few of her
Timeless songs, whereas other songs have much higher play counts but haven't hit that wall.
Ride is one that I have to be in the right mood to listen to. But when I am, it takes me somewhere very special. At this moment I'm loving it.
I really like
Sunny Side Up, but find myself put off by the "You're lookin' at a girl" line in the chorus. I've got past that with other songs but not this one yet.
I'm Tryin' and
Wild Rebel Rose are two beautiful story songs I've barely listened to.
Wild Rebel feels a little different to
Independence Day or
A Broken Wing with the narrator playing a part in the story.
I'm Tryin' has brought tears to my eyes each time I hear it. It's so poignant and I'm a sucker for couples' love getting them through everything (
I'm Gonna Love You Through It springs to mind. Maybe it's even the same couple).
I've just added
Wrong Baby Wrong Baby Wrong and
Walk Away to my Favourites playlist.
Walk Away had a
zero play count and
Wrong Baby... just two plays. Now I wonder what I was thinking.
I've realise I can't fairly rank this album - and several of her others - without giving them another shot. So I'm going to be listening to
Shine a bit this week along with
Waking Up Laughing.
I am so in love with IJCYM right now. It feels so good to sing along with it and I love trying to figure out the right places to breathe so I can keep up with the notes she holds. The lyrics "I'd be a fool not to see you, even worse to forget that you're more than I deserve" always get me.
I'm loving your love for it. It's a really great track and I love singing along with it too. David Phelps's version is also getting frequent plays, but it's waaaay out of my singing range.
Also, I hadn't put it together until this weekend that this is the song that gives the album it's title.
She also sings "Shine while you have the chance to shine" in
Ride. It would have been fun if she could have worked that word into every track on the album. But it's probably not the best way to write a good song.
If you haven't already, check out these videos where she talks a bit about the title and the album. Seems she's a fan of the word. I love finding out about stuff like this:
Next week will be Wake Up Laughing. It's an album with a couple of songs that I really love. I already know my top two, but glancing through the track list there are a handful of songs that I can't recall at all. Looking forward to getting into it.
I think we're both coming at this from the same angle. It'll be fun discovering it along with you.