Disco de Diamond Rio: “Completely”

I gave this album the highest rating for several reasons. This album has a little of everything - country/bluegrass, some jazzy stuff, and some pop flavored material. As always, their great harmonies are prevalent throughout. There are several great ballads on this cd. "We All Fall Down", "I Believe", and "Completely" are all excellent ballads that should be top 10 hits for these guys. One of my favorites on this album is "Big Old Fire" - this song is classic Diamond Rio with great harmonies and a little bit of a bluegrass feel. "Something Cool" is very original and different from anything else they've done - not one of my favorites, but it provides good variety to the album. "The Box" is a fun tune and another song that is completely original and like nothing they have recorded previously. Of course, "Beautiful Mess" is a strong song that is currently getting a lot of radio play. If you're a fan of Diamond Rio, this is a no-brainer - get the cd - you 'll love it. For those who haven't heard much of Diamond Rio, I'd still recommend it - you'll enjoy the harmonies and the musical diversity on this album.

I was drawn to buy my first Diamond Rio CD by their incredibly tight, incredibly beautiful vocal harmony. This CD is really disappointing. The album is terribly over-orchestrated. So much so that the group really looses showcasing their vocals. I wish they would just do a freakin' "accapella" CD!!! This CD is just to "quirky" for me. I think they need to just pick a flavor & stick with it. They need some new, fresh writers, producers & managers. They've really cashed in on their ballads. I don't know why they try so hard to go away from that. They're really going to loose it if they don't hone in on what they do best...accenting their "vocals" & choosing great material.

Saying this isn't their best is like saying the Mona Lisa wasn't Da Vinci at the top of his form. Sure, these guys can do better, but it's still a masterpiece!

Their variety is propably what makes these guys so good. Though with this album, they tend to drift into traditional country--David Ball's "If You'd Like Some Lovin'" and the Bill Anderson/Steve Wariner-penned "Make Sure You've Got It All". But hey, Diamond Rio could do an opera and still make it sound appealing. With Marty's cool vocals, Gene's awsome mandolin playing and harmonies, Dana's bass and harmonies, Dan's keyboarding, Brian's steady drumming, and Jimmy's smooth guitar licks, Diamond Rio has quickly risen to the top of my all-time favorite artist list. And that isn't an easy trip, I'll tell you.

Telling you about my favorites won't help you, though, as we are different people. So I will, instead, point out a few songs. You've no-doubt heard the top ten (make it #1!) "Beautiful Mess." Now try "Big Ol' Fire," which heralds back to the band's earlier days and albums. "I Believe" is held down by strings (I believe, no pun intended, that this is the first album the band has used strings--big dramatic mournful sigh), but soars on vocals. "Something Cool" wouldn't be too out of place in an old Bogart film, and "We All Fall Down" describes a woman's love for her family. "The Box" is a cool mix of rock and bluegrass, while "Wrinkles" tells humorously of getting older. "Completely", penned by Diane Warren, is probably the worst of the album's songs, in that it is completely (again, no pun intended) filled with strings. "A Better Idea" is a cliched song of God-made-the-woman-for-me, but hey, it's Diamond Rio! "You'll Find Me" is again a cliche, the woman-leaves-note-man-goes-and-finds-her. The album peaks on the latest recorded intrumental (concert goers have heard a different one), "Rural Philharmonic". Again, strings, but this time, while not necessary, they aren't unwanted. Check out the cool do-wop lyrics near the end.

Diamond Rio is back yet again. Opry members, talented musicians and singers, and darn-good producers (they dropped their songwriting a few albums back, unfortunately--though Jimmy Olander did pen "Philharmonic"), Diamond Rio is incapable of putting out a disapointing album. Though not what we may have been expecting, "Completely" sums up a good career so far. It is also an appropriate title, as this album does completely cover most of the music genres. This may not be their best, but it is well-worth buying for new and old fans alike!

I'm a huge fan of lyrics. The song "I Believe" is a beautiful song. The lyrics are beautifully sung and very powerful. I firmly believe this song has #1 written all over it. I think it's ok for a group or an artist to explore different sounds and styles...within reason. Let's face it, Elvis was huge in Country, Pop, Rock, Bluegrass and Gospel. Why can't Diamond Rio try different styles?

I do hate it when any artist tries to use ballads as their main selling point. Example: Mark Wills. He actually said "My other stuff didn't sell, so I'm just going to keep doing ballads." Coward.

I say, "Go Diamond Rio. Keep trying." Maybe it's not their best album, but there are some good songs on here besides Beautiful Mess. More than likely, if you don't like "The Box," (great lyrics, great message, decent song) it's because you're so firmly entrenched in yours, you will never get out. Of the 13 songs, I really like 6 of them (We All Fall Down, The Box, I Believe, Beautiful Mess, A Better Idea and You'll Find Me)That makes for at least a decent album.

As we've come to expect, Diamond Rio delievers some tight harmonies and amazing instrumentals on their latest album, "Completely." I think they would have been better served to find some better material to sing and play. "Beautiful Mess" is definitely the pinnacle of this CD, while "I Believe" is a decent yearning ballad. The rest of the songs seem to be more filler than anything. The band's harmonies can make up for some of it, but if you want a great Diamond Rio CD I would reccomend "IV" or "Greatest Hits."