There's good reason for Tim McGraw's endurance at the top of contemporary country: he's a restless visionary who's worked hard to improve as an interpretive singer. In 2002, McGraw bucked the trend and convinced his label, and producers Byron Gallimore and Darran Smith, to let him use his road band in the studio. The rough and tumble intimacy of the set put it over the top and appealed to music fans outside his circle. On Live Like You Were Dying, McGraw ups the ante. Using the same production team and his Dancehall Doctors, McGraw cut a whopping 16 tracks and helped in the mixing of the record, as well as co-producing. The song selection runs the gamut. There's the blues-rock energy of the opener, "How Bad Do You Want It," where he evokes the ghost of the Mississippi Delta as well as the hard country-rock sounds of Marshall Tucker and Lynyrd Skynyrd. Then there's the shimmering Americana of "My Old Friend" that would not be out of place performed by Pierce Pettis, and the fantastic "Old Town New," by renegade songwriters Bruce Robison and Darrell Scott. The monster single from this record, "Live Like You Were Dying," by Craig Wiseman and Tim Nichols, is the very best kind of modern country song; the emotion in McGraw's delivery is honest, not saccharine. In anyone else's voice, a song like "Drugs or Jesus" would be just plain bad. The tune itself is solid and beautifully constructed, a perfect marriage of melody, hook, and direct, simple lyrics. But the temptation to overperform such a song is irresistible to most of the hit factory's mainstays. Not for McGraw though: his understatement underscores the lyric's seriousness. The tenderness in Rodney Crowell and James T. Slater's "Open Season on My Heart" is vulnerable in all the right ways. The moody poignancy of "Walk Like a Man," is a fine and haunting centerpiece for this fine album. "Kill Myself" has to be experienced -- it's a miracle and a testament to McGraw's clout that this tune made it on to the record. "We Carry On" is a soulful anthem, gritty, true, and beautiful. It's a fitting close to McGraw's finest moment yet. The young hell-raiser has grown to be one of modern country's most compelling and multidimensional artists. ~ Thom Jurek, All Music Guide
Darius Campo (Violin), Chris Rodriguez (Vocals (Background)), Dean Brown (Fiddle), Dean Brown (Mandolin), Denny Hemingson (Guitar (Electric)), Sara Parkins (Violin), Bob Minner (Guitar (Acoustic)), Denny Hemingson (Dobro), Ricky Cobble (Assistant Engineer), Russell Terrell (Vocals (Background)), Jeff McMahon (Hammond B3), Vicki Hampton (Vocals (Background)), Hank Williams (Mastering), Billy Mason (Drums), Jason Gantt (Assistant Engineer), Gene Miller (Vocals (Background)), Greg Lawrence (Engineer), Greg Barnhill (Vocals (Background)), Darran Smith (Guitar (Electric)), Matthew Cullen (Assistant Engineer), Greg Lawrence (Audio Engineer), Dave Dunkley (Percussion), Bob Minner (Banjo), David Beyant (Engineer), Berj Garabedian (Violin), Charles Bisharette (Violin), Faith Hill (Vocals (Background)), Harry McCarthy (Technical Assistance), Robert Bailey, Jr. (Vocals (Background)), John Prestia (Technical Assistance), John Marcus (Bass), Jeff McMahon (Synthesizer), Wes Hightower (Vocals (Background)), Bob Becker (Viola), Kelly Clague Wright (Creative Director), David Campbell (String Arrangements), Denny Hemingson (Guitar (Steel)), Steve Churchyard (String Engineer), Sara Lesher (Assistant Engineer), Jeff McMahon (Fender Rhodes), Steve Churchyard (Engineer), Natalie Leggett (Violin), Julian King (Tracking), Bob Minner (Mandolin), George Washington (Author), David Bryant (Engineer), Darran Smith (Guitar (Acoustic)), David Bryant (Audio Engineer), Erik Lutkins (Assistant Engineer), Byron Gallimore (Mixing), Brett Warren (Vocals (Background)), Darren Smith (Guitar (Acoustic)), Byron Gallimore (Producer), Mario Diaz de Leon (Violin), Darran Smith (Producer), Tim McGraw (Vocals), Evan Wilson (Viola), Julian King (Audio Engineer), Larry Corbett (Cello), Jesse Chrisman (Assistant Engineer), Tim McGraw (Producer), Tim McGraw (Mixing), Missi Gallimore (A&R), Denny Hemingson (Mellobar Slide), Julian King (Engineer), Mike Rector (Technical Assistance), David Dunkley (Percussion), Jeff McMahon (Piano), Denny Hemingson (Slide Guitar), Darran Smith (Photography), Susan Chatman (Violin), Suzie Katayama (Contractor), Glenn Sweitzer (Design), Rodney Crowell (Vocals (Background)), Tony Duran (Photography), Kim Carnes (Vocals (Background)), Dean Brown (Photography), Kim Fleming (Vocals (Background)), Denny Hemingson (Guitar (Baritone)), Steve McEwan (Vocals (Background)), Jason Gantt (Digital Editing), Ann Callis (Production Assistant), Charlie Bisharat (Violin), Robert Bailey (Vocals (Background)), Armen Garabedian (Violin), Suzie Katayama (Cello), Erik Lutkins (Digital Editing), Mark Seliger (Cover Photo), Glenn Sweitzer (Artwork), Mark McKenna (Photography)
Live Like You Were Dying is the 8th studio album by country music artist Tim McGraw. It was released in August 2004 on Curb Records. Live Like You Were Dying debuted at number 1 on the Billboard 200 with sales of 766,000 copies in its first week. The album is certified 4× Multi-Platinum by the RIAA for shipping four million copies. It was nominated for 2 Grammys in 2005 for Best Country Vocal Performance - Male and Best Country Album. Five singles were released from the album, of which the first two — the title track and "Back When" — were Number One country hits.
The album's title track first single from the album. The song peaked at number 1 on the Billboard Hot Country chart (a position that it held for seven weeks) and number 29 on the Billboard Hot 100. The song won a Grammy Award for best Best Country Vocal Performance - Male. Following this were "Back When" (also a #1 on Hot Country Songs), "Drugs or Jesus" (which, at a #14 peak, became McGraw's first single since 1993 not to reach the country Top 10), "Do You Want Fries with That" (#5), and finally "My Old Friend" (#6). The music video for the title track prominently featured McGraw's father, former baseball player Tug McGraw, who had died of brain cancer. This song was also the Number One country song of 2004 according to Billboard Year-End.
"How Bad Do You Want It" was featured as the theme song to CMT's Trick My Truck.
