Faith Hill Fireflies CD

Personnel: Dann Huff (acoustic guitar, electric guitar, gut-string guitar); Mike Henderson (electric guitar); Bruce Bouton (steel guitar, dobro); Dan Dugmore (dobro, banjo, percussion); John Wittenberg, Anatoly Rosinsky, Robert Matsuda, Michael Markman, Berj Garabedian, Mario Diaz de Leon (violin); Denyse Buffum (viola); Dan Tobin Smith, Suzie Katayama, Stephen Erdody, Dan Smith, Carl Gorodetzky, Steve Erdody (cello); Steve Cohn (accordion); Eric Darken (bass guitar, percussion); Glenn Worf, Paul Bushnell (bass guitar); Shannon Forrest (drums, percussion); Shannon Forest (drums); Brett E. Warren, Gene Miller, Lisa Cochran, Liana Manis (background vocals); Jay Joyce, Tom Bukovac (acoustic guitar, electric guitar); Darrell Scott (acoustic guitar, mandolin); Bryan Sutton (acoustic guitar); Kenny Greenberg (electric guitar, electric mandolin); Byron Gallimore (electric guitar, organ, keyboards); Paul Franklin (steel guitar); Aubrey Haynie (mandolin, fiddle); Stuart Duncan (mandolin); Roberto Cani, Bruce Dukov, Sara Parkins, Robert Peterson, Armen Garabedian, Darius Campo, Josephina Vergara, Michele Richards, Susan Chatman, Charlie Bisharat, Endre Granat (violin); Roland Kato, Evan Wilson, Bob Becker (viola); Paula Hochhalter, John Catchings, Larry Corbett, Steve Richards (cello); Jimmy Nichols (accordion, piano, organ, keyboards); Tim Lauer (accordion); Gordon Mote (piano); Charles Judge (organ, keyboards, string synthesizer); Chris McHugh, Matt Chamberlain, Vinnie Colaiuta (drums); Javier Solís (percussion); Crystal Taliefero, Greg Barnhill, Kelly Willis, Rhonda Vincent, Tim McGraw, Wes Hightower, Bekka Bramlett, Perry Coleman (background vocals).
Audio Mixers: Byron Gallimore; David Thoener; Greg Droman; Justin Niebank.
Recording information: Blackbird Studios, Nashville, TN (03/04/2004-12/09/2004); Capitol Recording Studios, Hollywood, CA (03/04/2004-12/09/2004); Emerald ENtertainment, Nashville, TN (03/04/2004-12/09/2004); Essential Sound, Nashville, TN (03/04/2004-12/09/2004); Henson Recording Studios, Hollywood, CA (03/04/2004-12/09/2004); Jane's Place, Nashville, TN (03/04/2004-12/09/2004); OceanWay, Nashville, TN (03/04/2004-12/09/2004); Premium Recording Services, Austin, TX (03/04/2004-12/09/2004); Starstruck, Nashville, TN (03/04/2004-12/09/2004); The Castle, Nashville TN (03/04/2004-12/09/2004); The Sound Kitchen, Nashville, TN (03/04/2004-12/09/2004).
Photographer: Andrew McPherson .
It's clear from the cover photo on 2005's Fireflies that Faith Hill is beating a retreat from her half-baked, half-successful 2002 pop diva makeover, Cry. Not that the album was bad, or even an outright flop -- it just failed to do what it was intended to do, which was to make Faith Hill a true rival to Shania Twain, where her pop success was as great as her country following. Big and polished Cry may have been, but it just wasn't memorable or hooky enough to be great pop and unlike Shania's very clever everywoman pose, Hill's pop move was too detached, too snooty for her country audience. Since she's no fool, Faith Hill has quickly returned to the country-pop and big ballads that brought her stardom on 1999's Breathe, but that doesn't mean she's not playing it smart and savvy. She's recorded several songs by John Rich -- best known as half of Big & Rich, but also a professional songwriter who is pretty close to being ubiquitous in 2005, in the wake of his duo's success. Here, he proves to be a sharp professional by bringing his craftsmanlike musical skills but not his oversized humor to the table with such songs as the laid-back, breezy "Sunshine and Summertime" and the appealingly slick power ballad "Like We Never Loved at All," delivered with harmonies by Hill's husband, Tim McGraw. Of course, this being a 21st century pop album, he's not the only collaborator or songwriter on board. Longtime Hill producer Byron Gallimore once again produces the great majority of the album, and he's as instrumental in steering Hill back tow