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Personnel: Faith Hill, Larry Stewart (vocals); Don Potter, Bill Watson (acoustic guitar); Brent Mason, Dan Huff (electric guitar); Paul Franklin (steel guitar, dobro); Jerry Douglas (dobro); Stuart Duncan (mandolin, fiddle); Rob Hajacos (fiddle); John Catchings (cello); John Barlow Davis (piano); Bill Cuomo (synthesizer); Edgar Meyer (acoustic bass); Glenn Worf, Michael Rhodes (bass); Lonnie Wilson, Harry Stinson (drums); Terry McMillan (percussion); Karen Staley, Victoria Shaw, Ron Wallace, Cindy Richardson Walker, Mark Luna, Lari White, Mary Ann Kennedy, Pam Rose, Gary Burr (background vocals).
Producers: Scott Hendricks, Michael Clute, Gary Burr.
Recorded at Woodland Recording Studios, Midtown Tone And Volume, and The Soundshop, Nashville, Tennessee.
Listen to this fairy tale. A beautiful homecoming queen who aspires to be a singer leaves her small Mississippi town, arrives in Nashville, releases a debut album, and immediately scores a stream of #1 hits. Well, the story is true. The singer is Faith Hill, direct from a town called Star.
On TAKE ME AS I AM, the strawberry-maned, country-thrush exhibits a warm, satin voice, deceptively strong, with a slight, fragile quiver reminiscent of Dolly Parton. She has a liquid, vocal strength similar to that of her idol, Reba McEntire, but devoid of Reba's overwrought vocal gymnastics.
From the defiant, teenage-rebel anthem "Wild One" to her brave, countrified remake of Janis Joplin's signature rocker "Piece Of My Heart," Hill stakes out the wide territory between traditional and contemporary country, most notably in the classic-sounding "But I Will."
In this impeccably produced (by boyfriend Scott Hendricks) album, Faith doesn't shy away from important topics. In "I Would Be Stronger Than That," she tackles domestic violence. Unlike the aggressive tact of Martina McBride's "Independence Day," Faith takes a more reflective stance.
With her striking looks, full-bodied vocals, and strong material, TAKE ME AS I AM, poises Faith Hill as the next queen of country music.
Personnel: Faith Hill (vocals); Larry Stewart (vocals, background vocals); Don Potter, Biff Watson (guitar, acoustic guitar); Bill Watson (guitar); Dann Huff, Brent Mason (electric guitar); Paul Franklin (steel guitar, dobro, drums); Jerry Douglas (dobro); Stuart Duncan (mandolin, fiddle); Rob Hajacos (fiddle); John Catchings (cello); John Jarvis (piano); Bill Cuomo (synthesizer); Edgar Meyer (acoustic bass); Glenn Worf (electric bass); Harry Stinson, Lonnie Wilson (drums); Terry McMillan (congas, cymbals, tambourine, percussion); Cindy Richardson Walker, Gary Burr, Cindy Walder-Richardson, Karen Staley, Lari White, Mark Luna, Mary Ann Kennedy, Pamela Rose, Ron Wallace, Victoria Shaw (background vocals).
Audio Mixer: Scott Hendricks .
Recording information: Bennett House, Franklin, TN; Castle Recording Studio, Franklin, TN; Midtown Tone & Volume Recording Studios, Nashville, TN; Ocean Way Recording Studios, Hollywood, CA; Recording Arts, Nashville, TN; SoundShop, Nashville, TN; Woodland Recording Studios, Nashville, TN.
Photographer: Aaron Rapoport.
Unknown Contributor Roles: Lonnie Wilson; Victoria Shaw.
Faith Hill's debut established the willowy singer as the lady-in-waiting to Reba McEntire's throne. Like McEntire, Hill's voice could crackle just as well as it sparkled, and Take Me as I Am allowed her to do both. The wide-open abandon of the hit single "Wild One" was immediate and undeniable, and Hill delivered the vocal with sassy, youthful exuberance. But she was just as convincing on the low-key heart-tugger "Just About Now" and the Gary Burr-penned ballad "Just Around the Eyes." She figured out a way to channel Janis Joplin's vocal during a country-fried retelling of "Piece of My Heart," in spite of a canned meat-quality backing track, and handled the Larry Steward duet "I've Got This Friend" with ease. By focusing Hill's vocal and supporting her with unobtrusive instrumentation, producers Burr and Scott Rolling Stone (2/10/94, p.46) - "...show[s] an appeal that runs deeper than a pretty face..."
Entertainment Weekly (12/10/93, p.79) - "...Faith Hill might seem a Reba McEntire clone without the histrionics, but Hill lacks her contrivance and goes for a wider scope of material..." - Rating: B+
Faith Hill - Take Me As I Am Songs
| 1 | Take Me As I Am Album Version | 3:18 | $0.99 | |
| 2 | Wild One Album Version | 2:45 | $0.99 | |
| 3 | Just About Now Album Version | 2:57 | $0.99 | |
| 4 | Piece of My Heart Album Version | 4:01 | $0.99 | |
| 5 | I've Got This Friend Album Version | 3:46 | $0.99 | |
| 6 | Life's Too Short To Love Like That Album Version | 2:38 | $0.99 | |
| 7 | But I Will Album Version | 3:48 | $0.99 | |
| 8 | Just Around the Eyes Album Version | 3:07 | $0.99 | |
| 9 | Go the Distance Album Version | 3:02 | $0.99 | |
| 10 | I Would Be Stronger Than That Album Version | 4:48 | $0.99 | |
Take Me As I Am Music Review
Average Rating: (4.8 out of 5 stars)   OUTSTANDING DEBUT!
Faith Hill found instand success right away: her first two singles, "Wild One" and "Piece of My Heart" shot straight to #1. They are two of Faith's best to date, and the rest of the double Platinum album does not disappoint. Faith showcases slower, emotional songs like "But I Will" and "Just About Now," to more up-tempo numbers like the title song, "Life's Too Short to Love Like That" and the aforementioned "Piece of My Heart." There's also a nice duet with Larry Stewart (formerally of Restless Heart), "I've Got This Friend." If you're a Faith Hill or country music fan, you must have this album in your collection!
Submitted by a reviewer (Kalispell, MT, USA)
Was This Review Helpful? Yes No A Little Bit of Faith Will Get You Through The Tough Times
I think we can all agree that Faith Hill is a wonderful singer. But on top of being a beautiful person and a great voice, she has really brought a lot of meaning to the songs she sings. My favorite Faith song is "A Man's Home is His Castle." This song gives faith and hope to the people that are in abusive relationships that there is a way out. This beautiful song still makes me sad, and I hope that the people do need to get out of a bad relationship listen to this song, and it gives them the courage that they need to leave their situation. Even though Faith's new music is just as good as her old music, sometimes the words should be the main focus if they teach a moral.
Submitted by chellebelle8 (Dowagiac, MI)
Was This Review Helpful? Yes No 1st Time
For her first album....itz WONDERFUL! She's got songs on here that appeal to any crowd. "Wild One" would be especially appealing to the younger generation, but she settles in to a beautiful ballad "But I Will" that tends to appeal to the older generation. UNBELIEVABLE vocal abilities on this album. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!
Submitted by a reviewer (Riverview, MI)
Was This Review Helpful? Yes No  I like faith hill
Great music
Submitted by a reviewer (Neenah,WI USA) 
Was This Review Helpful? Yes No
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