Martina Mcbride Waking Up Laughing CD

Martina McBride is one of the most reliable female performers in country music. Her bright, sunny twang-filled albums have been appearing on the charts since she first arrived on the scene in 1992. On her ninth studio album, WAKING UP LAUGHING, McBride continues to mine a slick, honky-tonk-tinged pop vibe that expertly splits the difference between commercial anthems ("How I Feel") and slightly tougher material ("Cry Cry [Til the Sun Shines]"). With her nearly flawless voice fully intact, McBride also co-produced and wrote several songs on the album--including the smash single "Anyway" and the harrowing, yet oddly sunny-sounding tale of hard times, "Beautiful Again"--making it perhaps the most personal album of her career.

Composer: Jonathan Yudkin.

Personnel: Martina McBride (vocals); Keith Urban (guitar, background vocals); Biff Watson (acoustic guitar); Dann Huff (electric guitar); Jonathan Yudkin (mandolin, strings); Connie Ellisor, Karen Winkelmann, Elisabeth K. Small, Stefan Petrescu, Mary Kathryn Vanosdale, Bruce Wethey, Carl Gorodetzky, Pamela Sixfin, David Davidson , Alan Umstead, David Angell, Catherine Umstead (violin); Larry Franklin (fiddle); Kristin Wilkinson, Jim Grosjean, Monisa Angell, Gary VanOsdale (viola); Kirsten Cassel, Anthony LaMarchina, Sarighani Reist, Carole Rabinowitz-Neuen (cello); Nashville String Machine (strings); Steve Nathan (piano, Hammond b-3 organ, synthesizer); Gordon Mote (piano); Reese Wynans (Hammond b-3 organ); Glenn Worf (bass instrument); Vicki Hampton, Robert Bailey , Kim Fleming, Brett Warren (background vocals); Paul Worley (acoustic guitar, electric guitar); Bryan Sutton (acoustic guitar, mandolin); B. James Lowry (acoustic guitar); Dan Dugmore (electric guitar, dobro); J.T. Corenflos, Steve Gibson, Brent Mason (electric guitar); Stuart Duncan (mandolin, fiddle); Tim Lauer (accordion, pump organ, synthesizer); Matt Chamberlain (drums); David Huff (percussion).

Audio Mixer: John McBride.

Liner Note Author: Judy Forde Blair.

Recording information: Blackbird Studios, Nashville, TN; Capitol Studios, Hollywood, CA.

Photographer: Andrew Southam.

Unknown Contributor Roles: Shirley Settles; Darlene Hill; Pierre Womble; Elizabeth White; Rick Jones; Sara Settles; Renita Smith Crittendon; Fallon Settles; Todd Suttles; Ira Wayne Settles; Calvin Settles; Odessa Settles.Entertainment Weekly (p.77) - "LAUGHING neatly adds some country-rock fiber to her usual sunniness..." -- Grade: B+