Live Like You Were Dying

Some artists wait their entire careers to record an album as powerful as 2004’s Live Like You Were Dying. In Tim McGraw’s case, it took a decade’s worth of country music success to reach this level of emotional honesty and creative nerve. Personal sorrows – most notably the passing of his father — doubtlessly contributed to the weightiness of the project. But for whatever reasons, this album is easily McGraw’s most substantial work, a 16-cut exploration of faith, loss, endurance and fleeting happiness. Its title track is a defiant celebration of life in the face of tragedy, and the rest of the album maintains as high a standard. Though he didn’t write these songs, McGraw makes each of them sound like a personal confession. From the raw ambition of “How Bad Do You Want It” through the last-gasp desperation of “Drugs Or Jesus” and the bruised determination of “We Carry On,” there’s a toughness to these tracks that sets them apart from typical Nashville fare. Tunes like the nostalgic “Back When” add a needed dash of humor. Live Like You Were Dying is remarkable for its integrity, courage and candor.