Leave a Mark (CD - 1998)

Personnel: John Michael Montgomery (vocals); Biff Watson, Michael Spriggs (acoustic guitar); Brent Mason, J.T. Corenflos, Reggie Young, Brent Rowan, Richard Bennett, Dan Huff (electric guitar); Paul Franklin, Bruce Bouton (steel guitar, dobro); Larry Franklin (fiddle); Steve Nathan, Phil Naish (piano, keyboards); Mike Brignardello (bass); Vinnie Colaiuta, Shannon Forrest, Mark Beckett (drums); Curtis Young, Tabitha Fair, Chris Rodriguez, John Wesley Ryles, Gene Miller (background vocals).

Producers: Csaba Petocz, John Michael Montgomery.

Personnel: Michael Spriggs, Biff Watson (acoustic guitar); Reggie Young , Richard Bennett , J.T. Corenflos, Brent Mason , Brent Rowan (electric guitar); Paul Franklin, Bruce Bouton (steel guitar, dobro); Larry Franklin (fiddle); Phil Naish, Steve Nathan (piano, keyboards); Mark Beckett, Shannon Forrest, Vinnie Colaiuta (drums); Chris Rodriguez, Curtis Young, Gene Miller, John Wesley Ryles, Tabitha Fair (background vocals).

Recording information: Masterfonics Tracking Room; Ocean Way Nashville.

Photographers: Lynne Cook; R.B. Miller; Senor McGuire.

On his previous albums, Montgomery has shown that he can handle love ballads ("I Swear," "I Love the Way You Love Me") and uptempo rave-ups ("Cowboy Love," "Be My Baby Tonight"). Here he serves up more of the same, and as usual, it's mostly top quality stuff. Big romantic numbers, such as "Hold On To Me" and "I Don't Want This Song To End," make up a large part of the album. One standout is "I Never Stopped Lovin' You," a hurtin' ballad that shares the same plot as Dan Fogelberg's "Auld Lang Syne."

"Little Cowboys Cry," about a boy sobbing over his parents' divorce, could have easily been maudlin, but a great melody and muscular instrumentation keep it from turning to mush. Montgomery really cuts loose on the rockers, like the Outlaws-influenced "You're the Ticket" and the groovin' "It Gets Me Every Time." The highlight, though, is a song he co-wrote: "This One's Gonna Leave A Mark," in which a tough guy who sees himself as Superman admits that his lover's departure "cut like a knife right through this Man of Steel." It's a fine piece of work, and ensures that this album lives up to its name. minimize