Burn Tracks
1. Downtime
2. That's The Way
3. Dare To Dream
4. Burn
5. If Not You
6. Closer
7. These Are The Days
8. Saturday Night
9. Angeline
10. Nothing I Can Do
11. Bring On The Rain
Burn Review
After the popular breakthrough of 1998's I'm Alright, Jo Dee Messina returns with another testament to the power of positive singing. Practically every song on her third album plays like the musical equivalent of a self-help book, from the postbreakup recovery of the album-opening "Downtime" to the "be anyone you want to be" affirmation of the title track. The Boston-bred, Nashville-based Messina is a younger generation's Reba, with the conviction in her conversational phrasing redeeming the clichés of her material ("Live, love, seize the day") and transcending the mechanical schlock of so many of the arrangements. The duet with coproducer Tim McGraw on "Bring on the Rain" is an album-closing highlight. --Don McLeese
The big country hits from this album were Burn, Downtime, Bring on the rain and That's the way. All four can be found on Jo Dee's greatest hits compilation. One of these (Bring on the rain) features Tim McGraw but it's not a duet - Jo Dee does most of the singing with Tim providing a little harmony and also singing the chorus line occasionally. However, Tim co-produced the album with Byron Gallimore so he influenced the entire album. Carolyn Dawn Johnson co-wrote another of the hits (Downtime) and has subsequently established her own career as a recording artist. Despite its title, Burn is one of the slower songs on this album but Jo Dee performs it superbly.
Two of my favorite track on this album (These are the days, Dare to dream) were, as far as I know, not hits but they are classic examples of what Jo Dee's music is all about - optimistic and full of sunshine. Jo Dee has had her setbacks and disappointments in life but while other singers reflect this in their music, Jo Dee seems determined to look for better times ahead. And when those better times come, she enjoys them.
If you enjoy contemporary country music, you will surely get much pleasure from listening to this album.