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List Price: $7.99 | | Label: Arista
Salesrank: 53823
Released: August 20, 2002 |
| Our Price: $3.29 |
| Used Price: $0.01 |
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| Media: Audio CD |
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Completely Track Listing:
1. Beautiful Mess
2. Big Ol' Fire
3. I Believe
4. Something Cool
5. The Box
6. We All Fall Down
7. Wrinkles
8. Completely
9. A Better Idea
10. If You'd Like Some Lovin'
11. You'll Find Me
12. Rural Philharmonic
13. Make Sure You've Got It All
Editorial Review:
Well, you've got to give them credit for diversity, as well as for impressive vocal and instrumental chops. On the follow-up to their gold-selling One More Day, Diamond Rio run the gamut from old-style country shuffle ("If You'd Like Some Lovin'") to jazzy Western swing ("Something Cool") to middle-of-the-road pop ("Completely"). And there's an ambitious instrumental that sounds like Aaron Copland on snuff ("Rural Philharmonic"). But with Lonestar eating their lunch these days, you can tell they're dancing as fast as they can. They describe "The Box" as "Steely Dan meets Flatt & Scruggs" but forgot the cool factor. Their declaration of eternal love ("I Believe"), marred by an overblown orchestral opening, is more syrupy than Touched by an Angel. And the title tune is Diane Warren's least interesting ballad, which is saying something. Where they shine is where they started, in bluegrass-flavored country: "Beautiful Mess" manages to be both sexy and melancholy, and the Bill Anderson-Steve Wariner collaboration, "Make Sure You've Got It All," captures the gut-dropping devastation of romantic D-day. A smorgasbord? Pick and choose on this one, friends. --Alanna Nash
Completely Reviews:
Diamond Rio delivers a genuine, hopeful, heartfelt album 
2004-04-07 - While the cover of Diamond Rio's Completely intially struck me as cheesy-almost low budget, the contents quickly wiped away all my preconceptions and replaced them with smiles, tears, anguish, and laughs, touching on emotions the kind of which very little music these days ventures into. This album is a tour de force of well composed and heartfully delivered songs by one of musics finest harmonizing bands. The standouts here: I Believe, a song that speaks not only to the infinite bond between those of here and those who have passed, but also to those of us who have "The Faith". We All Fall Down, this song is just incredible-a song of hope and inspiration that reminds us that you cannot always be on top and that its okay to not be-that what is important is how we respond and make good things happen in the face of adversity. This song touches me deeply as a devoted husband and father. Wrinkles, this song is tears and smiles all at once. Just an awesome lyric about how wrinkles come from time and true love, and how its okay-even cool-to get the "wrinkles" that come with life, literally and otherwise. A Better Idea, this song makes me think of my wife. She is truly Gods Better Idea and this song is just a really sweet (and craftily written) way to express how so many of us feel about those people we love. Beautiful Mess, the leadoff single. This song is too good not to like. The video is the epitome of cool and the lyrics are about that feeling we have all had when someone drives us crazy-in that really good way we never forget. Big Ol'Fire, a positive uplifting song-with just a tad of how do you like me now-about making something of yourself in the face what others say (with a twist of the "fire" you light causing them to see the light). I relate to this song alot because I grew up in a small town where people would tell me I would never leave and I have since moved away and done quite well thank you :)The rest of the album is exceptionally well put together as well with a cool mix of soft pop and edgy country. I only give it four stars because five is reserved for albums that are near perfect (there are few of these, see all of Tim McGraws albums since Everywhere for some examples). The 6 songs I have singled out are hard to find on 6 different albums much less one, much less as heartfully and with such polish as Diamond Rio does them here.
This album is one that would be a welcome addition to anyones collection.
I BELIEVE THAT THIS IS THE BEST 
2003-04-17 - The first time that I saw the video for I Believe, I cried. The song is so touching and moving! I have always loved Diamond Rio, and this song is one of their best. What a beautiful mess is just as wonderful. It is true, you do things half in a haze when you are near a person that you are deeply attracted to. I know that I have fallen victim to those circumstances. Over all I really enjoyed the CD.
WELL WORTH THE MONEY
2003-04-03 - The radio stations in the Atlanta area have just begun to play "I Believe", and I give 5 stars on that song alone. I have not yet bought the CD, but I plan to as soon as possible. In my opinion, "I Believe" and "Beautiful Mess" make the CD well worth the price. I can't wait to hear the rest of it.
Has some REAL Gems, and some Coal to boot! 
2003-02-27 - Being my first real experience with Diamond Rio, I had heard "Beautiful MEss" a few times on the radio and was drawn to get this CD. Of course its a great, catchy tune, but I wanted to hear what else D.R. had up their collective sleeves. I will agree completely (pun) that this CD contains nearly the entire spectrum of country music, both modern and conventional CW formats... but the one fault here lays in that the band has gone a little too far in the production department.
Let's get the coal out of the way first. A few tunes ('I Believe','Something Cool','Completely') fall way short, or just way outside, the mark; 'Completely' is just out of its league here on this CD... a bit too much sap, not enough groove... 'I Believe' sounds like some Michael W. Smith/Christian Pop Band trying to touch uninterested heart strings that don't need touching... sure it's a love ballad, but its way too sappy for it's own good and WAY over-produced... not appropriate for a great country band such as these guys... 'Something Cool' reminds me of poor Alfalfa trying to impress the girl in the old 'Our Gang' series... awkward, schreechy, and WAY off key. It's a light hearted tune, but just falls WAY short of it's intended mark, and nearly makes the band look like a joke. Fortunately we all know better. The rest of this CD makes up for these shortfalls.
'Beautiful Mess' is the diamond (pun) in this mine. Catchy, country and powerful, if you cant find yourself singing along with this radio hit your mostly likely not alive.
'Big 'Ole Fire' is a fine tune, standard, if somewhat generic country material, but it works, is very listenable, uplifting and positive, and tastefully produced.
'The Box' weighs in as acceptable, great groove, although the acapella "the box!" spiked throughout the tune tends to embarrass the listener. Not to mention the vocals have moments reminiscent of Stevie Wonder in the 1970's... Odd... But the tune has its high points, its definately got funk. Perhaps it could have been produced more tastefully, but it works, somehow... still a good tune.
"We All Fall Down" and "Wrinkles" are both awesome tunes. powerful, emotional, catchy, well produced and well sung, the band pulls together here to recover from the tailspin of the above mentioned shortcomings!
'If you'd Like Some Lovin' is a great old-style Buck Owens-ish tune. Great vocals, just the right amount of production, perfect genre country-western crooning. These guys can really pull off some excellent stuff when they want to! This is the lighthearted approach that (unlike 'Something Cool') really does work well.
'You'll Find Me' hmmm... not bad... a bit whiny, not bad... nothing gained nothing lost... much of this material falls outside what many would consider "country music"... but this is what makes Diamond Rio so great. They are not staying within "the Box" (ugh!) of country music... and this is a good characteristic of any successful band...
As has been stated "Rural Philharmonic" works perfectly... a great break and very cool. Instrumentally, it could very well fit into the soundtrack of a great western epic. Fun, full of depth and complexity, (instrumental and choral)... a piece composed of several "parts" to come together as a fine instrumental country-groove-bluegrass-orchestral exhibition. This is quite possibly the most musically exceptional component of this CD.
"Make Sure You've Got It All" is a fine way to close out the CD. A more convential contemporary country sound, akin to a (not so nasal) Randy Travis sound... A good way to wind down the momentum of the CD's second half. Good song writing, mandolin playing and production value.
Sure, this CD has it's flaws, but there's no question i will now explore more of Diamond Rio's catalog, and thats a good indicator of the overall quality of this release.
ENJOY!
Instrumentals and Vocals Shine On This One
2003-02-09 - As we've come to expect, Diamond Rio delievers some tight harmonies and amazing instrumentals on their latest album, "Completely." I think they would have been better served to find some better material to sing and play. "Beautiful Mess" is definitely the pinnacle of this CD, while "I Believe" is a decent yearning ballad. The rest of the songs seem to be more filler than anything. The band's harmonies can make up for some of it, but if you want a great Diamond Rio CD I would reccomend "IV" or "Greatest Hits."
