LATEST QUOTES

Recent reviews of "The Taking Or The Leaving"

"...a collection of songs which barks at life's subtle and snarling difficulties. The songs on it jump around that sweet space where country and punk rock share a common ancestry."

—  Kim Ruehl, No Depression, 1/11/11

"The Taking or the Leaving is still an alt-country record, but McGee’s inner punk no longer sounds conflicted alongside jangly country twang, and he instead walks the line with confidence and ease, having settled into a brand of Americana that resides somewhere between Lucero and Bruce Springsteen.  It’s a cohesive, yet eclectic journey through homegrown American music of the last half-century, and the realization of where Brian McGee was headed all along."-Mountain Xpress, 9/02/10

"It's hard to listen to this album without giving it your full attention, not because his stories are strange or fantastical, but because they aren't. They're your stories and mine. We've lived them and we want to hear someone like McGee tell them back to us. McGee also manages to project an uncanny similarity to Bruce Springsteen's attitude, delivery and ability to touch the human heart."-Bold Life, 10/31/10

"The follow-up to 2007's Brian McGee and the Hollow Speed, The Taking or The Leaving finds McGee seemlessly blending folk-punk, 1950s rock n' roll, and rockabilly into a satisfying Americana album.  You won't hear any of the songs on this album on your favorite radio station, but that's just as well.  Without the confines of trying to craft a radio hit, the music is solely dependant on the whim of the artist, and on this album, McGee gets it right."-NashvilleGab.com, 11/18/10

"On The Taking or the Leaving, McGee qualifies as a backwoods Bruce Springsteen. McGee has an imperfect voice that at times is heart-wrenching, but is also capable of entering madman mode.  McGee's songwriting features a maturity many younger acts lack, but, of course, some of that comes from additional years and experiences. A greater appreciation of The Taking and the Leaving will come from those who have loved and lost a few times."-Mountain Times, 9/16/10

"On his second release, The Taking Or The Leaving, McGee is fully in control. It blurs the line between country and punk so thoroughly that the only thing it can be called is rock n’ roll. There’s a heaping helping of Mike Ness served up with a greasy side of Dexter Romweber, all finished off with a guzzle of Springsteen Lite — most evident in the chimey “First Kiss.”-Yes Weekly, 10/6/10

"In a hybrid ’50s style of rockabilly with a little bit of country and a whole lot of rock ’n’ roll, McGee revs the engine of his all-American Springsteen-style songs about everyday struggles conquered with hope.  With galloping rockabilly romps such as “Hold Sway,” and a voice-cracking ballad “Walking Back to Love,” McGee cuts to the quick, wearing his heart on his sleeve with songs about overcoming desperation, finding love and welcoming new celebrations."-Go Triad, 10/7/10