Timeless

1	You Win Again 2:59
2	I'll Be There / Dan Tyminksi 2:18
3	I Can't Stop Loving You 4:21
4	(I Never Promised You A) Rose Garden 3:15
5	Today I Started Loving You Again 3:46
6	You Ain't Woman Enough 2:12
7	Once a Day 2:23
8	Pick Me Up on Your Way Down 2:40
9	I Don't Hurt Anymore 3:08
10	True Love Ways 3:14
11	'Til I Can't Make It on My Own 3:17
12	I Still Miss Someone 2:56
13	Heartaches by the Number 3:06
14	Satin Sheets 3:20
15	Thanks a Lot 2:35
16	Love's Gonna Live Here 2:01
17	Make the World Go Away 2:57
18	Help Me Make It Through the Night 4:04

Barnes & Noble

True to its name, Timeless finds Martina McBride reviving indisputable country moments from the '50s, '60s, and '70s. Producing the disc and supporting herself with small combos populated by an all-star Nashville cast, McBride delivers a clinic in soulful, emotionally engaged vocalizing that honors the spirit and style of the original numbers, even as she puts her own heartfelt stamp on them. She covers a wide swath of turf while belting out foot-stompers such as Buck Owens's "Love's Gonna Live Here," seductively cooing Kris Kristofferson's sensual plea, "Help Me Make It Through the Night," and putting a torchy hurt on pop-influenced heartbreakers, notably "I Can't Stop Loving You," which retains the Ray Charles–style background singers but otherwise takes shape as a stark, honky-tonk tear-jerker. Dolly Parton sits in for a tremulous harmony vocal on a delicate, deliberate folk-style reading of Johnny Cash's exquisite but wrenching "I Still Miss Someone"; Dwight Yoakam drops by for the Harlan Howard–penned honky-tonk gem "Heartaches by the Number"; and Dan Tyminski and Rhonda Vincent team up on the jubilant chorus of Ray Price's loping western swing workout, "I'll Be There." McBride makes Buddy Holly's "True Love Ways" a singular moment among the many powerful, well-considered performances here, luxuriating in an elegant string arrangement and caressing the lyrics with a breathtaking balance of precision and restrained ache. Timeless, indeed, are the songs, but so are McBride's loving, straightforward interpretations. David McGee

All Music Guide

Timeless refers to the 18 songs Martina McBride covers on her seventh studio albums, classic country tunes every one. Most of the songs date from the '60s and '70s -- the oldest songs here are the opening pair of Hank Williams' "You Win Again" and Ray Price's "I'll Be There," both dating from the '50s, along with Hank Snow's "I Don't Hurt Anymore" and another Price perennial, "Heartaches by the Number" -- and the great majority of these songs are quite familiar. "I Can't Stop Loving You," "(I Never Promised You A) Rose Garden," "Today I Started Loving You Again," "Satin Sheets," "I Still Miss Someone," "Love's Gonna Live Here," "Make the World Go Away," and "Help Me Make It Through the Night" have all been covered regularly and remain radio staples to this day, and even such comparatively obscure choices as Harlan Howard's terrific "Pick Me Up on Your Way Down" (made into a hit by Charlie Walker) are well-known to hardcore country fans. Instead of being a detriment, the familiarity is a blessing, since these well-known songs illustrate McBride's range, power, and subtlety as a vocalist, as well as her skill as an interpreter. Timeless strikes a tricky and effective balance of being traditional -- the thoroughly annotated, well-detailed liner notes reveal that this extended down to the recording, where mostly vintage equipment, with no digital plug-ins, were used -- and contemporary. The songs and sounds are familiar, and even when McBride does an unexpected arrangement -- the mellow, introspective acoustic-based "I Still Miss Someone" -- they're not wildly unexpected, yet this all feels fresh, due to the excellence of the band, McBride's sterling taste in material, and, best of all, her extraordinary voice. She has always been one of the greatest vocalists in contemporary country, but Timeless is the first time that she's recorded a full-fledged singer's album, one where she not only has the material to showcase her range, but also a sympathetic band, arrangements, and production to highlight her remarkable voice. The result isn't just one of the best country albums of 2005 but her best album since The Way That I Am. Stephen Thomas Erlewine

St. Louis Post-Dispatch

[Grade: A+] McBride's voice soars and gets brilliant backup.... The results are nearly perfect. Mandy St. Amand