Lyle Lovett (album)
Encyclopedia
Lyle Lovett is Lovett
's 1986 eponymous debut album. By the mid-1980s Lovett had already distinguished himself in the burgeoning Texas
singer-songwriter
scene. He had performed in the New Folk competition at the Kerrville Folk Festival
in 1980 and returned to win in 1982. In 1984 Lovett recorded a four song demo with the help of the Phoenix
band, J. David Sloan and the Rogues.
His music had begun to be distributed by the Fast Folk Musical Magazine
Nanci Griffith
had previously recorded Lovett's "If I Were the Man You Wanted" as "If I Were the Woman You Wanted" for her 1984 album, Once in a Very Blue Moon
. Lovett appears on the album as a vocalist and even appears on the cover of her Last of the True Believers album.
chart for Top Country Albums.
's Guitar Town
, calling it, "one of the most promising and exciting debut albums to come out of Nashville in the 1980s." Robert Christgau
described Lovett's debut as "Writes like Guy Clark
, only plainer, sings like Jesse Winchester
only countrier." The album ranked #91 in Rolling Stone's 100 Greatest Albums of the 80's.
.
Lyle Lovett
Lyle Pearce Lovett is an American singer-songwriter and actor. Active since 1980, he has recorded thirteen albums and released 21 singles to date, including his highest entry, the number 10 chart hit on the U.S. Billboard Hot Country Songs chart, "Cowboy Man"...
's 1986 eponymous debut album. By the mid-1980s Lovett had already distinguished himself in the burgeoning Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
singer-songwriter
Singer-songwriter
Singer-songwriters are musicians who write, compose and sing their own musical material including lyrics and melodies. As opposed to contemporary popular music singers who write their own songs, the term singer-songwriter describes a distinct form of artistry, closely associated with the...
scene. He had performed in the New Folk competition at the Kerrville Folk Festival
Kerrville Folk Festival
The Kerrville Folk Festival is a music festival held for 18 consecutive days in the late spring/early summer at Quiet Valley Ranch near Kerrville, Texas. The event has run on a yearly basis since 1972. In November 2008, the Kerrville Folk Festival and Kerrville Wine & Music Festival were acquired...
in 1980 and returned to win in 1982. In 1984 Lovett recorded a four song demo with the help of the Phoenix
Phoenix, Arizona
Phoenix is the capital, and largest city, of the U.S. state of Arizona, as well as the sixth most populated city in the United States. Phoenix is home to 1,445,632 people according to the official 2010 U.S. Census Bureau data...
band, J. David Sloan and the Rogues.
His music had begun to be distributed by the Fast Folk Musical Magazine
Nanci Griffith
Nanci Griffith
Nanci Griffith, is an American singer, guitarist and songwriter from Austin, Texas.-Biography:...
had previously recorded Lovett's "If I Were the Man You Wanted" as "If I Were the Woman You Wanted" for her 1984 album, Once in a Very Blue Moon
Once in a Very Blue Moon
Once in a Very Blue Moon is singer-songwriter Nanci Griffith's third album. The sounds have become a little more country and a little less folk than her previous albums. Her first two albums were backed sparsely with instrumentation, but starting with this album, the whole complement of...
. Lovett appears on the album as a vocalist and even appears on the cover of her Last of the True Believers album.
Chart performance
Lovett's debut reached number 14 on Billboard'sBillboard (magazine)
Billboard is a weekly American magazine devoted to the music industry, and is one of the oldest trade magazines in the world. It maintains several internationally recognized music charts that track the most popular songs and albums in various categories on a weekly basis...
chart for Top Country Albums.
| Chart (1986) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| U.S. Billboard Top Country Albums | 14 |
Critical acclaim
Lyle Lovett has been cited as one of the top 100 albums of the 1980s by the Italian magazines Il Mucchio Selvaggio and Velvet Allmusic compares the album to Steve EarleSteve Earle
Stephen Fain "Steve" Earle is an American singer-songwriter known for his rock and Texas Country as well as his political views. He is also a producer, author, a political activist, and an actor, and has written and directed a play....
's Guitar Town
Guitar Town
Guitar Town is the debut album from singer-songwriter Steve Earle, released on March 5, 1986. It topped the Billboard country album charts, and the title song reached #7 on the country singles charts...
, calling it, "one of the most promising and exciting debut albums to come out of Nashville in the 1980s." Robert Christgau
Robert Christgau
Robert Christgau is an American essayist, music journalist, and self-proclaimed "Dean of American Rock Critics".One of the earliest professional rock critics, Christgau is known for his terse capsule reviews, published since 1969 in his Consumer Guide columns...
described Lovett's debut as "Writes like Guy Clark
Guy Clark
Guy Clark is an American Texas Country artist. In his career, he has released more than twenty albums, primarily on major labels. He has also written singles for other artists, including Ricky Skaggs, Steve Wariner and Rodney Crowell....
, only plainer, sings like Jesse Winchester
Jesse Winchester
Jesse Winchester is a musician and songwriter who was born and raised in the southern United States. To avoid the Vietnam War draft he moved to Canada in 1967, which is where and when he began his career as a solo artist. His highest charting recordings were of his own tunes, "Yankee Lady" in 1970...
only countrier." The album ranked #91 in Rolling Stone's 100 Greatest Albums of the 80's.
Track listing
All songs by Lyle Lovett, except "This Old Porch" by Lyle Lovett and Robert Earl KeenRobert Earl Keen
Robert Earl Keen, Junior is an American Texas Country singer-songwriter. He is popular with fans of traditional country music, folk music, college radio, and alt-country. Keen currently resides in Kerrville, Texas and maintains a ranch in Medina, Texas.-Early life:Growing up in Houston, Texas,...
.
- "Cowboy ManCowboy Man"Cowboy Man" is a single by American country music artist Lyle Lovett. It was released in October 1986 as the second single from his album Lyle Lovett. The song peaked at number 10 on the Billboard Hot Country Singles chart.-Chart performance:...
" – 2:48 - "God Will" – 2:13
- "Farther Down the Line" – 3:05
- "This Old Porch" – 4:16
- "Why I Don't Know" – 2:41
- "If I Were the Man You Wanted" – 3:57
- "You Can't Resist It" – 3:08
- "The Waltzing Fool" – 3:49
- "An Acceptable Level of Ecstasy (The Wedding Song)" – 3:30
- "Closing Time" – 3:43
Musicians
- Mathew McKenzie – bassBass (instrument)Bass describes musical instruments that produce tones in the low-pitched range. They belong to different families of instruments and can cover a wide range of musical roles...
- Jeff Borree – drumsDrum kitA drum kit is a collection of drums, cymbals and often other percussion instruments, such as cowbells, wood blocks, triangles, chimes, or tambourines, arranged for convenient playing by a single person ....
- Matt RollingsMatt RollingsMatt Rollings is an American composer, musician and record producer. He plays piano, organ, and keyboards.Known mainly for playing in Lyle Lovett's Large Band, he has worked with many artists, not all country...
– acoustic and electric pianoElectric pianoAn electric piano is an electric musical instrument.Electric pianos produce sounds mechanically and the sounds are turned into electrical signals by pickups. Unlike a synthesizer, the electric piano is not an electronic instrument, but electro-mechanical. The earliest electric pianos were invented... - Mark Prentice – organ
- Lyle LovettLyle LovettLyle Pearce Lovett is an American singer-songwriter and actor. Active since 1980, he has recorded thirteen albums and released 21 singles to date, including his highest entry, the number 10 chart hit on the U.S. Billboard Hot Country Songs chart, "Cowboy Man"...
– acoustic guitarAcoustic guitarAn acoustic guitar is a guitar that uses only an acoustic sound board. The air in this cavity resonates with the vibrational modes of the string and at low frequencies, which depend on the size of the box, the chamber acts like a Helmholtz resonator, increasing or decreasing the volume of the sound... - Ray Herndon – electric rhythm guitar & background vocalsBacking vocalistA backing vocalist or backing singer is a singer who provides vocal harmony with the lead vocalist or other backing vocalists...
- Billy Williams – electric lead guitar
- Tom Mortensen – steel guitarSteel guitarSteel guitar is a type of guitar or the method of playing the instrument. Developed in Hawaii in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, a steel guitar is usually positioned horizontally; strings are plucked with one hand, while the other hand changes the pitch of one or more strings with the use...
- Glen DuncanGlen DuncanGlen Duncan is a British author born in 1965 in Bolton, Lancashire, England to an Anglo-Indian family. He studied philosophy and literature at the universities of Lancaster and Exeter....
– fiddleFiddleThe term fiddle may refer to any bowed string musical instrument, most often the violin. It is also a colloquial term for the instrument used by players in all genres, including classical music... - Steve MarshSteve MarshSteve Marsh is a former Australian rules footballer in the West Australian National Football League . Marsh was regarded as one of the finest rovers of his era...
– saxophoneSaxophoneThe saxophone is a conical-bore transposing musical instrument that is a member of the woodwind family. Saxophones are usually made of brass and played with a single-reed mouthpiece similar to that of the clarinet. The saxophone was invented by the Belgian instrument maker Adolphe Sax in 1846...
s - James Gilmer – congas
- J. David Sloan – background vocalsBacking vocalistA backing vocalist or backing singer is a singer who provides vocal harmony with the lead vocalist or other backing vocalists...
- Bass on "Farther Down the Line" – Emory Gordy, Jr.Emory Gordy, Jr.Emory Gordy, Jr., born December 25, 1944, in Atlanta, Georgia, is an American musician and music producer. Since 1989, he has been married to country music artist Patty Loveless. Gordy was inducted into the Georgia Music Hall of Fame in 1992...
- Drums on "Farther Down the Line", "This Old Porch", & "An Acceptable Level of Ecstasy" – Bob WarrenBob WarrenRobert G. Warren is former American professional basketball player. He was born in Murray, Kentucky.Warren played forward at the Vanderbilt University from 1965 to 1968. His listed height was 6'5" and his weight was 190 lbs. He wore jersey number 21. He was named to multiple All-SEC teams and won...
- Piano on "God Will" & "Farther Down the Line" – Mark Prentice
- SynthesizerSynthesizerA synthesizer is an electronic instrument capable of producing sounds by generating electrical signals of different frequencies. These electrical signals are played through a loudspeaker or set of headphones...
on "You Can't Resist It" – John Jarvis - Acoustic lead guitar on "God Will", "Farther Down the Line" & "If I Were the Man You Wanted" – Mac McAnallyMac McAnallyLyman Corbitt "Mac" McAnally, Jr. is an American country music singer-songwriter, session musician and record producer. In his career, he has recorded ten studio albums and eight singles. Two of his singles were hits on the Billboard Hot 100, and six more on the Hot Country Songs charts...
- Electric rhythm guitar on "You Can't Resist It" – Vince GillVince GillVincent Grant "Vince" Gill is an American neotraditional country singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist. He has achieved commercial success and fame both as frontman to the country rock band Pure Prairie League in the 1970s, and as a solo artist beginning in 1983, where his talents as a...
& Jon Goin - Electric lead guitar on "Farther Down the Line" and "Why I Don't Know" – Ray Herndon
- Electric lead guitar on "You Can't Resist It" – Jon Goin
- Background vocals on "You Can't Resist It" – Rosanne CashRosanne CashRosanne Cash is an American singer-songwriter and author. She is the eldest daughter of the late country music singer Johnny Cash and his first wife, Vivian Liberto Cash Distin....
& Lyle Lovett - Background vocals on "An Acceptable Level of Ecstasy – Francine ReedFrancine ReedFrancine Reed is an American blues singer.-Biography:Reed as a youth sang at church services, and her music was inspired and influenced by her gospel-singing father. She is the sister of jazz singer Margo Reed.In Phoenix, Arizona, Francine Reed appeared with Miles Davis, Stanley Jordan, Smokey...
- Saxophones arranged by Billy Williams
Production
- Producers – Tony BrownTony Brown (record producer)Tony Brown is an American country music record producer.He was born in Greensboro, North Carolina.Brown played piano for Elvis Presley. He toured with the TCB Band for much of Presley's final two years and was a part of the 1976 "Jungle Room" recording sessions at Graceland...
and Lyle Lovett - Associate Producer – Billy Williams
- Recorded at chaton Recordings, Scottsdale, ArizonaScottsdale, ArizonaScottsdale is a city in the eastern part of Maricopa County, Arizona, United States, adjacent to Phoenix. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, as of 2010 the population of the city was 217,385...
- Engineer – Steven Moore
- Second Engineer – Andy Seagle
- Overdubs and Remix at Teasure Isle Recorders, Nashville, TennesseeNashville, TennesseeNashville is the capital of the U.S. state of Tennessee and the county seat of Davidson County. It is located on the Cumberland River in Davidson County, in the north-central part of the state. The city is a center for the health care, publishing, banking and transportation industries, and is home...
- Remixed – Gene Eichelberger
- Second Engineers – Tom Der and Tom Harding
- MasteredAudio masteringMastering, a form of audio post-production, is the process of preparing and transferring recorded audio from a source containing the final mix to a data storage device ; the source from which all copies will be produced...
at Mastertonics using the JVCJVC, usually referred to as JVC, is a Japanese international consumer and professional electronics corporation based in Yokohama, Japan which was founded in 1927...
Audio Digital Mastering System- Mastering – Glen Meadows
- Digital editing – Milan Bogdan
- Compact Disc master tap prepared by Glen Meadows and Milan Bogdan
Artwork
- Simon LevySimon LevySimon Levy is an award-winning theatre director and playwright, who has been the Producing Director/Dramaturg with The Fountain Theatre in Los Angeles since 1993.- Biography :Levy was born in Surrey, England and grew up in San Francisco...
– art direction - Peter Nash – photography
- Mickey Braithwaite – design
- Kate Gillon & Sherri Halford – CD coordination
- Guy ClarkGuy ClarkGuy Clark is an American Texas Country artist. In his career, he has released more than twenty albums, primarily on major labels. He has also written singles for other artists, including Ricky Skaggs, Steve Wariner and Rodney Crowell....
– liner notes