Learn to Live
Encyclopedia
Learn to Live is the second solo studio album by American country
artist, Darius Rucker
. The album was released September 16, 2008 on Capitol Nashville Records and was produced by Frank Rogers
. Learn to Live was Rucker's first studio album marketed towards country music
, and is also his first release since 2002 R&B release Back to Then
. The album had spawned three number one singles on the Billboard country music chart: "Don't Think I Don't Think About It
," "It Won't Be Like This for Long
," and "Alright
."
, and Nashville, Tennessee
. Brady Vercher of The 9513 praised the album's overall production and sound, finding nearly every track to, "sound as if it were crafted to be a potential single, with solid hooks and melodies aplenty, but at times the phrasing is more focused on selling those aspects at the expense of emotion." Slant Magazine
s Johnathan Keefe praised the album's production, saying that the record makes, "a concerted effort to sound like a modern country album." He also gave credit to the album's producer, Frank Rogers
(who had previously produced Brad Paisley
's albums), who had co-written most of the album's twelve tracks.
Many of the tracks are a variety of country music styles. The second track, "All I Want" is set in a two-step shuffle, while "Drinkin' and Dialin'" is a "clever barroom crawl," according to Allmusic. "All I Want" features guitar
played by Brad Paisley
and its fifth track, "If I Had Wings," features harmony vocals from country artists Vince Gill
and Alison Krauss
.
gave the album overall solid review, praising the single, "Don't Think I Don't Think About It
," by calling Rucker's delivery, "honest and heartfelt." Boldt was also pleased with the fact that Rucker attracted, "the attention of the country radio audience with that single, and it’s helped boost the profile of his first full country album, Learn to Live, a release that owns a variety of country music’s common topics and musical techniques." Boldt concluded his review by saying, "Learn to Live is well-produced and well-sung, but too many of the songs fail to fit the artist behind them." Sarah Rodman of The Boston Globe
also praised Learn to Live, calling the single, "Alright
," an "essential" track. Rodman later stated, "If you're going to be tooling down the middle of the road, "Learn to Love" is perfectly pleasant accompaniment."
Learn to Live was also reviewed by Stephen Thomas Erlewine
of Allmusic, who gave the release three out of five stars. Like PopMatters, Erlewine was pleased that Rucker chose to make a "leap" into country music. Erlewine frequently compared the album to Hootie & the Blowfish
's Cracked Rear View
, saying that the material was, "written with Rucker in mind, not a jam band, they're more pop in form and feel than anything he's done since." Erlewine then stated, "...these songs aren't knockouts, but they're friendly and comfortable, the kind of sturdy roots-pop that seems like it'd be easy to pull off but must not be, as this delicate balance of conversational melody and guy-next-door appeal has proven elusive to Rucker for over a decade now." The New York Times
favored the album as well. Critic, Jon Caramanica found Rucker to be "well-suited" to country music and called the tracks, "impressively eclectic and sharply written." He compared "Alright" to that of the recent hits by country singer, Craig Morgan, and then concluded by saying, "Such missteps [the song "If I Had Wings"] are few, though, and “Learn to Live” is seamless enough that it almost slips by unnoticed that Mr. Rucker is the first African-American to have a Top 10 country hit (the muscular “Don’t Think I Don’t Think About It”) since Charley Pride."
" was released May 27, 2008. The song became Rucker's first number one single by September 2008, becoming the first African-American country artist to have a major hit since Charley Pride
in the 1980s. Learn to Live debuted at #1 on the Billboard Country Albums chart and at #5 on the overall Billboard 200, selling 60,000 copies in its first week. As of February, 2010, the album has sold 1,298,274 copies in the United States, according to Nielsen SoundScan
, and has now been certified Platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America, for shipments to retailers of a million copies. After releasing the album's second single in late 2008 entitled, "It Won't Be Like This for Long
," the song became his second number one single on the Billboard Hot Country Songs
chart. The album's seventh track entitled, "Alright
," was released as a single shortly afterward. The song became Rucker's third number one single on the Billboard country chart, spending two weeks at #1 in early August. On September 8, 2009, the album's fourth single, "History in the Making
," was released, debuting at #51 on the Billboard country chart.
Country music
Country music is a popular American musical style that began in the rural Southern United States in the 1920s. It takes its roots from Western cowboy and folk music...
artist, Darius Rucker
Darius Rucker
Darius Rucker is an American musician. He first gained fame as the lead singer and rhythm guitarist of the rock band Hootie & the Blowfish, which he founded in 1986 at the University of South Carolina along with Mark Bryan, Jim "Soni" Sonefeld and Dean Felber...
. The album was released September 16, 2008 on Capitol Nashville Records and was produced by Frank Rogers
Frank Rogers (record producer)
Frank Mandeville Rogers V is an American record producer, songwriter and session musician. In 1990, Rogers made the trek to Nashville, attending Belmont University and graduating with a Music Business degree. While at Belmont, he met friend and future collaborator Brad Paisley...
. Learn to Live was Rucker's first studio album marketed towards country music
Country music
Country music is a popular American musical style that began in the rural Southern United States in the 1920s. It takes its roots from Western cowboy and folk music...
, and is also his first release since 2002 R&B release Back to Then
Back to Then
Back to Then is the title of a solo album released by singer/songwriter Darius Rucker, lead singer of Hootie & The Blowfish. The album was a departure for him as this project was a contemporary R&B album, as compared to his group's pop/rock efforts....
. The album had spawned three number one singles on the Billboard country music chart: "Don't Think I Don't Think About It
Don't Think I Don't Think About It
"Don't Think I Don't Think About It" is the title of a song recorded by American singer Darius Rucker. The song, co-written by Rucker and Clay Mills, was released to country radio in mid-2008 as Rucker's first single off his studio album Learn to Live...
," "It Won't Be Like This for Long
It Won't Be Like This for Long
"It Won't Be Like This for Long" is the title of a song co-written and recorded by American singer Darius Rucker, lead vocalist of the rock band Hootie & the Blowfish. It is the second single released from his first country music album, Learn to Live...
," and "Alright
Alright (Darius Rucker song)
"Alright" is the title of a song co-written and recorded by American singer Darius Rucker, lead vocalist of the rock band Hootie & the Blowfish. It was released in April 2009 as the third single from his first country music album, 2008's Learn to Live...
."
Background
Learn to Live was recorded both in Franklin, TennesseeFranklin, Tennessee
Franklin is a city within and the county seat of Williamson County, Tennessee, United States. The population was 62,487 as of the 2010 census Franklin is located approximately south of downtown Nashville.-History:...
, and Nashville, Tennessee
Nashville, Tennessee
Nashville 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...
. Brady Vercher of The 9513 praised the album's overall production and sound, finding nearly every track to, "sound as if it were crafted to be a potential single, with solid hooks and melodies aplenty, but at times the phrasing is more focused on selling those aspects at the expense of emotion." Slant Magazine
Slant Magazine
Slant Magazine is an online publication that features reviews of movies, music, TV, DVDs, theater, and video games, as well as interviews with actors, directors, and musicians. The site covers various film festivals like the New York Film Festival.- History :...
s Johnathan Keefe praised the album's production, saying that the record makes, "a concerted effort to sound like a modern country album." He also gave credit to the album's producer, Frank Rogers
Frank Rogers (record producer)
Frank Mandeville Rogers V is an American record producer, songwriter and session musician. In 1990, Rogers made the trek to Nashville, attending Belmont University and graduating with a Music Business degree. While at Belmont, he met friend and future collaborator Brad Paisley...
(who had previously produced Brad Paisley
Brad Paisley
Brad Douglas Paisley is an American singer-songwriter and musician. His style crosses between traditional country music and Southern rock, and his songs are frequently laced with humor and pop culture references....
's albums), who had co-written most of the album's twelve tracks.
Many of the tracks are a variety of country music styles. The second track, "All I Want" is set in a two-step shuffle, while "Drinkin' and Dialin'" is a "clever barroom crawl," according to Allmusic. "All I Want" features guitar
Guitar
The guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
played by Brad Paisley
Brad Paisley
Brad Douglas Paisley is an American singer-songwriter and musician. His style crosses between traditional country music and Southern rock, and his songs are frequently laced with humor and pop culture references....
and its fifth track, "If I Had Wings," features harmony vocals from country artists Vince Gill
Vince Gill
Vincent 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...
and Alison Krauss
Alison Krauss
Alison Maria Krauss is an American bluegrass-country singer, songwriter and fiddler. She entered the music industry at an early age, winning local contests by the age of ten and recording for the first time at fourteen. She signed with Rounder Records in 1985 and released her first solo album in...
.
Critical reception
Learn to Live received mainly favorable reviews. Blake Boldt of PopMattersPopMatters
PopMatters is an international webzine of cultural criticism that covers many aspects of popular culture. PopMatters publishes reviews, interviews, and detailed essays on most cultural products and expressions in areas such as music, television, films, books, video games, comics, sports, theater,...
gave the album overall solid review, praising the single, "Don't Think I Don't Think About It
Don't Think I Don't Think About It
"Don't Think I Don't Think About It" is the title of a song recorded by American singer Darius Rucker. The song, co-written by Rucker and Clay Mills, was released to country radio in mid-2008 as Rucker's first single off his studio album Learn to Live...
," by calling Rucker's delivery, "honest and heartfelt." Boldt was also pleased with the fact that Rucker attracted, "the attention of the country radio audience with that single, and it’s helped boost the profile of his first full country album, Learn to Live, a release that owns a variety of country music’s common topics and musical techniques." Boldt concluded his review by saying, "Learn to Live is well-produced and well-sung, but too many of the songs fail to fit the artist behind them." Sarah Rodman of The Boston Globe
The Boston Globe
The Boston Globe is an American daily newspaper based in Boston, Massachusetts. The Boston Globe has been owned by The New York Times Company since 1993...
also praised Learn to Live, calling the single, "Alright
Alright (Darius Rucker song)
"Alright" is the title of a song co-written and recorded by American singer Darius Rucker, lead vocalist of the rock band Hootie & the Blowfish. It was released in April 2009 as the third single from his first country music album, 2008's Learn to Live...
," an "essential" track. Rodman later stated, "If you're going to be tooling down the middle of the road, "Learn to Love" is perfectly pleasant accompaniment."
Learn to Live was also reviewed by Stephen Thomas Erlewine
Stephen Thomas Erlewine
Stephen Thomas Erlewine is a senior editor for Allmusic. He is the author of many artist biographies and record reviews for Allmusic, as well as a freelance writer, occasionally contributing liner notes. He is also frontman and guitarist for the Ann Arbor-based band Who Dat?Erlewine is the nephew...
of Allmusic, who gave the release three out of five stars. Like PopMatters, Erlewine was pleased that Rucker chose to make a "leap" into country music. Erlewine frequently compared the album to Hootie & the Blowfish
Hootie & the Blowfish
Hootie & the Blowfish is an American rock band that enjoyed popularity in the second half of the 1990s. They were originally formed in 1986 at the University of South Carolina by Darius Rucker, Dean Felber, Jim Sonefeld, and Mark Bryan. The band has recorded five studio albums to date, and has...
's Cracked Rear View
Cracked Rear View
Cracked Rear View is the major-label debut album by Hootie & the Blowfish, released on July 5, 1994 by Atlantic Records. It was the highest-selling album of 1995, with 10.5 million shipments that year alone, eventually shipping 16 million copies to retailers by March 31, 1999...
, saying that the material was, "written with Rucker in mind, not a jam band, they're more pop in form and feel than anything he's done since." Erlewine then stated, "...these songs aren't knockouts, but they're friendly and comfortable, the kind of sturdy roots-pop that seems like it'd be easy to pull off but must not be, as this delicate balance of conversational melody and guy-next-door appeal has proven elusive to Rucker for over a decade now." The New York Times
The New York Times
The New York Times is an American daily newspaper founded and continuously published in New York City since 1851. The New York Times has won 106 Pulitzer Prizes, the most of any news organization...
favored the album as well. Critic, Jon Caramanica found Rucker to be "well-suited" to country music and called the tracks, "impressively eclectic and sharply written." He compared "Alright" to that of the recent hits by country singer, Craig Morgan, and then concluded by saying, "Such missteps [the song "If I Had Wings"] are few, though, and “Learn to Live” is seamless enough that it almost slips by unnoticed that Mr. Rucker is the first African-American to have a Top 10 country hit (the muscular “Don’t Think I Don’t Think About It”) since Charley Pride."
Chart performance
The album's lead single, "Don't Think I Don't Think About ItDon't Think I Don't Think About It
"Don't Think I Don't Think About It" is the title of a song recorded by American singer Darius Rucker. The song, co-written by Rucker and Clay Mills, was released to country radio in mid-2008 as Rucker's first single off his studio album Learn to Live...
" was released May 27, 2008. The song became Rucker's first number one single by September 2008, becoming the first African-American country artist to have a major hit since Charley Pride
Charley Pride
Charley Frank Pride is an American country music singer. His smooth baritone voice was featured on thirty-nine number-one hits on the Billboard Hot Country Songs charts. His greatest success came in the early- to mid-1970s, when he became the best-selling performer for RCA Records since Elvis...
in the 1980s. Learn to Live debuted at #1 on the Billboard Country Albums chart and at #5 on the overall Billboard 200, selling 60,000 copies in its first week. As of February, 2010, the album has sold 1,298,274 copies in the United States, according to Nielsen SoundScan
Nielsen SoundScan
Nielsen SoundScan is an information and sales tracking system created by Mike Fine and Mike Shalett. Soundscan is the official method of tracking sales of music and music video products throughout the United States and Canada...
, and has now been certified Platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America, for shipments to retailers of a million copies. After releasing the album's second single in late 2008 entitled, "It Won't Be Like This for Long
It Won't Be Like This for Long
"It Won't Be Like This for Long" is the title of a song co-written and recorded by American singer Darius Rucker, lead vocalist of the rock band Hootie & the Blowfish. It is the second single released from his first country music album, Learn to Live...
," the song became his second number one single on the Billboard Hot Country Songs
Hot Country Songs
Hot Country Songs is a chart published weekly by Billboard magazine in the United States.This 60-position chart lists the most popular country music songs, calculated weekly mostly by airplay and occasionally commercial sales...
chart. The album's seventh track entitled, "Alright
Alright (Darius Rucker song)
"Alright" is the title of a song co-written and recorded by American singer Darius Rucker, lead vocalist of the rock band Hootie & the Blowfish. It was released in April 2009 as the third single from his first country music album, 2008's Learn to Live...
," was released as a single shortly afterward. The song became Rucker's third number one single on the Billboard country chart, spending two weeks at #1 in early August. On September 8, 2009, the album's fourth single, "History in the Making
History in the Making
"History in the Making" is the title of a song co-written and recorded by American country music singer Darius Rucker. Written along with Clay Mills and Frank Rogers, it was released in September 2009 as the fourth single from Rucker's 2008 album Learn to Live...
," was released, debuting at #51 on the Billboard country chart.
Track listing
Album
| Chart (2008) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| U.S. Billboard Top Country Albums | 1 |
| U.S. Billboard 200 Billboard 200 The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists... |
5 |
End of year charts
| Chart (2010) | Year-end 2010 |
|---|---|
| US Billboard 200 Billboard 200 The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists... |
56 |
| US Billboard Top Country Albums | 13 |
Singles
| Year | Single | Peak chart positions | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| US Country Hot Country Songs Hot Country Songs is a chart published weekly by Billboard magazine in the United States.This 60-position chart lists the most popular country music songs, calculated weekly mostly by airplay and occasionally commercial sales... |
US Billboard Hot 100 The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday... |
CAN Canadian Hot 100 The Canadian Hot 100 is a music singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine which ranks songs in Canada. The chart debuted in the Billboard issue dated June 16, 2007 and was made available for the first time via their online services on June 7, 2007... |
||
| 2008 | "Don't Think I Don't Think About It Don't Think I Don't Think About It "Don't Think I Don't Think About It" is the title of a song recorded by American singer Darius Rucker. The song, co-written by Rucker and Clay Mills, was released to country radio in mid-2008 as Rucker's first single off his studio album Learn to Live... " |
1 | 35 | 47 |
| "It Won't Be Like This for Long It Won't Be Like This for Long "It Won't Be Like This for Long" is the title of a song co-written and recorded by American singer Darius Rucker, lead vocalist of the rock band Hootie & the Blowfish. It is the second single released from his first country music album, Learn to Live... " |
1 | 36 | 59 | |
| 2009 | "Alright Alright (Darius Rucker song) "Alright" is the title of a song co-written and recorded by American singer Darius Rucker, lead vocalist of the rock band Hootie & the Blowfish. It was released in April 2009 as the third single from his first country music album, 2008's Learn to Live... " |
1 | 30 | 61 |
| "History in the Making History in the Making "History in the Making" is the title of a song co-written and recorded by American country music singer Darius Rucker. Written along with Clay Mills and Frank Rogers, it was released in September 2009 as the fourth single from Rucker's 2008 album Learn to Live... " |
3 | 63 | 73 | |