Lee Ann Womack (album)
Encyclopedia
Lee Ann Womack is the self-titled, 1997 debut album from country
singer Lee Ann Womack
. The album was certified gold by the RIAA on January 16, 1998 and platinum on September 24, 1999. Hits that appeared on the Billboard Hot Country Singles chart were "Never Again, Again" which peaked at #23, "The Fool" and "You've Got to Talk to Me" both at #2, and "Buckaroo" at #27. The album itself topped out at #9 on the Top Country Albums chart.
, "Success doesn't really surprise me because it always goes in cycles and comes back around to country. I was fortunate to be the one that they decided to open the door for a little bit, the one they allowed to do this traditional thing." In another interivew with The Dallas Morning News Womack revealed she recorded the album while her marriage was falling apart and said, "I hate to say that it was a bonus, but as terrible as it was - and it was going on while I was picking songs, while we were cutting the tracks, while I was doing vocals - I do think that pain did come across. I try not to pick songs that I can't deliver, that I don't understand, that I've not been through. The one thing that I want people to say about my music is that it's real."
Womack told Billboard, "I wanted Mark Wright to produce me, because of that full, fat sound he gets."
gave the album three and a half stars and wrote, "Womack is a deep-country
singer whose skill with heartbreak and confessional songs will prompt Lorrie Morgan comparisons. Womack is at her best immersed
in hurting ballads like The Fool, but the truly beautiful song here is the old-fashioned duet Make Memories With Me,
in which she holds her own with Mark Chesnutt as he pulls out his best heart-tugger vocal tricks. Billy Kennedy of the Belfast News Letter wrote, "She combines tears and torment in her songs with some light-hearted lyrics and Nashville DJs who normally show a preference for crossover material have really taken to her." Editors at Billboard
gave the album a positive review and wrote, "This is a beacon for country music's journey out of the desert and into the Promised Land. Great voice, great songs, and great production make this one of the most impressive debut albums in some time. Lee Ann Womack pays homage to country's rich tradition without sounding retro. She can handle hard-driving, truck-driving tunes, gospel songs, and tender ballads with equal aplomb here." Adrian Thrills of The Daily Mail also gave the album a positive review and wrote, "Texas-born Lee Ann Womack is a back-to-the-roots singer who brings spirit to uptempo songs and a poignancy to her ballads. Given that the self-penned Am I The Only Thing That You've Done Wrong is one of the sharper songs on this debut, it is a shame no more of her own compositions were included." Mario Tarradel of The Dallas Morning News
listed the album as the best country album of 1997 and wrote, "Country music should have heart, grit, emotion and realism. It should offer universal truths in four gripping minutes. Lee Ann Womack's first album delivers country's hallmarks with elegance and poignancy." Dene Hallam of KKBQ said, "The singing is extraordinary, the material is extraordinary, and Mark Wright has produced the album of his life. I would be surprised if this album doesn't go triple-platinum." Alanna Nash of Entertainment Weekly
gave the album an A rating and wrote, "This native of Jacksonville, Tex., has more heart than any other new female country singer, and a passel of traditional-sounding songs that may just be good enough to turn Nashville's commercial tide. David Hajdu also of Entertainment Weekly listed the album as one of the top of 1997 and wrote, If country had a breakthrough female this year, it was Womack, who combined Dolly's tremolo, Tammy's sob, and Reba's elongated vowels into a fetching tradition-based style. Her success--she's just gone gold--could help turn Nashville back to its hard-country roots. Thom Owens of AllMusic gave the album three stars and wrote, " The slick, professional production helps make this self-titled album a pleasant listen, despite the fairly uneven songwriting, and Womack certainly has a voice that can make the mediocre sound appealing, which results in a winning debut."
Strings
performed by the Nashville String Machine
, conducted by Carl Gorodetzky and arranged by Bergen White
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...
singer Lee Ann Womack
Lee Ann Womack
Lee Ann Womack is an American country music singer and songwriter, who is best known for her old fashioned-styled country music songs that often discuss subjects such as cheating and lost love....
. The album was certified gold by the RIAA on January 16, 1998 and platinum on September 24, 1999. Hits that appeared on the Billboard Hot Country Singles chart were "Never Again, Again" which peaked at #23, "The Fool" and "You've Got to Talk to Me" both at #2, and "Buckaroo" at #27. The album itself topped out at #9 on the Top Country Albums chart.
Background
Womack told The Dallas Morning NewsThe Dallas Morning News
The Dallas Morning News is the major daily newspaper serving the Dallas, Texas area, with a circulation of 264,459 subscribers, the Audit Bureau of Circulations reported in September 2010...
, "Success doesn't really surprise me because it always goes in cycles and comes back around to country. I was fortunate to be the one that they decided to open the door for a little bit, the one they allowed to do this traditional thing." In another interivew with The Dallas Morning News Womack revealed she recorded the album while her marriage was falling apart and said, "I hate to say that it was a bonus, but as terrible as it was - and it was going on while I was picking songs, while we were cutting the tracks, while I was doing vocals - I do think that pain did come across. I try not to pick songs that I can't deliver, that I don't understand, that I've not been through. The one thing that I want people to say about my music is that it's real."
Womack told Billboard, "I wanted Mark Wright to produce me, because of that full, fat sound he gets."
Track listing
- "Never Again, AgainNever Again, Again"Never Again, Again" is the title of a song written by Monty Holmes and Barbie Isham and recorded by American country artist Lee Ann Womack. It was released as the first single off of her self titled debut album. The song peaked at #23 on the U.S...
" (Monty HolmesMonty HolmesMonty Holmes is an American country music singer-songwriter. Holmes signed to Bang II Records and released his debut album, All I Ever Wanted, in 1998. His highest charting single, "Why'd You Start Lookin' So Good," peaked at number 43 in 1998...
, Barbie Isham) – 3:44 - "A Man with 18 Wheels" (Bobby Carmichael, Leslie Winn SatcherLeslie SatcherLeslie Winn Satcher was born in 1962 in Paris, Texas. She has recorded two albums of her own and, in addition, she has co-written several singles for such artists as George Strait, Martina McBride, Pam Tillis, Gretchen Wilson, Patty Loveless, and Vince Gill....
) – 3:20 - "You've Got to Talk to MeYou've Got to Talk to Me"You've Got to Talk to Me" is the title of a song written by Jamie O'Hara and recorded by American singer Lee Ann Womack. It was released in late 1997 as the third single from her self-titled debut album....
" (Jamie O'HaraJamie O'Hara (singer)Jamie O'Hara is an American country music artist. Between 1986 and 1990, he and Kieran Kane comprised The O'Kanes, a duo which charted seven singles on the Billboard Hot Country Singles charts, including the Number One single "Can't Stop My Heart from Loving You"...
) – 3:38 - "The FoolThe Fool (Lee Ann Womack song)"The Fool" is the title of a song written by Marla Cannon-Goodman, Gene Ellsworth, Charlie Stefl, and recorded by American country artist Lee Ann Womack. It was released as the second single off of her self titled debut album. The song peaked at #2 on the U.S...
" (Maria Cannon, Gene Ellsworth, Charlie Stefl) – 3:32 - "I Am the Only Thing That You've Done Wrong" (Billy Joe Foster, Lee Ann Womack, Jason SellersJason SellersJason Sellers is an American country music artist. After several years of touring the United States in his family's band, Sellers joined the road band of Ricky Skaggs. By 1997, he was signed to a recording contract with BNA Records, for whom he recorded two studio albums: 1997's I'm Your Man and...
) – 3:48 - "Buckaroo" (Mark D. SandersMark D. SandersMark Daniel Sanders is an American Country Music songwriter. He has written 14 No. 1 hits, 50 singles, and over 200 cuts, including the famous Lee Ann Womack single “I Hope You Dance,” co-written with Tia Sillers.-Early life:...
, Ed Hill) – 2:59 - "Make Memories with Me" (Satcher, Danny Stegall) – 3:33
- duet with Mark ChesnuttMark ChesnuttMark Nelson Chesnutt is an American country music singer. Chesnutt recorded and released his first album, Doing My Country Thing, in the late-1980s on private independent record label, Axbar Records, with the vinyl album version now a collector's item...
- duet with Mark Chesnutt
- "Trouble's Here" (Jann BrowneJann BrowneJann Browne is an American country singer. Before her solo career, she was a vocalist with the Western swing group Asleep at the Wheel. She has recorded four studio albums, and has charted three singles on the Hot Country Songs charts. Her highest single is 1990's "Tell Me Why" at...
, Matt Barnes) – 3:08 - "Do You Feel for Me" (Tim Johnson) – 3:23
- "Montgomery to Memphis" (Billy MontanaBilly MontanaBilly Montana is an American country music singer-songwriter. Between 1987 and 1995, Montana released one studio album and charted six singles on Billboards Hot Country Singles & Tracks chart...
, Anne Reeves) – 4:41 - "Get Up in Jesus' Name" (Mike Curtis, Marty RaybonMarty RaybonMarty Raybon Marty Raybon Marty Raybon (born December 8, 1959 is an Award Winning American country music artist. He is known primarily for his role as the lead singer of the band Shenandoah, a role which he held from 1985 to 1996. He recorded his first solo album, Marty Raybon, in 1995 on Sparrow...
) – 3:51
Critical reception
David Zimmerman of USA TodayUSA Today
USA Today is a national American daily newspaper published by the Gannett Company. It was founded by Al Neuharth. The newspaper vies with The Wall Street Journal for the position of having the widest circulation of any newspaper in the United States, something it previously held since 2003...
gave the album three and a half stars and wrote, "Womack is a deep-country
singer whose skill with heartbreak and confessional songs will prompt Lorrie Morgan comparisons. Womack is at her best immersed
in hurting ballads like The Fool, but the truly beautiful song here is the old-fashioned duet Make Memories With Me,
in which she holds her own with Mark Chesnutt as he pulls out his best heart-tugger vocal tricks. Billy Kennedy of the Belfast News Letter wrote, "She combines tears and torment in her songs with some light-hearted lyrics and Nashville DJs who normally show a preference for crossover material have really taken to her." Editors at Billboard
Billboard (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...
gave the album a positive review and wrote, "This is a beacon for country music's journey out of the desert and into the Promised Land. Great voice, great songs, and great production make this one of the most impressive debut albums in some time. Lee Ann Womack pays homage to country's rich tradition without sounding retro. She can handle hard-driving, truck-driving tunes, gospel songs, and tender ballads with equal aplomb here." Adrian Thrills of The Daily Mail also gave the album a positive review and wrote, "Texas-born Lee Ann Womack is a back-to-the-roots singer who brings spirit to uptempo songs and a poignancy to her ballads. Given that the self-penned Am I The Only Thing That You've Done Wrong is one of the sharper songs on this debut, it is a shame no more of her own compositions were included." Mario Tarradel of The Dallas Morning News
The Dallas Morning News
The Dallas Morning News is the major daily newspaper serving the Dallas, Texas area, with a circulation of 264,459 subscribers, the Audit Bureau of Circulations reported in September 2010...
listed the album as the best country album of 1997 and wrote, "Country music should have heart, grit, emotion and realism. It should offer universal truths in four gripping minutes. Lee Ann Womack's first album delivers country's hallmarks with elegance and poignancy." Dene Hallam of KKBQ said, "The singing is extraordinary, the material is extraordinary, and Mark Wright has produced the album of his life. I would be surprised if this album doesn't go triple-platinum." Alanna Nash of Entertainment Weekly
Entertainment Weekly
Entertainment Weekly is an American magazine, published by the Time division of Time Warner, that covers film, television, music, broadway theatre, books and popular culture...
gave the album an A rating and wrote, "This native of Jacksonville, Tex., has more heart than any other new female country singer, and a passel of traditional-sounding songs that may just be good enough to turn Nashville's commercial tide. David Hajdu also of Entertainment Weekly listed the album as one of the top of 1997 and wrote, If country had a breakthrough female this year, it was Womack, who combined Dolly's tremolo, Tammy's sob, and Reba's elongated vowels into a fetching tradition-based style. Her success--she's just gone gold--could help turn Nashville back to its hard-country roots. Thom Owens of AllMusic gave the album three stars and wrote, " The slick, professional production helps make this self-titled album a pleasant listen, despite the fairly uneven songwriting, and Womack certainly has a voice that can make the mediocre sound appealing, which results in a winning debut."
Personnel
Compiled from liner notes.- Mike Brignardello — bass guitarBass guitarThe bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
- 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...
— pianoPianoThe piano is a musical instrument played by means of a keyboard. It is one of the most popular instruments in the world. Widely used in classical and jazz music for solo performances, ensemble use, chamber music and accompaniment, the piano is also very popular as an aid to composing and rehearsal...
on "You've Got to Talk to Me" - Larry ByromLarry ByromLarry Byrom is an American guitarist who has written, recorded, and toured with acts like Steppenwolf, Ratchell, Neil Young, Steve Winwood, Peter Frampton, Eddie Rabbit and Tanya Tucker.- References :...
— 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...
; electric guitarElectric guitarAn electric guitar is a guitar that uses the principle of direct electromagnetic induction to convert vibrations of its metal strings into electric audio signals. The signal generated by an electric guitar is too weak to drive a loudspeaker, so it is amplified before sending it to a loudspeaker...
on "Make Memories with Me" - Pat Flynn — acoustic guitar
- Larry Franklin — 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...
- Paul FranklinPaul Franklin (musician)Paul Franklin is an American multi-instrumentalist, known mainly for his work as a steel guitarist. He began his career in the 1970s as a member of Barbara Mandrell's road band; in addition he toured with Mel Tillis and Jerry Reed. He has since become a prolific session musician in Nashville,...
— 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... - Abe Manuel — accordionAccordionThe accordion is a box-shaped musical instrument of the bellows-driven free-reed aerophone family, sometimes referred to as a squeezebox. A person who plays the accordion is called an accordionist....
- Brent MasonBrent MasonBrent Mason is an American session guitarist and occasional songwriter. He is known primarily for his work in the field of country music. In addition to releasing two instrumental studio albums, he holds several credits as a songwriter...
— electric guitar - Steve Nathan — piano, Wurlitzer electric pianoWurlitzer electric pianoWurlitzer 200A|250px|thumbThe Wurlitzer electric piano was one of a series of electromechanical stringless pianos manufactured and marketed by the Rudolph Wurlitzer Company, Corinth, Mississippi, U.S. and Tonawanda, New York...
, Hammond B-3 organ - Tom Roady — percussion
- Gary W. Smith — piano on "Get Up in Jesus' Name"
- Biff Watson — acoustic guitar
- Lonnie Wilson — 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 ....
- Lee Ann Womack — vocals
Background vocals
- Liana Manis
- Gene Miller
- John Wesley RylesJohn Wesley RylesJohn Wesley Ryles is an American country music artist. He made his debut in 1968 with the single "Kay", a Top Ten hit on the Billboard Hot Country Singles charts, and the title track to his debut album for Columbia Records.Ryles later recorded one album, Reconsider Me, for the Plantation label,...
- Leslie SatcherLeslie SatcherLeslie Winn Satcher was born in 1962 in Paris, Texas. She has recorded two albums of her own and, in addition, she has co-written several singles for such artists as George Strait, Martina McBride, Pam Tillis, Gretchen Wilson, Patty Loveless, and Vince Gill....
- Lisa Silver
- Ricky SkaggsRicky SkaggsRickie Lee "Ricky" Skaggs is a country and bluegrass singer, musician, producer, and composer. He primarily plays mandolin; however, he also plays fiddle, guitar, and banjo.-Early career:...
- Sharon White SkaggsThe WhitesThe Whites is an American country music vocal group consisting of lead singer Sharon White, her sister Cheryl , and their father Buck...
- Bergen White
- Curtis Young
Strings
String section
The string section is the largest body of the standard orchestra and consists of bowed string instruments of the violin family.It normally comprises five sections: the first violins, the second violins, the violas, the cellos, and the double basses...
performed by the Nashville String Machine
Nashville String Machine
Nashville String Machine is a musical collective comprising session musicians and has been credited on recordings as far back as 1974. The Nashville String Machine's composition varies from project to project. It has appeared as large as an orchestra, or as small as a duo.-Notable members:Being a...
, conducted by Carl Gorodetzky and arranged by Bergen White
Production
- Produced By Mark Wright
- Engineered By Robert Charles, Greg Droman, Jason Garner & Joe Hayden
- Mixed By Tim Coyle & Greg Droman
- Mastered By Hank Williams
Chart performance
| Chart (1997) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| U.S. Billboard Top Country Albums | 9 |
| U.S. Billboard 200 | 106 |
| U.S. Billboard Top Heatseekers | 1 |