Trail of Tears (Billy Ray Cyrus album)
Trail of Tears | ||||
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Studio album by | ||||
Released | August 20, 1996 | |||
Recorded | 1995 | |||
Studio | Screaming Woo Music and Secret Sound (Nashville, Tennessee) | |||
Genre | Country | |||
Length | 42:45 | |||
Label | Mercury | |||
Producer | Billy Ray Cyrus Terry Shelton | |||
Billy Ray Cyrus chronology | ||||
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Singles from Trail of Tears | ||||
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Trail of Tears is the fourth studio album from country artist Billy Ray Cyrus. It was released on August 20, 1996, and two singles were released: the title track and "Three Little Words", which respectively peaked at number 69 and number 65 on the country charts.
The album debuted at number 125 on the U.S. Billboard 200, and at number 20 on the U.S. Top Country Albums.[1] The album has sold more than 250,000 copies worldwide. Despite low sales the album was the first to receive widespread critical acclaim from music critics for Cyrus, earning him industry respect from Nashville.
Content
[edit]Included on Trail of Tears are covers of "Harper Valley PTA", originally recorded by Jeannie C. Riley, "Sing Me Back Home", originally recorded by Merle Haggard and The Strangers, and "Crazy Mama", originally recorded by J. J. Cale.
Cyrus is a credited writer on all other tracks, except for the album's second single, "Three Little Words".[2]
Critical reception
[edit]Review scores | |
---|---|
Source | Rating |
AllMusic | [2] |
Entertainment Weekly | B[3] |
AllMusic's Thom Owens called it Cyrus' "most personal and [most] accomplished album", pointing out the "rootsy production flourishes" that added grit and edge to the overall sound and Cyrus having more conviction in his delivery, concluding that: "In fact, Trail of Tears suggests that he may be able to carve out a successful career for himself, after all."[2] Alanna Nash of Entertainment Weekly called it "a rapidly maturing, bleeding-heart blend of roots rock and country classics wrapped in bare-bones production." She added that "Need a Little Help" and the title track had the potential to turn Cyrus into an "artistic contender".[3]
Track listing
[edit]No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
---|---|---|---|
1. | "Trail of Tears" | Billy Ray Cyrus | 3:41 |
2. | "Truth Is, I Lied" |
| 3:18 |
3. | "Tenntucky" |
| 2:23 |
4. | "Call Me Daddy" |
| 5:08 |
5. | "Sing Me Back Home" | Merle Haggard | 3:37 |
6. | "Three Little Words" |
| 4:14 |
7. | "Harper Valley PTA" | Tom T. Hall | 4:10 |
8. | "I Am Here Now" |
| 3:28 |
9. | "Need a Little Help" |
| 5:08 |
10. | "Should I Stay" | Cyrus | 4:38 |
11. | "Crazy Mama" | J.J. Cale | 3:00 |
Total length: | 42:45 |
Personnel
[edit]Credits adapted from the Trail of Tears media notes.[4]
- Sly Dog
- Billy Ray Cyrus – lead vocals, background vocals, acoustic guitar
- Greg Fletcher – drums
- Corky Holbrook – bass guitar
- Michael J. Sagraves – dobro, acoustic guitar, electric guitar, steel guitar, harmonica, mandolin, slide guitar
- Terry Shelton – drums, 12-string guitar, acoustic guitar, electric guitar, keyboards, percussion
- Barton Stevens – keyboards, background vocals
- Additional Musicians
- Ava Aldridge – background vocals
- Jeff E. Cox – bass guitar
- Mark Douthit – saxophone
- John Griffiths – background vocals
- Lee Hendricks – bass guitar
- Wanda Vick – fiddle
- Don Von Tress – acoustic guitar, electric guitar, bass guitar, mandolin, background vocals
- Bob Workman – bass guitar
- Production
- Billy Ray Cyrus – co-producer
- Terry Shelton – co-producer, mixing
- John Jaszcz – mixing
- Chuck Linder – assistant engineer
- Michael Joe Sagraves – assistant engineer
- Hank Williams – mastering
Chart performance
[edit]- Album
Chart (1996) | Peak position |
---|---|
Canadian Top Country Albums | 14 |
Swiss Music Charts | 50 |
U.S. Billboard 200 | 125 |
U.S. Billboard Top Country Albums | 20 |
- Singles
Year | Single | Peak chart positions | |
---|---|---|---|
US Country | CAN Country | ||
1996 | "Trail of Tears" | 69 | 59 |
1997 | "Three Little Words" | 65 | 61 |
References
[edit]- ^ Katie Hasty, "'NOW 25' Fends Off 'Hairspray,' Prince To Remain No. 1", Billboard.com, August 1, 2007.
- ^ a b c Owens, Thom. "Trail of Tears - Billy Ray Cyrus". AllMusic. Archived from the original on October 19, 2021. Retrieved August 9, 2011.
- ^ a b Nash, Alanna (August 23, 1996). "Trail of Tears". Entertainment Weekly. Time Inc. Archived from the original on December 18, 2021. Retrieved December 18, 2021.
- ^ Trail of Tears (media notes). Billy Ray Cyrus. Mercury. 1996. P2 32829.
{{cite AV media notes}}
: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)