Bakersfield (album)
Bakersfield is the thirteenth studio album by American country music artist Vince Gill and steel guitar player Paul Franklin. It was released on July 30, 2013 via MCA Nashville. The album is a collaborative tribute of Merle Haggard and Buck Owens songs. It reached number 4 on Top Country Albums.[7]
| Bakersfield | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | July 30, 2013 | |||
| Genre | Country | |||
| Length | 36:59 | |||
| Label | MCA Nashville | |||
| Producer | Vince Gill Paul Franklin | |||
| Vince Gill chronology | ||||
| ||||
| Aggregate scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| Metacritic | 80/100[1] |
| Review scores | |
| Source | Rating |
| Allmusic |   [2] |
| Engine 145 | [3] |
| Taste of Country | [4] |
| Roughstock | [5] |
| My Kind of Country | A+[6] |
Content
Vince Gill and his fellow The Time Jumpers band member Paul Franklin re-recorded songs by Buck Owens and Merle Haggard as a tribute, pulling five songs from each artist, all from 1961 -1974. [8]
Critical reception
Bakersfield has received positive reviews from music critics. Metacritic assigns an average score out of 100 from reviews and ratings from mainstream critics. The album received a metascore of 80, based on 5 reviews.[1]
Billy Dukes at Taste of Country rated the album 4 out of 5 stars. He states, "Gill and Franklin work like a polished vocal duo, only the pedal steel is Franklin’s voice," and goes on to say, "the album’s production is notable for being crystal clear. Each instrument stands out without stepping out." He finishes by saying, "You’ll struggle to find two more professional, humble musicians in Nashville, and those qualities — along with a top notch band and great songs — make for a very satisfying listen."
Daryl Addison from Great American Country also positively reviewed the album. Addison states, "the pair exhibits a palpable chemistry that breathes new life into each one of the album’s songs" and "surround themselves with top-notch players" He finishes by saying, "This artistic give and take, set inside classic and well-known songs, makes the album feel alive and new."
Track listing
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Foolin' Around" | Harlan Howard, Buck Owens | 2:54 |
| 2. | "Branded Man" | Merle Haggard | 3:47 |
| 3. | "Together Again" | Owens | 3:44 |
| 4. | "The Bottle Let Me Down" | Haggard | 3:20 |
| 5. | "He Don't Deserve You Anymore" | Arty Lange, Owens | 3:44 |
| 6. | "I Can't Be Myself" | Haggard | 3:48 |
| 7. | "Nobody's Fool But Yours" | Owens | 2:54 |
| 8. | "Holding Things Together" | Haggard | 6:04 |
| 9. | "But I Do" | Tommy Collins | 3:06 |
| 10. | "The Fightin' Side of Me" | Haggard | 3:38 |
| Total length: | 36:59 | ||
Personnel
- Brad Albin - upright bass
- Larry Franklin - fiddle
- Paul Franklin - pedal steel guitar
- Vince Gill - acoustic guitar, electric guitar, lead vocals, background vocals
- John Hobbs - keyboards, piano
- Greg Morrow - drums
- Dawn Sears - background vocals
- Kenny Sears - fiddle
- Joe Spivey - fiddle
- Willie Weeks - bass guitar
Chart performance
The album debuted at No.4 in the Top Country Albums chart with 11,000 copies sold.[9] The album has sold 56,000 copies in the US as of February 2014.[10]
Album
| Chart (2013) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| US Billboard Top Country Albums | 4 |
| US Billboard 200 | 25 |
References
- Metacritic (July 30, 2013). "Critic Reviews for Bakersfield". CBS Interactive. Retrieved September 3, 2013.
- Jurek, Thom. "Bakersfield review". Allmusic. Retrieved September 3, 2013.
- Carrigan Jr., Henry L. (July 31, 2013). "Album Review: Vince Gill & Paul Franklin — Bakersfield". Engine 145. Archived from the original on 2013-10-02. Retrieved September 3, 2013.
- Dukes, Billy (August 13, 2013). "Vince Gill and Paul Franklin, 'Bakersfield' – Album Review". Taste of Country. Retrieved September 3, 2013.
- Bjork, Matt (July 26, 2013). "Album Review: Vince Gill & Paul Franklin - Bakersfield". Roughstock. Archived from the original on 2013-09-19. Retrieved September 3, 2013.
- Razor X (August 8, 2013). "Album Review: Vince Gill & Paul Franklin – 'Bakersfield'". My Kind of County. Retrieved September 3, 2013.
- Jessen, Wade (August 8, 2013). "Vince Gill's 'Bakersfield' Tribute Hits Top Five on Country Albums". Billboard. Retrieved September 3, 2013.
- Addison, Daryl (July 24, 2013). "GAC Album Review: Vince Gill & Paul Franklin's Bakersfield". Great American Country. Retrieved September 3, 2013.
- Wade Jessen (August 8, 2013). "Vince Gill's 'Bakersfield' Tribute Hits Top Five on Country Albums". Billboard.
- Bjorke, Matt (February 12, 2014). "Country Album Chart News: The Week of February 12, 2014: Florida Georgia Line #1, Eric Paslay Debuts Top 5; Whiskey Myers, Moonshine Bandits, Scotty McCreery". Roughstock. Archived from the original on February 21, 2014. Retrieved February 12, 2014.
