Fly Me Courageous

Fly Me Courageous is the fourth studio album by the hard rock/Southern rock band Drivin' N' Cryin', released on January 8, 1991, by Island Records.[1] The album is the band's most commercially successful release, in part due to the title track striking a patriotic chord in the United States during the start of the Persian Gulf War.[2] In 1995, Fly Me Courageous was certified gold.[3]

Fly Me Courageous
Studio album by
Drivin' N' Cryin'
ReleasedJanuary 8, 1991
Recorded1990
StudioKiva Recording Studio, Memphis, Tennessee
GenreSouthern Rock, Hard Rock
Length39:23
LabelIsland
ProducerGeoff Workman
Drivin' N' Cryin' chronology
Mystery Road
(1989)		 Fly Me Courageous
(1991)		 Smoke
(1993)

Overview

Originally, Andy Johns was slotted to produce the album, as the band was impressed by his work with Rod Stewart and Cinderella. However, Johns fell ill, so they chose Geoff Workman to produce instead.[4]

Fly Me Courageous was released during the outbreak of the Persian Gulf War. In turn, the album's title track was interpreted as a pro-war song.[5] "Fly Me Courageous" reached #15 on the Modern Rock Tracks chart.[6] Drivin' N Cryin's guitarist Kevn Kinney said of the song's success:

We were getting invitations to play Naval and Air Force bases and getting tours of airplanes and pilots telling us they were listening to it before takeoff,[2]

In addition to the title track, "Build a Fire" enjoyed some commercial success, reaching #15 on the Mainstream Rock Tracks chart and receiving regular rotation on MTV.[4][6]

Reception
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[7]
Entertainment Weekly(B-) [8]
Kerrang![9]

Tom Demalon of AllMusic called Fly Me Courageous Drivin' N Cryin's "finest moment, both commercially and artistically."[7] Entertainment Weekly's Bob Mack wrote of the album: "Stabs at pop ('Together') and last-ditch efforts to dazzle ('Rush Hour') are too little, too late, but even so, their impulse to integrate influences rather than pick a niche is refreshing".[8] Both reviewers also noted the influence of R.E.M. on the album's sound (Drivin' N Cryin' had toured with R.E.M. during R.E.M.'s Green tour).[7][8][10]

Track listing

All tracks are written by Drivin' N' Cryin'.

No.TitleLength
1."Around the Block Again"3:31
2."Chain Reaction"3:47
3."Fly Me Courageous"3:23
4."Look What You've Done to Your Brother"2:58
5."For You"4:35
6."Let's Go Dancing"3:18
7."The Innocent"4:16
8."Together"3:51
9."Lost in the Shuffle"3:04
10."Build a Fire"3:15
11."Rush Hour"3:25

Personnel

The following people contributed to Fly Me Courageous:[11]

Drivin' N Cryin'
  • Buren Fowler – guitar
  • Kevn Kinney – guitar, vocals
  • Tim Nielsen – bass guitar, mandolin, backing vocals
  • Jeff Sullivan – drums, percussion

Additional personnel

Charts

Album
Chart (1991) Peak
position
US Billboard 200 90[12]

Singles
Year Song Chart positions
US Modern Rock
[6]		 US Mainstream Rock
[6]
1991 "Fly Me Courageous" 15 19
1991 "Build a Fire" – 15
1991 "The Innocent" – 31
"—" denotes releases that did not chart.

See also

References
  1. Drivin' N Cryin' >> Fly Me Courageous. Drivin' N Cryin' official website. Retrieved 30 June 2011.
  2. Miller, Chris. DRIVIN’ N’ CRYIN’: Band releases first album in a dozen years. The Red and Black. 15 October 2009. Retrieved 30 June 2011
  3. Gold & Platinum Program searchable database. RIAA. Retrieved 30 June 2011. Search "Fly Me Courageous," with quotation marks.
  4. Drivin' N Cryin' >> History. Drivin' N Cryin' official website. Retrieved 30 June 2011.
  5. Moon, Tom. Protest: Songs Are Silent. The Philadelphia Inquirer. 22 January 1991. Retrieved 30 June 2011
  6. Fly Me Courageous – Charts & Awards – Singles. Allmusic. Retrieved 30 June 2011.
  7. Demalon, Tom. Fly Me Courageous. Allmusic. Retrieved 30 June 2011
  8. Mack, Bob. Fly Me Courageous Review. Entertainment Weekly 25 January 1991. Retrieved 30 June 2011
  9. Henderson, Paul (2 May 1992). "Drivin' N' Cryin' 'Fly Me Courageous'". Kerrang!. 390. London, UK: EMAP.
  10. Blowin’ Wind With Kevn Kinney of Drivin’ N’ Cryin’. The Great Southern Brainfart. 17 December 2010. Retrieved 30 June 2011
  11. Fly Me Courageous – Credits. Allmusic. Retrieved 30 June 2011
  12. Fly Me Courageous – Charts & Awards – Album. Allmusic. Retrieved 30 June 2011.
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