Strait from the Heart

Strait from the Heart is the second studio album by American country music artist George Strait, released on June 3, 1982 by MCA Records. The album includes Strait's first No. 1 single, "Fool Hearted Memory", as well as follow-up singles "Marina del Rey", "Amarillo by Morning" and "A Fire I Can't Put Out", reaching No. 6, No. 4, and No. 1 respectively on the Billboard Hot Country Singles chart. The album peaked at No. 18 on the US Billboard Top Country Albums chart. Strait from the Heart is certified platinum by the RIAA.

Strait from the Heart
Studio album by
George Strait
ReleasedJune 3, 1982 (1982-06-03)
RecordedSeptember 1981 - April 1982
StudioMusic City Music Hall,
Nashville, Tennessee
GenreCountry
Length28:45
LabelMCA
ProducerBlake Mevis
George Strait chronology
Strait Country
(1981)		 Strait from the Heart
(1982)		 Right or Wrong
(1983)
Singles from Strait from the Heart
  1. "Fool Hearted Memory"
    Released: May 27, 1982
  2. "Marina del Rey"
    Released: September 16, 1982
  3. "Amarillo by Morning"
    Released: January 14, 1983
  4. "A Fire I Can't Put Out"
    Released: May 19, 1983

There were three cover songs on the album: "Honky Tonk Crazy", which had been released a couple months earlier in 1982 by the duo of Gary Stewart and Dean Dillon on their Brotherly Love album; 2) the Guy Clark song, "Heartbroke", which was first recorded by Rodney Crowell on his 1980 album, But What Will the Neighbors Think; and 3) "Amarillo by Morning" which was first recorded by Terry Stafford in 1973. "The Only Thing I Have Left" was later recorded by Tim McGraw for his 1993 debut album Tim McGraw.

Recording

Strait from the Heart was recorded at Music City Music Hall in Nashville, Tennessee. The album was fully recorded and mixed digitally.[1]

Reception
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic [2]

Strait from the Heart received positive reviews upon its release in 1982. On the music review website AllMusic, it received a perfect five out of five stars. In his review for AllMusic, Thom Jurek called Strait "a singer of uncommon vitality who could sing honky tonk, countrypolitan, and the new traditional sounds".[2] Jurek singled out the depth and breadth of the singer's talent, delivering his first number one hit, "Fool Hearted Memory", a slow two-step, alongside the equally successful ballads "Amarillo by Morning", "Marina del Rey", and "A Fire I Can't Put Out", as well as the raw traditional numbers "Honky Tonk Crazy", "Heartbroke", "I Can't See Texas from Here", and the barroom anthem "The Steal of the Night"—songs that "offer a portrait of Strait as a man who can do it all".[2] Jurek concludes:

His work is not over-produced, and his voice rings clear and true, offering only what the song needs to reveal itself to the listener. Strait from the Heart may not be the exact beginning of the story, but it is the first part of the legend.[2]

Track listing
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Fool Hearted Memory"Byron Hill, Blake Mevis2:40
2."Honky Tonk Crazy"Dean Dillon, Frank Dycus2:29
3."The Only Thing I Have Left"Clay Blaker3:28
4."The Steal of the Night"Bill Shore, David Wills, Mevis2:40
5."I Can't See Texas from Here"George Strait2:29
6."Marina del Rey"Dillon, Frank Dycus3:03
7."Lover in Disguise"Mevis, Jim Dowell2:30
8."Heartbroke"Guy Clark3:34
9."Amarillo by Morning"Terry Stafford, Paul Fraser2:53
10."A Fire I Can't Put Out"Darryl Staedtler3:00
Total length:28:45[2]

Personnel

Music

  • George Strait – lead vocals
  • Gregg Galbraith – electric guitar
  • Fred Newell – electric guitar
  • Jimmy Capps – acoustic guitar
  • Bobby Thompson - acoustic guitar
  • Steve Chapman - acoustic guitar on "Fool Hearted Memory"
  • Dave Kirby - acoustic guitar on "Fool Hearted Memory"
  • Sonny Garrish – steel guitar
  • John Hughey – steel guitar
  • Mark Feldman - fiddle on "Fool Hearted Memory"
  • Rob Hajacos – fiddle
  • Buddy Spicher – fiddle
  • Mitch Humphries – keyboards
  • Mike Leech – bass guitar
  • Larry Paxton – bass guitar
  • Clyde Brooks - drums on "Fool Hearted Memory"
  • Jerry Kroon – drums
  • The Nashville String Machine – strings
  • Sudie Callaway – background vocals
  • Buddy Cannon – background vocals
  • Rita Figlio – background vocals
  • Arlene Hardin – background vocals
  • Buddy Hardin – background vocals
  • Gwen Kay – background vocals
  • Curtis Young – background vocals

Production

  • Blake Mevis – producer
  • Bill Harris – engineer, mixing
  • Doug Crider – assistant engineer
  • David DeBusk – assistant engineer
  • Milan Bogdan – digital editing (CD)
  • Glenn Meadows – digital mastering (CD)
  • Allen Moore – string arrangements
  • Simon Levy – art direction
  • Jim McGuire – photography
  • Katie Gillon – coordination
  • Sherri Halford – coordination

Chart positions
Chart (1982) Peak
position
U.S. Billboard Top Country Albums 18

References
  1. Strait from the Heart (liner notes). George Strait. Universal City, CA: MCA Records. 1982. pp. 1–2. MCAD–31117.CS1 maint: others (link)
  2. Jurek, Thom. "Strait from the Heart". AllMusic. Retrieved March 18, 2014.
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