Long in the Tooth (Billy Joe Shaver album)

Long in the Tooth
Studio album by Billy Joe Shaver
Released August 5, 2014 (2014-08-05)
Genre Country
Length 32:09
Label Lightning Rod Records
Producer Ray Kennedy, Gary Nicholson
Billy Joe Shaver chronology
Everybody's Brother
(2007)		 Long in the Tooth
(2014)

Long in the Tooth is the 23rd studio album by American country music singer-songwriter Billy Joe Shaver, released in 2014. With 10 newly-written songs, it followed Shaver's previous release after seven years. The album featured guest appearances by Willie Nelson, Leon Russell, and Tony Joe White.

The album was released to favorable reviews. It became Shaver's first album to chart on Billboard's Top Country Albums and the Billboard 200, peaking at 19 and 157 respectively.

Recording

Seven year's after his previous album Everybody's Brother was released, singer Todd Snider convinced Shaver to write new material and record a new album. Shaver called Ray Kennedy and Gary Nicholson to produce the release, consisting entirely of newly written material. Shaver co-wrote the title-track with actor Paul Gleason.[1] Shaver defined the tracks and finished the writing while recording in the studio, completing previous ideas and selecting from his newly written work the ten tracks.[2]

Tracks of the album featured guest appearances. Willie Nelson contributed to background vocals in "Hard To Be An Outlaw", while his harmonicist, Mickey Raphael played throughout the album. Leon Russell played piano in "Last Call For Alcohol" and Tony Joe White played guitar in the title-track. Before the release of Long In The Tooth, Nelson recorded and released "The Git Go" and "Hard To Be An Outlaw" in his country chart topper Band of Brothers.[3]

Release

On May 22, 2014, Rolling Stone premiered the single-duet with Willie Nelson "Hard To Be An Outlaw".[4] The album was released on August 5, 2014 by Lightning Rod Records.[5] After a 41-year career, Long in the Tooth became Billy Joe Shaver's first album to chart in Billboard's Top Country Albums, entering the chart at 19.[6] The album also entered the Billboard 200, peaking at 157.[7]

Critical reception

Professional ratings
Aggregate scores
SourceRating
Metacritic(76/100)[8]
Review scores
SourceRating
Austin Chronicle[9]
Record Collector[10]
PopMatters[11]
American Songwriter[12]
Allmusic[13]
The Observer[14]
EsquirePositive[15]
Uncut[16]

According to the aggregate scores website Metacritic, the album opened to "generally favorable reviews", based on eight reviews.[8] Austin Chronicle rated the album with four stars out of five, declaring: "Here's Shaver the irascible honky-tonk hero, older but no less ornery".[9] Record Collector rated it with four stars out of five, noting that Long in the Tooth offers "a masterclass in redneck storytelling".[10]

PopMatters rated it with seven points out of ten. The review remarked the weakening of Shaver's voice, but called it "a wonderful, expressive instrument", stating that Shaver "delivers (the words) with pizzazz".[11] Meanwhile, American Songwriter declared Shaver's voice "perfectly suited for this material", while it called the album a "short but terrific ten track set", rating it with three-and-a-half stars out of five.[12] Allmusic also commented on Shaver's voice, and stated that "(it) has worn to a deep, rough rasp". The review emphatizised his songwriting, calling it "strong and as vital and world-weary wise as ever".[13] Rating it with three stars out of five, The Observer declared: "Sometimes ornery, sometimes tender, this is how honky-tonk heroes grow old".[14]

Esquire opined that the release was "arguably (Shaver's) most fully realized album in a 50-plus-year career".[15] Meanwhile, Uncut rated it with eight points out of ten, calling it "a haunting, burning, world-weary tour de force on the ways of the world".[16]

Track listing

No. TitleWriter(s) Length
1. "Hard to Be an Outlaw" (featuring Willie Nelson)Billy Joe Shaver 3:03
2. "Long in the Tooth"  Shaver, Paul Gleason 3:19
3. "The Git Go"  Shaver, Gary Nicholson 3:57
4. "Sunbeam Special"  Shaver, Nicholson 2:30
5. "I Love You as Much as I Can"  Shaver, Nicholson 3:26
6. "Last Call for Alcohol"  Shaver, Nicholson 3:56
7. "Checkers & Chess"  Shaver, Ray Kennedy 2:29
8. "American Me"  Shaver, Kennedy 3:25
9. "I'm in Love"  Shaver 3:01
10. "Music City USA"  Shaver 3:03
Total length:
 32:09

Personnel

Chart performance

Chart (2014) Peak
position[7]
US Billboard 200[17] 157
US Top Country Albums (Billboard)[18] 19
US Top Heatseekers Albums (Billboard)[19] 4
US Independent Albums (Billboard)[20] 23

References

  1. ↑ Paxman, Bob (September 2, 2014). "Billy Joe Shaver Brings the Truth on New Album, “Long In the Tooth”". Country Weekly (American Media, Inc). Retrieved September 17, 2014.
  2. ↑ Mike Ragogna (August 28, 2014). "Politics, Storytellers and Milltowns: Chatting With Kinky Friedman, Billy Joe Shaver and Mark Erelli". Huffington Post (AOL-HuffPost Entertainment). Retrieved August 28, 2014.
  3. ↑ Hudak, Joseph (August 5, 2014). "Billy Joe Shaver Bares 'Tooth,' First Album in Seven Years". Rolling Stone (Wenner Media LLC). Retrieved September 17, 2014.
  4. ↑ Hudak, Joseph (May 22, 2014). "Hear Willie Nelson and Billy Joe Shaver's 'Outlaw' Duet - Premiere". Rolling Stone (Wenner Media LLC). Retrieved September 17, 2014.
  5. ↑ "Outlaw Legend Billy Joe Shaver to Release New Album". Radio.com (CBS Radio, Inc). May 22, 2014.
  6. ↑ "Billy Joe Shaver's 41 Year Journey to the Top 20". Music Times (Music Times, LLC). August 22, 2014. Retrieved September 17, 2014.
  7. 1 2 "Billy Joe Shaver Charts for the First Time Ever with "Long In The Tooth"". Saving Country Music (Savingcountrymusic.com). August 15, 2014. Retrieved September 17, 2014.
  8. 1 2 "Long in the Tooth - Billy Joe Shaver". Metacritic. CBS Interactive Inc. Retrieved September 17, 2014.
  9. 1 2 Freeman, Doug (August 8, 2014). "Billy Joe Shaver - Long in the Tooth (Lightning Rod Records)". Austin Chronicle (Austin Chronicle Corp). Retrieved September 17, 2014.
  10. 1 2 Staunton, Terry. "Weather-beaten veteran still kicking country ass". Record Collector (Diamond Publishing Ltd). Retrieved September 17, 2014.
  11. 1 2 Horowitz, Steven (August 14, 2014). PopMatters (PopMatters Media, Inc). Missing or empty |title= (help);
  12. 1 2 Horowitz, Hal (August 5, 2014). "Billy Joe Shaver: Long In The Tooth". American Songwriter (ForASong Media, LLC). Retrieved September 17, 2014.
  13. 1 2 Leggett, Steve. "Long in the Tooth". Allmusic. Rovi Corporation. Retrieved September 17, 2014.
  14. 1 2 Spencer, Neil (August 17, 2014). "Long in the Tooth review – Billy Joe Shaver shows how honky-tonk heroes grow old". The Observer (Guardian News and Media Limited). Retrieved September 17, 2014.
  15. 1 2 Hyman, Dan (August 7, 2014). "Billy Joe Shaver Will Make Country Music 'Til He's Dead". Esquire (Hearst Communications). Retrieved November 26, 2014.
  16. 1 2 "Billy Joe Shaver - Long In The Tooth". Uncut (Time Inc.). August 2014. Retrieved November 26, 2014.
  17. ↑ "Billy Joe Shaver – Chart history" Billboard 200 for Billy Joe Shaver.
  18. ↑ "Billy Joe Shaver – Chart history" Billboard Top Country Albums for Billy Joe Shaver.
  19. ↑ "Billy Joe Shaver – Chart history" Billboard Top Heatseekers Albums for Billy Joe Shaver.
  20. ↑ "Billy Joe Shaver – Chart history" Billboard Independent Albums for Billy Joe Shaver.
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