Lyle Lovett (album)

Lyle Lovett
Studio album by Lyle Lovett
Released	1986
Recorded	Chaton Recordings, Scottsdale, Arizona
Genre	country, folk, singer-songwriter
Length	32:30
Label	Curb
Producer	Tony Brown, Lyle Lovett
Professional reviews
The reviews parameter has been deprecated. Please move reviews into the “Reception” section of the article. See Moving reviews into article space. Allmusic [1] Robert Christgau (B+)[2] Music Hound (4/5 bones)[3] Rolling Stone [4] Spin (7/10)[5] Virgin [6]
Lyle Lovett chronology
Lyle Lovett (1986) Pontiac (1987)

Lyle Lovett is Lovett's 1986 eponymous debut album. By the mid-1980s Lovett had already distinguished himself in the burgeoning Texas singer-songwriter scene. He had performed in the New Folk competition at the Kerrville Folk Festival in 1980 and returned to win in 1982.^[7] In 1984 Lovett recorded a four song demo with the help of the Phoenix band, J. David Sloan and the Rogues.^[8] His music had begun to be distributed by the Fast Folk Musical Magazine^[9]

Nanci Griffith had previously recorded Lovett's "If I Were the Man You Wanted" as "If I Were the Woman You Wanted" for her 1984 album, Once in a Very Blue Moon. Lovett appears on the album as a vocalist and even appears on the cover of her Last of the True Believers album.

Contents 1 Chart performance 2 Critical acclaim 3 Track listing 4 Credits 4.1 Musicians 4.2 Production 4.3 Artwork 5 Notes and sources

Chart performance

Lovett's debut reached number 14 on Billboard's chart for Top Country Albums.

Chart (1986)	Peak position
U.S. Billboard Top Country Albums	14

Critical acclaim

Lyle Lovett has been cited as one of the top 100 albums of the 1980s by the Italian magazines Il Mucchio Selvaggio^[10] and Velvet^[11] Allmusic compares the album to Steve Earle's Guitar Town, calling it, "one of the most promising and exciting debut albums to come out of Nashville in the 1980s."^[1] Robert Christgau described Lovett's debut as "Writes like Guy Clark, only plainer, sings like Jesse Winchester only countrier."^[2] The album ranked #91 in Rolling Stone's 100 Greatest Albums of the 80's.

Track listing

All songs by Lyle Lovett, except "This Old Porch" by Lyle Lovett and Robert Earl Keen.

1. "Cowboy Man" – 2:48
2. "God Will" – 2:13
3. "Farther Down the Line" – 3:05
4. "This Old Porch" – 4:16
5. "Why I Don't Know" – 2:41
6. "If I Were the Man You Wanted" – 3:57
7. "You Can't Resist It" – 3:08
8. "The Waltzing Fool" – 3:49
9. "An Acceptable Level of Ecstasy (The Wedding Song)" – 3:30
10. "Closing Time" – 3:43

Credits

Musicians

• Mathew McKenzie – bass
• Jeff Borree – drums
• Matt Rollings – acoustic and electric piano
• Mark Prentice – organ
• Lyle Lovett – acoustic guitar
• Ray Herndon – electric rhythm guitar & background vocals
• Billy Williams – electric lead guitar
• Tom Mortensen – steel guitar
• Glen Duncan – fiddle
• Steve Marsh – saxophones
• James Gilmer – congas
• J. David Sloan – background vocals

• Bass on "Farther Down the Line" – Emory Gordy, Jr.
• Drums on "Farther Down the Line", "This Old Porch", & "An Acceptable Level of Ecstasy" – Bob Warren
• Piano on "God Will" & "Farther Down the Line" – Mark Prentice
• Synthesizer on "You Can't Resist It" – John Jarvis
• Acoustic lead guitar on "God Will", "Farther Down the Line" & "If I Were the Man You Wanted" – Mac McAnally
• Electric rhythm guitar on "You Can't Resist It" – Vince Gill & Jon Goin
• Electric lead guitar on "Farther Down the Line" and "Why I Don't Know" – Ray Herndon
• Electric lead guitar on "You Can't Resist It" – Jon Goin
• Background vocals on "You Can't Resist It" – Rosanne Cash & Lyle Lovett
• Background vocals on "An Acceptable Level of Ecstasy – Francine Reed
• Saxophones arranged by Billy Williams

Production

• Producers – Tony Brown and Lyle Lovett
• Associate Producer – Billy Williams
• Recorded at chaton Recordings, Scottsdale, Arizona
  • Engineer – Steven Moore
  • Second Engineer – Andy Seagle
• Overdubs and Remix at Teasure Isle Recorders, Nashville, Tennessee
  • Remixed – Gene Eichelberger
  • Second Engineers – Tom Der and Tom Harding
• Mastered at Mastertonics using the JVC Audio Digital Mastering System
  • Mastering – Glen Meadows
• Digital editing – Milan Bogdan
• Compact Disc master tap prepared by Glen Meadows and Milan Bogdan

Artwork

• Simon Levy – art direction
• Peter Nash – photography
• Mickey Braithwaite – design
• Kate Gillon & Sherri Halford – CD coordination
• Guy Clark – liner notes

Notes and sources

1. ^ ^{a b} Mark Deming, Allmusic (link)
2. ^ ^{a b} Robert Christgau, Consumer Guide (link)
3. ^ Music Hound, USA, 1988-89 (4 "bones", scale 0-5), according to acclaimedmusic.net
4. ^ Rolling Stone Album Guide, USA, 1992, 2004
5. ^ Spin's Book of Alternative Albums, USA, 1995 (according to acclaimedmusic.net)
6. ^ Virgin Encyclopedia of Popular Music, UK, 2002 (according to acclaimedmusic.net)
7. ^ "Kerrville Folk Festival Finalist History", compiled by Doug Coppock (link)
8. ^ Lyle Lovett profile, from the Richard De La Font Agency, Inc. (link)
9. ^ "Fast Folk and Coop Database", compiled by Steven Alexander, 2002 (link)
10. ^ Il Mucchio Selvaggio, 2002 (according to acclaimedmusic.net link)
11. ^ Velvet, 1990 (according to rocklistmusic.co.uk (link)