The Secret of Life (album)
| The Secret of Life |
| Studio album by Gretchen Peters |
| Released |
1996 |
| Recorded |
1995-1996 |
| Genre |
Country, Folk |
| Length |
42:12 |
| Label |
Imprint |
| Producer |
Daniel Green |
| Professional reviews |
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The reviews parameter has been deprecated. Please move reviews into the “Reception” section of the article. See Moving reviews into article space.
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| Gretchen Peters chronology |
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The Secret of Life
(1996) |
Gretchen Peters
(2001) |
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"The Secret of Life" is the debut recording by singer/songwriter Gretchen Peters. It was released in 1996, and featured a minor hit single in the last track, "When You Are Old". The song reached number 68 on the Hot Country Songs (now US Country) charts.
The album itself has become a hotbed for hit cover versions by other popular country artists. Faith Hill recorded a smash version of the title track that reached number 4 on the country charts in the States (while also scraping into the top 50 on the Billboard Hot 100). Trisha Yearwood recorded her own version of "On a Bus to St. Cloud" for her full-length Thinkin' About You (two years prior to the release of this album), while Martina McBride, in 1999, put her cover of "This Uncivil War" as the last track on her album Emotion.
Reception
allmusic gave the album three stars (out of a possible five), comparing her to fellow singer-songwriter Mary Chapin Carpenter, calling the songs "highly introspective, thoughtful and intelligent".
Track Listing
- All Songs Written By Gretchen Peters, except where noted.
- Waiting For The Light To Turn Green (Gretchen Peters, Suzy Bogguss) 3:42
- Border Town 4:07
- I Ain't Ever Satisfied (Steve Earle) 3:50
- I Was Looking For You 3:58
- On A Bus To St. Cloud 3:55
- Over Africa 4:10
- This Uncivil War 4:08
- The Secret Of Life 4:16
- A Room With A View 3:39
- Circus Girl 3:34
- When You Are Old 2:53
Personnel
- Gretchen Peters: Vocals, Acoustic Guitar & Dobro
- Chris Leuzinger, Michael Severs: Guitars
- Dan Dugmore: Lap & Pedal Steel Guitars
- Bruce Bouton: Pedal Steel
- Steve Conn: Accordion
- Daniel Green: Keyboards, Organ, Percussion
- Barry Walsh: Keyboards, Hammond Organ, Piano, Melodica
- Phil Kenzie: Soprano Sax
- Dave Pomeroy: Electric & Acoustic Bass, Drums & Percussion
- Brian Barnett, Tommy Wells: Drums, Percussion
- Strings: The Nashville String Machine; arranged & conducted by Connie Elisor
- Steve Earle, Emmylou Harris, James House, Raul Malo, Harry Stinson, Billy Thomas: Vocal Backing & Harmony
Production
- Produced By Daniel Green
- Engineered By Tom Hitchcock, Steve Marcantonio & Mike Psanos; assisted by Marc Frigo, Mike Purcell, Daryl Roudbush, Ed Simonton & John Thomas II
- Mixed By Steve Marcantonio
- Digital Editing By Don Cobb
- Mastered By Denny Purcell
External Links