Strait from the Heart
| Strait from the Heart | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by George Strait | ||||
| Released | June 3, 1982 | |||
| Recorded |
Music City Music Hall, Nashville, Tennessee | |||
| Genre | Country | |||
| Length | 28:45 | |||
| Label | MCA | |||
| Producer | Blake Mevis | |||
| George Strait chronology | ||||
| ||||
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 number one 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 numbers 6, 4, and 1 respectively on the Billboard Hot Country Singles chart. The album peaked at number 18 on the US Billboard Top Country Albums chart. Strait from the Heart is certified platinum by the RIAA.
Recording
Strait from the Heart was recorded at Music City Music Hall in Nashville, Tennessee.[1]
Reception
| Professional ratings | |
|---|---|
| Review scores | |
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |  [2] |
Strait from the Heart received positive reviews upon its release in 1982. On the AllMusic website, 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. | Title | Writer(s) | Length | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Fool Hearted Memory" | Byron Hill, Alan R. Mevis | 2:39 | |
| 2. | "Honky Tonk Crazy" | Dean Dillon, Frank Dycus | 2:29 | |
| 3. | "The Only Thing I Have Left" | Clay Blaker | 3:28 | |
| 4. | "The Steal of the Night" | Bill Shore, David Wills, A. R. Mevis | 2:40 | |
| 5. | "I Can't See Texas from Here" | George Strait | 2:29 | |
| 6. | "Marina del Rey" | Dean Dillon, Frank Dycus | 3:03 | |
| 7. | "Lover in Disguise" | Blake Mevis, Jim Dowell | 2:30 | |
| 8. | "Heartbroke" | Guy Clark | 3:34 | |
| 9. | "Amarillo by Morning" | Terry Stafford, Paul Fraser | 2:53 | |
| 10. | "A Fire I Can't Put Out" | Darryl Staedtler | 3:00 | |
Total length: |
28:45[2] | |||
Personnel
- Music
- George Strait – vocals, guitar
- Gregg Galbraith – lead guitar
- Fred Newell – lead guitar
- Jimmy Capps – rhythm guitar
- Bobby Thompson – rhythm guitar
- Sonny Garish – steel guitar
- John Hughey – steel guitar
- Rob Hajacos – fiddle
- Buddy Spicher – fiddle
- Mitch Humphries – keyboards
- Mike Leech – bass guitar
- Larry Paxton – bass
- Jerry Kroon – drums
- 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 performance
| Chart (1982) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| U.S. Billboard Top Country Albums | 18 |
