View from the House

View from the House
Studio album by Kim Carnes
Released 25 July 1988
Recorded 1988 at Sound Stage Studio and Manzanita Recording Studio, Nashville, Tennessee
Genre Country, adult contemporary
Length 38:37
Label MCA
Producer Kim Carnes & Jimmy Bowen ("Crimes of the Heart" produced by Kim Carnes, Jimmy Bowen and Bill Cuomo)
Kim Carnes chronology

Light House
(1986)		 View from the House
(1988)		 Checkin' Out the Ghosts
(1991)
Singles from View from the House
  1. "Speed of the Sound of Loneliness"
    Released: 1988
  2. "Crazy in Love"
    Released: 1988
  3. "Just to Spend Tonight with You"
    Released: 1988
  4. "Fantastic Fire of Love"
    Released: 1989

View from the House is the eleventh studio album by American singer-songwriter Kim Carnes. It was released on 25 July 1988 by MCA Records. The album marked a return to her early country music roots.[1] Carnes recorded the album in Nashville, Tennessee, and co-produced the album with Jimmy Bowen. Prior to making the album, Carnes stated, "I can't do another album here (in Los Angeles). I've tried and finally stopped. The only way I get a thrill out of recording is to record live as opposed to running everything through a computer. I want to feel that interplay between musicians. And I feel real strongly that Nashville is the place to make an album with real instruments."[2]

View from the House received positive reviews, with music critics praising Carnes's cover songs. The album reached number 36 on the Billboard Top Country Albums chart, and contained two hit singles. "Crazy in Love" and "Speed of the Sound of Loneliness" both charted on the Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks at number 68 and number 70 respectively. "Crazy in Love" also reached number 13 on the Adult Contemporary chart.

Critical reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
Source Rating
Allmusic link

The album received a positive review from People magazine. "Carnes, sounding wonderfully relaxed and justifiably pleased with herself, sails through 10 generally splendid tunes." They stated that Carnes's cover of John Prine's song "Speed of the Sound of Loneliness"" exploited the song "affectingly," and that her cover of Even Stevens' "Crazy in Love" sounds "convincingly romantic."[3] Allmusic described the album as "[a return] to the folk and country music of her earlier years."[1]

Promotion

Singles

Four singles were released from View from the House. The first US single was "Speed of the Sound of Loneliness", which charted at number 70 on the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart.[4] The second single, "Crazy in Love", first recorded by Joe Cocker in 1984, reached number 68 on the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart,[4] and reached number 13 on the Billboard Adult Contemporary chart.[5] The third single, "Just to Spend Tonight with You", was released in the United Kingdom, though did not chart. The fourth single, "Fantastic Fire of Love", was released in 1989.[6]

Track listing

No. TitleWriter(s)Producer(s) Length
1. "Brass & Batons"  
 5:19
2. "Just to Spend Tonight with You"  
  • Carnes
  • Weiss
  • Bowen
  • Carnes
 4:48
3. "Heartbreak Radio"  
  • Bowen
  • Carnes
 3:16
4. "Crazy in Love"  
  • Even Stevens
  • Randy McCormick
  • Bowen
  • Carnes
 3:52
5. "If You Don't Want My Love"  
  • Bowen
  • Carnes
 3:15
6. "Willie and the Hand Jive"  Johnny Otis
  • Bowen
  • Carnes
 4:05
7. "Speed of the Sound of Loneliness"  Prine
  • Bowen
  • Carnes
 3:26
8. "Blood from the Bandit"  
  • Carnes
  • Weiss
  • Bowen
  • Carnes
 3:17
9. "Fantastic Fire of Love"  Carnes
  • Bowen
  • Carnes
 4:12
10. "Crimes of the Heart"  
  • Carnes
  • Weiss
  • Bowen
  • Carnes
  • Bill Cuomo
 3:07
Total length:
 38:37

Chart performance

Chart (1988) Peak
position
Top Country Albums (Billboard)[7] 39

Personnel

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 Huey, Steve. "Kim Carnes biography". AllMusic. All Media Network. Retrieved 28 July 2014.
  2. ↑ Interview with Kim Carnes. Gettysburg Times, October 3-4, 1987. Retrieved 16 April 2015.
  3. ↑ Novak, Ralph; Hiltbrand, David. "Picks and Pans Review: View from the House". People Magazine. Retrieved 28 July 2014.
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 "Kim Carnes - Chart history - Hot Country Songs". Billboard. Retrieved 28 July 2014.
  5. ↑ "Kim Carnes - Chart history - Adult Contemporary". Billboard. Retrieved 28 July 2014.
  6. ↑ "Goldmine Standard Catalog of American Records 1948-1991". Retrieved 31 January 2015.
  7. ↑ "Chart listing for View from the House". Billboard. Retrieved 28 July 2014.