Live, Laugh, Love (album)
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Live, Laugh, Love is the fifth studio album by American
Background
In an interview with
In an interview with The Virginian-Pilot Walker said, "The theme of the album is freedom. While I did it, I felt so free. I didn't think about what I was going to do." In the same interview, Walker also stated that "Once in a Lifetime Love" was one of his favorite songs and said "It's probably the best vocal performance I've ever given. I was listening to Whitney Houston's version of `I Will Always Love You' - man, I want to write something like that."[3] During an interview with The West Australian Walker said "This is a very mature record for me. I think the Latin influence is where I want to go. I love Latin music and I'm sure it's something I want to pursue. It moves me emotionally and it's something new musically."[4] In an interview with the Las Vegas Sun Walker said, "For every album that you do, you look for 10 songs that are good songs, that are different from each other." Walker also explained the words in the album's title by saying "I don't think there are many things more important than those. Life gets complicated enough because we allow it to."[5]
Walker told The Hour, that the song "Cold Hearted" captures that part of his personality and said, "In the past, I felt like that part of me has not had a chance to come through on some of my records. Now I feel like on this new album that part of me is coming through. I'm not really holding back on this record. It's very much about baring my soul. I've never really let it all out before in the studio like I did on this album." He also said, "Although my single releases have not been exactly repeats of each other, I think there is a trap that some people in this business fall into. They have a hit with one type of song and then try to do another one just like it. To some extent I wasn't throwing enough curve balls to radio and to my fans when it came to my singles, so here's the curve ball they've all been waiting for, and I'm happy to say it's right across the plate!"[6]
Critical reception
Review scores | |
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Source | Rating |
AllMusic | [7] |
Cincinnati Post | B[8] |
Houston Chronicle | [9] |
USA Today | [10] |
Paul Verna of
Stephen Thomas Erlewine of AllMusic gave the album three stars out of five and wrote "Ultimately, Live, Laugh, Love drags a bit too much to rank among Walker's best, but it has its moments."[7] Rick Mitchell of the Houston Chronicle gave the album three and a half stars and wrote, "Walker clearly wanted to make a deeper statement with this album. And thanks to co-producer Doug Johnson, his voice has never sounded more "live" and upfront in the mix. Walker has passed out the best music of his career here. What should come back around is his biggest hit yet."[9]
Greg Crawford of the Detroit Free Press gave the album a mixed review writing, "Walker soars and scores with the bluesy "This Time Love," a tune that would be at home at a Ray Charles concert. And if he doesn't quite raise the roof with the power ballad "Once in a Lifetime Love," he at least pushes himself to some new vocal and emotional heights. On the downside, Walker is neither powerful nor convincing on "Cold Hearted," a lame flirtation with rock, and he's saddled with a Tex-Mex-flavored title track that is the musical equivalent of a fast- food burrito. This is Walker's fifth studio disc, and he uses it to show that he's ready to stretch and grow a bit."[13] The Cincinnati Post gave the album a B rating and wrote "It is a far more varied collection of tunes than we have heard from him before."[8] Brian Wahlert of Country Standard Time gave the album a mixed review and wrote, "This album treads no new ground. So, it should please Walker's existing fans, but probably won't win him many new ones."[14]
Mikel Toombs of
Track listing
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
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1. | "She's Always Right" | Richie McDonald, Ed Hill, Phil Barnhart | 3:24 |
2. | "Lose Some Sleep Tonight" | M. Jason Greene, Clay Walker | 3:04 |
3. | "Holding Her and Loving You" | Walt Aldridge, Tom Brasfield | 3:22 |
4. | "Cold Hearted" | Greene, Walker | 3:57 |
5. | "If a Man Ain't Thinking ('Bout His Woman)" | Buddy Brock, Debi Cochran, Jerry Kilgore | 3:11 |
6. | "Once in a Lifetime Love" | Greene, Walker | 4:30 |
7. | "It Ain't Called Heartland (For Nothin')" | Justin Lantz, Bryan Wayne | 3:40 |
8. | "Woman Thing" | Larry Boone, Tracy Lawrence, Paul Nelson | 2:50 |
9. | "This Time Love" | Pat Bunch, Randy Boudreaux | 3:51 |
10. | "The Chain of Love" | Jonnie Barnett, Rory Feek | 5:03 |
11. | "Live, Laugh, Love" | Gary Nicholson, Allen Shamblin | 4:06 |
Personnel
- Eddie Bayers – drums, percussion
- Joe Chemay – bass guitar
- Dan Dugmore – steel guitar
- Shannon Forrest – percussion
- Larry Franklin – fiddle
- Paul Franklin – steel guitar
- Sonny Garrish – steel guitar
- Steve Gibson – mandolin, acoustic guitar
- Wes Hightower – background vocals
- John Hobbs – piano, Hammond B-3 organ, keyboards
- David Hungate – bass guitar
- Mike Jones – background vocals
- B. James Lowry – acoustic guitar
- Liana Manis – background vocals
- Blue Miller – background vocals
- Joey Miskulin – accordion
- Tom Roady – percussion
- Matt Rollings – piano
- Brent Rowan – electric guitar, gut string guitar, acoustic guitar
- John Wesley Ryles – background vocals
- Leland Sklar – bass guitar
- Clay Walker – lead vocals
- Biff Watson – acoustic guitar, electric guitar
- John Willis – acoustic guitar
- Lonnie Wilson – drums
- Curtis Young – background vocals
Chart performance
During its debut week it sold over 26,000 units.[20] On the day of the album's release, Walker met with fans outside a Walmart in Moore, Oklahoma to celebrate the release.[21]
Weekly charts
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Year-end charts
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Certifications
Country | Certification |
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United States | Gold[23] |
References
- ^ "Clay Walker News - Yahoo! Music". New.music.yahoo.com. Retrieved 2011-08-03.
- ^ Patterson, Jim The Associated Press The Mount Airy News - Sep 26, 1999 Clay Walker Doesn't Let Critics Get Him Down
- ^ Roberts, Frank. The Virginian-Pilot and The Ledger-Star Clay Walker Has Lighthearted Outlook (19 August 1999).
- ^ Jansen, Ara The West Australian Feats of Clay (7 January 2000).
- ^ McGee, Kimberly Las Vegas Sun Courageous cowboy December 7, 1999
- ^ Cappozoli, Michael Jr. The Hour Clay Walker Returns to His Roots (August 25, 1999)
- ^ a b Thomas, Stephen (1999-08-24). "Live, Laugh, Love - Clay Walker". AllMusic. Retrieved 2011-08-03.
- ^ a b The Cincinnati Post Walker, McCready albums varied, nice (26 August 1999).
- ^ a b Mitchell, Rick Houston Chronicle Walker does it all for `Love' / Country crooner has best music yet (22 August 1999).
- ^ a b USA Today Kris' classics; MOM and pop And Stravinsky in a Mozart kind of mood (31 August 1999)
- ^ Verna, Paul. "Reviews & Previews: Albums." Billboard 111.36 (1999): 26. Academic Search Complete. EBSCO. Web. 16 May 2011.
- ^ Burch, Cathalena E. The Arizona Daily Star Clay Walker remains upbeat in his Jimmy Buffett mode His new CD is a breeze (17 September 1999)
- ^ Crawford, Greg Detroit Free Press Quick Spins (24 September 1999)
- ^ "Clay Walker - Live, Laugh, Love". Countrystandardtime.com. 2007-10-23. Retrieved 2011-08-03.
- ^ Toombs, Mikel The San Diego Union-Tribune Album Reviews - Country (26 August 1999)
- ^ Rosenbaum, Ken The Patriot Ledger CD review / Walker's latest has beat you can dance to (26 August 1999)
- ^ Sixpack, Joe Slipcue Clay Walker "Live Laugh Love" (Warner-Nashville, 1999)
- ^ Ringel, Lance. The Ledger Live Laugh Love (September 7, 1999)
- ^ Novak, Ralph. Picks and Pans Review: Live, Laugh, Love People (September 06, 1999) Vol. 52
- ^ Billboard HATS OFF, WRANGLERS ON. (11 September 1999)
- ^ Did You Know? (11-03-99)
- ^ Billboard Top 75 Albums 2000 (Dec 22 2000)
- ^ "Gold & Platinum - July 26, 2000". RIAA. Archived from the original on February 25, 2013. Retrieved 2011-07-07.