Baja Sessions

Last updated
Baja Sessions
Baja Sessions - Chris Isaak.jpg
Studio album by
ReleasedOctober 8, 1996
Recorded1995-1996
Genre
Length39:02
Label Reprise
Producer Erik Jacobsen
Chris Isaak chronology
Forever Blue
(1995)
Baja Sessions
(1996)
Speak of the Devil
(1998)
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg [1]
Chicago Tribune Star full.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg [2]
Christgau's Consumer Guide Rating-Christgau-dud.svg [3]
The Encyclopedia of Popular Music Star full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg [4]
Entertainment Weekly D [5]
Orlando Sentinel Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg [6]
Pitchfork 8.2/10 [7]

Baja Sessions is the sixth studio album by Chris Isaak, released in 1996, featuring largely acoustic arrangements. The album contains a large number of covers, many of which are classic songs (such as the Hawaiian-tinged "Sweet Leilani" and "South of the Border (Down Mexico Way)") which refer to, or are styled to suggest, tropical, laid-back settings. Though its title refers to Baja California, the album was recorded at San Francisco's Coast Recorders.

Contents

A 58-minute documentary was released featuring Isaak performing the songs as well as making amusing asides, surfing and generally mucking around.

Track listing

No.TitleWriter(s)AlbumLength
1."Pretty Girls Don't Cry"Chris Isaak Silvertone (1985)3:09
2."Back On Your Side"Chris IsaakSilvertone(1985)3:04
3."Only The Lonely" Roy Orbison, Joe Melson  2:53
4."South of the Border (Down Mexico Way)" Jimmy Kennedy, Michael Carr  3:10
5."I Wonder"Chris Isaak 2:56
6."Wrong To Love You"Chris Isaak Heart Shaped World (1989)3:55
7."Waiting For My Lucky Day"Chris Isaak 2:38
8."Yellow Bird"Norman Luboff, Alan Bergman 2:29
9."Two Hearts"Chris Isaak San Francisco Days (1993)3:19
10."Return to Me"Carmen Lombardo, Danny DiMinno 2:17
11."Dancin'"Chris IsaakSilvertone(1985)3:57
12."Sweet Leilani" Harry Owens  2:17
13."Think Of Tomorrow"Chris Isaak 2:58

Personnel

Sales and certifications

RegionCertification Certified units/sales
United States (RIAA) [8] Gold556,000 [9]

Related Research Articles

Chris Isaak American rock musician

Christopher Joseph Isaak is an American musician and occasional actor. He is widely known for his hit "Wicked Game", as well as the songs "Baby Did a Bad Bad Thing" and "Somebody's Crying". He is known for his signature 1950s rock & roll style and crooner sound, as well as his falsetto and reverb-laden music. He is closely associated with film director David Lynch, who has used his music in numerous films and gave him a role in the film Twin Peaks: Fire Walk with Me. His songs generally focus on the themes of love, loss, and heartbreak. With a career spanning four decades, he has released a total of 12 studio albums, toured, and received numerous award nominations. He has been called the Roy Orbison of the 1990s and is also often compared to Elvis Presley, Ricky Nelson, and Duane Eddy.

<i>Silvertone</i> (album) 1985 studio album by Chris Isaak

Silvertone is the debut album by American musician Chris Isaak, released in 1985, and named after his three-piece backup band. The US edition includes the song "Another Idea" as track 13 and early CD editions of the album utilized CD+G technology. The album peaked at #77 in Australia in June 1986.

<i>Car Wheels on a Gravel Road</i> 1998 studio album by Lucinda Williams

Car Wheels on a Gravel Road is the fifth studio album by American singer-songwriter Lucinda Williams, released on June 30, 1998, by Mercury Records. The album was recorded and co-produced by Williams in Nashville, Tennessee and Canoga Park, California, and features guest appearances by Steve Earle and Emmylou Harris.

<i>The Who by Numbers</i> 1975 studio album by the Who

The Who by Numbers is the seventh studio album by English rock band the Who, released on 3 October 1975 in the United Kingdom through Polydor Records, and on 25 October 1975 in the United States by MCA Records. It was named the tenth-best album of the year in The Village Voice Pazz & Jop critics poll.

<i>Gettin In over My Head</i> 2004 studio album by Brian Wilson

Gettin' In over My Head is the fourth studio album by American musician Brian Wilson, released June 2004 on Rhino Records. Many of the songs were reworked versions of tracks originally recorded for the scrapped album Sweet Insanity and the Andy Paley sessions from the 1990s. The record reached number 100 in the US, during a 1-week chart stay, and number 53 in the UK. Critical reaction was mixed.

<i>American Stars n Bars</i> 1977 studio album by Neil Young and Crazy Horse

American Stars 'n Bars is the eighth studio album by Canadian folk rock songwriter Neil Young with Crazy Horse, released on Reprise Records in 1977. Compiled from recording sessions scattered over a 29-month period, it includes "Like a Hurricane", one of Young's best-known songs. It peaked at #21 on the Billboard 200 and received a RIAA gold certification.

<i>Tumbleweed Connection</i> 1970 studio album by Elton John

Tumbleweed Connection is the third studio album by English musician Elton John. It was recorded at Trident Studios, London, England in March 1970, and released in October 1970 in the United Kingdom and January 1971 in the United States. It is a concept album based on country and western/Americana themes. All songs are written by John and Bernie Taupin, with the exception of "Love Song" by Lesley Duncan.

Wicked Game 1989 official album release and 1989 official single release by Chris Isaak

"Wicked Game" is a song by American rock musician Chris Isaak, released from his third studio album, Heart Shaped World (1989). Despite being released as a single in July 1989, it did not become a hit until it was featured in the 1990 David Lynch film Wild at Heart. Lee Chesnut, an Atlanta radio station music director who loved David Lynch films, began playing the song, and it quickly became an American top-10 hit in January 1991, reaching number six on the Billboard Hot 100, making it the first hit song of Isaak's career. The single became a number-one hit in Belgium and reached the top 10 in several other nations.

<i>Forever Blue</i> (Chris Isaak album) 1995 studio album by Chris Isaak

Forever Blue is the fifth studio album by American rock and roll musician Chris Isaak. It was released on May 23, 1995. The album included three singles: the Grammy-nominated "Somebody's Crying"; "Baby Did a Bad Bad Thing," which was featured in Stanley Kubrick's final film, Eyes Wide Shut; and "Graduation Day," featured in the 1996 film Beautiful Girls. In 1996, Forever Blue was also nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Rock Album, though it lost to Alanis Morissette's Jagged Little Pill.

<i>Chris Isaak</i> (album) 1986 studio album by Chris Isaak

Chris Isaak is the eponymous second album by Chris Isaak, released in 1986. After the poor commercial success of his debut, Isaak honed his style to a sophisticated R&B for his follow-up. The song "Blue Hotel" was a hit in France, and in the U.K. after being re-released in 1991 making the Top 20.

<i>Speak of the Devil</i> (Chris Isaak album) 1998 studio album by Chris Isaak

Speak of the Devil is the seventh studio album by the American rock musician Chris Isaak, released in 1998.

<i>Flowers</i> (Rolling Stones album) 1967 compilation album by the Rolling Stones

Flowers is the second compilation album by the Rolling Stones, released in the summer of 1967. The group recorded the songs at various studios dating back to 1965. Three of the songs had never been released: "My Girl", "Ride On, Baby" and "Sittin' on a Fence", the first of which was recorded in May 1965 during the sessions for "(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction," and the other two of which were recorded in December 1965 during the first lot of Aftermath sessions. The rest of the album tracks either appeared as singles or had been omitted from the American versions of Aftermath and Between the Buttons.

<i>Metamorphosis</i> (Rolling Stones album) 1975 compilation album by the Rolling Stones

Metamorphosis is the third compilation album of the Rolling Stones music released by former manager Allen Klein's ABKCO Records after the band's departure from Decca and Klein. Released in 1975, Metamorphosis centres on outtakes and alternate versions of well-known songs recorded from 1964 to 1970.

<i>Wave</i> (Patti Smith Group album) 1979 studio album by Patti Smith Group

Wave is the fourth studio album by the Patti Smith Group, released May 17, 1979, on Arista Records. This album was less commercially successful than its predecessor, Easter, although it continued the band's move towards more radio-friendly mainstream pop music. It was produced by artist/producer Todd Rundgren.

<i>Santana</i> (1971 album) 1971 studio album by Santana

Santana is the third studio album by the American rock band Santana. The band's second self-titled album, it is often referred to as III or Santana III to distinguish it from the band's 1969 debut album. The album was also known as Man with an Outstretched Hand, after its album cover image. It was the third and last album by the Woodstock-era lineup, until their reunion on Santana IV in 2016. It was also considered by many to be the band's peak commercially and musically, as subsequent releases aimed towards more experimental jazz fusion and Latin music.

<i>Manassas</i> (album) 1972 studio album by Manassas

Manassas is the 1972 debut double album by Stephen Stills' new band of the same name, released April 1972. It was a critical comeback for Stills, and continued his commercial success by being certified Gold only a month after being released and peaking at number 4 on the US charts.

<i>Candy from a Stranger</i> 1998 studio album by Soul Asylum

Candy from a Stranger is Soul Asylum's eighth studio album. It was released on May 12, 1998. It follows 1995's Let Your Dim Light Shine.

<i>Thats the Way It Is</i> (Elvis Presley album) 1970 studio album by Elvis Presley

That's the Way It Is is the twelfth studio album by American singer and musician Elvis Presley, released on RCA Records, LSP 4445, in November 1970. It consists of eight studio tracks recorded at RCA Studio B in Nashville, and four live in-concert tracks recorded at The International Hotel in Las Vegas. It accompanied the theatrical release of the documentary film Elvis: That's the Way It Is, although it is not generally considered a soundtrack album. The album peaked at number 21 on the Billboard 200 and at number eight on the country chart. It was certified Gold on June 28, 1973 by the Recording Industry Association of America and up-graded to Platinum, for sales of a million copies on March 8, 2018.

<i>Sleepless Nights</i> (Gram Parsons album) 1976 compilation album by Gram Parsons

Sleepless Nights is a posthumous compilation album by Gram Parsons. Though credited to Parsons and his former band The Flying Burrito Brothers, the band appear on only nine of the album's twelve tracks. The album features no original songs; the majority are covers of vintage country songs with the exception of The Rolling Stones' song "Honky Tonk Women".

Dawn and Hawkes

Dawn and Hawkes are an indie folk duo from Austin, Texas consisting of singer-songwriters Miranda Dawn and Chris Hawkes.

References

  1. 1 2 3 Raggett, Ned. "Baja Sessions Review". AllMusic . Retrieved 2018-03-08.
  2. Kot, Greg (1996-11-01). "Chris Issak The Baja Sessions (Reprise)". Chicago Tribune . Retrieved 2018-07-29.
  3. Christgau, Robert (2000-10-15). "Chris Isaak". Christgau's Consumer Guide: Albums of the '90s . Macmillan Publishing. ISBN   9780312245603.
  4. Larkin, Colin (2011). The Encyclopedia of Popular Music. Omnibus Press. ISBN   9780857125958.
  5. Mirkin, Steven (1996-10-18). "Baja Sessions". Entertainment Weekly . Retrieved 2017-07-30.
  6. Gettelman, Parry (1996-10-25). "Chris Isaak". Orlando Sentinel . Retrieved 2018-07-29.
  7. Schreiber, Ryan. "Chris Isaak: The Baja Sessions". Pitchfork . Archived from the original on 2001-08-29.
  8. "American album certifications – Chris Isaak – Baja sessions". Recording Industry Association of America.
  9. "Answers to readers' questions about Chris Isaak, Britney Spears and Janet Jackson". Billboard. Archived from the original on September 29, 2014. Retrieved January 27, 2021.