| Closer to the Bone | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | September 28, 2009 | |||
| Genre | Country | |||
| Language | English | |||
| Label | New West | |||
| Producer | Don Was | |||
| Kris Kristofferson chronology | ||||
| ||||
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| Allmusic | |
| American Songwriter | |
| BBC | (favorable) [3] |
| No Depression | (favorable) [4] |
| Now | |
| Rolling Stone | |
| Engine 145 | |
| Uncut | |
Closer to the Bone is the twentieth studio album by Kris Kristofferson. The album was released in the UK on September 28, 2009, [3] and in the US on September 29, 2009 [1] on the New West record label. [9]
Kristofferson has said: ''Closer to the Bone is a reflective album. It's about making sense of life at this end of the game." [10] It was originally entitled Starlight and Stone, but Kristofferson changed it to Closer to the Bone as he felt like it was more descriptive of the meaning of the album: "...the closer to the bone you are and the closer to the truth." [11]
The song, "Good Morning John" was written in the 1970s and is about Johnny Cash. [12] Kristofferson wrote "Sister Sinead" as a tribute to Sinéad O'Connor. The album is dedicated to Stephen Bruton.
(All songs by Kris Kristofferson, except as noted) [13]
| Chart (2009) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| US Billboard 200 [14] | 167 |
| US Independent Albums (Billboard) [15] | 28 |
| US Top Country Albums (Billboard) [16] | 29 |