High Top Mountain

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High Top Mountain
HighTopMountain.jpg
Studio album by
Sturgill Simpson
ReleasedJune 11, 2013 (2013-06-11)
Recorded2012–13
Studio
Genre
Length37:33
Label
Producer Dave Cobb
Sturgill Simpson chronology
High Top Mountain
(2013)		 Metamodern Sounds in Country Music
(2014)
Singles from High Top Mountain
  1. "Life Ain't Fair and the World Is Mean"
    Released: October 22, 2012

High Top Mountain is the debut studio album by American country music singer-songwriter Sturgill Simpson. The album was produced by Dave Cobb and was released on June 11, 2013. Simpson self-funded the album. [2] The record is named after a cemetery near Jackson, Kentucky where many of his family are buried. [3]

Contents

Reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar half.svgStar empty.svg [4]
Record Collector Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg [5]

Stephen Thomas Erlewine of AllMusic rated High Top Mountain 3 1/2 stars out of 5, comparing its sound favorably to Waylon Jennings. [4] Erik Ernst of the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel also compared it to Jennings, saying that it had "rich vintage sounds, heartbreaking ballads and juke-joint ramblers". [6] Record Collector 's Terry Staunton called the record "an absolute stormer of a first album" and "an utterly delightful collection of uncompromising hard country". [5]

Track listing

All tracks are written by Sturgill Simpson, except where noted.

No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Life Ain't Fair and the World Is Mean" 2:06
2."Railroad of Sin" 2:04
3."Water in a Well" 3:18
4."Sitting Here Without You" 2:10
5."The Storm" 4:02
6."You Can Have the Crown" 2:50
7."Time After All" 2:37
8."Hero" 4:02
9."Some Days" 3:30
10."Old King Coal" 3:07
11."Poor Rambler"
3:45
12."I'd Have to Be Crazy" Steven Fromholz 4:02
Total length:37:33

Chart performance

The album did not receive much attention on its release and debuted at No. 47 on the Top Country Albums chart. [7] It re-entered the chart after the release of Simpson's second album Metamodern Sounds in Country Music , eventually reaching No. 31 on Top Country Albums for the chart dated November 8, 2014. [8] The album has sold 105,600 copies in the United States as of January 2017. [9]

Chart (2013)Peak
position
US Top Country Albums (Billboard) [10] 31
US Heatseekers Albums (Billboard) [11] 11 [12]

Personnel

Musicians and contributors

Technical personnel

References

  1. ↑ Keefe, Jonathan (December 21, 2024). "Twenty Greatest Albums of the CU Era: Sturgill Simpson, Metamodern Sounds in Country Music". Country Universe. Retrieved January 5, 2025.
  2. ↑ Erlewine, Stephen Thomas. "Sturgill Simpson biography". AllMusic . Retrieved September 28, 2015.
  3. ↑ Inman, Davis (April 26, 2013). "Sturgill Simpson: Man Of The Hour". American Songwriter . Retrieved September 28, 2015.
  4. 1 2 Jurek, Thom. "High Top Mountain - Sturgill Simpson". AllMusic . Retrieved September 28, 2015.
  5. 1 2 Staunton, Terry (March 24, 2014). "Hightop Mountain | Sturgill Simpson". Record Collector . Retrieved August 23, 2025.
  6. ↑ Ernst, Erik (June 11, 2013). "CD reviews: Jason Isbell, Alison Moyet, Walter Trout, Sturgill Simpson". Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel . Retrieved September 28, 2015.
  7. ↑ "Top Country Albums". Billboard. June 29, 2013.
  8. ↑ "Top Country Albums". Billboard. November 8, 2014.
  9. ↑ Bjorke, Matt (January 22, 2017). "Top 10 Country Albums Chart: January 23, 2017". Roughstock.
  10. ↑ "Sturgill Simpson Chart History (Top Country Albums)". Billboard.
  11. ↑ "Sturgill Simpson Chart History (Heatseekers Albums)". Billboard.
  12. ↑ "High Top Mountain charts and awards". AllMusic . Retrieved September 28, 2015.
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