I've Got Everything is an album by the American musician Henry Lee Summer, released in 1989.[1][2] The first single was "Hey Baby".[3] Summer supported the album by opening for Eddie Money and then the Doobie Brothers on North American tours.[4][5] The album peaked at No. 78 on the Billboard 200.[6] It sold more than 400,000 copies in its first six months of release.[7]
Produced by Summer, the album was recorded over four and half months at his Broad Ripple Village, Indianapolis, home, which was dubbed Henry's House of Noise; he preferred that the songs be recorded in one take, and would break to play basketball with his band if a song was proving difficult to record.[8][9][7] The album title refers to Summer's attempts to convince his label that he could record a commercial success at his house.[8] He decided to leave in the many recording and musical mistakes.[10]Graham Maby played bass on the album; many of the other musicians, including Lisa Germano, were pulled from John Cougar Mellencamp's regular band.[11] Summer wrote most of the songs while touring in support of his previous album, and was influenced primarily by Otis Redding and Elvis Presley.[12][13] "Don't Leave Me" includes a musical quote from the Beatles' "A Day in the Life".[14] "Treat Her Like a Lady" is a cover of the Cornelius Brothers & Sister Rose song, which Summer's label asked him to record.[10] "Louie Louie Louie" is a song meant to accompany a dance Summer invented for "uncoordinated" people.[15] "My Louisa" had been a Summer live staple for four years.[16]
The Washington Post opined that "Summer, a passable Top 40 guitarist, fancies himself a soul singer in the Sam & Dave tradition; and while his dedication is admirable ... his new album, I've Got Everything, is not exactly persuasive."[14] The Toronto Star called the album "a deliberately dirty affair" and praised Summer for capturing "the best possible readings of predictable but genuine heartland rock 'n' roll."[19]The Whig-Standard said that "Summer writes eminently capable songs even if ... they're gone out of your mind an hour later."[20]
The Daily Illini advised, "Beware of heinous vocals and inexplicable gospel choruses."[21]The Cincinnati Post praised the "loose, funky rockers".[18]The Commercial Appeal admired the up-tempo tracks, but noted that Summer "lacks the delivery or raw skills" to make the serious songs successful.[22] The Courier Journal opined that "the first side is a marvel–six superbly crafted and well-executed pop songs".[16] The Poughkeepsie Journal labeled the album "vintage heartland rock–ringing guitars, simple beats and chords, and no pretense."[23]The Boston Globe said that Summer "slides easily between his guitar and keyboards on this spirited recording".[24]
AllMusic called I've Got Everything "his best, a two-fisted roots rock smorgasbord without a whiff of pretension... [but] a little too glossy and a smidge too sappy".[17]
↑ Basch, Martin (November 2, 1989). "Recordings". Calendar. The Boston Globe. p.8.
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