| Life! | ||||
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| Released | March 4, 2014 | |||
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| Length | 36:07 | |||
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Life! is a studio album by American country singer-songwriter Bill Anderson. It was released on March 4, 2014 via TWI Records. It was Anderson's 43rd studio release and contained a total of ten tracks. The project was Anderson's first studio album in four years and one of several he issued on his own record label.
Anderson co-produced the project with his longtime musical collaborator, Rex Schnelle. [2] Life! was a collection of songs Anderson recorded based on the human experience. "Life! is a collection of songs that I feel are truly reflective of the human condition in virtually all of its intricacies, therefore the title. The songs are everything from humorous on the one end to staunchly patriotic on the other," he explained in a 2014 interview. [3] A total of ten tracks are included on the project, all of which were co-written by Anderson. [1] According to Anderson, the songs were a combination of story songs, comedy songs and patriotic songs. [3]
The final album track, "Old Army Hat", was a story song based on a true story about his friend and his father. He explained the writing process with composing the song. "Walt Aldridge is my co-writer on the song and he saw the beauty and the value of the story and he really helped me organize my thoughts and get it all down on paper," he said. [4] Other songs on the album were composed with other music artists, including Jamey Johnson, Brad Paisley and Jon Randall. [1] Other artists such as Vince Gill and Willie Nelson are featured singing on the album. [4]
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| Allmusic | Favorable |
Life! was released on March 4, 2014 in conjunction with his own label (TWI) and Red River Entertainment. It was offered as a both a compact disc and a music download. [2] [5] The album did not chart on any publication at the time of its release, including Billboard . [6] The track, "Old Army Hat", was later filmed with a music video in 2014. [7] Life! received a positive reception from Steve Leggett of Allmusic. In his review, Leggett highlighted Anderson's songwriting ability and the numerous artists he wrote material for. He concluded with commenting on the album's release. "Anderson has recorded sparingly in the 21st century, so this set, Life!, comes as a welcome sight for his many fans," he stated. [1]
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Bubba Garcia's" (featuring Willie Nelson ) |
| 3:07 |
| 2. | "Rhinestone Grindstone" (featuring John Anderson ) |
| 3:46 |
| 3. | "She Could Ruin My Life" |
| 3:20 |
| 4. | "A Song Like This" (featuring Vince Gill ) |
| 3:47 |
| 5. | "Blackberry Winter" |
| 3:25 |
| 6. | "Whisper" (featuring Joey + Rory ) |
| 2:53 |
| 7. | "In Another Life" |
| 3:14 |
| 8. | "Dreams Are Easy to Come By" (featuring Dailey & Vincent ) |
| 4:00 |
| 9. | "When You Love Me" |
| 3:13 |
| 10. | "Old Army Hat/America the Beautiful" (featuring The Great American Choir) | Public domain | 5:22 |
| Total length: | 36:07 | ||
All credits are adapted from the liner notes of Life! and Allmusic. [2] [8]
Musical personnel
Technical personnel
| Region | Date | Format | Label | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| United States | March 4, 2014 |
|
| [2] [5] |
James William Anderson III, known professionally as Bill Anderson, is an American country music singer and songwriter. His soft-spoken singing voice was given the nickname "Whispering Bill" by music critics and writers. As a songwriter, his compositions have been covered by various music artists since the late 1950s, including Ray Price and George Strait.
Hillbilly Deluxe is the ninth studio album by country music duo Brooks & Dunn, released in 2005 on Arista Nashville. Certified Platinum in the United States by the RIAA, the album produced four singles on the Billboard Hot Country Songs charts. The duo produced the majority of the album with Tony Brown.
"A Lot of Things Different"' is a song composed by American country singer-songwriter Bill Anderson and songwriter Dean Dillon. It was recorded in two separate versions. The first version was recorded by Anderson himself in 2001. A version by Kenny Chesney appeared one year later on his 2002 album and was later released as a single.
Fair Weather is album by American banjoist Alison Brown, released in 2000.
How Mercy Looks from Here is the eighteenth studio album from contemporary Christian music singer and songwriter and recording artist Amy Grant. The album was released by Capitol CMG and Sparrow Records on May 14, 2013. The album is produced by Marshall Altman, marking his first collaboration with Grant. The first single released in support of the album is "Don't Try So Hard", a faith-based ballad featuring James Taylor singing harmonized background accompaniment.
Bakersfield is the thirteenth studio album by American country music artist Vince Gill and steel guitar player Paul Franklin. It was released on July 30, 2013, via MCA Nashville. The album is a collaborative tribute of Merle Haggard and Buck Owens songs. It reached number 4 on Top Country Albums.
If It's All the Same to You is a studio album by American country music artists Bill Anderson and Jan Howard. The album was released on Decca Records in March 1970 and was produced by Owen Bradley. It was the pair's second collaborative album after several years of performing together on tour and on television. The album's title track became a major hit on the Billboard country chart, reaching the top 10. Additionally, the album itself would reach peak positions on the Billboard country albums chart.
Bill and Jan is a studio album released by American country artists Bill Anderson and Jan Howard. It was released in January 1972 on Decca Records and was produced by Owen Bradley. It was the duo's third collaborative album together and featured singles that became hits on the Billboard country chart. The album itself would also chart on the Billboard country albums list in 1972.
I Can Do Nothing Alone is a studio album by American country singer-songwriter Bill Anderson. It was released in June 1967 on Decca Records and was produced by Owen Bradley. It was Anderson's seventh studio record and his first album to consist entirely of gospel music. Although the album did not produce any singles, it made peak positions on the Billboard country albums chart.
Christmas is a studio album by American country singer-songwriter Bill Anderson. It was released in November 1969 on Decca Records and was produced by Owen Bradley. Christmas was Anderson's twelfth studio recording and also his first album of Christmas music. It was also his second studio album released in 1969.
Love...& Other Sad Stories is a studio album by American country singer-songwriter Bill Anderson. It was released in 1978 on MCA Records and was produced by Buddy Killen. The album was Anderson's 28th studio recording in his career and was among his final MCA albums. The record included the song, "I Can't Wait Any Longer". Issued as a single, it became a major country hit and minor crossover hit in 1978. It was Anderson's biggest hit single in several years and relaunched his career as a country pop vocalist. The album itself would also receive reception from writers and would chart in music publications.
Fine Wine is a studio album by American country singer-songwriter Bill Anderson. It was released on August 25, 1998 via Warner Bros. Records. It was co-produced by Caryn and Steve Wariner. Fine Wine was Anderson's 36th studio album as a recording artist and his first major-label release since the 1980s. The project consisted of 11 tracks that received mixed reception from music journalists and writers.
A Lot of Things Different is a studio album by American country singer-songwriter Bill Anderson. It was released on August 7, 2001 via TWI Records and Varèse Sarabande. The album was Anderson's 37th studio recording and his first to be released on his own record label (TWI). It contained ten tracks, all of which Anderson took part in composing.
Softly and Tenderly is a studio album by American country music singer-songwriter Bill Anderson. It was released on June 1, 2005, on Madacy Entertainment and TWI Records. The album was Anderson's 39th studio recording and was his third album collection of gospel music.
The Way I Feel is a studio album by American country singer-songwriter Bill Anderson. It was released on June 14, 2005 on TWI Records and the Varèse Sarabande label. The project was produced by Anderson himself, along with three additional producers. The album was Anderson's 40th studio recording in his music career and contained ten self-penned tracks. Included among the album's material was the song "Whiskey Lullaby", which was first a hit for Brad Paisley and Alison Krauss.
Whisperin' Bluegrass is a studio album by American country singer-songwriter Bill Anderson. It was released on October 23, 2007 via Madacy Entertainment and was produced by Steve Ivey. The project was Anderson's 41st studio recording in his career and his first album containing bluegrass music. A total of 16 tracks were included on the project, many of which were covers of songs previously recorded by others. It received positive reviews upon its release.
Songwriter is a studio album by American country singer-songwriter Bill Anderson. It was released via TWI Records in May 2010. The project was co-produced by Bill Anderson and Rex Schnelle. It was Anderson's 42nd studio album in his recording career and contained a total of 12 tracks.
Anderson is a studio album by American singer-songwriter Bill Anderson. It was released on September 14, 2018 via TWI Records. The project was co-produced by Anderson, Peter Cooper and Thomm Jutz. Consisting of 11 tracks, the album was Anderson's 44th studio release in recording career. It contained one single that was released following the album. It is Anderson's most recent album to date.
From This Pen is a compilation album by American country music singer-songwriter Bill Anderson. It was released in June 1965 via Decca Records in several sessions produced by Owen Bradley. It was Anderson's second compilation released during his career and contained songs that he had recorded since his signing with the label. Many of the songs featured were major hits for Anderson in preceding years.
The Bill Anderson Story: His Greatest Hits is a compilation album by American country singer-songwriter Bill Anderson. It was released in March 1969 and was produced by Owen Bradley. The Bill Anderson Story was a double compilation album that contained his singles released on the Decca label up to that point. It featured many recordings Anderson had issued over the last decade, including several number one hits and top ten hits.