Something Worth Leaving Behind | ||||
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Studio album by | ||||
Released | August 20, 2002 | |||
Recorded | 2001 | |||
Studio | Sound Kitchen Studios House of Gain Studios Javelina Studios (Nashville, TN) Ocean Way Nashville Conway Recording Studios Westlake Recording Studios (Hollywood, CA) Hook Studios (North Hollywood, LA) | |||
Genre | Country pop [1] [2] | |||
Length | 57:36 | |||
Label | MCA Nashville | |||
Producer |
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Lee Ann Womack chronology | ||||
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Singles from Something Worth Leaving Behind | ||||
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Something Worth Leaving Behind is the fourth studio album by American country music artist Lee Ann Womack. It was released on August 20, 2002, by MCA Nashville; the UK version was co-released on Island Records. [3]
After the huge crossover success of her 2000 song "I Hope You Dance", which became her only number one single on the US Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks chart, Womack decided to pivot to a more contemporary country sound, which was unlike her previous albums that were more in line with traditional country and of which garnered the singer critical acclaim and comparisons to legends like Loretta Lynn. Recording took place in studios around Nashville and Hollywood. It is Womack's first album to not have any songs co-written or written by her. Womack worked with producers Mark Wright, Frank Liddell, Mike McCarthy, and Matt Serletic.
Upon its release, Something Worth Leaving Behind received primarily mixed to negative reviews from music critics, with the attempt of a crossover album being negatively noted and the music being criticized for not being up to par with her previous albums. Although it debuted at number two on the Top Country Albums chart and number 16 on the Billboard 200, it quickly fell off both charts due to the poor success of both of its singles. As of March 7, 2005, the album has sold 300,000 copies in the United States, a commercial failure compared to the three-million Womack's previous album I Hope You Dance (2000) sold. [4]
The title cut "Something Worth Leaving Behind" was released as the lead single on May 20, 2002. Despite a promising debut at number 54, it only peaked at number 20 on the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart, marking her lowest peaking lead single since her debut single "Never Again, Again" (1997) reached number 23. The second and final single, "Forever Everyday", peaked at number 37, becoming her lowest-charting single since "Don't Tell Me" (1999) reached number 56. With that, Something Worth Leaving Behind became Womack's first album to not have any top ten hits on the country charts. When speaking of the album in a retrospective interview in 2005, Womack said verbatim that the album was a misstep in terms of a career move and that she regretted it.
Womack told The Early Show "It's very much in line with my last three. This is my fourth project. You know, I have the real traditional country songs on there, and then I have some things that are a little more contemporary and up-tempo. And—and, but I—you know, I try to find songs from the best songwriters that I can." [5] Womack told Billboard, "Every album seems critical when you are making it. I have a lot of confidence in my team. You can't predict commercially what an album is going to do. I just have to make the best music I can and move on. I've never, ever felt like in my career that everything hinges on the next single. I don't worry about it." [6]
In 2005, Womack told The Dallas Morning News , "I didn't have that much fun making Something Worth Leaving Behind. Now that I look back on it, because of the success that I had prior, I was so worried that I was gonna not measure up to that, that I over-thought everything on that record. I tried...to please everybody with that record...myself, radio, the listeners, everybody who loved 'Never Again, Again' and everybody who loved 'I Hope You Dance.' And it just didn't work. It backfired." [7]
Matthew Rolston, who is well-known for his shots of artists like Cyndi Lauper and Jennifer Lopez, photographed the album cover, which notably is more sexual than Womack's previous album covers and garnered a negative response from her country fan-base. In a Tower Records location, at least one parent complained about Womack's cleavage being "unsuitable for children to watch." [8] Some publications called the album cover a "very un-country" look. [9] The photoshoot costed around $100,000 according to one source. [10]
The title track was serviced to country radio on May 20, 2002, as the lead single from the album. [11] According to Womack, her bass player and one of the song's writers, Brett Beavers, said that the song was originally offered for an unspecified artist but that Beavers would not let them record it until Womack heard it; once she heard it, she decided to record the song herself. [12] She also specifically chose producer Matt Serletic, who is well-known for his work with Matchbox Twenty, to produce an alternative version of "Something Worth Leaving Behind" for "mass-appeal" like her hit song "I Hope You Dance". [4] Lyrically, the song speaks of "leaving behind one's mark on the world." [13] The song debuted at number 54 on the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart the week of June 1, 2002. [14] It peaked at number 20 on that chart, becoming her first lead single since her debut single "Never Again, Again" to miss the top ten. [15] Despite a "pop" remix being made, the song never crossed over to either pop or adult contemporary radio. [4]
"Forever Everyday" was the second and final single from the album, released on October 14, 2002. [16] It received a positive review from Deborah Evans Price of Billboard magazine, calling it a "beautiful ballad with a poignant message about life, innocence, and what the passing of time does to our hearts and minds." [17] It debuted on the Hot Country Songs chart the week of October 26, 2002, at number 59. [18] It would peak at number 37, becoming Womack's lowest-charting song since 1999's "Don't Tell Me", which only peaked at number 56. [15] Following this, no other singles were released.
Review scores | |
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Source | Rating |
Allmusic | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
No Depression | (negative) [20] |
Robert Christgau | ![]() |
Something Worth Leaving Behind received mixed reviews from music critics. Jim Collins of The Vindicator gave a negative review saying that "too many of its tracks sound like tired refugees from 70's pop radio" and that "Womack frequently comes across as subdued and emotionally distant." [22] Brian Mansfiled of USA Today named it as the tenth worst album of 2002, writing "Womack's ill-advised crossover ploy and a makeover that made her look like Britney Spears' mother made one of Nashville's most respected singers the butt of jokes." [23] People Magazine's Ralph Novak gave the album a mixed review, saying, "Womack's voice, which can trickle off and become a wan instrument, gains noticeably in vigor when she approaches more energetic material." [24] Tim Perry of The Independent wrote, "Following such an album is a hard task, but someone of her newfound stature can avail herself of the best songwriters. This is solid, radio-friendly stuff. [25] Michael Paoletta of Billboard wrote, "Womack is brilliant vocalist who is at a career crossroads; here's hoping she leans toward substance over style." [26] Thom Jurek of AllMusic, in a retrospective review, highly praised the album, saying it "cemented Womack's place in the country music pantheon by pushing her own boundaries as an artist further than ever before. [27] David Cantwell of No Depression, in an opposite case, gave a negative review. He ended his review by saying, "The results, no matter which side of the pop-twang divide you're on, will likely be very disappointing." [28] Robert Christgau noted the songs "He'll Be Back" and "I Need You" as highlights. [29]
Something Worth Leaving Behind was released before albums by Womack's contemporaries like Shania Twain and Faith Hill. [30] It debuted at number two on the Billboard Top Country Albums chart, blocked by Toby Keith's Unleashed (2002), which was spending a fifth week at number one. [31] In that same week of September 7, 2002, it debuted at number 16 on the all-genre Billboard 200, tying I Hope You Dance as her highest charting album there at the time. It sold 48,305 copies in its first week. [32] In its second week, the album fell to numbers four and 29 on the two charts. In total, Something Worth Leaving Behind spent 30 weeks on the Top Country Albums chart and 11 weeks on the Billboard 200. [33] [34] The album's failure was attributed to the fact that both traditional country fans and Womack's fan-base disliked the new sound along with MCA Nashville being folded into Universal Music Group Nashville and thus the album may have gotten "lost" in the mix. [35] As of March 7, 2005, the album has sold 300,000 copies in the United States according to Nielsen SoundScan. [4]
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Producer(s) | Length |
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1. | "Something Worth Leaving Behind" | 3:50 | ||
2. | "I Saw Your Light" | Gretchen Peters |
| 6:02 |
3. | "When You Gonna Run to Me" |
|
| 3:58 |
4. | "Talk to Me" |
|
| 5:47 |
5. | "Forever Everyday" |
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| 3:51 |
6. | "Orphan Train" | Julie Miller |
| 4:05 |
7. | "I Need You" | Miller |
| 4:55 |
8. | "You Should've Lied" |
| 4:44 | |
9. | "He'll Be Back" |
|
| 2:48 |
10. | "Surrender" |
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| 4:24 |
11. | "Blame It on Me" | Bruce Robison |
| 4:06 |
12. | "Closing This Memory Down" |
| 4:08 | |
13. | "Something Worth Leaving Behind" (Serletic Version/International Version) |
| Matt Serletic | 4:32 |
Total length: | 57:36 |
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Producer(s) | Length |
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14. | "Mendocino County Line" (Willie Nelson with Lee Ann Womack) |
| Serletic | 4:32 |
Total length: | 1:02:08 |
Adapted from Something Worth Leaving Behind liner notes. [36]
Horn section on track 8: Jim Horn, Jeff Coffin, Dennis Solee
Strings on tracks 1, 3, 4, 6, 8–13 performed by the Nashville String Machine, arranged by David Campbell (1, 3, 8), John Painter (4, 10, 11), Bergen White (9, 12), Kris Wilkinson (6), Matt Serletic (13)
Weekly charts
| Year-end charts
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Lee Ann Womack is an American country music singer and songwriter. She has charted 23 times on the American Billboard Hot Country Songs charts; her highest peaking single there is her crossover signature song, "I Hope You Dance". Five of her singles made top 10 on the country music charts of the defunct RPM magazine in Canada.
I Hope You Dance is the third studio album by American country music singer Lee Ann Womack. It was released on May 23, 2000, as her first album for MCA Nashville. The title track was a crossover hit in 2000, becoming Womack's only number one single on the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart, while "Ashes by Now", "Why They Call It Falling", and "Does My Ring Burn Your Finger" also peaked in the top 40 region of that chart.
"I Hope You Dance" is a crossover country pop song written by Mark D. Sanders and Tia Sillers and recorded by American country music singer Lee Ann Womack with Sons of the Desert. It is the title track on Womack's 2000 album. Released on March 17, 2000, the song reached number one on both the Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks and Hot Adult Contemporary Tracks charts, and also reached number fourteen on the Billboard Hot 100. It is considered to be Womack's signature song, and it is the only Billboard number one for both Womack and Sons of the Desert.
Lee Ann Womack is the debut studio album by American country music singer Lee Ann Womack. The album was certified gold by the RIAA on January 16, 1998, and platinum on September 24, 1999. Hits that appeared on the Billboard Hot Country Singles chart were "Never Again, Again" which peaked at #23, "The Fool" and "You've Got to Talk to Me" both at #2, and "Buckaroo" at #27. The album itself topped out at #9 on the Top Country Albums chart.
There's More Where That Came From is the sixth studio album by American country music artist Lee Ann Womack, released on February 8, 2005 via MCA Nashville; it was initially her last album with the label before moving to Mercury Records, in which she recorded one single before returning back to MCA Nashville. It was her first studio album since Something Worth Leaving Behind (2002), which was much less successful both critically and commercially compared to her previous efforts. It was a return to the traditional country music sound from her last album's more pop-infused sound. The album had a more 70's aesthetic and sound in the vain to older contemporaries such as Dolly Parton and Barbara Mandrell.
Greatest Hits is the first compilation album by American country music artist Lee Ann Womack, released on May 4, 2004 by MCA Nashville. It was Womack's first release issued on both the DualDisc and Super Audio CD formats, both of which were issued the following year. The compilation includes eleven of Womack's previous songs, including her sole number one on the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart "I Hope You Dance" with Sons of the Desert. One of those, "Does My Ring Burn Your Finger", was re-worked for this compilation. Also included is her duet with Willie Nelson, "Mendocino County Line", which was included on Nelson's 50th studio album The Great Divide (2002), but had only been included on the UK edition of Womack's fourth studio album Something Worth Leaving Behind (2002).
American country music artist Lee Ann Womack has released nine studio albums, three compilation albums, one extended play, 30 singles, 20 music videos, and appeared on 43 albums. Womack's self-titled debut album was released in May 1997 on Decca Nashville Records. It peaked at number nine on the Billboard Top Country Albums chart and number 106 on the Billboard 200, certifying platinum from the Recording Industry Association of America. It featured the hit singles "Never Again, Again", "The Fool", and "You've Got to Talk to Me". Her gold-certifying second album Some Things I Know (1998) reached number 20 on the country albums chart, spawning the hits "A Little Past Little Rock" and "I'll Think of a Reason Later".
Call Me Crazy is the seventh studio album by American country music singer Lee Ann Womack, released on October 21, 2008 via MCA Nashville Records. It is her first studio release in three years, as her previous album was not released. The lead-off single to this album is "Last Call" which in late 2008 became Womack's first Top 20 country hit in three years. The album's second single, "Solitary Thinkin", was released in April 2009 and reached the Top 40 of the country charts, peaking at #39 in June 2009. The album was nominated for the Grammy Award for Best Country Album on December 2, 2009.
"Finding My Way Back Home" is a song written by Chris Stapleton and Craig Wiseman, and recorded American country music artist Lee Ann Womack. It was released as single in August 2006 and was produced by Byron Gallimore. The song would later becoming a charting country single. Despite the single's release, the song did not appear on an official album and Womack would later leave her record label.
"I May Hate Myself in the Morning" is a song written by Odie Blackmon, and recorded by American country music artist Lee Ann Womack. It was released in October 2004 as the lead-off single from her album There's More Where That Came From. The song was a Top 10 hit on both the U.S. and Canadian country charts.
"A Little Past Little Rock" is a song written by Brett Jones, Tony Lane and Jess Brown, and recorded by American country music artist Lee Ann Womack. It was released in June 1998 as the first single from her album Some Things I Know. The song peaked at number 2 on the U.S. Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks chart.
Brett Beavers is an American country music songwriter and producer and the co-author of the book Something Worth Leaving Behind.
"Mendocino County Line" is a song written by Matt Serletic and Bernie Taupin, and recorded as a duet by American country music artists Willie Nelson and Lee Ann Womack. It was released in January 2002 as the lead-off single from Nelson's album The Great Divide. It was a Top 40 hit on the U.S. country chart, peaking at number 22. It was Nelson's first Top 40 hit on that chart since "Ain't Necessarily So" in 1990. It won the Grammy Award for Best Country Collaboration.
"Why They Call It Falling" is a song written by Don Schlitz and Roxie Dean, and recorded by American country music artist Lee Ann Womack. It was released in April 2001 as the third single from her third studio album, I Hope You Dance; it peaked at number 13 on the Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks.
"Something Worth Leaving Behind" is a song written by Brett Beavers and Tom Douglas, and recorded by American country music artist Lee Ann Womack. It was released in May 2002 as the first single and title track from her album of the same name. The song peaked at number 20 on the Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks.
"Forever Everyday" is a song recorded by American country music artist Lee Ann Womack. It was released in October 2002 as the second single from the album Something Worth Leaving Behind. The song reached number 37 on the Billboard Hot Country Singles chart. The song was written by Devon O'Day and Kim Patton-Johnston.
"The Wrong Girl" is a song by the American country music recording artist Lee Ann Womack, recorded for her 2004 Greatest Hits compilation album. Written by a then-unknown Liz Rose with Pat McLaughlin and produced by Byron Gallimore, it was released on February 17, 2004, as the lead and only single from the compilation via MCA Nashville. Although lacking a music video, it still was successful, hitting number 24 on the US Hot Country Songs chart. To promote the song, Womack performed it at the Grand Ole Opry and The Tonight Show with Jay Leno.
The Way I'm Livin' is the eighth studio album by American country music recording artist Lee Ann Womack. The album was released via Sugar Hill Records on September 23, 2014. Her first album in six years, following 2008's Call Me Crazy, this album sees Womack embrace roots music and americana alongside neotraditional country rather than the country pop sound that was prevalent in several previous releases.
The Lonely, the Lonesome & the Gone is the ninth studio album by the American country music singer-songwriter Lee Ann Womack. It was released on October 27, 2017, by ATO Records. It was available to stream a week before on NPR.org as part of its First Listen series.
"Don't Tell Me" is a song written by Buddy Miller and Julie Miller. It was originally released in 1998 by American country artist, Lee Ann Womack, on her debut album titled Some Things I Know. In 1999, it was spawned as the fourth and final single from the album and reached minor chart positions on North American country surveys.
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