Southeastern (album)

Last updated

Southeastern
Southeasternjasonisbell.jpg
Studio album by
Jason Isbell
ReleasedJune 11, 2013 (2013-06-11)
Genre
Length47:18
Label Southeastern
Producer Dave Cobb
Jason Isbell chronology
Here We Rest
(2011)		Southeastern
(2013)		 Something More Than Free
(2015)
Professional ratings
Aggregate scores
SourceRating
AnyDecentMusic?8.1/10 [1]
Metacritic 87/100 [2]
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg [3]
American Songwriter Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar half.svg [4]
The A.V. Club A− [5]
The Independent Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg [6]
Mojo Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg [7]
Paste 9.0/10 [8]
Pitchfork 7.7/10 [9]
Rolling Stone Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar half.svg [10]
Spin 8/10 [11]
Uncut 8/10 [12]

Southeastern is the fourth studio album by American singer-songwriter Jason Isbell, released on June 11, 2013 on Southeastern Records. Initially set to be produced by Isbell's friend and touring companion Ryan Adams, the album was recorded following a stint in rehab, with Isbell noting, "This time I want to remember it all." [13] Produced by Dave Cobb, the album was released to widespread critical acclaim. [14] In 2020, the album was ranked at 458 on Rolling Stone's 500 Greatest Albums of All Time list. [15]

Contents

In 2023, Isbell re-released the album as a deluxe edition with an updated album cover, a remaster of the original album, demos, and a live performance of the album from a December 2022 show at the Bijou Theatre in Knoxville, Tennessee. [16]

Background and recording

The album was recorded without the full participation of Jason Isbell's regular backing band The 400 Unit, with Isbell noting: "It really came to the nature of the songs more than anything else. It's a very personal record for me. And I had gone into the studio with the intention of making more of a solo, acoustic album. But Dave [Cobb], the producer, and I both sort of got bored with that idea and we decided to bring a band in for some things." [17] The 400 Unit band members Chad Gamble and Derry deBorja appear on drums and keyboards, respectively.

Ryan Adams was originally the album's producer, but Adams suddenly backed out of the agreement after Isbell sent him the first demos for the album. Isbell believes that Adams was "intimidated" by the quality of the music, after first thinking that Adams was disappointed. [18] [19]

Producer Dave Cobb encouraged Isbell to record his vocals in one take: "I think the big difference is that during the process we kept a lot of live vocal takes and I've not done that in the past. I was sort of terrified, really. Before, we'd spend a couple days at the end of the sessions tuning everything. Dave Cobb really encouraged me to sing with the live tracks while we were recording it." [17]

Isbell finished recording Southeastern one or two days before his wedding to musician Amanda Shires, [13] saying he "even went back and did some final touches on Sunday after the wedding before we went on our honeymoon. [20]

On the title, Isbell said that geography "wasn't actually the reason I named the album that. That came from a tool and die shop in Alabama that my dad worked at when I was very young. He came home with terrible stories; I thought of the place as a dungeon. So I wanted to reclaim that for my own purposes." [20]

Writing and composition

The album's title stems from Isbell's childhood, with Isbell stating, "My dad used to work for a tool-and-die shop when I was a kid that was called Southeastern and that's how it originally occurred to me. I had moved from Muscle Shoals to Nashville – almost a year ago now — and it struck me that, at this point in my life, I don't have any interest in living in any other part of the country or the world, really." [17]

The album's fourth track, "Elephant", focuses upon cancer, with Isbell stating: "It's something that everyone has had an experience with, or they will have. It can be difficult, but it's supposed to be. You're supposed to give enough of a damn about the songs you're singing that you might get a little choked up a little during one of 'em." [21]

The album's tenth track, "Super 8," reflects on the humor that comes with sobriety, with Isbell saying: "There’s more to the human experience than the other songs on that album represent. Thematically, it’s important to represent the humor in addiction and recovery, and the humor that happens when you open yourself up and make yourself vulnerable to the people that you care about — and to your audience.” [22]

The track "Yvette", which deals with sexual abuse, is a companion piece to the track, "Daisy Mae", on Isbell's previous studio album, Here We Rest (2011). He notes, "I got to a point, I guess when I was probably thirty, or thirty-one years old, where it occurred to me almost everyone you meet was sexually abused as a kid, almost everybody, by someone. That never happened to me, believe it or not, but the percentages are just staggering, and writing a song about something that's that depressing I think it's good to discuss it. Some people like to discuss those things, maybe they don't want to start the conversation themselves, but sometimes those things help folks to relate and get those things out of their system a little bit." [17]

Commercial performance

The album debuted at No. 23 on the Billboard 200, [23] and No. 7 on the Top Rock Albums chart, [24] selling 18,000 copies in its first week. It has sold 148,000 copies in the United States as of June 2015. [25]

Track listing

All tracks are written by Jason Isbell

No.TitleLength
1."Cover Me Up"4:51
2."Stockholm"2:49
3."Traveling Alone"4:27
4."Elephant"3:37
5."Flying Over Water"3:58
6."Different Days"3:34
7."Live Oak"3:35
8."Songs That She Sang in the Shower"3:56
9."New South Wales"3:53
10."Super 8"3:25
11."Yvette"4:28
12."Relatively Easy"4:45
iTunes bonus tracks
No.TitleLength
13."Elephant" (demo)3:57
14."Traveling Alone" (demo)4:01

Personnel

Primary musicians
  • Jason Isbell – vocals, guitar
  • Brian Allen – bass guitar
  • Chad Gamble – drums
  • Derry deBorja – keyboards, mellotron
  • Dave Cobb – percussion
Additional musicians
Recording personnel
  • Dave Cobb – producer
  • Mark Petaccia – engineer, mixing
  • Pete Lyman – mastering
  • Bill Satcher – runner
  • John Michael Brady – drum tech
Artwork
  • Chris Kro – art direction
  • Michael Wilson – photography

Charts

Chart (2013)Peak
position
US Billboard 200 [26] 23
US Independent Albums (Billboard) [27] 5
US Top Rock Albums (Billboard) [28] 7
US Top Tastemaker Albums (Billboard) [29] 5

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Todd Snider</span> American singer-songwriter

Todd Daniel Snider is an American singer-songwriter whose music incorporates elements of folk, rock, blues, alt country, and funk.

<i>Back with a Heart</i> 1998 studio album by Olivia Newton-John

Back with a Heart is the sixteenth studio album by British-Australian singer Olivia Newton-John. It was released by MCA Nashville on 12 May 1998 in the United States. Her first album in four years, it marked her return to country music after two decades. The album peaked in the Top Ten Country charts in both the U.S. and U.K. In America, it was her first album to crack the Billboard Top Country Albums charts since Totally Hot in 1978.

<i>Between Here and Gone</i> 2004 studio album by Mary Chapin Carpenter

Between Here and Gone is the eighth studio album by American singer-songwriter Mary Chapin Carpenter, released by Columbia Nashville on April 27, 2004. It reached No. 5 on Billboard's Top Country Albums chart, although the album itself produced no chart singles. The title track was written by Carpenter upon hearing of the death of singer-songwriter Dave Carter.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jason Isbell</span> American singer-songwriter (born 1979)

Michael Jason Isbell is an American singer-songwriter. He is known for his solo career, his work with the band The 400 Unit, and as a member of Drive-By Truckers for six years, from 2001 to 2007. Isbell has won six Grammy Awards.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cuts Like a Knife (song)</span> 1983 single by Bryan Adams

"Cuts Like a Knife" is a song by Canadian rock musician Bryan Adams. It was released in May 1983 as the second single from his third studio album of the same name (1983). It peaked at number 6 on the Billboard Top Rock Tracks chart and number 15 on the Billboard Hot 100. The song has appeared on all of Adams' compilation albums with the exception of The Best of Me.

<i>Burning Lights</i> 2013 studio album by Chris Tomlin

Burning Lights is the seventh studio album by Chris Tomlin. It was released on January 8, 2013. The album includes studio renditions of songs previously recorded live on the Passion: White Flag album, including "Lay Me Down", "White Flag" and "Jesus, Son of God". The lead single, "Whom Shall I Fear ", was released on November 9, 2012.

<i>Something More Than Free</i> 2015 studio album by Jason Isbell

Something More Than Free is the fifth studio album by Jason Isbell, released on July 17, 2015. It was produced by Dave Cobb, who had produced Isbell's previous record, Southeastern (2013). At the 58th Annual Grammy Awards, the album won the award for Best Americana Album, and the song "24 Frames" won the award for Best American Roots Song.

Dave Cobb is a thirteen-time Grammy Award winning American record producer based in Nashville, Tennessee, best known for producing the work of Chris Stapleton, Brandi Carlile, John Prine, Sturgill Simpson, Jason Isbell, The Highwomen, Take That, Rival Sons, and Zayn Malik, among others.

<i>High Top Mountain</i> 2013 studio album by Sturgill Simpson

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. The record is named after a cemetery near Jackson, Kentucky where many of his family are buried.

<i>Ripcord</i> (album) 2016 studio album by Keith Urban

Ripcord is the ninth studio album by New Zealand-born Australian country music singer Keith Urban. It was released on 6 May 2016 via Hit Red and Capitol Records Nashville. The album produced the singles "John Cougar, John Deere, John 3:16"; "Break on Me", "Wasted Time", "Blue Ain't Your Color", and "The Fighter". It also features musical artists Nile Rodgers, Pitbull, and Carrie Underwood. Just like his previous album Fuse (2013), Urban co-worked with multiple producers on this one.

<i>The Nashville Sound</i> 2017 studio album by Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit

The Nashville Sound is the sixth studio album by Jason Isbell, and the third credited to "Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit". It was released on June 16, 2017. The album was produced by Dave Cobb, who had produced Isbell's previous two albums: Southeastern (2013) and Something More Than Free (2015). At the 60th Annual Grammy Awards, the album won the award for Best Americana Album, and the song "If We Were Vampires" won the award for Best American Roots Song.

<i>The Tree of Forgiveness</i> 2018 studio album by John Prine

The Tree of Forgiveness is the eighteenth and final studio album by American country folk singer John Prine. The album was released on April 13, 2018. It is the last album released by Prine before his death on April 7, 2020.

"Maybe It's Time" is a song from the 2018 film A Star Is Born and the soundtrack of the same name, performed by Bradley Cooper. It was written by Jason Isbell and produced by Cooper and Benjamin Rice with additional vocal production by Lady Gaga. The song is a country ballad with lyrics on the theme of salvation and redemption. "Maybe It's Time" has received a positive critical reception and became Cooper's first solo chart entry on the Billboard Hot 100.

The Highwomen is an American country music supergroup composed of Brandi Carlile, Natalie Hemby, Maren Morris, and Amanda Shires. Formed in 2019, the group's self-titled debut album was released on September 6 of the same year by Elektra Records and was produced by Dave Cobb.

<i>The Highwomen</i> (album) 2019 studio album by the Highwomen

The Highwomen is the debut studio album by country music supergroup the Highwomen, made up of band members Brandi Carlile, Natalie Hemby, Maren Morris, and Amanda Shires. It was released on September 6, 2019, by Elektra Records.

"Cover Me Up" is a song written and recorded by American singer-songwriter Jason Isbell. It is the first track on his 2013 studio album Southeastern.

<i>Reunions</i> (album) 2020 studio album by Jason Isbell and The 400 Unit

Reunions is the seventh studio album by Jason Isbell, and the fourth credited to "Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit". In an attempt to help small businesses during the COVID-19 pandemic, the album was released by Southeastern Records in independent record stores on May 8, 2020, which was one week before its wide release on May 15. The songs "Be Afraid", "What've I Done to Help", and "Only Children" were released as singles prior to the release of the full album. In the United States, Reunions peaked at number 9 on the Billboard 200 chart.

<i>Greenfields</i> (album) 2021 studio album by Barry Gibb

Greenfields: The Gibb Brothers Songbook, Vol. 1 is the third solo album by British singer-songwriter Barry Gibb, which was released on 8 January 2021 by Capitol Records in America and EMI Records internationally. The album features re-imaginings of songs written by the Bee Gees with country music singers. The album's title is taken from a lyric in the song "Butterfly".

<i>The Things That We Are Made Of</i> 2016 studio album by Mary Chapin Carpenter

The Things That We Are Made Of is the 14th studio album by American singer-songwriter Mary Chapin Carpenter, released by Lambent Light Records on May 6, 2016. The album was produced by Dave Cobb.

<i>Songs About You</i> (album) 2022 studio album by Brett Eldredge

Songs About You is the seventh studio album by American country music artist Brett Eldredge. It was released on June 17, 2022 by Warner Music Nashville.

References

  1. ↑ "Southeastern by Jason Isbell reviews". AnyDecentMusic?. Retrieved December 31, 2019.
  2. ↑ "Reviews for Southeastern by Jason Isbell". Metacritic . Retrieved June 14, 2013.
  3. ↑ Leggett, Steve. "Southeastern – Jason Isbell". AllMusic . Retrieved June 14, 2013.
  4. ↑ Beviglia, Jim (June 6, 2013). "Jason Isbell: Southeastern". American Songwriter . Retrieved May 6, 2019.
  5. ↑ Bayer, Jonah (June 11, 2013). "Jason Isbell: Southeastern". The A.V. Club . Retrieved May 6, 2019.
  6. ↑ Gill, Andy (October 4, 2013). "Album review: Jason Isbell, Southeastern (Southeastern)". The Independent .
  7. ↑ "Jason Isbell: Southeastern". Mojo (240): 90. November 2013.
  8. ↑ Adams, Jerrick (June 11, 2013). "Jason Isbell: Southeastern". Paste . Retrieved May 6, 2019.
  9. ↑ Deusner, Stephen M. (July 11, 2013). "Jason Isbell: Southeastern". Pitchfork . Retrieved May 6, 2019.
  10. ↑ Hermes, Will (June 17, 2013). "Southeastern". Rolling Stone . Retrieved May 6, 2019.
  11. ↑ Menconi, David (June 14, 2013). "Jason Isbell, 'Southeastern' (Southeastern/Thirty Tigers)". Spin . Retrieved May 6, 2019.
  12. ↑ Meuller, Andrew (December 11, 2013). "Jason Isbell – Southeastern". Uncut . Archived from the original on May 6, 2019. Retrieved May 6, 2019.
  13. 1 2 Garner, Dwight (May 31, 2013). "Jason Isbell, Unloaded". New York Times . Retrieved March 27, 2014.
  14. ↑ Leahey, Andrew (September 17, 2013). "Jason Isbell Keeps On Truckin'". American Songwriter . Retrieved March 30, 2014.
  15. ↑ "The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time". Rolling Stone. September 22, 2020. Retrieved September 22, 2020.
  16. ↑ Fu, Eddie (August 8, 2023). "Jason Isbell Announces 10th Anniversary Reissue of Southeastern". Consequence of Sound. Retrieved December 11, 2023.
  17. 1 2 3 4 Adams, Jerrick (June 11, 2013). ""Commiserating Is Underrated in Art": An Interview with Jason Isbell". popmatters.com. Retrieved November 10, 2013.
  18. ↑ Arthur, Ben. "Jason Isbell's 'Southeastern' Stands the Test of Time". Nashville Scene. Nashville Scene. Retrieved October 10, 2023.
  19. ↑ ""He was intimidated": Why Jason Isbell thinks Ryan Adams backed out of producing his award-winning Southeastern record". Guitar.com | All Things Guitar. Retrieved November 8, 2023.
  20. 1 2 Lacher, Irene (September 7, 2013). "The Sunday Conversation: A sobering change for singer Jason Isbell". L.A. Times . Retrieved March 27, 2014.
  21. ↑ Woodbury, Jason P. (September 18, 2013). "Jason Isbell on His "Bromance" with Ryan Adams and Powerful Recovery Album, Southeastern | Phoenix New Times". Blogs.phoenixnewtimes.com. Retrieved July 17, 2015.
  22. ↑ Arthur, Ben. "Jason Isbell's 'Southeastern' Stands the Test of Time". Nashville Scene. Nashville Scene. Retrieved October 10, 2023.
  23. ↑ Matt Wake (June 20, 2013). "Jason Isbell's 'Southeastern' album debuts at 23 on Billboard 200; singer to tape 'Austin City Limits'". AL.com.
  24. ↑ "Top Rock Albums: June 29, 2013". Billboard.
  25. ↑ "Upcoming Releases". Hits Daily Double. HITS Digital Ventures. Archived from the original on June 17, 2015.
  26. ↑ "Jason Isbell Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard.
  27. ↑ "Jason Isbell Chart History (Independent Albums)". Billboard.
  28. ↑ "Jason Isbell Chart History (Top Rock Albums)". Billboard.
  29. ↑ "Jason Isbell Chart History (Top Tastemaker Albums)". Billboard.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.