The Ghosts of Highway 20

Last updated
The Ghosts of Highway 20
Lucinda Williams The Ghosts of Highway 20.jpg
Studio album by
Lucinda Williams
ReleasedFebruary 5, 2016
Recorded2015
Genre Country
Length86:09
Label Highway 20 Records
Producer Greg Leisz, Tom Overby, Lucinda Williams
Lucinda Williams chronology
Down Where the Spirit Meets the Bone
(2014)		The Ghosts of Highway 20
(2016)		 This Sweet Old World
(2017)

The Ghosts of Highway 20 is the 12th studio album by American singer-songwriter Lucinda Williams. The double album was released on February 5, 2016, by Highway 20 Records. [1] It was nominated for the Americana Music Award for Album of the Year. [2]

Contents

"Bitter Memory" was performed by Connie Britton (as her character Rayna Jaymes) and Brad Paisley on the TV series Nashville. Britton's solo version appears on The Music of Nashville: Season 1, Volume 2 .

Critical reception

Professional ratings
Aggregate scores
SourceRating
AnyDecentMusic?8.0/10 [3]
Metacritic 83/100 [4]
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg [5]
Consequence of Sound B [6]
Drowned In Sound 7/10 [7]
The Guardian Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg [8]
Paste 9.3/10 [9]
PopMatters Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg [10]
Pitchfork Media 8.0/10 [11]
Rolling Stone Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg [12]
Slant Magazine Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar half.svg [13]
Spin 8/10 [14]

The album received acclaim from music critics. At Metacritic, which assigns a normalized rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream critics, the album received an average score of 83 based on 19 reviews, which indicates "universal acclaim". [4] AllMusic wrote "after releasing one of the best and boldest albums of her career with Down Where the Spirit Meets the Bone , Williams goes from strength to strength with The Ghosts of Highway 20, and it seems like a welcome surprise that she's moving into one of the most fruitful periods of her recording career as she approaches her fourth decade as a musician. [5] Will Hermes writing in Rolling Stone commends the album's "languorous tempos". Hermes notes the recent passing of the singer's father, poet Miller Williams, as casting "mortality's shadow" across several songs on the album. [12]

Chart performance

The album debuted on the Billboard 200 at No. 36 on its release. [15] It also debuted at No. 1 on the Folk Albums and Independent Albums charts, and No. 3 on the Top Rock Albums chart. [15]

Track listing

All songs written by Lucinda Williams, except where noted. [16]

Disc one
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Dust" Miller Williams, music and additional words by Lucinda Williams6:19
2."House of Earth" Woody Guthrie 5:28
3."I Know All About It" 5:46
4."Place in My Heart" 5:13
5."Death Came" 6:14
6."Doors of Heaven" 5:33
7."Louisiana Story" 9:05
Total length:43:41
Disc two
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Ghosts of Highway 20" 7:20
2."Bitter Memory" 4:07
3."Factory" Bruce Springsteen 4:01
4."Can't Close the Door on Love" 5:36
5."If My Love Could Kill" 5:09
6."If There's a Heaven" 3:34
7."Faith & Grace"Traditional12:44
Total length:42:32

Personnel

Charts

Chart performance for The Ghosts of Highway 20
Chart (2016)Peak
position
Australian Albums (ARIA) [17] 20
Austrian Albums (Ö3 Austria) [18] 40
Belgian Albums (Ultratop Flanders) [19] 25
Belgian Albums (Ultratop Wallonia) [20] 104
Canadian Albums (Billboard) [21] 53
Dutch Albums (Album Top 100) [22] 21
German Albums (Offizielle Top 100) [23] 29
Irish Albums (IRMA) [24] 49
Italian Albums (FIMI) [25] 88
New Zealand Albums (RMNZ) [26] 17
Scottish Albums (OCC) [27] 21
Spanish Albums (PROMUSICAE) [28] 83
Swedish Albums (Sverigetopplistan) [29] 28
Swiss Albums (Schweizer Hitparade) [30] 43
UK Albums (OCC) [31] 33
UK Americana Albums (OCC) [32] 2
UK Independent Albums (OCC) [33] 5
US Billboard 200 [34] 36
US Folk Albums (Billboard) [35] 1
US Independent Albums (Billboard) [36] 1
US Top Rock Albums (Billboard) [37] 3

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lucinda Williams</span> American musician (born 1953)

Lucinda Gayl Williams is an American singer-songwriter and a solo guitarist. She recorded her first two albums, Ramblin' on My Mind (1979) and Happy Woman Blues (1980), in a traditional country and blues style that received critical praise but little public or radio attention. In 1988, she released her third album, Lucinda Williams, to widespread critical acclaim. Regarded as "an Americana classic", the album also features "Passionate Kisses", a song later recorded by Mary Chapin Carpenter for her 1992 album Come On Come On, which garnered Williams her first Grammy Award for Best Country Song in 1994. Known for working slowly, Williams released her fourth album, Sweet Old World, four years later in 1992. Sweet Old World was met with further critical acclaim and was voted the 11th best album of 1992 in The Village Voice's Pazz & Jop, an annual poll of prominent music critics. Robert Christgau, the poll's creator, ranked it 6th on his own year-end list, later writing that the album as well as Lucinda Williams were "gorgeous, flawless, brilliant".

<i>Americana</i> (The Offspring album) 1998 studio album by the Offspring

Americana is the fifth studio album by American rock band the Offspring, released on November 17, 1998, by Columbia Records. Following a worldwide tour in support of Ixnay on the Hombre (1997), the band commenced work on a new album in July 1998.

<i>Essence</i> (Lucinda Williams album) 2001 studio album by Lucinda Williams

Essence is the sixth studio album by American singer-songwriter Lucinda Williams, released on June 5, 2001, by Lost Highway Records. The album debuted on the Billboard 200 at No. 28, selling approximately 44,500 copies in its first week. By 2008, it had sold 336,000 copies in the U.S.

<i>World Without Tears</i> 2003 studio album by Lucinda Williams

World Without Tears is the seventh studio album by American singer-songwriter Lucinda Williams, released on April 8, 2003, by Lost Highway Records. The album debuted at No. 18 on the Billboard 200, selling 54,000 copies in its first week. By 2008, it had sold 415,000 copies in the U.S.

<i>Live at the Fillmore</i> (Lucinda Williams album) 2005 live album by Lucinda Williams

Live at the Fillmore is a live album by American singer-songwriter Lucinda Williams, her eighth album overall, released on May 10, 2005, by Lost Highway Records.

<i>Lucinda Williams</i> (album) 1988 studio album by Lucinda Williams

Lucinda Williams is the third studio album by American singer-songwriter Lucinda Williams, released in 1988, by Rough Trade Records.

<i>The Delivery Man</i> (album) 2004 studio album by Elvis Costello and The Imposters

The Delivery Man is the 21st studio album by Elvis Costello, released on 21 September 2004 through Lost Highway Records. It was recorded with the Imposters at Sweet Tea Studio in Oxford, Mississippi. It peaked at No. 40 on the Billboard 200.

<i>West</i> (Lucinda Williams album) 2007 studio album by Lucinda Williams

West is the eighth studio album by American singer-songwriter Lucinda Williams, released on February 13, 2007, by Lost Highway Records. The album debuted at No. 14 on the Billboard 200, selling about 57,000 copies that week. According to Nielsen SoundScan, the album had sold 250,000 copies in the United States by October 2008.

<i>Raising Sand</i> 2007 studio album by Robert Plant and Alison Krauss

Raising Sand is the first collaborative studio album by rock singer Robert Plant and bluegrass-country singer Alison Krauss. It was released in October 2007 by Rounder Records. Raising Sand won Album of the Year at the 2008 Americana Music Honors & Awards and at the 2009 Grammy Awards.

<i>Little Honey</i> 2008 studio album by Lucinda Williams

Little Honey is the ninth studio album by American singer-songwriter Lucinda Williams, released on October 14, 2008, by Lost Highway Records. The album debuted at No. 9 on the Billboard 200, selling 35,000 copies that week, thereby becoming her first Top 10 album.

<i>Hold Time</i> (album) 2009 studio album by M. Ward

Hold Time is the sixth proper studio album from M. Ward, released on February 17, 2009. Hold Time is the follow-up to his 2006 album Post-War and its companion EP To Go Home in 2007.

<i>Paper Airplane</i> (album) 2011 studio album by Alison Krauss & Union Station

Paper Airplane is an album by Alison Krauss and Union Station. Released on April 12, 2011, it was Krauss's 14th album and her first release with Union Station since Lonely Runs Both Ways in 2004. It includes cover versions of "My Opening Farewell" and "Dimming of the Day", originally recorded by Jackson Browne and Richard Thompson, respectively.

<i>Blessed</i> (Lucinda Williams album) 2011 studio album by Lucinda Williams

Blessed is the 10th studio album by American singer-songwriter Lucinda Williams, released on March 1, 2011, by Lost Highway Records. The album debuted at No. 15 on the Billboard 200.

<i>The Lumineers</i> (album) 2012 studio album by the Lumineers

The Lumineers is the debut studio album by American folk rock band the Lumineers. The album was released in the United States on April 3, 2012, and contains the singles "Ho Hey", "Stubborn Love" and "Submarines". The album peaked at number 2 on the Billboard 200 chart.

<i>Feels like Home</i> (Sheryl Crow album) 2013 studio album by Sheryl Crow

Feels like Home is the ninth studio album by American singer-songwriter Sheryl Crow, released in the US and Japan on September 10, 2013, in Europe on September 13, and in the UK on January 27, 2014. The album is Crow's debut country music record and also is her first release through Warner Bros. Records. The album was recorded in Nashville, Tennessee and was produced by Crow and Justin Niebank. The album was ranked by Billboard as one of the ten best country albums of 2013.

<i>Down Where the Spirit Meets the Bone</i> 2014 studio album by Lucinda Williams

Down Where the Spirit Meets the Bone is the 11th studio album by American singer-songwriter Lucinda Williams. The double album was released on September 30, 2014. It is the first album on Williams' own Highway 20 Records label. The song "Compassion", from which the album title is derived, is based on a poem by her father, Miller Williams.

<i>The Bootleg Series Vol. 12: The Cutting Edge 1965–1966</i> 2015 compilation album by Bob Dylan

The Bootleg Series Vol. 12: The Cutting Edge 1965–1966 is a compilation album by American singer-songwriter Bob Dylan, released on Legacy Records in November 2015. The tenth installment in the ongoing Bob Dylan Bootleg Series, it comprises recordings from 1965 and 1966, mostly unreleased demos and outtakes from recording sessions for his albums Bringing It All Back Home, Highway 61 Revisited and Blonde on Blonde. The standard set peaked at #41 on the Billboard 200.

<i>Freedom Highway</i> (Rhiannon Giddens album) 2017 studio album by Rhiannon Giddens

Freedom Highway is the second solo studio album of Folk/Americana musician and Carolina Chocolate Drops front woman Rhiannon Giddens. It was released via Nonesuch Records on February 24, 2017. Freedom Highway was nominated for Album of the Year at the 2017 Americana Music Honors & Awards. The title track "Freedom Highway" is a 1965 civil rights protest song written by Roebuck Staples and title track of The Staple Singers' album of the same name.

<i>This Sweet Old World</i> 2017 studio album by Lucinda Williams

This Sweet Old World is the 13th studio album by American singer-songwriter Lucinda Williams, released on September 29, 2017, by Highway 20 Records and Thirty Tigers. A re-recording of her 1992 album Sweet Old World, Williams was motivated to revisit the older material by her husband and manager Tom Overby, who co-produced the album with her. The album has received critical acclaim.

<i>Good Souls Better Angels</i> 2020 studio album by Lucinda Williams

Good Souls Better Angels is the 14th studio album by American singer-songwriter Lucinda Williams, released on April 24, 2020, by Highway 20 Records and Thirty Tigers.

References

  1. ↑ "The Ghosts of Highway 20 by Lucinda Williams on iTunes". Apple Inc. 5 February 2016. Archived from the original on 2016-02-13. Retrieved 2016-02-08.
  2. ↑ Americana Awards - 2016 americanamusic.org. Americana Music Association. Retrieved 27 Apr 2020.
  3. ↑ "The Ghosts of Highway 20 by Lucinda Williams reviews". AnyDecentMusic?. Retrieved October 6, 2021.
  4. 1 2 "Reviews for The Ghosts of Highway 20 by Lucinda Williams". Metacritic. 2016-01-22. Archived from the original on 2016-02-05. Retrieved 2016-02-08.
  5. 1 2 Mark Deming. "The Ghosts of Highway 20 - Lucinda Williams | Songs, Reviews, Credits". AllMusic. Archived from the original on 2016-02-07. Retrieved 2016-02-08.
  6. ↑ Kivel, Adam (2016-02-03). "Lucinda Williams – The Ghosts of Highway 20". Consequence of Sound. Archived from the original on 2016-02-08. Retrieved 2016-02-08.
  7. ↑ Irwin, Kevin (2016-01-27). "Single Review: Lucinda Williams - The Ghosts of Highway 20". Drownedinsound.com. Archived from the original on 2016-02-13. Retrieved 2016-02-08.
  8. ↑ Robin Denselow (21 January 2016). "Lucinda Williams: The Ghosts of Highway 20 review – pained and powerful Americana". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 2016-02-08. Retrieved 2016-02-08.
  9. ↑ "Lucinda Williams: The Ghosts of Highway 20". Pastemagazine.com. Archived from the original on 2016-02-07. Retrieved 2016-02-08.
  10. ↑ George de Stefano. "Lucinda Williams: The Ghosts of Highway 20". PopMatters. Archived from the original on 2016-02-11. Retrieved 2016-02-08.
  11. ↑ "Lucinda Williams: The Ghosts of Highway 20". Pitchfork. 2016-02-01. Archived from the original on 2016-02-10. Retrieved 2016-02-08.
  12. 1 2 Hermes, Will (2016-02-03). "Lucinda Williams's New Album: The Ghosts of Highway 20". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on 2016-02-06. Retrieved 2016-02-08.
  13. ↑ "Lucinda Williams: The Ghosts of Highway 20". Slant Magazine. 2016-01-26. Archived from the original on 2016-01-29. Retrieved 2016-02-08.
  14. ↑ "Review: Lucinda Williams, 'The Ghosts of Highway 20'". SPIN. Archived from the original on 2016-02-08. Retrieved 2016-02-08.
  15. 1 2 "US Albums and Singles Charts > Lucinda Williams". Billboard . Retrieved 2021-10-02.
  16. ↑ The Ghosts of Highway 20 (booklet). Lucinda Williams. Highway 20 Records. 2016.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  17. ↑ "Australiancharts.com – Lucinda Williams – The Ghosts of Highway 20". Hung Medien. Retrieved February 13, 2016.
  18. ↑ "Austriancharts.at – Lucinda Williams – The Ghosts of Highway 20" (in German). Hung Medien. Retrieved February 13, 2016.
  19. ↑ "Ultratop.be – Lucinda Williams – The Ghosts of Highway 20" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved February 13, 2016.
  20. ↑ "Ultratop.be – Lucinda Williams – The Ghosts of Highway 20" (in French). Hung Medien. Retrieved February 13, 2016.
  21. ↑ "Lucinda Williams Chart History (Canadian Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved February 13, 2016.
  22. ↑ "Dutchcharts.nl – Lucinda Williams – The Ghosts of Highway 20" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved February 13, 2016.
  23. ↑ "Offiziellecharts.de – Lucinda Williams – {{{album}}}" (in German). GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved August 27, 2024.
  24. ↑ "Irish-charts.com – Discography Lucinda Williams". Hung Medien. Retrieved October 28, 2022.
  25. ↑ "Italiancharts.com – Lucinda Williams – The Ghosts of Highway 20". Hung Medien. Retrieved February 13, 2016.
  26. ↑ "Charts.nz – Lucinda Williams – The Ghosts of Highway 20". Hung Medien. Retrieved February 13, 2016.
  27. ↑ "Official Scottish Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved August 27, 2024.
  28. ↑ "Spanishcharts.com – Lucinda Williams – The Ghosts of Highway 20". Hung Medien. Retrieved February 13, 2016.
  29. ↑ "Swedishcharts.com – Lucinda Williams – The Ghosts of Highway 20". Hung Medien. Retrieved February 13, 2016.
  30. ↑ "Swisscharts.com – Lucinda Williams – The Ghosts of Highway 20". Hung Medien. Retrieved February 13, 2016.
  31. ↑ "Official Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved February 13, 2016.
  32. ↑ "Official Americana Albums Chart Top 40". Official Charts Company. Retrieved August 27, 2024.
  33. ↑ "Official Independent Albums Chart Top 50". Official Charts Company. Retrieved August 27, 2024.
  34. ↑ "Lucinda Williams Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved February 13, 2016.
  35. ↑ "Lucinda Williams Chart History (Top Americana/Folk Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved February 13, 2016.
  36. ↑ "Lucinda Williams Chart History (Independent Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved February 13, 2016.
  37. ↑ "Lucinda Williams Chart History (Top Rock Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved February 13, 2016.
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.