Trail of Tears (Billy Ray Cyrus album)

Last updated
Trail of Tears
Billytrail.jpg
Studio album by
ReleasedAugust 20, 1996 (1996-08-20)
Recorded1995
StudioScreaming Woo Music and Secret Sound (Nashville, Tennessee)
Genre Country
Length42:45
Label Mercury
Producer Billy Ray Cyrus
Terry Shelton
Billy Ray Cyrus chronology
Storm in the Heartland
(1994)
Trail of Tears
(1996)
The Best of Billy Ray Cyrus: Cover to Cover
(1997)
Singles from Trail of Tears
  1. "Trail of Tears"
    Released: August 31, 1996
  2. "Three Little Words"
    Released: February 8, 1997

Trail of Tears is the fourth studio album from country artist Billy Ray Cyrus. It was released on August 20, 1996, and two singles were released: the title track and "Three Little Words", which respectively peaked at number 69 and number 65 on the country charts.

Contents

The album debuted at number 125 on the U.S. Billboard 200, and at number 20 on the U.S. Top Country Albums. [1] The album has sold more than 250,000 copies worldwide. Despite low sales the album was the first to receive widespread critical acclaim from music critics for Cyrus, earning him industry respect from Nashville.

Content

Included on Trail of Tears are covers of "Harper Valley PTA", originally recorded by Jeannie C. Riley, "Sing Me Back Home", originally recorded by Merle Haggard and The Strangers, and "Crazy Mama", originally recorded by J. J. Cale. [2]

Cyrus is a credited writer on all other tracks, except for the album's second single, "Three Little Words". [3]

Cyrus said of the album, "I call it 'Homegrown Music'; it's a different kind of album. There are people we have played it for who are shocked that it's me. What's really exciting is that I'm finding that everywhere I go - from the record company to the radio stations - there is a new energy. For the first time in years, I feel free." [2]

Recording

Trail of Tears was recorded with Cyrus's band Sly Dog in a log cabin owned by band member Terry Shelton, who served as producer on the album along with Cyrus. [2] Cyrus said, "There we were, way out in Kingston Springs, TN, at the head of some holler. And I'm thinking, 'This is sonically better than my previous three albums. Am I crazy?' But then I thought of all the great records that had come from home studios, I started thinking, 'This ain't crazy -just because it's not some glossy studio down on 16th Avenue with a multi-million-dollar console and stuff, doesn't mean it's no good.'" [2]

Critical reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg [3]
Entertainment Weekly B [4]

AllMusic's Thom Owens called it Cyrus' "most personal and [most] accomplished album", pointing out the "rootsy production flourishes" that added grit and edge to the overall sound and Cyrus having more conviction in his delivery, concluding that: "In fact, Trail of Tears suggests that he may be able to carve out a successful career for himself, after all." [3] Alanna Nash of Entertainment Weekly called it "a rapidly maturing, bleeding-heart blend of roots rock and country classics wrapped in bare-bones production." She added that "Need a Little Help" and the title track had the potential to turn Cyrus into an "artistic contender". [4]

Track listing

Trail of Tears track listing
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Trail of Tears" Billy Ray Cyrus 3:41
2."Truth Is, I Lied"
3:18
3."Tenntucky"2:23
4."Call Me Daddy"
  • Cyrus
  • Von Tress
  • Michael Joe Sagraves
5:08
5."Sing Me Back Home" Merle Haggard 3:37
6."Three Little Words"
4:14
7."Harper Valley PTA" Tom T. Hall 4:10
8."I Am Here Now"
  • Cyrus
  • Sagraves
  • Corky Holbrook
  • Terry Shelton
3:28
9."Need a Little Help"
  • Cyrus
  • Von Tress
5:08
10."Should I Stay"Cyrus4:38
11."Crazy Mama" J.J. Cale 3:00
Total length:42:45

Personnel

Credits adapted from the Trail of Tears media notes. [5]

Sly Dog
Additional Musicians
Production

Chart performance

Album
Chart (1996)Peak
position
Canadian Top Country Albums14
Swiss Music Charts50
U.S. Billboard 200125
U.S. Billboard Top Country Albums20
Singles
YearSinglePeak chart positions
US Country CAN Country
1996"Trail of Tears"6959
1997"Three Little Words"6561

References

  1. Katie Hasty, "'NOW 25' Fends Off 'Hairspray,' Prince To Remain No. 1", Billboard.com, August 1, 2007.
  2. 1 2 3 4 "Billy Ray Cyrus: Trail of Tears". Great American Country . Archived from the original on April 27, 1999.
  3. 1 2 3 Owens, Thom. "Trail of Tears - Billy Ray Cyrus". AllMusic. Archived from the original on October 19, 2021. Retrieved August 9, 2011.
  4. 1 2 Nash, Alanna (August 23, 1996). "Trail of Tears". Entertainment Weekly . Time Inc. Archived from the original on December 18, 2021. Retrieved December 18, 2021.
  5. Trail of Tears (media notes). Billy Ray Cyrus. Mercury. 1996. P2 32829.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)