Butcherbird is the twentieth studio album by Australian country music artist John Williamson. It was released on 24 August 2018 and peaked at number 13 on the ARIA Albums Chart.
| Butcherbird | ||||
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| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | 24 August 2018 | |||
| Label | Warner Music Australia | |||
| John Williamson chronology | ||||
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| Singles from Butcherbird | ||||
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Topics on the album include life and love, as well as nature—written by Williamson about his bush property in Springbrook, Queensland.[2] Williamson said: "Butcherbird is probably my most relaxed album ever... It's a very honest and reflective album and it was quite a breeze to write. Perhaps because at this stage of my career I had a "what the hell, just do it" attitude. It felt right."
Williamson said the butcherbird is his "favourite feathered singer". He said: "They have been here longer than humans, yet their melodies are remarkably fresh. They are my mates in the garden and have inspired the first track 'The Valley of His Dreams'."[3]
Williamson supported the album with a national tour in October and November 2018.[4]
At the 2019 Country Music Awards of Australia, Butcherbird was nominated for Traditional Country Album of the Year.[5]
Reception
edit| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| The AU Review |    [4] |
Dylan Marshall from The AU Review said that while Butcherbird "might not have all that many 'instant' classics, it's still a jolly good jaunt", adding: "His connection with the land and its people, as well as those who built the nation's formative identity, are what makes Williamson a national treasure. Butcherbird isn't ground breaking, but I don't think it needs to be. It's an honest album, and frankly, I'm fine with that."[4]
Track listing
edit| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "The Valley of His Dreams/It Doesn't Get Better Than This" | 6:21 |
| 2. | "Pigs on the River" | 3:41 |
| 3. | "Looking for a Story" | 2:28 |
| 4. | "Buddy and Slim" | 2:58 |
| 5. | "Simpson Desert" | 2:38 |
| 6. | "Please Don't Forget Me" | 2:22 |
| 7. | "Lucky to Be Alive" | 2:18 |
| 8. | "You Don't Love You Love Anymore" | 2:44 |
| 9. | "Time Is Slippin' Away" | 3:08 |
| 10. | "When My Horse Came In" | 2:06 |
Charts
editWeekly charts
edit| Chart (2018) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Australian Albums (ARIA)[6] | 13 |
Year-end charts
edit| Chart (2018) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Australian Country Albums (ARIA)[7] | 28 |
Release history
edit| Country | Date | Format | Label | Catalogue |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Australia | 24 August 2018[2][8] | Warner Music Australia | 5419702417 |
References
edit- ^ "Pigs on the River - single". Apple Music. Retrieved 29 September 2018.
- ^ a b "Butcherbird by John Williamson (CD)". JB Hi-Fi. Retrieved 20 September 2018.
- ^ "John Williamson ready to release 20th studio album 'Butcherbird'". Music Insight. 11 July 2018. Retrieved 20 September 2018.
- ^ a b c Marshall, Dylan (19 September 2018). "Album Review: John Williamson's 20th studio record Butcherbird (2018 LP) reinforces his status as a national treasure". The AU Review. Retrieved 20 September 2018.
- ^ "Nominees Announced for the 2019 Toyota Golden Guitar Awards and they look like this..." Triple M. 21 November 2018. Retrieved 2 December 2022.
- ^ "Australiancharts.com – John Williamson – Butcherbird". Hung Medien. Retrieved 20 September 2018.
- ^ "2019 Annual ARIA Country Albums Chart". Australian Recording Industry Association. Archived from the original on 10 January 2019. Retrieved 10 January 2019.
- ^ "Butcherbird by John Williamson on Apple Music". Apple Music. Retrieved 20 September 2018.