Storms was the eighth studio album released by singer-songwriter Nanci Griffith. When recording the album, Griffith chose to go in the direction of mainstream pop music. This was quite a musical change for her, as her previous albums had been folk and country music. Griffith enlisted the talents of noted rock music producer Glyn Johns for the musical style change. The album landed at No. 42[4] on the Billboard Country Albums chart, and at No. 99[5] on the Pop Albums chart in 1989. The last track on the album, "Radio Fragile", is about singer-songwriter Phil Ochs.[6]
| Storms | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | August 8, 1989 | |||
| Recorded | January - May 1989 | |||
| Studio | Ocean Way, Nashville | |||
| Genre | ||||
| Length | 37:04 | |||
| Label | MCA | |||
| Producer | Glyn Johns | |||
| Nanci Griffith chronology | ||||
| ||||
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |    [1] |
| Robert Christgau | C+[2] |
| Hi-Fi News & Record Review | A*:1[3] |
Critical reception edit
Robert Christgau did not much care for the album. He gave it a C+ and remarked, "I don't know. But I expect she thinks it has something to do with art."[2]
Writing years later for AllMusic, critic Lindsay Planer noted that although her change in style was not well received by purists, Griffith "unfurled some of her finest musical stories to date".[1]
Track listing edit
All tracks are written by Nanci Griffith, unless otherwise noted
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "I Don't Wanna Talk About Love" |
| 4:06 |
| 2. | "Drive-In Movies and Dashboard Lights" | 3:11 | |
| 3. | "You Made This Love a Teardrop" | 3:05 | |
| 4. | "Brave Companion of the Road" | 3:16 | |
| 5. | "Storms" | Eric Taylor | 3:05 |
| 6. | "It's a Hard Life Wherever You Go" | 3:59 | |
| 7. | "If Wishes Were Changes" |
| 3:45 |
| 8. | "Listen to the Radio" | 3:44 | |
| 9. | "Leaving the Harbor" | 3:26 | |
| 10. | "Radio Fragile" |
| 5:27 |
| Total length: | 37:04 | ||
Personnel edit
- Nanci Griffith – lead and harmony vocals, acoustic guitar
- James Hooker – piano, synthesizer
- Fran Breen – drums
- Bernie Leadon – acoustic slide guitar, mando-cello, electric guitar, harmony vocals (track 8)
- Pat Donaldson – electric bass, mando-cello
- Neil MacColl – electric guitar (tracks 1, 6, 10)
- Jerry Donahue – electric guitar (track 7)
- Mark Donahue – emulator III
- Phil Everly – supporting harmony vocals (track 3)
- Albert Lee – supporting harmony vocals (tracks 7, 8)
Production edit
- Produced by Glyn Johns
- Recording Engineer – Jack Joseph Puig
- Recording Second Engineer – Joe Schiff
- Mixing Engineer – Glyn Johns
- Mising Assistant Engineer – Mike Rose
- Mastered by Doug Sax
Track information and credits adapted from the album's liner notes.[7]
Charts edit
| Chart (1989) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| US Billboard 200[5] | 99 |
| US Top Country Albums (Billboard)[4] | 42 |
References edit
- ^ a b Iyengar, Vik. "Storms – Nanci Griffith". AllMusic. Retrieved October 23, 2011.
- ^ a b Christgau, Robert. "CG: Nanci Griffith". RobertChristgau.com. Retrieved September 29, 2013.
- ^ Dellar, Fred (December 1989). "Review: Nanci Griffith — Storms" (PDF). Hi-Fi News & Record Review (magazine). Vol. 34, no. 12. Croydon: Link House Magazines Ltd. pp. 140–141. ISSN 0142-6230. Archived from the original (PDF) on September 3, 2021. Retrieved September 27, 2021 – via World Radio History.
- ^ a b "Nanci Griffith Chart History (Top Country Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved arch 7, 2020.
- ^ a b "Nanci Griffith Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved March 7, 2020.
- ^ "The Popdose Guide to Nanci Griffith". Popdose. January 8, 2008. Retrieved April 9, 2018.
- ^ Storms (liner notes). Nanci Griffith. Philo. 1989. Philo CD 1098.
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