Music City Soul
| Music City Soul | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | 7 May 2007 | |||
| Recorded | October 2006 (Nashville, Tennessee) | |||
| Genre | ||||
| Length | 53:43 | |||
| Label | Parlophone | |||
| Producer |
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| Beverley Knight chronology | ||||
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| Singles from Music City Soul | ||||
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Music City Soul is the fifth studio album by British singer-songwriter Beverley Knight. It was released on Parlophone Records on 7 May 2007 in the United Kingdom. The album contains the singles "No Man's Land", "After You" and "The Queen of Starting Over", and features Ronnie Wood on a number of tracks. The album became Knight's second highest charting album in the UK, peaking at number eight.
Background[edit]
The majority of Music City Soul was recorded and produced by Mark Nevers at The Beech House studio in Nashville, Tennessee in the United States in just five days in late October 2006.[1] All the songs on the album were written beforehand the previous summer and then recorded back to back in the studio with an array of different musicians. The intention was to create an organic sound reminiscent of classic 1960s soul albums that epitomised releases by artists such as Aretha Franklin, Sam Cooke and Al Green, who had influenced Knight as a child.[2] The album was titled Music City Soul to reflect the fact that Knight has returned to her soul and gospel roots. It was also intended to pay homage to Nashville, the city it was recorded in, which is often referred to as 'The Music City' due to its rich musical heritage.[3]
Crtitical reception[edit]
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| Allmusic |   [1] |
| The Mirror | [4] |
| The Independent | [5] |
| London Lite | [6] |
| The Times | [7] |
| The Guardian | [8] |
| Digital Spy | [9] |
| The Belfast Telegraph | [10] |
| Virgin Media | [11] |
| Mojo | [12] |
Music City Soul received generally mixed to positive reviews from music critics. Allmusic editor Jon O'Brien rated the album three stars out of five and remarked that "whether it's a knee-jerk response to the disappointing sales of her 'all-bases-covered' predecessor, or a genuine affectionate homage to the likes of Al Green, Sam Cooke, and Aretha Franklin, its 15 tracks are undeniably and authentically old-school, thanks to Mark Nevers' organic production, Knight's full-throttled soulful vocals, and an inspired choice of collaborators and song choices."[1]
Track listing[edit]
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Producer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Every Time You See Me Smile" |
| Mark Nevers | 4:08 |
| 2. | "Ain't That a Lot of Love" |
| Nevers | 2:43 |
| 3. | "After You" |
| Nevers | 4:08 |
| 4. | "No Man's Land" |
| White | 3:30 |
| 5. | "The Queen of Starting Over" | Vale | Nevers | 3:47 |
| 6. | "Black Butta" |
| Nevers | 3:40 |
| 7. | "Saviour" |
| Nevers | 2:58 |
| 8. | "Time Is on My Side" | Norman Meade | Nevers | 3:33 |
| 9. | "Why Me, Why You, Why Now" |
| Nevers | 3:55 |
| 10. | "Tell Me I'm Wrong" |
| Nevers | 3:49 |
| 11. | "Trade It Up" |
| Nevers | 3:37 |
| 12. | "Rock Steady" | Aretha Franklin | Paul Reid | 3:57 |
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Producer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 13. | "Uptight" |
| Nevers | 3:15 |
| 14. | "Back to You" |
| Nevers | 4:15 |
| 15. | "After You" (Radio Edit) |
| Vale | 3:59 |
| Total length: | 55:07 | |||
Personnel[edit]
|
|
Charts[edit]
| Chart (2007) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Swiss Albums (Schweizer Hitparade)[13] | 86 |
| UK Albums (OCC)[14] | 8 |
Certifications[edit]
| Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
|---|---|---|
| United Kingdom (BPI)[15] | Silver | 60,000^ |
|
^ Shipments figures based on certification alone. | ||
References[edit]
- ^ a b c https://www.allmusic.com/album/mw0000746621
- ^ Hodgkinson, Will. Interview. The Guardian. 25 October 2002.
- ^ Press release. Official website. Retrieved 29 January 2007.
- ^ "Mirror Online: The intelligent tabloid. #madeuthink". mirror.
- ^ "Album: Beverley Knight". The Independent.[dead link]
- ^ Connolly, Paul. Album review. London Lite. 8 May 2007.
- ^ "Login". timesonline.co.uk.
- ^ The Guardian review
- ^ Digital Spy review
- ^ The Belfast Telegraph review
- ^ Virgin Media review
- ^ Batey, Angus. Album review. MOJO. May 2007 issue, pp. 110.
- ^ "Swisscharts.com – Beverley Knight – Music City Soul". Hung Medien. Retrieved 11 June 2020.
- ^ "Beverley Knight | Artist | Official Charts". UK Albums Chart. Retrieved 11 June 2020.
- ^ "British album certifications – Beverley Knight – Music City Soul Knight". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved 11 June 2020.
