Mark Wills (album)

Mark Wills is the debut studio album by American country music singer Mark Wills. Released in 1996 on Mercury Nashville Records, the album produced three hit singles on the Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks (now Hot Country Songs) charts: "Jacob's Ladder", "High Low and In Between", and "Places I've Never Been", which peaked at #6, #33, and #5, respectively. The album itself reached a peak of #38 on the Billboard Top Country Albums charts. "Look Where She Is Today" was previously cut by Doug Stone on his 1995 album Faith in Me, Faith in You. And "Ace of Hearts" was previously cut by Alan Jackson on his 1990 debut album ''Here in the Real World.

Critical reception
Alanna Nash of Entertainment Weekly rated the album "B+", stating in her review that the album "is full of rambunctious good-time songs teeming with sly wit and bittersweet ballads — all in a baritone that throbs with emotion." Jeffrey B. Remz of Country Standard Time was largely unfavorable, praising "High Low and In Between" but otherwise saying that Wills "recalls David Lee Murphy vocally, but sings a bit too effortlessly throughout, never sounding all that convincing as if he's lived the songs". He also described the album as "competent, but never rising above".

Personnel

 * Paul Franklin – steel guitar
 * Aubrey Haynie – fiddle
 * Dirk Johnson – piano
 * Mike Johnson – steel guitar
 * Brent Mason – electric guitar
 * Gary Prim – piano, clavinet
 * Matt Rollings – piano
 * Brent Rowan – electric guitar
 * John Wesley Ryles – background vocals
 * Wayne Toups – accordion
 * Mark Wills – lead vocals
 * John Willis – acoustic guitar, mandolin
 * Lonnie Wilson – drums
 * Glenn Worf – bass guitar

Production

 * Produced By Carson Chamberlain & Keith Stegall
 * Engineers: John Kelton, Steve Lowery
 * Assistant Engineers: Steve Lowery, Paula Montondo
 * Mixing: John Kelton
 * Mastering: Hank Williams