But What Will the Neighbors Think? by Rodney Crowell NEUF mode

Tracks:
Here Come The 80s
Aint No Money
Oh, What A Feeling
Its Only Rock N Roll
On A Real Good Night
Ashes By Now
Heartbroke
Queen Of Hearts
Blues In The Daytime
One About England, The

Performer Notes:

• Personnel: Rodney Crowell (vocals, guitar); Albert Lee (vocals, electric guitar, piano); Don Whaley, Larry Willoughby (vocals); Hank DeVito (acoustic guitar, electric guitar, steel guitar); Emory Gordy (electric 12-string guitar, 6-string guitar); Craig Leon (flute, piano); Tony Brown (piano); Larrie Londin (drums).
• Audio Remasterer: Ted Springman.
• Liner Note Author: Rodney Crowell.
• Recording information: Sound City, Van Nuys, CA; The Record Plant, Sausalito.
• Photographer: Beverly Parker.
• Rodney Crowells debut was a near perfect country-rock record: great writing and a few venerable covers all performed with soul and style. But while Aint Living Long Like This leaned more toward the country side of things, his follow-up, But What Will the Neighbors Think, which was co-produced with Craig Leon (the Ramones, Suicide, Blondie), has a distinct pop and rock edge. This is evident right from the start, with the chunky guitar and drum intro of "Here Come the 80s," which opens the album with an almost new wave feel. When mixed with Crowells country roots and choice of sidemen, the bulk of side one, which includes tracks such as the cynical rockers "Aint No Money" and "Its Only RocknRoll" and the minor-key pop of Keith Sykes "Oh What a Feeling," blurs the lines between Nashville and L.A.. Side two, which kicks off with the Top 40 pop hit "Ashes by Now," adds a bit more twang to the proceedings with Guy Clarks "Heartbroke" and Hank DeVitos "Queen of Hearts" (Crowells version predated Juice Newtons Top Five hit by more than a year), before closing with a pair of lightweight genre exercises. Much like Rosanne Cashs Right or Wrong, which he had produced a year earlier, there are moments here that suggest the turn country music would take in the coming years. In fact, "Queen of Hearts," "Aint No Money," and "Heartbroke" would become hits in the next couple of years for Newton, Cash, and Ricky Skaggs respectively, while Lee Ann Womack would score big with "Ashes by Now" more than 20 years later. Though it may not necessarily be what some expected from Rodney Crowell at this point, the slight change of direction seemed to help him avoid a sophomore slump. ~ Brett Hartenbach

Producer: Craig Leon, Rodney Crowell

Format: CD (1 Disc)

Release Date: 6 December, 2011

Label: Rockbeat Records