Relentless is the second studio album by American country music artist Jason Aldean. It was released on May 29, 2007 via Broken Bow Records. The album debuted at number 4 on the U.S. Billboard 200 and at number one on the Top Country Albums chart, selling about 98,000 copies in its first week.[5] On October 4 of the same year, the album was certified gold by the RIAA. It was certified platinum in September 2012.[6]
| Relentless | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | May 29, 2007 | |||
| Recorded | 2007 | |||
| Genre | ||||
| Length | 44:57 | |||
| Label | Broken Bow | |||
| Producer | Michael Knox | |||
| Jason Aldean chronology | ||||
| ||||
| Singles from Relentless | ||||
| ||||
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| Allmusic |    [1] |
| Entertainment Weekly | C[2] |
| Country Standard Time | [3] |
| Billboard | favorable[4] |
Relentless has produced three chart singles for Aldean on the Hot Country Songs charts. The lead-off single "Johnny Cash" (originally recorded by Tracy Byrd on his 2004 album Greatest Hits) and "Laughed Until We Cried" both reached No. 6 on that chart, and the title track reached No. 15 in late 2008. Thus, it is Aldean's only album to date to not produce a number one single.
Critical reception
editKen Tucker of Billboard gave a positive review, saying that "every cut features full, guitar-driven production". He considered "Johnny Cash", "Back in This Cigarette" and "I Break Everything I Touch" standout tracks.[4]
Track listing
edit| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Johnny Cash" | 3:11 | |
| 2. | "Laughed Until We Cried" | 3:23 | |
| 3. | "Do You Wish It Was Me" |
| 4:25 |
| 4. | "I Use What I Got" | 3:07 | |
| 5. | "Who's Kissing You Tonight" | 3:25 | |
| 6. | "Relentless" |
| 3:42 |
| 7. | "My Memory Ain't What It Used to Be" |
| 4:14 |
| 8. | "No" |
| 3:41 |
| 9. | "Back in this Cigarette" |
| 4:35 |
| 10. | "Grown Woman" (duet with Miranda Lambert) |
| 3:58 |
| 11. | "I Break Everything I Touch" | 3:20 | |
| 12. | "Not Every Man Lives" | 3:56 | |
| Total length: | 44:57 | ||
Chart performance
edit
Weekly chartsedit
|
Year-end chartsedit
|
Singles
edit| Year | Single | Peak chart positions | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| US Country | US | CAN | ||
| 2007 | "Johnny Cash" | 6 | 68 | — |
| "Laughed Until We Cried" | 6 | 61 | 88 | |
| 2008 | "Relentless" | 15 | 103 | — |
Certifications
edit| Region | Certification |
|---|---|
| United States (RIAA)[6] | Platinum |
Personnel
editMusicians
- Jason Aldean – lead vocals
- Kurt Allison – electric guitar
- Tony Harrell – piano, B3 organ, Wurlitzer
- Wes Hightower – background vocals
- Michael Johnson – steel guitar
- Tully Kennedy – bass guitar
- Steve King – B3 organ on "Johnny Cash"
- Miranda Lambert – vocals on "Grown Woman"
- Liana Manis – background vocals
- Wendell Mobley – background vocals on "No"
- Mike Noble – acoustic guitar
- Danny Rader – acoustic guitar
- Rich Redmond – drums, percussion
- Adam Shoenfeld – electric guitar
- Jack Sizemore – electric guitar on "Johnny Cash"
Technical
- Michael Knox – production
- Peter Coleman – mixing, engineering
- Richard Dodd – mastering
- Neena Wright – production assistance
- Brandon Epps – engineering assistance
- Sam Martin – engineering assistance
Visuals
- Luellyn Latocki – art direction
- Ron Roark – art direction
- Kristin Barlowe – photography
- Marcus Melton – cover design
- Latocki Team Creative – graphic design
References
edit- ^ Anderson, Rick. "Relentless review". Allmusic. Retrieved July 2, 2011.
- ^ Willman, Chris (June 1, 2007). "Relentless Review". Entertainment Weekly. Archived from the original on June 7, 2011. Retrieved July 2, 2011.
- ^ Sudhalter, Michael. "Jason Aldean - Relentless". Country Standard Time. Retrieved July 2, 2011.
- ^ a b Tucker, Ken (June 2, 2007). "Reviews". Billboard. 119 (22): 43.
- ^ Katie Hasty, "R. Kelly Flirts His Way To No. 1 Album Chart Debut", Billboard.com, June 6, 2007.
- ^ a b "American album certifications – Jason Aldean – Relentless". Recording Industry Association of America.
- ^ "Jason Aldean Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved November 27, 2020.
- ^ "Jason Aldean Chart History (Top Country Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved November 27, 2020.
- ^ "Jason Aldean Chart History (Independent Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved November 27, 2020.
- ^ "Top Billboard 200 Albums – Year-End 2007". Billboard. Retrieved November 27, 2020.
- ^ "Top Country Albums – Year-End 2007". Billboard. Retrieved November 27, 2020.
- ^ "Top Country Albums – Year-End 2008". Billboard. Retrieved November 27, 2020.