#1 with a Bullet is the twenty-eighth studio album of American country and comedy singer Ray Stevens. It was released in June 1991. The album includes the singles "Working for the Japanese" and "Power Tools", which respectively reached numbers 62 and 72 on the Hot Country Songs charts.[1] The album also includes a re-recording of "The Pirate Song," which was originally recorded for his 1986 album I Have Returned.[2]
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| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | June 18, 1991 | |||
| Genre | Country, novelty | |||
| Length | 32:31 | |||
| Label | Capitol/Curb | |||
| Producer | Ray Stevens | |||
| Ray Stevens chronology | ||||
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Critical reception
editDennis Miller of the Elmira, New York Star-Gazette gave the album a mostly positive review, writing that "Stevens is at his madcap best when he aims his satirical bullets at the contemporary." He considered "Teenage Mutant Kung Fu Chickens", "Workin' for the Japanese", and "You Gotta Have a Hat" among the best in this regard. He also thought that "The Pirate Song" was the best due to Stevens' portrayal of the two characters in the song.[3] Giving it 3 out of 4 stars, Jack Hurst of Tribune Media called the album "just another Stevens album, meaning that its varied and imaginative music backs the occasional lame line along with lots of others that are howlingly funny."[4]
Track listing
edit| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Power Tools" | C.W. Kalb, Jr. | 3:29 |
| 2. | "Teenage Mutant Kung Fu Chickens" | C.W. Kalb, Jr. | 3:20 |
| 3. | "You Gotta Have a Hat" | C.W. Kalb, Jr. | 2:46 |
| 4. | "Tabloid News" | C.W. Kalb, Jr. | 2:40 |
| 5. | "The Pirate Song (I Want to Sing & Dance)" | C.W. Kalb, Jr., Carlene Kalb | 3:59 |
| 6. | "The Sheik of R&B" | C.W. Kalb, Jr., Russell Piburn, Bill Piburn | 2:49 |
| 7. | "Juanita and the Kids" | C.W. Kalb, Jr., Lonnie Carneal | 4:39 |
| 8. | "Back in the Doghouse Again" | C.W. Kalb, Jr., Glen Fortner | 3:06 |
| 9. | "A Little Blue-Haired Lady" | C.W. Kalb, Jr. | 2:43 |
| 10. | "Working for the Japanese" | Ron DeLacy | 2:56 |
Personnel
editCompiled from liner notes.[5]
Musicians
- Ray Stevens – vocals, acoustic piano, synthesizers
- Gary Prim – keyboards
- Mark Casstevens – acoustic guitars, banjo, mandolin
- Steve Gibson – electric guitars, bass guitar
- Stuart Keathley – bass guitar
- Tommy Wells – drums
- Wendy Johnson – backing vocals
- Jana King – backing vocals
- Lisa Silver – backing vocals
Production
- Ray Stevens – producer, arrangements
- Stuart Keathley – recording engineer
- Glenn Meadows – mastering
- Simon Levy – design
- Slick Lawson – photography
- Recorded at Ray Stevens Studio (Nashville, Tennessee).
- Mastered at Masterfonics (Nashville, Tennessee).
Chart performance
editAlbum
edit| Chart (1991) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| U.S. Billboard Top Comedy Albums | 14 |
| U.S. Billboard Top Country Albums | 60 |
Singles
edit| Year | Single | Peak positions |
|---|---|---|
| US Country | ||
| 1991 | "Working for the Japanese" | 62 |
| 1991 | "Power Tools" | 72 |
References
edit- ^ Whitburn, Joel (2008). Hot Country Songs 1944 to 2008. Record Research, Inc. pp. 402–403. ISBN 978-0-89820-177-2.
- ^ "I Have Returned". Allmusic. Retrieved 21 September 2011.
- ^ Dennis Miller (July 18, 1991). "Stevens gives us much-needed lightness". Star-Gazette. p. 4. Retrieved March 26, 2021.
- ^ Jack Hurst (June 30, 1991). "Country". The Spokesman Review. p. 9. Retrieved March 26, 2021.
- ^ #1 with a Bullet (CD booklet). Ray Stevens. Curb Records. 1991. 95914.
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