The Baron is an album by American country singer Johnny Cash, released on Columbia Records in 1981 (see 1981 in music). The title track was a top ten hit, and three singles in all — including "Mobile Bay" and "The Reverend Mr. Black" / "Chattanooga City Limit Sign" — were released, though the latter two were rather unsuccessful in the charts, peaking at No. 60 and No. 71.
| The Baron | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | June 1, 1981 | |||
| Recorded | March 1981 except "The Baron" September 1980 | |||
| Studio | CBS Studios (Nashville, Tennessee) | |||
| Genre | ||||
| Length | 30:36 | |||
| Label | Columbia | |||
| Producer | Billy Sherrill | |||
| Johnny Cash chronology | ||||
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| Singles from The Baron | ||||
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Cash recorded the album with countrypolitan producer Billy Sherrill. Other sessions with him would be released on the 2014 album Out Among the Stars.
Critical reception
edit| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [1] |
| The Rolling Stone Album Guide | [2] |
The Boston Globe wrote: "That half of the songs are partly spoken, sometimes over syrupy strings, adds to the embarrassment."[3]
Track listing
edit| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "The Baron" | Paul Richey, Billy Sherrill, Jerry Taylor | 3:37 |
| 2. | "Mobile Bay" | David Kirby, Curly Putman | 3:01 |
| 3. | "(I Learned) The Hard Way" | Jerry Lynn Lansdowne | 2:59 |
| 4. | "Ceiling, Four Walls and a Floor" | Tom T. Hall | 2:40 |
| 5. | "Hey, Hey, Train" | Marty Stuart | 2:42 |
| 6. | "The Reverend Mr. Black / Lonesome Valley (Medley)" | Jerry Leiber, Mike Stoller, Billy Edd Wheeler / Jed Peters | 3:11 |
| 7. | "The Blues Keep Getting Bluer" | Ron Reynolds | 2:34 |
| 8. | "Chattanooga City Limit Sign" | Robert Rhett Drawdy | 3:52 |
| 9. | "Thanks to You" | Jerry Lynn Lansdowne | 2:29 |
| 10. | "Greatest Love Affair" | Mack David, Billy Sherrill | 3:31 |
Personnel
edit- Johnny Cash – vocals, guitar
- Pete Wade, Phil Baugh, Terry Jacks, Billy Sanford, Pete Bordonali – guitar
- Marty Stuart – guitar, fiddle, arrangements
- Pete Drake, Weldon Myrick – steel guitar
- Hargus "Pig" Robbins, Bobby Wood – piano
- Bobby Emmons – keyboards
- Terry McMillan, Charlie McCoy – harmonica
- Bob Wray – bass
- Jerry Carrigan, Kenny Malone, Jerry Kroon – drums
- Lea Jane Berinati, Millie Forrest, Janie Fricke, The Jordanaires, Millie Kirkham, Louis Nunely, Gordon Stoker, Hurshel Wiginton – background vocals
- Bill McElhiney – string arrangements
- Technical
- Ron Reynolds – engineer
- Bill Johnson – sleeve design
- Slick Lawson – photography
Chart performance
editAlbum
edit| Chart (1981) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| U.S. Billboard Top Country Albums | 24 |
| U.S. Billboard 200 | 201 |
Singles
edit| Year | Single | Peak positions | |
|---|---|---|---|
| US Country | CAN Country | ||
| 1981 | "The Baron" | 10 | 6 |
| "Mobile Bay" | 60 | — | |
| 1982 | "The Reverend Mr. Black" / "Chattanooga City Limit Sign" |
71 | — |
| 71 (flip) | |||
References
edit
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