No Regrets is an album by the musician Leon Redbone, released in 1988.[1][2] It followed a period where Redbone had concentrated on music for commercials.[3] Redbone supported the album with a North American tour; he also appeared on The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson.[4][5] The album was reissued in 2004.[6]
Production
Recorded in Nashville, the album was produced by Beryl Handler and Redbone.[7][8] Béla Fleck played banjo on the album.[9] Jerry Douglas contributed on pedal steel and dobro; Cindy Cashdollar played steel guitar on some tracks.[10][11] "My Good Gal's Gone Blues" and "Somewhere Down Below the Dixon Line" were written by Jimmie Rodgers.[12] "It's a Lonely World" is a version of the Ernest Tubb song; Tubb was one of Redbone's primary influences.[13][14]
Critical reception
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |    [9] |
| MusicHound Folk: The Essential Album Guide | [8] |
The Chicago Tribune wrote: "Employing a bluesy sound often reminiscent of primitive New Orleans jazz ... Redbone achieves an uncanny resemblance to the sound and spirit of country music's early recordings."[15] The Washington Post concluded that "Redbone's a kind of cartoon persona with one of popular music's most eccentric voices: muzzy, slurred and entirely enjoyable if you get the joke."[13] The Key West Citizen called the album "a stunning collection of classic country and jazz songs."[16]
The Atlanta Journal praised the "smoothly delivered songs."[3] The Austin American-Statesman stated that Redbone's "smooth, penetrating bass voice sparks renewed life into lost ditties."[7] The Nanaimo Daily News noted that, "as usual, Redbone's bluesy and laidback and in fine form."[17]
Ronnie D. Lankford, Jr. of AllMusic wrote that, "while the songs and vocals are technically solid, they lack the spark that made earlier Redbone albums something special."[9]
Track listing
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "She Ain't Rose" | Kellye Gray, Gary Vincent | 2:12 |
| 2. | "Wild and Wicked Ways" | Sam Nichols | 2:33 |
| 3. | "She's My Gal" | Leon Redbone | 2:38 |
| 4. | "Crazy Arms" | Ralph Mooney, Chuck Seals | 3:45 |
| 5. | "Long Gone Lonesome Blues" | Hank Williams | 2:41 |
| 6. | "Somewhere Down Below the Dixon Line" | Jimmie Rodgers, Will Ryan | 2:49 |
| 7. | "Lazy Bones" | Hoagy Carmichael, Johnny Mercer | 3:19 |
| 8. | "It's a Lonely World" | Redd Stewart, Ernest Tubb | 3:02 |
| 9. | "Another Story, Another Time, Another Place" | Arlie Duff | 2:34 |
| 10. | "You Nearly Lose Your Mind" | Tubb | 2:36 |
| 11. | "Mr. & Mrs. Used to Be" | Billy Joe Deaton | 2:34 |
| 12. | "Some Sweet Day" | Tony Jackson, Abe Olman, Ed Rose | 2:25 |
| 13. | "My Good Gal's Gone Blues" | Rodgers | 3:20 |
| 14. | "Are You Lonesome Tonight" | Lou Handman, Roy Turk | 2:27 |
Personnel
Musicians
- Leon Redbone – vocals, guitar
- Roy Huskey Jr. – double bass (upright)
- Brian Nalepka – double bass (upright)
- Mark O'Connor – violin, viola, mandolin, mandola
- Béla Fleck – banjo
- Al Vescovo – pedal steel guitar
- Jerry Douglas – pedal steel guitar, dobro
- Cindy Cashdollar – lap steel guitar, dobro
- Terry Waldo – piano
- Bunky Keels – piano
- John Gill – drums, tenor banjo
- Lori Lynn Smith – vocal (track 11)
Technical
- Beryl Handler, Leon Redbone – producers
- Doug Epstein, Bil Vorn Dick – engineers, mixing engineers
- John Gill – arrangements, music coordination
- Jim Loyd – mastering engineer
- Raymond Simone – cover design
- Leon Redbone – cover concept
- Dan Lamb – photography
References
- ^ "Music". The Indianapolis Star. 22 Apr 1988. p. D10.
- ^ "Leon Redbone will return...". The Chronicle-Telegram. Elyria. March 20, 1988. p. 50.
- ^ a b DeVault, Russ (12 May 1988). "Leon Redbone Inhabits a Country All His Own". The Atlanta Journal. p. 3B.
- ^ Van Matre, Lynn (22 Apr 1988). "Leon Redbone, Friday at the Vic". Friday. Chicago Tribune. p. 5.
- ^ Bledsoe, Wayne (6 Mar 1988). "Leon Redbone". Music. Knoxville News Sentinel. p. 20.
- ^ "New Releases". The Gazette. Montreal. 22 July 2004. p. D4.
- ^ a b McConnell, Jim (4 Nov 1988). "Redbone's Passion Is the 'Old' Stuff". Austin American-Statesman. p. F4.
- ^ a b MusicHound Folk: The Essential Album Guide. Visible Ink Press. 1998. p. 656.
- ^ a b c "No Regrets Review by Ronnie D. Lankford, Jr". AllMusic. Retrieved 4 October 2023.
- ^ Rowe, Norman (24 Apr 1988). "Companions Call Virginia Home". Richmond Times-Dispatch. p. J11.
- ^ Corcoran, Michael (4 Oct 2007). "The ringing sounds of Cindy Cashdollar". Austin American-Statesman. p. T18.
- ^ Mazor, Barry (2009). Meeting Jimmie Rodgers: How America's Original Roots Music Hero Changed the Pop Sounds of a Century. Oxford University Press. p. 298.
- ^ a b Brown, Joe (6 May 1988). "Redbone's Buried Country Treasures". The Washington Post. p. N21.
- ^ Zailian, Marian (9 Apr 1989). "Unusual Repertoire: Leon Redbone Has a Bone to Pick". Sunday Datebook. San Francisco Chronicle. p. 50.
- ^ Hurst, Jack (10 Apr 1988). "Recordings". Arts. Chicago Tribune. p. 24.
- ^ Kennedy, Tracy (May 22, 1988). "Leon Redbone – No Regrets in Key West". Key West Citizen. p. 4B.
- ^ Brunet, Ivan (25 Nov 1988). "Music Update". Upbeat. Nanaimo Daily News. p. 15.