Chill Factor (album)

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Chill Factor
ChillFactorMerleHaggard.jpg
Studio album by Merle Haggard
Released 1987
Genre Country
Length 35:42
Label Epic
Producer Merle Haggard, Ken Suesov
Merle Haggard chronology
Out Among the Stars
(1987)Out Among the Stars1987		 Chill Factor
(1987)		 Seashores of Old Mexico
(1987)Seashores of Old Mexico1987

Chill Factor is an album by American country music singer Merle Haggard, released on the Epic label in 1987.

Background

Chill Factor was released in the midst of the "new traditionalist" movement in country music, which saw new, younger country stars such as Randy Travis begin to dominate the charts. While several country music vets saw their presence on country radio diminish, Haggard was one of the few from the old guard who remained relevant, with Chill Factor reaching number 8 on the Billboard country album chart. However, it would be Haggard's last Top 10 album until 2007. Haggard, who had experienced drug and alcohol problems in the eighties, would be further distracted by financial difficulties in the ensuing years. In addition, long time Stranger guitarist Roy Nichols, who Haggard had played with since the early sixties, informed him that he would be retiring from the road due to ill health.[1]

After the relatively disappointing chart performance of his previous album Out Among the Stars, Chill Factor was a commercial comeback for Haggard, who wrote or co-wrote all the songs on the album except one. In addition to the chart-topping "Twinkle, Twinkle Lucky Star", the title track was also a top ten hit, peaking at number 9, but two other singles, "We Never Touch at All" and "You Babe," failed to crack the top 20.[2]

Critical reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
Source Rating
Allmusic 4/5 stars [3]
Robert Christgau (B-)[4]

Stephen Thomas Erlewine of AllMusic wrote "...while this sound dates the album somewhat, it’s also easy to hear beyond it, to recognize that this is one of Haggard’s strongest collection of songs of the '80s, a record where he remains a peerless craftsman and has yet to succumb completely to the streak of bitter nostalgia that sometimes tainted his records of the '90s."[3] Music critic Robert Christgau wrote "... by peaking with "Thirty Again," all it proves is that his great theme is age rather than love, which of course dominates. Further proof includes the overtaxed title metaphor and a Hank Cochran copyright so bitter and direct it makes you think his women get sick of him for the simple reason that's he full of shit."[4]

Track listing

All songs written by Merle Haggard unless otherwise indicated.

  1. "Chill Factor" – 3:20
  2. "Twinkle, Twinkle Lucky Star" – 3:22
  3. "Man from Another Time" (Haggard, Freddy Powers) – 2:42
  4. "We Never Touch at All" (Haggard, Hank Cochran) – 3:41
  5. "You Babe" (Sanger D. Schafer) – 3:50
  6. "Thanking the God Lord" – 2:31
  7. "After Dark" – 3:45
  8. "1929" – 3:38
  9. "Thirty Again" – 3:09
  10. "I Don't Have Any Love Around" – 3:19
  11. "More Than This Old Heart Can Take" (Haggard, Powers) – 2:25

Personnel

  • Merle Haggard – vocals, guitar, background vocals
  • Biff Adam – drums
  • Jim Belken – fiddle
  • Gary Church – trombone
  • Steve Gibson – guitar
  • Norm Hamlet – dobro, pedal steel guitar
  • Jim Haas – background vocals
  • Jon Joice – background vocals
  • Bonnie Owens – background vocals
  • Red Lane – guitar
  • Mike Leech – bass
  • Don Markham – saxophone, trumpet
  • Grady Martin – guitar
  • Clint Strong – guitar
  • Bobby Wayne – guitar
  • Mark Yeary – keyboards

References

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  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
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