Midnight Special is the fifth studio album by Uncle Kracker, released on November 20, 2012, under Sugar Hill Records. It his first full-length country album and his first not to involve Kid Rock in any capacity.
| Midnight Special | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | November 20, 2012 | |||
| Recorded | July–November 2012 | |||
| Genre | Country | |||
| Length | 39:12 | |||
| Label | Sugar Hill Records | |||
| Producer | Keith Stegall | |||
| Uncle Kracker chronology | ||||
| ||||
| Singles from Midnight Special | ||||
| ||||
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| Allmusic |   [1] |
| Roughstock | [2] |
Track listing
edit| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "You Got That Thang" | J. T. Harding, Matthew Shafer | 3:49 |
| 2. | "I'd Be There" | Harding, Shafer | 3:12 |
| 3. | "Four Letter Word" | Shafer | 3:39 |
| 4. | "Blue Skies" | Shafer, Scooter Carusoe | 3:45 |
| 5. | "When I Close My Eyes" | Shafer | 4:01 |
| 6. | "In Between Disasters" | Harding, Shafer, Trevor Rosen, Shane McAnally | 3:29 |
| 7. | "Happy" | Harding, Shafer | 3:33 |
| 8. | "Nobody's Sad on a Saturday Night" | Harding, Shafer | 3:18 |
| 9. | "Nuthin' Changes" | Harding, Shafer | 3:45 |
| 10. | "Who We Are" | Shafer | 3:13 |
| 11. | "It Is What It Is" | Harding, Shafer | 3:35 |
| Total length: | 39:12 | ||
Personnel
edit- Robert Bailey Jr. - background vocals
- Mark Beckett - drums
- Tom Bukovac - electric guitar
- John Catchings - cello
- Mark Douthit - saxophone
- Dan Dugmore - slide guitar
- Nick Garvin - background vocals
- Vicki Hampton - background vocals
- J. T. Harding - background vocals
- Mike Haynes - trumpet
- Uncle Kracker - lead vocals
- Randy McCormick - Hammond B-3 organ, keyboards, piano, Wurlitzer
- Brent Mason - acoustic guitar, electric guitar, slide guitar
- Gary Prim - accordion, Hammond B-3 organ, keyboards, piano, Wurlitzer
- John Wesley Ryles - background vocals
- Bobby Terry - acoustic guitar, electric guitar
- Michael White - background vocals
- Justin Wilson - background vocals
- Glenn Worf - bass guitar
- Joe Geis - album art
Reception
editCritical reception
editReception of the album has been mostly mixed to positive. Allmusic described the album as "a sunny, laid-back ride, a record made for lazy afternoons of day drinking."[1] Roughstock gave the album 4/5 stars and stated "It'd be easy to dismiss Uncle Kracker's first full-length country album as yet another attempt by a pop/rock has-been trying to cash in on mainstream country music's popularity." They also added that Uncle Kracker's transition to Country felt like "A natural one."[2] In a mixed review, Country Weekly noted Uncle Kracker "seeks to have him ingrained further in the genre, despite no hint of country instrumentation." On a more positive note, they added the album is "like tuning in to 1970s AM radio, full of sunny melodies and smooth grooves."[3]
Chart performance
editAlbum
edit| Chart (2012) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| US Top Country Albums (Billboard)[4] | 33 |
| US Independent Albums (Billboard)[5] | 16 |
Singles
edit| Year | Single | Peak chart positions | |
|---|---|---|---|
| US Country [6] |
US Country Airplay [7] | ||
| 2012 | "Nobody's Sad on a Saturday Night" | 42 | 43 |
| 2013 | "Blue Skies" | — | 47 |
| "—" denotes releases that did not chart | |||
References
edit- ^ a b Erlewine, Stephen Thomas. "Midnight Special review". Allmusic. Retrieved December 22, 2013.
- ^ a b Bjorke, Matt (November 20, 2012). "Album Review: Uncle Kracker - "Midnight Special"". Roughstock. Archived from the original on September 26, 2013. Retrieved December 22, 2013.
- ^ Hudak, Joseph (November 20, 2012). ""Midnight Special" by Uncle Kracker". Country Weekly. Retrieved December 22, 2013.
- ^ "Uncle Kracker Chart History (Top Country Albums)". Billboard.
- ^ "Uncle Kracker Chart History (Independent Albums)". Billboard.
- ^ "Uncle Kracker Album & Song Chart History - Country Songs". Billboard. Prometheus Global Media. Retrieved December 22, 2013.
- ^ "Uncle Kracker Album & Song Chart History - Country Airplay". Billboard. Prometheus Global Media. Retrieved December 22, 2013.