Living with the Law (album)

Living with the Law
Studio album by
Chris Whitley
Released1991
Recorded1990
StudioKingsway
GenreRock
Length47:02
LabelColumbia
ProducerMalcolm Burn
Chris Whitley chronology
Living with the Law
(1991) 		Din of Ecstasy
(1995)

Living with the Law is the debut album by singer-songwriter and guitarist Chris Whitley, released in 1991.[1][2] "Living with the Law", "Big Sky Country", and "Poison Girl" were released as singles.

Malcolm Burn produced, mixed, and played on the album. It was recorded by Burn and Mark Howard at Kingsway Studio (Daniel Lanois's home) in New Orleans.

Critical reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[3]
Robert Christgau(neither)[4]
Entertainment WeeklyB+[5]
The Rolling Stone Album Guide[6]

The Boston Globe opined that Whitley's "unusual bent-note singing and spare but deeply affecting lyrics mark him as a true discovery."[7] The New York Times wrote that the album "is about dust, danger, two-lane roads and barren landscapes; it's about running and feeling like an outlaw, not so much in the literal as in the emotional sense of being detached and therefore free, of being at home on the outskirts of right and wrong."[8] Living with the Law was named ninth best album of 1991 in the Pazz & Jop critics poll. It is listed in Tom Moon's 2008 book, 1,000 Recordings to Hear Before You Die.

Whitley himself later dismissed his first album as "too polished".[9]

Track listing

All tracks written by Chris Whitley.

  1. "Excerpt" – 0:17
  2. "Living with the Law" – 3:42
  3. "Big Sky Country" – 4:45
  4. "Kick the Stones" – 4:12
  5. "Make the Dirt Stick" – 3:33
  6. "Poison Girl" – 3:27
  7. "Dust Radio" – 5:08
  8. "Phone Call from Leavenworth" – 4:47
  9. "I Forget You Every Day" – 4:33
  10. "Long Way Around" – 4:27
  11. "Look What Love Has Done" – 3:23
  12. "Bordertown" – 4:30
  13. "[unnamed]" – 0:18

Personnel

Additional personnel

  • Peter Conway – harmonica (4)
  • Alan Gevaert – bass (5)
  • Daniel Lanois – guitar (6)
  • Deni Bonet – viola on (6)
  • Dan Whitley – guitar on (10)

Charts

Chart performance for Living with the Law
Chart (1991) Peak
position
Australian Albums (ARIA)[10] 109

References

  1. ^ Smith, Mat (July 20, 1991). "Living with the Law by Chris Whitley". Melody Maker. Vol. 67, no. 29. p. 35.
  2. ^ Tearson, Michael (November 1991). "Rock/Pop Recordings — Living with the Law by Chris Whitley". Audio. Vol. 75, no. 11. p. 98.
  3. ^ Griffith, JT. "Living with the Law". AllMusic. Retrieved August 3, 2017.
  4. ^ Christgau, Robert. "Chris Whitley". Robert Christgau.
  5. ^ DiMartino, Dave (September 2, 1991). "Living with the Law". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved August 3, 2017.
  6. ^ DeCurtis, Anthony; Henke, James; George-Warren, Holly (1992). The Rolling Stone Album Guide: Completely New Reviews: Every Essential Album, Every Essential Artist. Random House. p. 762. ISBN 9780679737292.
  7. ^ Morse, Steve (July 11, 1991). "Chris Whitley Living with the Law". Recordings. The Boston Globe.
  8. ^ Schoemer, Karen (July 14, 1991). "Of Empty Skies, Small Towns and Two-Lane Roads". The New York Times. p. A23.
  9. ^ Rees, Paul (August 31, 2018). "Fallen Angel: The Life And Death Of Chris Whitley". Louder Sound. Retrieved September 3, 2024.
  10. ^ "Bubbling Down Under Week Commencing April 6, 1992". Bubbling Down Under. Retrieved May 4, 2023.