Lonely Just Like Me is the third studio album by the American musician Arthur Alexander, released in 1993.[1][2] It was Alexander's first album in 21 years.[3] He died shortly after its release.[4][5] Alexander considered the music to be "country soul".[6]
| Lonely Just Like Me | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | 1993 | |||
| Genre | Soul, country soul | |||
| Label | Elektra/Nonesuch | |||
| Producer | Ben Vaughn, Thomas Cain | |||
| Arthur Alexander chronology | ||||
| ||||
The album was reissued in 2007, with additional tracks that had been recorded for NPR.[7]
Production
editThe album was produced by Ben Vaughn and Thomas Cain, as part of Elektra/Nonesuch's "American Explorer" album series.[8][9] Some songs were demoed in a hotel room in Cleveland; Alexander had been working as a bus driver in the city.[10] Donnie Fritts, who had worked with Alexander during his Muscle Shoals days, cowrote a few songs; Muscle Shoals alumni Spooner Oldham and Dan Penn played on the album.[11][12] It was recorded in Nashville.[13]
Critical reception
edit| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [8] |
| Chicago Tribune |  [14] |
| The Encyclopedia of Popular Music | [3] |
| MusicHound R&B: The Essential Album Guide | [9] |
| Orlando Sentinel | [11] |
| (The New) Rolling Stone Album Guide | [15] |
| Vancouver Sun | [16] |
The Chicago Tribune called the album "one of the finest examples of [the country soul] sound to appear since the Muscle Shoals heyday."[14] The Orlando Sentinel wrote: "On the heartbroken yet resilient 'All the Time', Alexander makes 'do-doodaly-doo' sound like the saddest syllables in the world—next to his words: 'If they took apart my heart/ just to see what they could see/ well they'd see misery/ where you keep hurting me'."[11] The Globe and Mail deemed it "a wistful, graceful take on classic soul that shows off Alexander's skills both as a songwriter and as a singer."[17] The Los Angeles Times noted that "his voice isn't always as taut as when he was younger but it still carries the uncommon sense of melancholy that characterized his early records."[18]
(The New) Rolling Stone Album Guide praised the "surprisingly emotional new material."[15]
Track listing
edit| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "If It's Really Got to Be This Way" | |
| 2. | "Go Home Girl" | |
| 3. | "Sally Sue Brown" | |
| 4. | "Mr. John" | |
| 5. | "Lonely Just Like Me" | |
| 6. | "Every Day I Have to Cry" | |
| 7. | "In the Middle of It All" | |
| 8. | "Genie in the Jug" | |
| 9. | "Johnny Heartbreak" | |
| 10. | "All the Time" | |
| 11. | "There is a Road" | |
| 12. | "I Believe in Miracles" |
References
edit- ^ "Arthur Alexander Biography". AllMusic.
- ^ "Why don't we know Arthur Alexander as well as we know his songs?". Goldmine. Retrieved 3 August 2021.
- ^ a b Larkin, Colin (2006). The Encyclopedia of Popular Music. Vol. 1. MUZE. p. 104.
- ^ "Farewell, King Arthur: A Final Chord for the Man Who Wrote the Songs". The Buffalo News.
- ^ "Arthur Alexander, Singer, Dies at 53; Influence on Rock". The New York Times. Retrieved 3 August 2021.
- ^ Moon, Tom (9 May 1993). "Bus-driving soul pioneer gets his act back into gear". The Philadelphia Inquirer. p. M1.
- ^ "Lonely Just Like Me: The Final Chapter". Record Collector.
- ^ a b "Lonely Just Like Me". AllMusic.
- ^ a b MusicHound R&B: The Essential Album Guide. Visible Ink Press. 1998. p. 10.
- ^ "Arthur Alexander: Lonely Just Like Me: The Final Chapter Album Review". The Austin Chronicle.
- ^ a b c Gettelman, Parry. "Arthur Alexander". Orlando Sentinel.
- ^ Foege, Alec (Aug 1993). "Alabama Getaway". Spin. Vol. 9, no. 5. p. 26.
- ^ Guralnick, Peter (2014). Sweet Soul Music (Enhanced Edition): Rhythm and Blues and the Southern Dream of Freedom. Little, Brown.
- ^ a b Heim, Chris. "Arthur Alexander Lonely Just Like Me". Chicago Tribune.
- ^ a b (The New) Rolling Stone Album Guide. Simon & Schuster. 2004. p. 11.
- ^ Mackie, John (20 May 1993). "Soul: Arthur Alexander: Lonely Just Like Me". Vancouver Sun. p. F10.
- ^ Dafoe, Chris (3 Aug 1993). "Lonely Just Like Me Arthur Alexander". The Globe and Mail. p. C2.
- ^ Lewis, Randy (15 Apr 1993). "Arthur Alexander 'Lonely Just Like Me'". OC Live. Los Angeles Times. p. 5.