Troubadour (George Strait album)

Troubadour
Studio album by George Strait
Released	April 1, 2008
Recorded	2007–2008
Genre	Country
Length	36:09
Label	MCA Nashville
Producer	Tony Brown George Strait
George Strait chronology
22 More Hits (2007) Troubadour (2008) Classic Christmas (2008)
Singles from Troubadour
"I Saw God Today" Released: February 4, 2008 "Troubadour" Released: June 2, 2008 "River of Love" Released: November 17, 2008

Troubadour is the twenty-fifth studio album by American country music singer George Strait. It was released on April 1, 2008 (see 2008 in country music) on MCA Nashville Records. The album comprises twelve tracks, including two duets. The lead-off single, "I Saw God Today", was the highest-debuting single of Strait's career, and his forty-third Number One on the Billboard country charts. The album has been certified platinum by the RIAA.^[1] At the 51st Grammy Awards, Troubadour earned the Grammy Award for Best Country Album, the first Grammy win of Strait's career. The album was intended to include the song "Everybody Wants to Go to Heaven", but after Strait decided not to include it on the album, it was later recorded by Kenny Chesney, and was released as the first single from his album Lucky Old Sun.

Singles

"I Saw God Today", the lead-off single, debuted at #19 on the Billboard, Hot Country Songs chart, giving Strait the highest chart debut of his career. This song went on to become his 43rd Billboard Number One, and his 56th on all trade charts, setting a new record for most Number One singles. The album's title track was released in June 2008 as its second single, and peaked at #7 on the country charts. Following it was "River of Love", which debuted at #45 in November 2008, and reached #1 in April 2009.

Critical reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
Source	Rating
411Mania	(8.5/10)[2]
About.com	[3]
Allmusic	[4]
The Austin Chronicle	[5]
Entertainment Weekly	B+[6]
The Music Box	[7]
Paste	(favorable)[8]
PopMatters	[9]
Robert Christgau	[10]
Rolling Stone	[11]
Slant	[12]
Engine 145	[13]

Rhapsody (online music service) ranked the album #4 on its "Country's Best Albums of the Decade" list.^[14] "With a career that includes an awe-inspiring 50-plus No. 1 hits, plenty of George Strait's releases could have a spot on this list, but Troubadour feels like the best fit. From the Caribbean lilt of "River of Love" to the reverential "I Saw God Today" to the honky-tonkin' trucking song "Brothers of the Highway" to the carefree Western swing of "West Texas Town", Strait runs the gamut of sounds and emotions, and aces them all. One of the few artists who can achieve commercial success without courting it, Strait remains true to the honky-tonk-inspired sound he started out with decades ago."

Track listing

1. "Troubadour" (Leslie Satcher, Monty Holmes) – 2:56
2. "It Was Me" (Buddy Cannon, Randy Hardison) – 3:09
3. "Brothers of the Highway" (Doug Johnson, Kim Williams, Nicole Witt) – 2:42
4. "River of Love" (Billy Burnette, Dennis Morgan, Shawn Camp) – 3:15
5. "House of Cash" (Satcher, Holmes) – 3:35
   • duet with Patty Loveless
6. "I Saw God Today" (Rodney Clawson, Wade Kirby, Monty Criswell) – 3:22
7. "Give Me More Time" (Al Anderson, Dean Dillon, Scotty Emerick) – 3:30
8. "When You're in Love" (Dillon, Kerry Kurt Phillips) – 2:49
9. "Make Her Fall in Love with Me Song" (Satcher, Anderson) – 2:25
10. "West Texas Town" (Dillon, Robert Earl Keen) – 2:03
    • duet with Dean Dillon
11. "House with No Doors" (Kate Coppola, Kacey Coppola, Jamey Johnson) – 3:44
12. "If Heartaches Were Horses" (Buddy Brock, Wil Nance, Dillon) – 2:42

Personnel

• Eddie Bayers – drums
• Billy Burnette – background vocals
• Shawn Camp – background vocals
• Dean Dillon – duet vocals on "West Texas Town"
• Stuart Duncan – fiddle, mandolin
• Thom Flora – background vocals
• Paul Franklin – pedal steel guitar
• Steve Gibson – acoustic guitar, electric guitar, gut string guitar
• Vince Gill – background vocals
• Wes Hightower – background vocals
• Patty Loveless – duet vocals on "House of Cash"
• Mac McAnally – acoustic guitar
• Brent Mason – electric guitar
• Dennis Morgan – background vocals
• Steve Nathan – Hammond organ, piano, synthesizer
• Matt Rollings – Hammond organ, piano, Wurlitzer
• Marty Slayton – background vocals
• George Strait – lead vocals
• Glenn Worf – bass guitar

Chart positions

Chart (2008)	Peak position
U.S. Top Country Albums	1
U.S. Billboard 200[15]	1
Canadian Albums Chart	13

References

1. "News : George Strait's Troubadour Certified Platinum". CMT. 2009-06-04. Retrieved 2012-03-12.
2. "411MANIA -".
3. "George Strait – 'Troubadour'".
4. Allmusic review
5. "George Strait".
6. "Troubadour - EW.com".
7. Metzger, John. "George Strait – Troubadour (Album Review)".
8. "George Strait – Troubadour CD Album".
9. "George Strait: Troubadour".
10. "Robert Christgau: CG: george strait".
11. Rolling Stone review at the Wayback Machine (archived April 21, 2008)
12. Slant review
13. "Engine 145 review".
14. "Country’s Best Albums of the Decade" Retrieved 12 January 2010.
15. Hasty, Katy (2008-04-09). "Strait Speeds Past R.E.M. To Debut At No. 1". Billboard magazine. Retrieved 2008-04-09.