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Semi Crazy

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1996 studio album by Junior Brown
Semi Crazy
Studio album by Junior Brown
Released1996
GenreCountry, rock and roll
LabelMCG/Curb
ProducerJunior Brown
Junior Brown chronology
Junior High EP
(1995) 		Semi Crazy
(1996) 		Long Walk Back
(1998)

Semi Crazy is an album by the American musician Junior Brown, released in 1996. It contains the crossover hit "Surf Medley", featuring three popular surf rock songs.

The album peaked at No. 32 on Billboard's Top Country Albums chart. Brown supported Semi Crazy by touring with the Mavericks. Its first single was "Venom Wearing Denim".

Production

The album was produced by Brown. "Semi-Crazy" is a duet with Red Simpson. "Hong Kong Blues" was written by Hoagy Carmichael. Brown's intention was to craft a mainstream album; he did not want to be considered a revivalist/traditionalist or an outsider artist.

Critical reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic
The Austin Chronicle
Robert Christgau(2-star Honorable Mention)(2-star Honorable Mention)
Entertainment WeeklyA−
The Indianapolis Star
Los Angeles Times
Orlando Sentinel
Rolling Stone

Robert Christgau deemed the album "the essence of Western swing—jazzy picking, lousy singing, and a light heart." Entertainment Weekly wrote: "A virtuoso picker (guitar freaks will appreciate the jaw-dropping pyrotechnics of 'I Hung It Up', and his definitive 'Surf Medley'), Brown’s a casually irreverent humorist to boot." Rolling Stone thought that Brown "straddles the fence between Nashville airplay and Texas grit" on "Gotta Get Up Every Morning" and "Surf Medley". The Orlando Sentinel determined that the album "is chock full of the kind of catchy, clever, instantly memorable songs that used to be a staple of country radio."

Texas Monthly called "Semi-Crazy" "the first decent truckin’ song in more than a decade." The Chicago Reader stated that "while Brown and his band may look like Republican staffers, his witty, jaunty music is anything but conservative." The Los Angeles Times concluded that "by stretching stories of wayward lovers almost beyond believability—as Hank Williams himself often did—Brown magnifies and clarifies the very real emotions underlying them." The Indianapolis Star considered the album to be "a masterpiece" and "a collection of Ernest Tubb-meets-Jimi Hendrix country music."

AllMusic wrote that Brown's "clever lyrics, Ernest Tubb-like voice, and virtuoso guitar playing ... are once again intact and on the mark."

Track listing

All tracks written by Junior Brown except where noted.

  1. "Gotta Get Up Every Morning" – 1:58
  2. "Darlin' I'll Do Anything You Say" – 2:49
  3. "I Hung It Up" – 3:33
  4. "I Want to Hear It from You" (Fred Carter Jr.) – 3:11
  5. "Semi-Crazy" (Junior Brown, Ron Avis) – 3:23
  6. "Hong Kong Blues" (Hoagy Carmichael) – 3:32
  7. "Venom Wearing Denim" – 2:38
  8. "Parole Board" – 3:40
  9. "Joe the Singing Janitor" – 3:18
  10. "Surf Medley" – 7:08

Musicians

  • Junior Brown – vocals, guitar, steel guitar
  • Tanya Rae Brown – rhythm guitar, harmony vocals
  • Steve Lane – bass, harmony vocals
  • Tommy Lewis – drums
  • Danny Levin – piano on tracks 3, 4, 5, 6, 8, and 9
  • Red Simpson – vocals on track 5

References

  1. "Junior Brown". Trouser Press. Retrieved 16 December 2021.
  2. "Junior Brown Biography, Songs, & Albums". AllMusic.
  3. Buja, Ben (July 5, 1996). "Semi Crazy". Washington City Paper.
  4. "Junior Brown". Billboard.
  5. MacLaughlin, John P. (11 Sep 1996). "Junior Brown one of a kind". The Province. p. B5.
  6. Shuster, Fred (31 May 1996). "COUNTRY MUSIC'S NEW TRAILBLAZERS: MAVERICKS, JUNIOR BROWN EXPAND HORIZONS IN NASHVILLE". Los Angeles Daily News. p. L20.
  7. Verna, Paul (Jun 8, 1996). "Semi Crazy". Billboard. 108 (23): 97.
  8. Ching, Barbara (July 19, 2001). "Wrong's What I Do Best: Hard Country Music and Contemporary Culture". Oxford University Press – via Google Books.
  9. Nash, Alanna (Jul 1996). "Semi-Crazy". Stereo Review. 61 (7): 84.
  10. McLeese, Don (9 May 1996). "Junior Brown: Hip Country". Austin American-Statesman. p. 36.
  11. ^ "Semi-Crazy - Junior Brown | Songs, Reviews, Credits | AllMusic" – via www.allmusic.com.
  12. "Record Reviews". www.austinchronicle.com.
  13. ^ "Robert Christgau: CG: Junior Brown". www.robertchristgau.com.
  14. ^ "Semi-Crazy". EW.com.
  15. ^ Redmond, Mike (19 May 1996). "Junior Brown 'Semi- Crazy'". The Indianapolis Star. p. I8.
  16. ^ Lewis, Randy (19 May 1996). "JUNIOR BROWN, 'Semi-Crazy'". Los Angeles Times. p. 70.
  17. ^ Gettelman, Parry (18 Oct 1996). "JUNIOR BROWN". Orlando Sentinel. Calendar. p. 6.
  18. ^ Corcoran, Michael (Jun 13, 1996). "Semi-Crazy: Junior Brown". Rolling Stone (736): 86.
  19. Patoski, Joe Nick (June 1, 1996). "Junior Achievement". Texas Monthly.
  20. Margasak, Peter (July 4, 1996). "Mavericks/Junior Brown". Chicago Reader.
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