High Top Mountain
2013 studio album by Sturgill Simpson
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High Top Mountain is the debut studio album by American country music singer-songwriter Sturgill Simpson. The album was produced by Dave Cobb and was released on June 11, 2013. Simpson self-funded the album.[2] The record is named after a cemetery near Jackson, Kentucky where many of his family are buried.[3]
- Falling Arms (Nashville, Tennessee)
- Hillbilly Central (Nashville, Tennessee)
| High Top Mountain | ||||
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| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | June 11, 2013 | |||
| Recorded | 2012–13 | |||
| Studio |
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| Genre | ||||
| Length | 37:33 | |||
| Label |
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| Producer | Dave Cobb | |||
| Sturgill Simpson chronology | ||||
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| Singles from High Top Mountain | ||||
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Reception
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |    [4] |
| Record Collector | [5] |
Stephen Thomas Erlewine of AllMusic rated High Top Mountain 3 1/2 stars out of 5, comparing its sound favorably to Waylon Jennings.[4] Erik Ernst of the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel also compared it to Jennings, saying that it had "rich vintage sounds, heartbreaking ballads and juke-joint ramblers".[6] Record Collector's Terry Staunton called the record "an absolute stormer of a first album" and "an utterly delightful collection of uncompromising hard country".[5]
Track listing
All tracks are written by Sturgill Simpson, except where noted.
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Life Ain't Fair and the World Is Mean" | 2:06 | |
| 2. | "Railroad of Sin" | 2:04 | |
| 3. | "Water in a Well" | 3:18 | |
| 4. | "Sitting Here Without You" | 2:10 | |
| 5. | "The Storm" | 4:02 | |
| 6. | "You Can Have the Crown" | 2:50 | |
| 7. | "Time After All" | 2:37 | |
| 8. | "Hero" | 4:02 | |
| 9. | "Some Days" | 3:30 | |
| 10. | "Old King Coal" | 3:07 | |
| 11. | "Poor Rambler" | 3:45 | |
| 12. | "I'd Have to Be Crazy" | Steven Fromholz | 4:02 |
| Total length: | 37:33 | ||
Chart performance
The album did not receive much attention on its release and debuted at No. 47 on the Top Country Albums chart.[7] It re-entered the chart after the release of Simpson's second album Metamodern Sounds in Country Music, eventually reaching No. 31 on Top Country Albums for the chart dated November 8, 2014.[8] The album has sold 105,600 copies in the United States as of January 2017.[9]
| Chart (2013) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| US Top Country Albums (Billboard)[10] | 31 |
| ERROR in "BillboardHeatseekers": Invalid position: 11[11]. Expected number 1–200 or dash (–). |
Personnel
Musicians and contributors
- Sturgill Simpson - vocals, acoustic guitar, Telecaster
- Hargus "Pig" Robbins - piano
- Chris Powell - drums
- Robby Turner - steel guitar, bass (tracks 1, 2, 3, 5, 7, 8, 10)
- Brian "Freedom Eagle Bear" Allen - bass (tracks 4, 6, 9, 11, 12)
- Bobby "Diamond Bob" Emmett - organ, Mellotron
- Leroy Powell - steel guitar (tracks 6, 9), backing vocals (track 6)
- Dave Cobb - 12 string electric guitar (track 7)
Technical personnel
- Produced by Dave Cobb
- Engineered by Vance Powell
- Assistant Engineered by Jason Mott
- Mixed by Vance Powell at Sputnik Sound - Nashville, TN
- Mastering by Richard Dodd