Alison Krauss and “Windy City” Hit #1 on the Country Albums Chart
Nobody likes old country songs anymore they tell us, but somehow an album full of them from an artist who hasn’t seen radio play in years has topped the charts this week. Windy City from Alison Krauss comes in at #1 on the Billboard Country Albums chart for the week ending February 23rd, and also comes in at #1 on the Bluegrass Album Chart, #2 on the Americana chart right behind Ryan Adams’ Prisoner, and #5 on the all-genre Billboard 200.
This is all pretty remarkable for an album of previously-released material. Covering songs from Willie Nelson, Roger Miller, Brenda Lee and others, and featuring well-known compositions like Glen Campbell’s “Gentle On My Mind” (written by John Hartford), Windy City is classic country compositions done anew with special care, selected by Krauss and producer Buddy Cannon who helmed the Capitol Records project.
This is first solo album from Alison Krauss not showcasing her usual backing band of Union Station since 1999’s Forget About It. The 27-time Grammy winner is respected all across the music landscape, from her native origins in bluegrass, all the way to winning the Grammy for Album of the Year in 2007 for her collaboration with Robert Plant Raising Sand. Windy City isn’t a strictly bluegrass album, but an album that shows a diverse amount of influences, grounded in classic country.
“On this album, I wanted to sing songs that are older than I am,” Krauss says. “There’s a real romance in singing other people’s stories.”
Windy City sold 36,000 copies, and earned 2,000 additional equivalent album sales through streaming data to earn the #1. It is Alison’s second #1 album. Her first was 2011’s Paper Airplane.
Sadie
February 28, 2017 @ 1:11 pm
Liked the album but Man these album numbers are crazy low now a days!
hoptowntiger94@gmail
February 28, 2017 @ 1:13 pm
36,000 – half the capacity of an NFL stadium; you couldn’t fill an NFL stadium with all the people who bough this album last week.
But, the formula worked even in a water-downed numbers game.
But is it good? And why do we rip Keith Urban for beating the system and not Krauss? Like Urban who abandoned his “country roots” for the greener pop pastures (and a slew of other artists), Krauss hasn’t been bluegrass or country for years (I’d argue a decade). She been pandering to the Adult Contemporary audience for years because it’s easy. It’s easy to cover songs (than write new ones) and it’s easy to not be too county or too bluegrass and play it safe in the middle. And this project is boringly safe in the middle.
Because she is an institution, there is a double standard; she has more talent in her pinky than most do in their whole body. But, she hasn’t been relevant since New Favorite and the O’Brother craze.
This is a win for The Formula, but not the genre. No one will remember this album in two years.
Eduardo Vargas
February 28, 2017 @ 1:49 pm
“no one will remember this album in two years” –
Sorry, their is so much I disagree with what you just said (go listen to Paper Airplane, released in 2011 if you think she isn’t bluegrass), but that phrase is just over the top preposterous.
hoptowntiger94
February 28, 2017 @ 3:30 pm
In my opinion, both Paper Airplane and Lonely Runs Both Ways were Adult Contemporary albums (not bluegrass).
AllMusic review of Lonely Runs Both Ways: “While they have in some part grown away from their earthy, rollicking bluegrass roots, they’ve been able to craft a really polished and honest-sounding brand of mid-American adult contemporary…” That was in 2004. She was “NPR Country” before there was such as thing.
Honestly, take any track from these albums or the new one and tell me if they would fit better on a format that plays Adele, James Blunt, and Train or on a station that plays Ralph Stanley, Grand Pa’s Cough Medicine ad Rhonda Vincent.
Big Red
March 1, 2017 @ 6:51 am
I’ll accept your challenge.
From Lonely Runs Both Ways: 2006 Grammy Best Country Instrumental Performance winner “Unionhouse Branch” (with some fine fiddlin’ by Ms. Krauss herself), “My Poor Old Heart”, and “Pastures of Plenty”.
From Paper Airplane: “My Love Follows You Wherever You Go”, “Miles To Go”, and “Dust Bowl Children”.
Let’s also recognize that she was, at one time, contractually obligated to release solo albums between albums with Union Station. And those solo releases have tended to be less bluegrass and more country and adult contemporary. Heck, arguably her biggest hit – “When You Say Nothing At All” – was #3 on the country charts and won Single of the Year at the CMAs. But, is it distinctly country? No, besides some decent mandolin playing from Adam Steffey.
Look, I’ll grant the AKUS has had elements of adult contemporary – but it hasn’t just been since LRBW. Check out “I Can Let Go Now” or “It Doesn’t Matter” from 1997’s So Long, So Wrong. That slower melodic sound has been a part of their sound for 20 years and, I’d argue, works well with her voice. It’s also a nice compliment to Dan Tymenski’s vocals on some of the more upbeat tracks.
Gabe
February 28, 2017 @ 3:03 pm
But, she hasn’t been relevant since New Favorite and the O’Brother craze….
I’ll take her irrelevance any day if she keeps offering gems like this over what country radio would rather have us offers
Big Red
March 1, 2017 @ 7:19 am
I’ve gotta disagree with this notion that Alison Krauss has been irrelevant since O Brother. Since New Favorite, she, with and without Union Station, has had five Top 10 albums on the all genre chart, including two #1s on the country album chart and four #1s on the bluegrass album chart.
Not counting the New Favorite album cycle (which itself won two Grammys), Ms. Krauss has won 14 Grammys, including twice for Country Instrumental Performance for two very bluegrass based songs. She’s also won 4 CMAs, 2 ACMs, 2 IBMAs, among other awards.
And all of that is with an average of 3 years between album releases.
Obviously, she has had little, if any, radio airplay. But, really, I don’t think any of us need to argue the importance (or lack thereof) of that radio airplay.
To say that Alison Krauss has been irrelevant since 2001 is ridiculous.
albert
February 28, 2017 @ 4:16 pm
The low numbers jumped out at me too , Hoptown . Astounding , really . Loretta was probably selling more from the trunk of her car way back when . I suppose if this thing catches fire it could snowball like Traveller and others but artists selling numbers like this would have been dropped from a label roster in a heartbeat 20 years ago . I mean , if you included a pair of 99cent socks with every album it seems to me that just about anyone could sell these numbers .
I commented on the record several posts back . Alison’s voice is worth the price of admission here ( if you are a fan at all ) and although its arguably country to the core , it seems unfocused and uninspiring musically to my ear . Martina McBride took a shot at this kind of homage several years back and it seemed to have much more life and creativity , as I recall . Don’t misunderstand , I love that these artists keep the traditions alive and can be inspirational to younger writers/artists but there are so many undiscovered songs and so many more creative ways to do it while respecting traditions that I’m scratching my head wondering why the artist in Alison didn’t seem to show up on this set .
Trigger
February 28, 2017 @ 9:33 pm
It really doesn’t matter what the numbers are at this point. The fact is that her album went up against every other album in the country music industry and sold more. And now that streaming equivalents are included in the albums charts, it is even more fair and indicative of public appeal. Are they low? Sure they are. But they’re still higher than everyone else’s. That’s why these things are measured, and that’s why they still matter.
This is not a bluegrass album, but this is also not some sort of pandering album in my opinion. One reason I haven’t reviewed it yet is because it’s hard to review albums of previously-released material, and we’ve been getting a lot of them lately. But I’ve listened to the album and think it’s really well done. I’m sure she’ll do a more original, and a more bluegrass album in the future. It is what it is.
albert
March 1, 2017 @ 2:10 am
”…..it is even more fair and indicative of public appeal.”
You are absolutely right , Trigger. It is indeed proof that listeners will respond to things that radio doesn’t seem to think they will . There IS a market for the real deal and if it was given the support that the pop music is given on ‘country’ radio , who knows what the limits of that support could grow to ( Stapleton , Kacey Musgraves ).
Toby in AK
March 2, 2017 @ 5:11 pm
I thought the album was completely forgettable… listened to it once and felt nothing. To each his own though.
Eduardo Vargas
February 28, 2017 @ 1:46 pm
I have this album in vinyl-
Truly great- will be one of the best albums of the year in my opinion.
TwangBob
March 1, 2017 @ 6:54 am
One of the best albums of the year, absolutely Yes! I’ve listened to the album (CD) in my truck all week. I think this is Grammy material (for next year, of course). I also recommend the Target exclusive deluxe version which has two more tracks than the Amazon deluxe version. Alison Krauss is an amazing vocalist and fiddler.
Gena R.
February 28, 2017 @ 1:55 pm
I prefer her work with Union Station, but still, yay! 🙂 Love her voice, especially on “Losing You” and “You Don’t Know Me.”
Biscuit
February 28, 2017 @ 2:23 pm
I was skeptical about this album upon initial reviews and ended up picking it up at Cracker Barrel because they have a bonus song edition that has a song with Krauss/Jamey Johnson. (I was there to get the “new” George Jones). The production is good, very 60s countrypolitan and she is in good vocal form, although I read she had aome vocal challenges during the sessions. There are a few slow spots but overall, a good effort that will appeal to that Grammy sweet spot I suspect in 2018.
DimM
February 28, 2017 @ 2:26 pm
I miss Jerry Douglas’ dobro.
Charlie
March 1, 2017 @ 7:48 am
No JD? Hmmm. It goes from a ‘buy sound unheard’, to a ‘listen first, buy later’ approach, then.
I guess it would bring too much of an AKUS feel, but still . . .I don’t see myself getting sick of hearing it any time soon.
Brett
February 28, 2017 @ 3:08 pm
Very deserving accolade for Alison. I streamed the album last night and is a very easy listen, very enjoyable. This is coming from a guy with few female voices in my collection, but i make an exception for this angelic voice. Great takes on these classics.
Emmyloufan
March 1, 2017 @ 8:15 am
It was apparent, to me at least, that AK really loved the original versions of those songs. She still has that amazing voice and overall the cd was very reverential in its approach to the songs. But find and listen to Brenda Lee singing All Alone Am i and Losing You. Yes, her voice is quite different than AK’s but it contains so much more pure emotion and heartbreak. And yes, the arrangements and background singing do sound old. But to me, Windy City just sounds a bit sterile. I have not bought it yet, but probably will.
Razor X
March 1, 2017 @ 9:33 am
I’ve often been underwhelmed by a lot of Alison’s musical choices, but this is a wonderful album from start to finish.
mphopkins99
March 3, 2017 @ 6:24 am
I’d listen to her sing the phone book. Loving this record, regardless of how its classified.