Don't It Make You Want to Go Home?
| Don't It Make You Want to Go Home? | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | 1969 | |||
| Genre | Country soul | |||
| Label | Capitol | |||
| Producer | Joe South | |||
| Joe South chronology | ||||
| ||||
Don't It Make You Want to Go Home? is the third album by the American musician Joe South, released in 1969.[1][2] The title track and "Walk a Mile in My Shoes" were released as singles.[3] The album peaked at No. 60 on the Billboard 200.[4] It was reissued in 2004.[5]
Production
Recorded at his Atlanta home studio, the album was written and produced by South.[6][7] South's brother Tommy played drums on the tracks.[8] The title track is about suburban sprawl in the Southern United States.[9] "A Million Miles Away" is an instrumental, aside from mixed-down voices.[10]
Critical reception
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic | [10] |
| The Encyclopedia of Popular Music | [11] |
The Plain Dealer said that South "is not only original, he is versatile, swinging from a poignant 'Bittersweet' to a gospelly rousing 'Shelter'".[12] The Cincinnati Enquirer stated that South "is articulate and totally honest."[13] The Sun opined, "The hip gospel of Joe South is beautiful and South is supremely talented."[14] The Sunday Express and News praised the "perspective and honesty" of the lyrics.[15] The Detroit Free Press called South "country-soul's most inventive spokesman".[16] The Chicago Sun-Times noted that the "lyrics are rough-hewn and ... take on more life than the most artfully contrived progressive pop pretentious profundities."[17] The Philadelphia Inquirer conceded that much of the material "is rather drab, but South's refreshing style—kind of sophisticated down-home—does more for the songs than they deserve."[18] The Los Angeles Times said that "some of the music is remarkably personal and effective."[19]
Track listing
Side 1
- "Clock Up on the Wall"
- "Bittersweet"
- "Shelter"
- "What Makes Lovers Hurt One Another?"
- "Before It's Too Late"
Side 2
- "Children"
- "Walk a Mile in My Shoes"
- "Be a Believer"
- "A Million Miles Away"
- "Don't It Make You Want to Go Home"
References
- ^ Robinson, Richard (July 1970). "Platter Chatter". Hit Parader. Vol. 29, no. 72. p. 46.
- ^ The New Rolling Stone Encyclopedia of Rock & Roll. Fireside. 1995. p. 928.
- ^ Lardine, Bob (January 2, 1970). "Platter Chatter". The Rockland County Journal-News. p. 31.
- ^ Whitburn, Joel (2001). Joel Whitburn's Top Pop Albums, 1955-2001. Record Research. p. 819.
- ^ Youngblood, Wayne (March 5, 2004). "Reissues". Goldmine. Vol. 30, no. 5. p. 45.
- ^ Fiske, Charles (January 17, 1970). "Fiske's discs". Evening Chronicle. Newcastle. p. 3.
- ^ Aronoff, Herb (January 31, 1970). "Pop Music". The Gazette. Montreal. p. 40.
- ^ Fain, Nathan (April 19, 1970). "Pop". Spotlight. The Houston Post. p. 30.
- ^ Cantwell, David; Friskics-Warren, Bill (2003). Heartaches by the Number: Country Music's 500 Greatest Singles. Vanderbilt University Press. p. 74.
- ^ a b "Don't It Make You Want to Go Home Review by Richie Unterberger". AllMusic. Retrieved August 26, 2025.
- ^ Larkin, Colin (2006). The Encyclopedia of Popular Music. Vol. 7. MUZE. p. 630.
- ^ "Disc-takes". PD Action Tab. The Plain Dealer. January 7, 1970. p. 21.
- ^ Knippenberg, Jim (January 11, 1970). "Now Records". The Cincinnati Enquirer. p. 7K.
- ^ Green, Tom (January 13, 1970). "Some Tasty Items Worth a Listen or Two". The Sun. p. A7.
- ^ Duffield, Jeff (January 25, 1970). "Think and Blink at South's Music". Sunday Express and News. p. 13H.
- ^ Talbert, Bob (January 25, 1970). "Record Reviews". Detroit Free Press. p. 11D.
- ^ Rudis, Al (February 4, 1970). "Joe South's Best Album Is 'Superfine'". The Indianapolis News. Chicago Sun-Times. p. 51.
- ^ Lloyd, Jack (February 8, 1970). "Spinning the Pops". The Philadelphia Inquirer. p. 5.7.
- ^ Feather, Leonard (July 12, 1970). "Pop Album Briefs". Calendar. Los Angeles Times. p. 31.