The Name Above the Title
| The Name Above the Title | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | 1991 | |||
| Genre | Alternative rock | |||
| Length | 58:23 | |||
| Label | Sire | |||
| Producer | Andy Paley[1] | |||
| John Wesley Harding chronology | ||||
| ||||
The Name Above the Title is an album by the folk-rock singer John Wesley Harding, released in 1991.[2][3] It was his third successive Frank Capra-inspired album title, coming from the director's autobiography.[4][5]
Critical reception
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic | [4] |
| The Encyclopedia of Popular Music | [6] |
| Entertainment Weekly | C−[7] |
| MusicHound Rock: The Essential Album Guide | [8] |
| Q | [10] |
| The Rolling Stone Album Guide | [9] |
Trouser Press wrote that while Harding "brings plenty of talent and originality (especially the lyrics, which are strictly his own style) to this enjoyable and intelligent party, the frequent resemblance to Costello gives what is in fact a fine album a waxy air of familiarity."[11] The Rolling Stone Album Guide considered the album to be marred by "excessive cleverness."[9] Peter Kane in Q described the album as "light-weight Costello... There's still some way to go, but the signs are good."[10]
Track listing
All tracks composed by John Wesley Harding, except where indicated
- "Movie Theme" Performed by the Morgans Creek String Ensemble - 0:33
- "The World (And All Its Problems)" - 3:24
- "Fifty Fifty Split" - 5:22
- "The People's Drug" - 3:56
- "The Movie of Your Life" - 6:04
- "I Can Tell (When You're Telling Lies)" - 3:27
- "Bridegroom Blues" - 4:23
- "Save a Little Room for Me" - 4:06
- "Anonymous 1916" (Anonymous) - 0:58
- "The Person You Are" - 3:40
- "Long Dead Gone" - 4:26
- "The Facts of Life" (Andy Paley, Harding) - 3:15
- "Driving in the Rain" - 6:06
- "Backing Out" - 3:07
- "Crystal Blue Persuasion" (Tommy James, Mike Vale, Eddie Gray) - 5:42
Notes
- ^ Jenkins, Mark (26 April 1991). "Elvis Sighted Again on Harding Record". The Washington Post.
- ^ "John Wesley Harding by Andy Craft". Bomb.
- ^ "John Wesley Harding | Biography & History". AllMusic.
- ^ a b Mason, Stewart. The Name Above the Title at AllMusic. Retrieved September 25, 2018.
- ^ Vice, Jeff (2 June 1991). "Harding Rankles at Tour Reports, Comparisons with Band Leader". Deseret News.
- ^ Larkin, Colin (2006). The Encyclopedia of Popular Music. Vol. 4. MUZE. p. 129.
- ^ "The Name Above the Title". EW.com.
- ^ MusicHound Rock: The Essential Album Guide. Visible Ink Press. 1999. p. 526.
- ^ a b The Rolling Stone Album Guide. Random House. 1992. p. 307.
- ^ a b Kane, Peter (5 March 1991). "The Name Above the Title review". Q. Vol. 68. p. 10.
- ^ "John Wesley Harding". Trouser Press. Retrieved 12 October 2020.