Shake What God Gave Ya
| Untitled | |
|---|---|
Shake What God Gave Ya is the third studio album from American country artist James Otto. It was released in the United States on September 14, 2010 through Warner Bros. Nashville.
Background
In an interview with The Boot, Otto described his new record saying, "This is a declaration of who I am, this country-soul sound is where we're going, and if you like it, this is for you."[1] In an interview with Music Row, Otto called the content on the album "sexy, sultry, and soulful", and went on to say that "Musically I’d say I’m the love child between Ronnie Milsap and Barry White.”[2]
Reception
Critical
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| Allmusic |   [3] |
| Country Weekly |  [4] |
| Parcbench | [5] |
| Roughstock | [6] |
Stephen Thomas Erlewine called it "a fully formed, seductive country-soul record" and said it "rolls smooth and easy, locking into a cool relaxed groove early on and never leaving it."[3] Jessica Phillips with Country Weekly rated the album three-and-a-half stars out of five, saying Otto's "raw, impassioned style" brought out many soul-influenced songs, and that the album "focuses on lighthearted or romantic fare."[4]
Greg Victor with Parcbench called it "the best country-meets-soul-meets-rock-meets-blues album to hit the scene since the early days of Lyle Lovett’s Large Band, and said the album put "Otto in a class all by himself."[5] Allen Jacobs with Roughstock called the tracks on the album "smart, soulful and sexy country songs" and said the album was "nowhere near a traditional country record [but] is nonetheless a strong third album."[6]
Track listing
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Are Ya With Me" | Marv Green, James Otto, Chris Wallin | 3:21 |
| 2. | "Groovy Little Summer Song" | Al Anderson, Carson Chamberlain, Otto | 3:40 |
| 3. | "Lover Man" | Anderson, Jim Femino, Otto | 2:43 |
| 4. | "Soldiers & Jesus" | Otto, Wallin | 4:45 |
| 5. | "Love Don't Cost a Thing" | John Eddie, Otto | 4:10 |
| 6. | "Sun Comes 'Round Again" | Brice Long, Chris Stapleton | 4:22 |
| 7. | "Shake What God Gave Ya" | Otto, Monty Powell | 3:24 |
| 8. | "It's a Good Time (For a Good Time)" | Patrick Jason Matthews, Otto | 3:49 |
| 9. | "Just Like Sunshine" | Otto, Wallin | 3:33 |
| 10. | "Let's Just Let Go" | Femino, Carl Marsh, Otto, Arlos Smith | 3:43 |
| 11. | "She Comes To Me" | Marsh, Terry McBride, Stapleton | 3:58 |
| 12. | "Good Thing's Gone Bad" (featuring Ronnie Milsap) | James LeBlanc, Gary Nichols, Jon Nicholson, Otto | 4:19 |
Personnel
- Al Anderson- electric guitar, soloist
- David Angell- violin
- Monisa Angell- viola
- Jim "Moose" Brown- Hammond B-3 organ, piano, synthesizer
- Tyler Cain- acoustic guitar, electric guitar
- Chad Cromwell- drums
- David Davidson- violin
- Glen Duncan- mandolin
- Jim Grosjean- viola
- Tommy Harden- drums, percussion
- Doug Kahan- bass guitar
- Anthony LaMarchina- cello
- Troy Lancaster- electric guitar, soloist
- Shannon Lawson- background vocals
- Carl Marsh- string arrangements
- Rob McNelley- electric guitar, soloist
- Justin Meeks- drums, percussion
- Ronnie Milsap- vocals on "Good Thing's Gone Bad"
- Sacha Ostrovska- dobro
- James Otto- electric guitar, soloist, lead vocals
- Alison Prestwood- bass guitar
- Sari Reist- cello
- Michael Rhodes- bass guitar
- Mike Rojas- accordion, Hammond B-3 organ, piano, Wurlitzer
- Steve Sheehan- acoustic guitar
- Adam Shoenfeld- electric guitar
- Pam Sixfin- violin
- Chris Stapleton- background vocals
- Russell Terrell- background vocals
- Ilya Toshinsky- banjo
- Mary Kathryn Van Osdale- violin
- Biff Watson- acoustic guitar
- Kyle Whalum- bass guitar
- Shannon Wickline- Hammond B-3 organ, piano, synthesizer
- Karen Winkleman- string contractor, violin
- Paul Worley- electric guitar
Chart performance
Album
| Chart (2010) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| U.S. Billboard Top Country Albums | 10 |
| U.S. Billboard 200 | 63 |
Singles
| Year | Single | Peak chart positions |
|---|---|---|
| US Country | ||
| 2010 | "Groovy Little Summer Song" | 26 |
| "Soldiers & Jesus" | 34 |
References
- ^ Dunham, Nancy (2010-07-28). "James Otto Wants You to 'Shake What God Gave Ya' - The Boot". theboot.com. Retrieved 2010-09-09.
- ^ Skates, Sarah (2010-07-27). "Jamey Johnson Reveals 'Guitar Song' Details". musicrow.com. Retrieved 2010-09-09.
- ^ a b Erlewine, Stephen Thomas. "allmusic ((( Shake What God Gave Ya > Overview )))". Allmusic. Retrieved 2010-09-21.
- ^ a b Phillips, Jessica (2010-09-03). "Shake What God Gave Ya : James Otto - Reviews - Country Weekly Magazine". Country Weekly. Retrieved 2010-09-09.
- ^ a b Victor, Greg (2010-09-16). "James Otto – "Shake What God Gave Ya" (Music Review)". parcbench.com. Retrieved 2010-09-21.
- ^ a b Jacobs, Allen (2010-09-13). "James Otto - Shake What God Gave Ya". roughstock.com. Retrieved 2010-09-21.