The Story of My Life is an album by the American musician Irma Thomas, released in 1997.[1][2] It was her sixth album for Rounder Records.[3]
| The Story of My Life | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
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| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | 1997 | |||
| Genre | Blues, soul | |||
| Label | Rounder | |||
| Producer | Scott Billington, Irma Thomas | |||
| Irma Thomas chronology | ||||
| ||||
Production
editRecorded in New Orleans, the album was produced by Scott Billington and Thomas.[4][5] Thomas took her time finding material that she thought was appropriate to her taste and age.[6] Dan Penn wrote three of the album's songs during a visit to the recording studio.[7][8] "Cried Too Long" was cowritten by Sarah Brown and Lisa Mednick.[9] "Dr. Feelgood" is a cover of the Aretha Franklin song.[10] George Porter Jr. played bass on the album.[11]
Critical reception
edit| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [12] |
| The Atlanta Constitution |  [10] |
| The Encyclopedia of Popular Music | [3] |
The Atlanta Constitution noted Thomas's "river-deep gospel voice with the emotion-drenched sounds of classic soul."[10] The Globe and Mail wrote that "Thomas's voice has lost some of flexibility and it has deepened, but she still retains the ability to put over good material."[7] The Times Colonist opined that "Thomas is singing better than ever and lovingly caresses these wonderful songs with a rare intelligence and passion."[13] The Austin American-Statesman concluded that some "material veers toward the supper-club slick, though the all-star rhythm section ... never loses the groove."[11] JazzTimes considered the title track to be "a contemporary power pop ballad."[14] The Boston Globe determined that the album "displays how a relaxed, mature artist can handle a range of material."[15]
AllMusic deemed The Story of My Life "one of Thomas' best latter-day albums."[12]
Track listing
edit| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "No Use Talkin'" | |
| 2. | "The Story of My Life" | |
| 3. | "I Count the Teardrops" | |
| 4. | "Cried Too Long" | |
| 5. | "Love Don't Get No Better Than This" | |
| 6. | "Hold Me While I Cry" | |
| 7. | "I Won't Cry for You" | |
| 8. | "We All Need Love" | |
| 9. | "Get Here" | |
| 10. | "Keep the Faith" | |
| 11. | "Dr. Feelgood" |
References
edit- ^ Wirt, John (7 Mar 1997). "Irma Thomas The Story of My Life". Fun. The Advocate. Baton Rouge. p. 7.
- ^ Chapman, Geoff (3 May 1997). "Irma Thomas The Story of My Life". Toronto Star. p. K9.
- ^ a b Larkin, Colin (2011). The Encyclopedia of Popular Music. Omnibus Press.
- ^ Billington, Scott (2022). Making Tracks: A Record Producer's Southern Roots Music Journey. University Press of Mississippi.
- ^ Murphy, Michael (2017). All Dat New Orleans: Eating, Drinking, Listening to Music, Exploring, & Celebrating in the Crescent City. Countryman Press.
- ^ "Irma Thomas Biography by Jason Ankeny". AllMusic. Retrieved 5 September 2023.
- ^ a b Probert, Chris (20 Feb 1997). "Blues". The Globe and Mail. p. E4.
- ^ Perkins, Terry (Sep 13, 2000). "Irma Thomas". Riverfront Times.
- ^ Orr, Jay (14 Mar 1997). "Shades of Blue". Nashville Banner. p. C3.
- ^ a b c "'The Story of My Life' Irma Thomas". The Atlanta Constitution. 20 Feb 1997. p. D4.
- ^ a b McLeese, Don (20 Mar 1997). "Irma Thomas 'The Story of My Life'". Austin American-Statesman. p. 18.
- ^ a b "The Story of My Life Review by Stephen Thomas Erlewine". AllMusic. Retrieved 5 September 2023.
- ^ Blake, Joseph (15 Mar 1997). "Sound Advice". Times Colonist. p. 1.
- ^ Milkowski, Bill (May 1, 1997). "Irma Thomas: The Story of My Life". JazzTimes.
- ^ Simon, Clea (13 Feb 1997). "Irma Thomas The Story of My Life". Calendar. The Boston Globe. p. 27.