I Am Shelby Lynne

I Am Shelby Lynne is the sixth studio album by American singer-songwriter Shelby Lynne, released on April 10, 1999 in the United Kingdom and on January 25, 2000 in the United States. After several years of lackluster results from recording various styles of country music in and around Nashville, Lynne co-wrote and recorded this album in Palm Springs, California, incorporating confessional lyrics with musical elements from blues and rock and roll. Lynne collaborated on this album with producer Bill Bottrell, who had previously worked with Sheryl Crow on her debut album, Tuesday Night Music Club.

I Am Shelby Lynne
Studio album by Shelby Lynne
Released	April 10, 1999
Recorded	1999
Genre	Rock, pop rock, blues
Length	36:04
Label	Mercury Records (UK); Island Records (US)
Producer	Bill Bottrell
Shelby Lynne chronology
Restless (1995) I Am Shelby Lynne (1999) Love, Shelby (2001)

The album is considered to be Lynne's breakout work, and the catalyst toward her receiving her first career Grammy award as Best New Artist of 2000. The award came more than a decade after Lynne's debut album, 1989's Sunrise.

Reception

Professional ratings

Aggregate scores
Source	Rating
Metacritic	83/100[1]
Review scores
Source	Rating
AllMusic	[2]
The Austin Chronicle	[3]
Entertainment Weekly	B[4]
The Guardian	[5]
Houston Chronicle	4/5[6]
Q	[7]
Rolling Stone	[8]
The Rolling Stone Album Guide	[9]
Spin	9/10[10]
The Village Voice	A−[11]

Writing for AllMusic, Stephen Thomas Erlewine described the album as a sign of Lynne's reinvention of herself as a "tough and sexy singer", comparing her to Bonnie Raitt and Sheryl Crow. He praised Bill Bottrell's production of the album and said that Lynne "finally sounds comfortable in her writing and voice", and that with this album, she has "finally [found] her groove".[2]

Rolling Stone's Parke Puterbaugh said that the album had more jazz and soul about it than country, but that it had "a genuine evocation of country". He said that the tracks "[seduce] you ... rather than bowling you over". He praised Lynne's harmonies, calling them "nothing less than righteous."[8]

Track listing

1. "Your Lies" (Bill Bottrell, Shelby Lynne) — 2:54
2. "Leavin'" (Lynne) — 3:11
3. "Life Is Bad" (Bottrell, Roger Fritz, Lynne) — 3:18
4. "Thought It Would Be Easier" (Bottrell, Lynne) — 3:55
5. "Gotta Get Back" (Bottrell, Lynne, Dorothy Overstreet) — 3:37
6. "Why Can't You Be?" (Bottrell, Lynne) — 4:19
7. "Lookin' Up" (Bottrell, Lynne) — 3:28
8. "Dreamsome" (Jay Joyce, Lynne, Overstreet) — 4:12
9. "Where I'm From" (Bottrell, Lynne) — 3:49
10. "Black Light Blue" (Bottrell, Lynne) — 3:23

Personnel

Music[12] Bill Bottrell – organ, bass guitar, acoustic guitar, electric guitar, harmonica, percussion, pedal steel guitar, drums, keyboards, background vocals, 12 string guitar, snare drum, clapping, stomping Jameson Brandt – string contractor Greg d'Augelli – flute, keyboards, string bass George Del Barrio – conductor, string arrangements Roger Fritz – dobro, acoustic guitar, slide guitar, slide mandolin Jay Joyce – organ, bass guitar, acoustic guitar, electric guitar, keyboards Shelby Lynne – acoustic guitar, electric guitar, lead vocals, background vocals, clapping, stomping Dorothy Overstreet – drums, snare drum

Production[12] Bill Bottrell – producer, mixing Mark Cross – engineer, mixing Terry Doty – project administrator Ivy Scoff – project coordinator Design[12] Thomas Bird – art direction Rick Lecoat – design Rick Patrick – art direction Rankin – photography

Singles

"Your Lies" – 1999

• 1. "Your Lies"
• 2. "Shoulda' Been Betta'"
• 3. "Miss You Sissy"
• 4. "Why Cant You Be"

"Leavin'" – Release Date: May 9, 2000

• 1. "Leavin'"
• 2. "Life Is Bad" (Live)
• 3. "Black Light Blue" (Live)

"Gotta Get Back" – 2000

• 1. album version (3:36)
• 2. remix (3:37)
• 3. call out research hook (:10)

References

1. "Reviews for I Am Shelby Lynne by Shelby Lynne". Metacritic. Retrieved October 8, 2018.
2. Erlewine, Stephen Thomas. "I Am Shelby Lynne – Shelby Lynne". AllMusic. Retrieved July 11, 2010.
3. Gray, Christopher (March 17, 2000). "Shelby Lynne: I Am Shelby Lynne (Island Def Jam)". The Austin Chronicle. Retrieved October 8, 2018.
4. Nash, Alanna (January 17, 2000). "I Am Shelby Lynne". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved October 8, 2018.
5. Cox, Tom (September 24, 1999). "Lookin' good". The Guardian.
6. Sullivan, James (January 23, 2000). "Shelby Lynne Proves She's the Real Thing". Houston Chronicle. Retrieved June 4, 2019.
7. "Shelby Lynne: I Am Shelby Lynne". Q. 2000.
8. Puterbaugh, Parke (February 17, 2000). "Shelby Lynne: I Am Shelby Lynne". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on March 2, 2008. Retrieved August 15, 2007.
9. Hunter, James; Blashill, Pat (2004). "Shelby Lynne". In Brackett, Nathan; Hoard, Christian (eds.). The New Rolling Stone Album Guide (4th ed.). Simon & Schuster. pp. 504–05. ISBN 0-7432-0169-8.
10. Hunter, James (February 2000). "Shelby Lynne: I Am Shelby Lynne". Spin. 16 (2): 107–08. Retrieved October 8, 2018.
11. Christgau, Robert (August 22, 2000). "Consumer Guide: Getting Them Straight". The Village Voice. Retrieved October 8, 2018.
12. "I Am Shelby Lynne – Shelby Lynne > Credits". AllMusic. Retrieved July 11, 2010.