Neon (Chris Young album)
Neon is the third studio album by American country music artist Chris Young. It was released on July 12, 2011 via RCA Nashville.[2] The album produced four singles with "Tomorrow", "You", the title track, and "I Can Take It from There". The album sold 72,830 copies its first week.[3] Young co-wrote seven of the album's ten tracks.[4]
Neon | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
Studio album by | ||||
Released | July 12, 2011 | |||
Recorded | 2010–11 | |||
Genre | Country | |||
Length | 32:23 | |||
Label | RCA Nashville | |||
Producer | James Stroud | |||
Chris Young chronology | ||||
| ||||
Singles from Neon | ||||
|
Critical reception
Review scores | |
---|---|
Source | Rating |
AllMusic | [5] |
Country Weekly | [6] |
Slant Magazine | [7] |
AllMusic's Stephen Thomas Erlewine praised the album for being able to deliver tracks that straddle the line between country and country pop, and allows Young to perform them with convincing delivery, concluding that "If Neon does anything, it proves that Young can manage this delicate balance all the while seeming like it's no trouble at all."[5] Jonathan Keefe of Slant Magazine was mixed towards the album, saying that despite some interesting tracks and Young's vocal delivery, it consists of filler that lacks a viewpoint and could've been performed by anyone, calling it "committee-based songwriting at its worst." He concluding that "It's a shame, then, that most of the set finds Young fighting an uphill battle against some lackluster material."[7] In 2017, Billboard contributor Chuck Dauphin placed three tracks from the album on his top 10 list of Young's best songs: "Neon" at number three, "You" at number five and "Tomorrow" at number nine.[8]
Track listing
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
---|---|---|---|
1. | "I Can Take It from There" |
| 2:38 |
2. | "Lost" | 3:12 | |
3. | "Tomorrow" | 3:40 | |
4. | "Save Water, Drink Beer" |
| 2:47 |
5. | "Neon" | 3:45 | |
6. | "Old Love Feels New" | 4:01 | |
7. | "You" |
| 2:44 |
8. | "Flashlight" |
| 3:24 |
9. | "When She's On" |
| 3:09 |
10. | "She's Got This Thing About Her" |
| 3:02 |
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
---|---|---|---|
11. | "I'm Gonna Change That" |
| 3:10 |
12. | "Don't Leave Her (If You Can't Let Her Go)" |
| 3:13 |
Chart performance
Album
Weekly charts
|
Year end charts
|
Singles
Year | Single | Peak chart positions | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
US Country | US Country Airplay | US | CAN Country [15] |
CAN | ||
2011 | "Tomorrow"[16] | 1 | — | 36 | — | 95 |
"You" | 1 | — | 34 | — | 66 | |
2012 | "Neon" | 23 | — | 92 | — | — |
"I Can Take It from There" | 16 | 4 | 63 | 4 | 76 | |
"—" denotes releases that did not chart | ||||||
Certifications
Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
---|---|---|
United States (RIAA)[17] | Platinum | 1,000,000 |
sales+streaming figures based on certification alone |
Personnel
Adapted from the Neon liner notes.[18]
- Musicians
- David Angell – violin
- Mike Brignardello – bass guitar
- David Davidson – violin
- Conni Ellisor – violin
- Shannon Forrest – drums
- Paul Franklin – dobro, steel guitar
- Kenny Greenberg – electric guitar
- Jim Grosjean – viola
- Aubrey Haynie – fiddle, mandolin
- Wes Hightower – background vocals
- Mark Hill – bass guitar
- Anthony LaMarchina – cello
- Betsy Lamb – viola
- Brent Mason – electric guitar
- Steve Nathan – organ, piano
- Mary K. Van Osdale – violin
- Carole Rabinowitz-Neuen – cello
- Pamela Sixfin – violin
- Alan Umstead – violin
- Catherine Umstead – violin
- Biff Watson – acoustic guitar
- Kristin Wilkinson – string arrangements, string conductor, viola
- Chris Young – lead vocals
- Production
- David Bryant – assistant
- Jake Burns – assistant
- Rich Hanson – assistant
- Julian King – engineer, mixing
- Bob Ludwig – mastering
- Tammy Luker – production assistant
- Doug Rich – production assistant
References
- "R&R: Going for Adds: Country". Retrieved July 28, 2011.
- Wyland, Sarah (May 12, 2011). "Chris Young to Release Neon on July 12". Great American Country. Retrieved July 6, 2011.
- Bjorke, Matt (July 20, 2011). "Blake Shelton Scores Career First This Week With "Red River Blue"". Roughstock. Retrieved August 19, 2011.
- Haislop, Neil (June 29, 2011). "Chris Young Gives Fans A Sneak Peek Of New Album, Neon". All Access. Retrieved July 6, 2011.
- Erlewine, Stephen Thomas. "Neon - Chris Young". AllMusic. Retrieved July 19, 2011.
- Phillips, Jessica (June 13, 2011). "Neon by Chris Young". Country Weekly. American Media, Inc. Archived from the original on September 6, 2015. Retrieved July 17, 2011.
- Keefe, Jonathan (July 12, 2011). "Chris Young: "Neon" - Music Review". Slant Magazine. Retrieved July 22, 2011.
- Dauphin, Chuck (July 24, 2017). "Chris Young's 10 Best Songs: Critic's Picks". Billboard. Retrieved May 18, 2020.
- "Official Country Artists Albums Chart Top 20". Official Charts Company. Retrieved November 8, 2016.
- "Chris Young Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved November 8, 2016.
- "Chris Young Chart History (Top Country Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved November 8, 2016.
- "Billboard 200 Albums : Year End 2011". Billboard. Prometheus Global Media. Retrieved November 8, 2016.
- "Country Albums : Year End 2011". Billboard. Prometheus Global Media. Retrieved November 8, 2016.
- "Country Albums : Year End 2012". Billboard. Prometheus Global Media. Retrieved November 8, 2016.
- "Chris Young Album & Song Chart History – Canada Country". Billboard. Prometheus Global Media. Retrieved November 20, 2013.
- "Chart listing for "Tomorrow"". Billboard. Prometheus Global Media. Retrieved July 6, 2011.
- "American album certifications – Chris Young – Neon". Recording Industry Association of America. If necessary, click Advanced, then click Format, then select Album, then click SEARCH.
- Neon (liner notes). Chris Young. RCA Records. 2011. 88697-85497-2.CS1 maint: others (link)