Jump to content

Days of Our Lives (James Otto album)

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Days of Our Lives
Studio album by
ReleasedMarch 9, 2004 (2004-03-09)
Recorded2003 at Thelma's East Studio, Nashville, TN
GenreCountry
Length49:40
LabelMercury Nashville
ProducerGreg Droman
Scott Parker
Mark Wright
James Otto chronology
Days of Our Lives
(2004)
Sunset Man
(2008)
Singles from Days of Our Lives
  1. "The Ball"
    Released: 2002
  2. "Days of Our Lives"
    Released: 2003
  3. "Sunday Morning and Saturday Night"
    Released: 2004

Days of Our Lives is the debut studio album by American country music artist James Otto. It was released in 2004 on Mercury Nashville Records, and its title track was a Top 40 hit on the Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks (now Hot Country Songs) charts.

Content

[edit]

The track "The Last Thing I Do" was also recorded by Brooks & Dunn on their 2001 album Steers & Stripes, and by Montgomery Gentry (under the title "If It's the Last Thing I Do") on their 2004 album You Do Your Thing. "Long Way Down" was also recorded by Andy Griggs on his 2008 album The Good Life.

The album was originally slated for a 2003 release, but due to its initial single underperforming on the charts, its release was withheld until 2004.[1]

Critical reception

[edit]
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
Country Standard Timemixed[2]
Peoplemixed[3]

Robert Loy of Country Standard Time gave the album a mixed review, criticizing derivative lyrics on the title track, "Misspent Youth", "She Knows", and "The Ball", while praising those of "The Violin Song". He also described Otto as having a "nice baritone", while noting the performances on "Gone" and "If It's the Last Thing I Do" in particular.[2] An uncredited review in People was also mixed towards the album's lyrical content, criticizing the title track while complimenting "The Ball" and "Lowdown on the High Life". The same review also noted that "Musically, the bluesier Otto gets, the better he sounds."[3]

Track listing

[edit]
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Long Way Down"Craig Wiseman, C. Michael Spriggs4:51
2."Gone"Kevin Brandt, Bobby Terry3:41
3."Misspent Youth"James Otto, C. J. Watson5:09
4."Miss Temptation"Caryl Mack Parker, Scott Parker, Billy Crain3:57
5."Sunday Morning and Saturday Night"Tim Nichols, Jeffrey Steele3:52
6."Song of the Violin"Otto3:36
7."She Knows"Bob Regan, Monty Criswell3:43
8."Days of Our Lives"Otto, Terry3:51
9."The Last Thing I Do"David Lee Murphy, Kim Tribble3:46
10."The Ball"Otto, Kerry Kurt Phillips, Patrick Jason Matthews3:58
11."Lowdown on the Highlife"Otto, Porter Howell, Kris Bergsnes4:10
12."Never Say Goodbye"Otto, Jody Alan Sweet5:00

Personnel

[edit]

Adapted from Days of Our Lives liner notes.[4]

Musicians
String section on Track 6
  • Darius Campo, Sara Parkins, Michelle Richards, Mark Robertson, John Wittenberg - violins
  • Bob Becker, Evan Wilson - violas
  • Larry Corbett, Suzie Katayama - cellos

Technical

[edit]
All tracks except 2, 7, 8, and 9
  • Richard Barrow - recording (track 4)
  • David Campbell - string arrangements (track 6)
  • Steve Churchyard - string recording (track 6)
  • Joel Derouin - concertmaster (track 6)
  • Adam D. Hatley - assistant, recording
  • Dino Herrmann - assistant
  • Bryan McConkey - assistant
  • Sang Park - assistant
  • Scott Parker - producer, recording
  • Tom Sweeney - assistant
  • Brian David Willis - recording, mixing
  • Paul Worley - executive producer
Tracks 2, 7, 8, and 9 only
  • Greg Droman - producer, recording, mixing
  • Todd Gunnerson - assistant
  • Kris Wilkinson - string arrangement (tracks 7, 8)
  • Mark Wright - producer

Chart performance

[edit]

Album

[edit]
Chart (2004) Peak
position
U.S. Billboard Top Country Albums 61

Singles

[edit]
Year Single Peak chart positions
US Country
2002 "The Ball" 45
2003 "Days of Our Lives" 33
2004 "Sunday Morning and Saturday Night" 58
"—" denotes releases that did not chart

References

[edit]
  1. ^ Remz, Jeffrey B. "James Otto gets ready for days of our lives". Country Standard Time. Retrieved 11 April 2018.
  2. ^ a b Loy, Robert. "James Otto - Days of Our Lives". Country Standard Time. Retrieved July 7, 2011.
  3. ^ a b "Picks and Pans Review: Days of Our Lives". People. March 22, 2004. Retrieved 11 April 2018.
  4. ^ Days of Our Lives (CD booklet). James Otto. Mercury Records Nashville. 2004. B0002110-02.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)