Strait from the Heart

1982 studio album by George Strait

Strait from the Heart

Studio album by

George Strait

Released| June 3, 1982 (1982-06-03)
Recorded| September 1981 – April 1982
Studio| Music City Music Hall (Nashville, Tennessee)
Genre|

* Neotraditional country[1]

Length| 28:45
Label| MCA
Producer| Blake Mevis
George Strait chronology
| Strait Country
(1981)  | Strait from the Heart
(1982)  | Right or Wrong
(1983)

|
|

Singles from  Strait from the Heart

1. "Fool Hearted Memory"
Released: May 27, 1982
2. "Marina del Rey"
Released: September 16, 1982
3. "Amarillo by Morning"
Released: January 14, 1983
4. "A Fire I Can't Put Out"
Released: May 19, 1983

Strait from the Heart is the second studio album by American country music artist George Strait, released on June 3, 1982, by MCA Records. The album includes Strait's first No. 1 single, "Fool Hearted Memory", as well as follow-up singles "Marina del Rey", "Amarillo by Morning" and "A Fire I Can't Put Out", reaching No. 6, No. 4, and No. 1 respectively on the Billboard Hot Country Singles chart. The album peaked at No. 18 on the US Billboard Top Country Albums chart. Strait from the Heart is certified platinum by the RIAA.

There were three cover songs on the album: "Honky Tonk Crazy", which had been released a couple of months earlier in 1982 by the duo of Gary Stewart and Dean Dillon on their Brotherly Love album; 2) the Guy Clark song, "Heartbroke", which was first recorded by Rodney Crowell on his 1980 album, But What Will the Neighbors Think; and 3) "Amarillo by Morning" which was first recorded by Terry Stafford in 1973. "The Only Thing I Have Left" was later recorded by Tim McGraw for his 1993 debut album of the same name.

## Recording

[edit]

Strait from the Heart was recorded at Music City Music Hall in Nashville, Tennessee. The album was fully recorded and mixed digitally.[2]

## Critical reception

[edit]

Professional ratingsReview scores

Source| Rating
AllMusic| [1]

Strait from the Heart received positive reviews upon its release in 1982. On the music review website AllMusic, it received five out of five stars. In his review for AllMusic, Thom Jurek called Strait "a singer of uncommon vitality who could sing honky tonk, countrypolitan, and the new traditional sounds".[1] Jurek singled out the depth and breadth of the singer's talent, delivering his first number one hit, "Fool Hearted Memory", a slow two-step, alongside the equally successful ballads "Amarillo by Morning", "Marina del Rey", and "A Fire I Can't Put Out", as well as the raw traditional numbers "Honky Tonk Crazy", "Heartbroke", "I Can't See Texas from Here", and the barroom anthem "The Steal of the Night"—songs that "offer a portrait of Strait as a man who can do it all".[1] Jurek concludes:

> His work is not over-produced, and his voice rings clear and true, offering only what the song needs to reveal itself to the listener. Strait from the Heart may not be the exact beginning of the story, but it is the first part of the legend.[1]

In 2022, Rolling Stone ranked the album 19 on its 100 Greatest Country Albums of All Time publication.[3]

## Track listing

[edit]

No.| Title| Writer(s)| Length

|
|
|

1.| "Fool Hearted Memory"|

* Byron Hill
* Blake Mevis

| 2:40
2.| "Honky Tonk Crazy"|

* Dean Dillon
* Frank Dycus

| 2:29
3.| "The Only Thing I Have Left"| Clay Blaker| 3:28
4.| "The Steal of the Night"|

* Mevis
* Bill Shore
* David Wills

| 2:40
5.| "I Can't See Texas from Here"| George Strait| 2:29
6.| "Marina del Rey"|

* Dillon
* Dycus

| 3:03
7.| "Lover in Disguise"|

* Mevis
* Jim Dowell

| 2:30
8.| "Heartbroke"| Guy Clark| 3:34
9.| "Amarillo by Morning"|

* Terry Stafford
* Paul Fraser

| 2:53
10.| "A Fire I Can't Put Out"| Darryl Staedtler| 3:00
Total length:| 28:45[1]

## Personnel

[edit]

Musicians

* George Strait – lead vocals
* Mitch Humphries – keyboards
* Gregg Galbraith – lead guitar
* Fred Newell – lead guitar
* Jimmy Capps – rhythm guitar
* Bobby Thompson – rhythm guitar
* Steve Chapman – acoustic guitar (1)
* Dave Kirby – acoustic guitar (1)
* Sonny Garrish – steel guitar
* John Hughey – steel guitar
* Mike Leech – bass guitar
* Larry Paxton – bass guitar
* Clyde Brooks – drums (1)
* Jerry Kroon – drums (2-10)
* Mark Feldman – fiddle (1)
* Rob Hajacos – fiddle
* Buddy Spicher – fiddle
* The Nashville String Machine – strings
* Alan Moore – string arrangements
* Sudie Callaway – background vocals
* Buddy Cannon – background vocals
* Rita Figlio – background vocals
* Arlene Harden – background vocals
* Bobby Harden – background vocals
* Gwen Kay – background vocals
* Curtis Young – background vocals

Production

* Blake Mevis – producer
* Bill Harris – engineer, mixing
* Doug Crider – assistant engineer
* David DeBusk – assistant engineer
* Milan Bogdan – digital editing (CD)
* Glenn Meadows – digital mastering (CD)
* Simon Levy – art direction
* Jim McGuire – photography
* Katie Gillon – coordination
* Sherri Halford – coordination

## Chart positions

[edit]

Chart (1982)  | Peak
position

|

U.S. Billboard Top Country Albums  | 18

## References

[edit]

1. ^ a b c d e f Jurek, Thom. "Strait from the Heart". AllMusic. Retrieved March 18, 2014.
2. ^ Strait from the Heart (liner notes). George Strait. Universal City, CA: MCA Records. 1982. pp. 1–2. MCAD–31117.`{{cite AV media notes}}`: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
3. ^ Freeman, Jon (August 30, 2022). "The 100 Greatest Country Albums of All Time". Rolling Stone. Retrieved November 23, 2022.

* v
* t
* e

George Strait

Ace in the Hole Band

Mike Daily \- Gene Elders \- Terry Hale \- Wes Hightower \- Ron Huckaby

Bobby Jarzombek \- Joe Manuel \- Benny McArthur \- Rick McRae \- Marty Slayton \- John Michael Whitby

Studio albums|

* Strait Country
* Strait from the Heart
* Right or Wrong
* Does Fort Worth Ever Cross Your Mind
* Something Special
* #7
* Ocean Front Property
* If You Ain't Lovin', You Ain't Livin'
* Beyond the Blue Neon
* Livin' It Up
* Chill of an Early Fall
* Holding My Own
* Pure Country
* Easy Come Easy Go
* Lead On
* Blue Clear Sky
* Carrying Your Love with Me
* One Step at a Time
* Always Never the Same
* George Strait
* The Road Less Traveled
* Honkytonkville
* Somewhere Down in Texas
* It Just Comes Natural
* Troubadour
* Twang
* Here for a Good Time
* Love Is Everything
* Cold Beer Conversation
* Honky Tonk Time Machine
* Cowboys and Dreamers

Compilation albums|

* Greatest Hits
* Greatest Hits Volume Two
* Ten Strait Hits
* Strait Out of the Box
* Latest Greatest Straitest Hits
* 20th Century Masters – The Millennium Collection: The Best of George Strait
* 20th Century Masters – The Christmas Collection: The Best of George Strait
* 50 Number Ones
* 22 More Hits
* Icon
* Icon 2
* Strait Out of the Box: Part 2

Christmas albums|

* Merry Christmas Strait to You!
* Merry Christmas Wherever You Are
* Fresh Cut Christmas
* Classic Christmas

Live albums|

* For the Last Time: Live from the Astrodome
* Live at Texas Stadium
* The Cowboy Rides Away: Live from AT&T Stadium

Related articles|

* Singles discography
* Albums discography
* Ace in the Hole Band
* The Cowboy Rides Away Tour

Authority control databases |

* MusicBrainz release group

|

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