The Outsider (Rodney Crowell album)

The Outsider
Studio album by Rodney Crowell
Released	August 16, 2005 (2005-08-16)
Genre	Country
Label	Columbia
Producer	Rodney Crowell, Peter Coleman
Rodney Crowell chronology
Fate's Right Hand (2003) The Outsider (2005) Sex & Gasoline (2008)

The Outsider is the twelfth studio album by American country music singer Rodney Crowell. It was released on August 16, 2005 via Columbia Records. The album includes the singles "The Obscenity Prayer" and "Say You Love Me".

Critical reception

Thom Jurek of Allmusic gave the album four stars out of five, calling it a "natural extension" of Crowell's last two albums, The Houston Kid and Fate's Right Hand. He also praised the album for "dig[ging] deep into social and political consciousness."^[1]

Track listing

All songs written by Rodney Crowell, except "Shelter from the Storm", written by Bob Dylan.

No.	Title	Length
1.	"Say You Love Me"	3:32
2.	"The Obscenity Prayer (Give It to Me)"	3:54
3.	"The Outsider"	4:23
4.	"Dancin' Circles 'Round the Sun (Epictetus Speaks)"	4:32
5.	"Beautiful Despair (For James)"	3:53
6.	"Don't Get Me Started"	5:51
7.	"Ignorance Is the Enemy" (spoken intro by Emmylou Harris and John Prine)	4:48
8.	"Glasgow Girl"	4:43
9.	"Things That Go Bump in the Day"	4:01
10.	"Shelter from the Storm" (duet with Emmylou Harris)	5:26
11.	"We Can't Turn Back Now"	4:49

Personnel

Compiled from notes on digipak.^[2]

Musicians

• Eddie Bayers – drums
• Richard Bennett – guitars, fuzzbox
• Pat Buchanan – guitars, harmonica, background vocals
• Beth Nielsen Chapman – background vocals
• J. T. Corenflos – guitars
• John Cowan – background vocals
• Chad Cromwell – drums
• Rodney Crowell – lead and background vocals, guitars
• Kim Fleming – background vocals
• Steve Fischell – steel guitar
• Shannon Forrest – drums
• Tony Harrell – organ, keyboards
• Emmylou Harris – background vocals, guitar
• John Hobbs – organ, keyboards
• Jim Horn – saxophone
• Jedd Hughes – guitars, mandolin, background vocals
• The Jenkins – background vocals
• Will Kimbrough – lead guitar, background vocals
• Trey Landry – drums
• Billy Livsey – organ
• Jerry McPherson – guitars
• Buddy Miller – background vocals
• Julie Miller – background vocals
• John Mock – concertina, tin whistle
• Greg Morrow – drums
• Will Owsley – background vocals
• Marcia Ramirez – background vocals
• Michael Rhodes – bass guitar
• Chris Rodriguez – background vocals
• Vince Santoro – background vocals
• Randy Scruggs – flamenco guitar
• Steuart Smith – lead guitar
• JD Souther – background vocals
• Crystal Taliefero – background vocals
• Randall Waller – background vocals
• Jonathan Yudkin – strings, fiddle

Technical

• Tracy Baskette-Fleaner – art direction, design
• Peter Coleman – producer, recording, mixing
• Donivan Cowart – additional recording
• Rodney Crowell – producer
• Brandon Epps – recording assistant
• John Grady – executive producer
• Deb Haus – art director
• Dawn Nepp – production assistant
• Thomas Petillo – photography
• Jennifer Tsar – photography

Chart performance

Chart (2005)	Peak position
U.S. Billboard Top Country Albums[3]	37
U.S. Billboard Top Heatseekers[3]	12

References

1. Jurek, Thom. "The Outsider review". Allmusic. Retrieved January 22, 2011.
2. The Outsider (Digipak notes). Columbia Records. 2005. 94470.
3. "Rodney Crowell Album & Song Chart History – Country Albums". Billboard. Prometheus Global Media. Retrieved December 26, 2010.