''Carney'' is

Leon Russell Leon Russell (born Claude Russell Bridges; April 2, 1942 – November 13, 2016) was an American musician and songwriter who was involved with numerous bestselling records during his 60-year career that spanned multiple genres, including rock and ...

's third solo studio album, released in 1972. It peaked at number 2 on the

Billboard Hot 200 The ''Billboard'' 200 is a record chart ranking the 200 most popular music albums and EPs in the United States. It is published weekly by ''Billboard'' magazine and is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artis ...

and was the first for Russell to contain a hit single — " Tight Rope" b/w "

This Masquerade "This Masquerade" is a song written by American singer and musician Leon Russell. It was originally recorded in 1972 by Russell for his album '' Carney'' and as a B-side for the album's hit single " Tight Rope". The song was then covered on Helen ...

" — which reached number 11 on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 chart.

Reception

In a review for

Allmusic AllMusic (previously known as All Music Guide and AMG) is an American online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on musicians and bands. Initiated in 1991, the databas ...

, the critic Stephen Thomas Erlewine called "Tight Rope", the opening track, "an excellent introduction to an off-kilter, confused, fascinating album" and said that the album "consolidates his two extremes, offering a side of fairly straightforward roots rock before delving headfirst into twisted psychedelia on the second side." Critic

Robert Christgau Robert Thomas Christgau ( ; born April 18, 1942) is an American music journalist and essayist. Among the most well-known and influential music critics, he began his career in the late 1960s as one of the earliest professional rock critics and ...

expressed similar sentiments, writing, "Not the radical falloff some report — just slippage, the first side listenable and the second flaky."

Track listing

All tracks composed by Leon Russell except where indicated. Side One #" Tight Rope" – 2:59 #"Out in the Woods" – 3:35 #"Me and Baby Jane" – 3:53 #"Manhattan Island Serenade" – 3:26 #"Cajun Love Song" – 3:08 #"Roller Derby" – 2:22 Side Two #"Carney" – :45 #"Acid Annapolis" (Leon Russell,

Don Preston Donald Ward Preston (born September 21, 1932) is an American jazz and rock keyboardist. He is known for working with Frank Zappa from the mid 1960s to the mid 1970s. Biography Preston was born into a family of musicians in Detroit and began st ...

) – 2:51 #"If the Shoe Fits" – 2:23 #"My Cricket" – 2:56 #"

" – 4:22 #"Magic Mirror" – 4:54

Charts

Personnel

*Leon Russell – vocals, guitar, bass guitar, piano *

– guitar, vocals *Joey Cooper – guitar *

Carl Radle Carl Dean Radle (June 18, 1942 – May 30, 1980) was an American bassist who toured and recorded with many of the most influential recording artists of the late 1960s and 1970s. He was posthumously inducted to the Oklahoma Music Hall of Fame in ...

– bass guitar *Chuck Blackwell,

Jim Keltner James Lee Keltner (born April 27, 1942) is an American drummer and percussionist known primarily for his session work. He was characterized by Bob Dylan biographer Howard Sounes as "the leading session drummer in America".Howard Sounes. ''Down ...

– drums *John Gallie – Hammond organ ;Technical *Marlin Greene, John Lemay, Peter Nicholls – engineer *Gene Brownell – art direction *Daniel Mayo – photography

References

{{Authority control Leon Russell albums 1972 albums A&M Records albums Albums produced by Denny Cordell Albums produced by Leon Russell Albums recorded at Muscle Shoals Sound Studio Shelter Records albums