''Heart Trouble'' is a

studio album An album is a collection of audio recordings issued on compact disc (CD), Phonograph record, vinyl, audio tape, or another medium such as Digital distribution#Music, digital distribution. Albums of recorded sound were developed in the early ...

by American recording artist Wanda Jackson. It was released on October 14, 2003 via CMH Records and contained 16 tracks. The disc was Jackson's forty first studio release of her career and her first disc released in the United States in a decade. The album was a mixture of Rockabilly and country recordings, featuring collaborations with musicians

Elvis Costello Declan Patrick MacManus Order of the British Empire, OBE (born 25 August 1954), known professionally as Elvis Costello, is an English singer-songwriter and record producer. He has won multiple awards in his career, including a Grammy Award in ...

, The Cramps and

Rosie Flores Rosie Flores (born September 10, 1950) is an American rockabilly and country music artist. Her music blends rockabilly, honky tonk, jazz, and Western swing along with traditional influences from her Tex-Mex heritage. She currently resides in Au ...

. ''Heart Trouble'' received a positive response from critics following its release.

Background

Wanda Jackson had kept a busy touring schedule during much of the 1990s and early 2000s. According to Jackson herself, she had not released a proper rock album "in decades". In recent years, she had released gospel recordings, such as ''

Generations (Of Gospel Music) ''Generations (Of Gospel Music)'' is a studio album by American recording artist Wanda Jackson. It was released in 1993 via Amethyst Records and contained ten tracks. It was the thirty eighth studio release of Jackson's career and the fifth issued ...

'' (1993) and rock albums overseas such as '' The Queen of Rock' a 'Billy'' (1997). According to her autobiography, Jackson had originally planned to make an album of bluegrass songs. However, when word spread that she would be recording a new album in California, several

rock Rock most often refers to: * Rock (geology), a naturally occurring solid aggregate of minerals or mineraloids * Rock music, a genre of popular music Rock or Rocks may also refer to: Places United Kingdom * Rock, Caerphilly, a location in Wales ...

musicians asked to be part of the project. "I might have been a grandma, but it was time rock again!", she recalled in her book.

Recording and content

''Heart Trouble'' was produced by

John Wooler John Wooler (born 1958) is a producer, former record label executive, and co-founder of Exolution. With 25 years of worldwide music industry experience, he worked for almost 20 years as an executive at Virgin Records where he founded Point Blank R ...

, along with Anita Sills serving as executive producer. The album's sessions were recorded at the Steakhouse Studio, located in Hollywood, California. Jackson recalled enjoying the recording of ''Heart Trouble'' because she had time to prepare material: "Today, the process is approached much differently, and it was fun for me to take some time thinking about the arrangements and building rapport with the musicians." The album featured several collaborations with rock musicians, including

. Costello was brought to the project through the album's drummer Pete Thomas, who worked with him. Costello chose to record a duet version of Buck Owens' " Crying Time". The song was cut live in the studio. Jackson also recorded a cover of The Louvin Brothers "

Cash on the Barrelhead "Cash on the Barrelhead" is a song written by Charlie and Ira Louvin, known professionally as the Louvin Brothers, which was first recorded and released in 1956 as the B-side of "You're Running Wild". The single came at a high point in the Louvi ...

". The album's title track was first recorded and released as a

single Single may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media * Single (music), a song release Songs * "Single" (Natasha Bedingfield song), 2004 * "Single" (New Kids on the Block and Ne-Yo song), 2008 * "Single" (William Wei song), 2016 * "Single", by ...

by Martina McBride in 1994, reaching the top 25 of the American country songs chart. Jackson also collaborated with rock group The Cramps for a remake of Jackson's 1961 song " Funnel of Love". Dave Alvin was also featured on several of the album's tracks, providing guitar instrumentation to three songs, including "Rockabilly Fever".

also joined Jackson for the project and recorded her self-penned track "Woman Walk Out the Door". The pair originally worked together ten years prior when Jackson appeared on Flores' 1995 album ''Rockabilly Filly''. In addition, the Cadillac Angels joined Jackson on a remake of "

Hard Headed Woman "Hard Headed Woman" is a rock and roll song recorded by Elvis Presley and published by Gladys Music, Presley's publishing company, in 1958. It is an American 12-bar blues written by African American songwriter Claude Demetrius. It was most notab ...

". Along with these remakes, Jackson re-recorded "

Let's Have a Party "Let's Have a Party" is a 1957 song written by Jessie Mae Robinson and recorded by Elvis Presley for the movie '' Loving You''. It was released as a single in the United Kingdom under the title "Party" and peaked at #2 in the UK Singles Chart. W ...

", "Mean Mean Man" and " Riot in Cell Block Number 9".

Critical reception

''Heart Trouble'' received mostly positive reviews upon its release. Thom Jurek of AllMusic gave the project a four-star rating, citing the album's "killer collection of songs" and Jackson's vocals that were "in fine shape". "Simply put, this is a rock & roll dream, full of raw, sharp performances, killer songs, and Jackson's irrepressible ability to take even the most innocent song and make it salacious," he concluded. Charlotte Robinson of '' PopMatters'' found that Jackson "is one of the few ’50s country/rock fusionists remaining who still tours on a regular basis and sounds just about as good as she did back in the day." Robinson praised the album's collaborations with Elvis Costello and Rosie Flores. She concluded positively in review, saying, "Still, to hear Jackson, now a grandmother, capture most of the snarls and hiccups she did in the old days is a real treat. Unlike many a smokin’, drinkin’ rocker, she's taken good care of her voice (are you listening Stevie Nicks?) and still has pretty impressive pipes. Thankfully, she's using them in the right way on this release, which is in every way a winner." The album also received a positive response from ''

OffBeat Offbeat, originally a music term meaning "not following the standard beat", which has also become a general synonym for "unconventional" or "unusual", may refer to: Music *Syncopation *Off-beat (music), the musical term in more detail *Off Beat (l ...

'' magazine, who compared it to

Johnny Cash John R. Cash (born J. R. Cash; February 26, 1932 – September 12, 2003) was an American country singer-songwriter. Much of Cash's music contained themes of sorrow, moral tribulation, and redemption, especially in the later stages of his ca ...

's '' American Recordings'' releases. "Heart Trouble is an excellent mix of new songs crafted to sound like the country and rockabilly standards that they join on this CD," reviewer Mike Perciaccante commented. Jon Johnson gave the album a mostly positive response, but criticized the record's rhythm section, highlighting the project's upright bass player and drummer. Still, ''Heart Trouble'' is well worth a listen, if only to marvel at Jackson's eternally young vocals," Johnson concluded.

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 ...

wrote in '' Blender'' magazine that the album was well-produced but also criticized parts of the record. "Additional oomph, however, is in short supply here," he wrote.

Release

''Heart Trouble'' was released on October 14, 2003 on CMH Records. It was originally distributed as a compact disc with 16 tracks. The same year, the album was distributed as a

vinyl LP The LP (from "long playing" or "long play") is an analog sound storage medium, a phonograph record format characterized by: a speed of rpm; a 12- or 10-inch (30- or 25-cm) diameter; use of the "microgroove" groove specification; and a ...

by Sympathy for the Record Industry, featuring 13 tracks. In the 2010s, the album was offered to digital sites including Apple Music. Following its original release, Jackson discussed the album with ''

Country Music Television Country Music Television (CMT) is an American pay TV network owned by Paramount Media Networks, a division of Paramount Global. Launched on March 5, 1983, as Country Music Television, CMT was the first nationally available channel devoted to coun ...

'' and noted she was pleased with the record's response: "All the reviews have talked about the energy the songs still have — and how I’ve still got the growl. It still sounds like Wanda Jackson. I guess that's the main thing."

Track listings

Compact disc and digital versions

Vinyl version

Personnel

All credits are adapted from the liner notes of ''Heart Trouble'' and AllMusic. Musical personnel * Dave Alvin – Guitar, guest artist * Tony Balbinot – Guitar * Brigette Bryant Blade – Background vocals * Cadillac Angels – Background vocals, guest artist * Elvis Costello –

Acoustic guitar An acoustic guitar is a musical instrument in the string family. When a string is plucked its vibration is transmitted from the bridge, resonating throughout the top of the guitar. It is also transmitted to the side and back of the instrument, ...

, guest artist, duet vocals * The Cramps – Background vocals, guest artist * Davey Faragher –

Bass Bass or Basses may refer to: Fish * Bass (fish), various saltwater and freshwater species Music * Bass (sound), describing low-frequency sound or one of several instruments in the bass range: ** Bass (instrument), including: ** Acoustic bass gui ...

* Rosie Flores – Background vocals, guest artist *

Siedah Garrett Deborah Christine "Siedah" Garrett (born June 24, 1960) is an American singer and songwriter who has written songs and performed backing vocals for many recording artists in the music industry, such as Michael Jackson, the Pointer Sisters, Brand N ...

– Background vocals *

Stephen Hodges Stephen Hodges (born February 12, 1952) is an American percussionist and composer. He is best known for his work with Mavis Staples, Tom Waits, Mike Watt, T Bone Burnett, Rick Holmstrom, and film director David Lynch. Discography *Tom Waits � ...

–

Drums A drum kit (also called a drum set, trap set, or simply drums) is a collection of drums, cymbals, and other Percussion instrument, auxiliary percussion instruments set up to be played by one person. The player (drummer) typically holds a pair o ...

* Dorian Holley – Background vocals * Smokey Hormel –

Banjo The banjo is a stringed instrument with a thin membrane stretched over a frame or cavity to form a resonator. The membrane is typically circular, and usually made of plastic, or occasionally animal skin. Early forms of the instrument were fashi ...

, guitar,

mandolin A mandolin ( it, mandolino ; literally "small mandola") is a stringed musical instrument in the lute family and is generally plucked with a pick. It most commonly has four courses of doubled strings tuned in unison, thus giving a total of 8 ...

James Intveld James Intveld (born November 12, 1959) is an American rockabilly musician, singer, songwriter, performer, actor, and film director from Los Angeles, California, United States. Early career Born in the Netherlands, Intveld's parents moved to C ...

–

Rhythm guitar In music performances, rhythm guitar is a technique and role that performs a combination of two functions: to provide all or part of the rhythmic pulse in conjunction with other instruments from the rhythm section (e.g., drum kit, bass guitar ...

Lux Interior Erick Lee Purkhiser (October 21, 1946 – February 4, 2009), better known by the stage name Lux Interior, was an American singer and a founding member of the American rock band the Cramps from 1972 until his death in 2009 at age 62. Early life B ...

– Background vocals * Wanda Jackson – Lead vocals * Randy Jacobs – Guitar * Neil Larsen – Piano * John McFee –

Pedal steel guitar The pedal steel guitar is a Console steel guitar, console-type of steel guitar with pedals and knee levers that change the pitch of certain strings to enable playing more varied and complex music than any previous steel guitar design. Like all s ...

* John Palmer – Drums * Poison Ivy – Background vocals, guitar * Lee Rocker – Bass, guest artist * Larry Taylor – Bass * Pete Thomas – Drums * Michael Hart Thompson –

Organ Organ may refer to: Biology * Organ (biology), a part of an organism Musical instruments * Organ (music), a family of keyboard musical instruments characterized by sustained tone ** Electronic organ, an electronic keyboard instrument ** Hammond ...

Technical personnel * Adam Byrne – Design, layout design * John Cranfield – Assistant engineer * Oz Fritz – Engineering, mixing * Stephen Hodges – Percussion * Sophie Olmstead – Photography * Collin Rae – A&R * Ron Sievers – Design, layout design * Aretha Sills – A&R, executive producer * Johnny Whiteside – Liner notes * John Wooler – Producer

Release history

References

{{Wanda Jackson 2003 albums Wanda Jackson albums