''Something Worth Leaving Behind'' is the fourth studio album from American country music singer Lee Ann Womack, released in 2002. It peaked on the ''Billboard'' 200 at #16 and the Top Country Albums at #2. Two singles were released from the album; the title-track (a Top 20 hit) and "Forever Everyday". This was also the first album of Womack's career not to produce a Top Ten country hit, as well as the first to not feature any tracks written or co-written by her.

Background

Womack told '' The Early Show'' "It's very much in line with my last three. This is my fourth project. You know, I have the real traditional country songs on there, and then I have some things that are a little more contemporary and up-tempo. And—and, but I—you know, I try to find songs from the best songwriters that I can." Womack told ''Billboard'', "Every album seems critical when you are making it. I have a lot of confidence in my team. You can't predict commercially what an album is going to do. I just have to make the best music I can and move on. I've never, ever felt like in my career that everything hinges on the next single. I don't worry about it." In 2005, Womack told '' The Dallas Morning News'', "I didn't have that much fun making Something Worth Leaving Behind. Now that I look back on it, because of the success that I had prior, I was so worried that I was gonna not measure up to that, that I over-thought everything on that record. I tried...to please everybody with that record...myself, radio, the listeners, everybody who loved 'Never Again, Again' and everybody who loved 'I Hope You Dance.' And it just didn't work. It backfired."

Critical reception

Tim Perry of '' The Independent'' wrote, "Following such an album is a hard task, but someone of her newfound stature can avail herself of the best songwriters. This is solid, radio-friendly stuff. Brian Mansfield of '' USA Today'' listed it as the tenth worst album of 2002 and wrote, "Womack's ill-advised crossover ploy and a makeover that made her look like Britney Spears' mother made one of Nashville's most respected singers the butt of jokes." Michael Paoletta of ''

Billboard A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertise ...

'' wrote, "Womack is brilliant vocalist who is at a career crossroads; here's hoping she leans toward substance over style." Ralph Novak of '' People Magazine'' gave the album a mixed review and wrote, " Womack's voice, which can trickle off and become a wan instrument, gains noticeably in vigor when she approaches more energetic material."

Track listing

Personnel

Adapted from ''Something Worth Leaving Behind'' liner notes.

Tracks 1–3, 5, 6, 8, 9, 12

;Musicians *

Eric Darken Eric A. Darken is an American percussionist, composer, and programmer. Biography Drawing inspiration from his grandfather, a band leader. Darken began playing drums at age 12, and played timpani and mallets in high school. Darken attended ...

– percussion * Shannon Forrest – drums * Paul Franklin – steel guitar * Kenny Greenberg – electric guitar *

Aubrey Haynie Aubrey Haynie (born March 27, 1974) is an American bluegrass musician who plays the fiddle and mandolin. In his career, he has recorded three studio albums for the Sugar Hill Records label, all three of which contained mostly songs that he wr ...

– fiddle *

Chuck Leavell Charles Alfred Leavell (born April 28, 1952) is an American musician. A member of the Allman Brothers Band throughout their commercial zenith in the 1970s, he subsequently became a founding member of the band Sea Level. He has served as the pri ...

– piano * B. James Lowry – acoustic guitar * Brent Mason – electric guitar, gut string guitar * Steve Nathan – synthesizer, piano,

Hammond organ The Hammond organ is an electric organ invented by Laurens Hammond and John M. Hanert and first manufactured in 1935. Multiple models have been produced, most of which use sliding drawbars to vary sounds. Until 1975, Hammond organs generated s ...

* Michael Rhodes – bass guitar * Brent Rowan – electric guitar, tiple * Randy Scruggs – acoustic guitar * Bryan Sutton – banjo, mandolin ;Background vocalists * Bob Bailey * Lisa Cochran * Kim Fleming * Vicki Hampton * Marabeth Jordan * Kim Keyes * Gene Miller * Chris Rodriguez * Keith Sewell * Bergen White ;Technical * Greg Droman – mixing, mastering * Todd Gunnerson – engineering * Lee Ann Womack – producer * Mark Wright – producer

Tracks 4, 7, 10, 11

;Musicians * Spencer Campbell – bass guitar * Paul Franklin – steel guitar * Kenny Greenberg – acoustic guitar, electric guitar * David Grissom – acoustic guitar, electric guitar * Jay Joyce – acoustic guitar, electric guitar, programming * Colin Linden – acoustic guitar * Chris McHugh – drums * Jerry McPherson – electric guitar * Jeffrey Roach – piano, keyboards ;Background vocalists * Dan Colehour * Kim Fleming * Vicki Hampton * Bobby Huff * Marcus Hummon * Fleming McWilliams * Buddy Miller * Julie Miller * Bruce Robison ;Technical * Chad Brown – engineering * David Bryant – engineering * Brian Graben – engineering * Kenny Greenberg – additional arrangements * Tony High – engineering * Jim Jordan – engineering * Jay Joyce – additional arrangements * Frank Liddell – producer * James Lightman – digital editing * Mike McCarthy – producer, recording, mixing * Bryan McConkey – engineering * Darren Redfield – engineering * Leslie Richter – engineering * Lee Ann Womack – producer

Track 13

;Musicians * Kenny Aronoff – drums * Jim Cox – keyboards * Brad Dutz – percussion * Jon Gilutin – keyboards * Greg Leisz – steel guitar * Hector Periera – guitars * Tim Pierce – guitars * Leland Sklar – bass guitar * Gabe Witcher – fiddle ;Background vocals * Maxi Anderson * Tommy Funderburk * Maxine Waters * Oren Waters ;Technical * Pete Anthony – conductor * Jay Goin – mixing assistant * Noel Golden – recording * Jessie Gorman – recording assistant * Jimmy Hoyson – string recording assistant * Toshiaki Kasai – recording assistant * Stephen Marcussen – mastering * Leslie Richter – recording assistant * Matt Serletic – producer, arranger * Shari Sutcliffe – orchestra contractor * Kevin Szymanski – recording assistant * David Thoener – mixing * Stewart Whitmore – digital editing

Additional credits

Horn section on track 8: Jim Horn, Jeff Coffin, Dennis Solee Strings on tracks 1, 3, 4, 6, 8–13 performed by the Nashville String Machine, arranged by David Campbell (1, 3, 8), John Painter (4, 10, 11), Bergen White (9, 12), Kris Wilkinson (6), Matt Serletic (13) ;Technical credits on all tracks * Matthew Rolston – photography * Ronnie Thomas – editing * Hank Williams – mastering

Charts

Weekly charts

Year-end charts

References

{{Authority control 2002 albums MCA Records albums Albums arranged by David Campbell (composer) Albums produced by Mark Wright (record producer) Lee Ann Womack albums