I've Got Everything
I've Got Everything | ||||
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Studio album by | ||||
Released | 1989 | |||
Studio | Henry's House of Noise | |||
Genre | Heartland rock, roots rock, pop | |||
Label | CBS | |||
Producer | Henry Lee Summer | |||
Henry Lee Summer chronology | ||||
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I've Got Everything is an album by the American musician Henry Lee Summer, released in 1989.[1][2] The first single was "Hey Baby".[3] Summer supported the album by opening for Eddie Money and then the Doobie Brothers on North American tours.[4][5] The album peaked at No. 78 on the Billboard 200.[6] It sold more than 400,000 copies in its first six months of release.[7]
Production
[edit]Produced by Summer, the album was recorded over four and half months at his Broad Ripple Village, Indianapolis, home, which was dubbed Henry's House of Noise; he preferred that the songs be recorded in one take, and would break to play basketball with his band if a song was proving difficult to record.[8][9][7] The album title refers to Summer's attempts to convince his label that he could record a commercial success at his house.[8] He decided to leave in the many recording and musical mistakes.[10] Graham Maby played bass on the album; many of the other musicians, including Lisa Germano, were pulled from John Cougar Mellencamp's regular band.[11] Summer wrote most of the songs while touring in support of his previous album, and was influenced primarily by Otis Redding and Elvis Presley.[12][13] "Don't Leave Me" includes a musical quote from the Beatles' "A Day in the Life".[14] "Treat Her Like a Lady" is a cover of the Cornelius Brothers & Sister Rose song, which Summer's label asked him to record.[10] "Louie Louie Louie" is a song meant to accompany a dance Summer invented for "uncoordinated" people.[15] "My Louisa" had been a Summer live staple for four years.[16]
Critical reception
[edit]Review scores | |
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Source | Rating |
AllMusic | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
The Cincinnati Post | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
The Washington Post opined that "Summer, a passable Top 40 guitarist, fancies himself a soul singer in the Sam & Dave tradition; and while his dedication is admirable ... his new album, I've Got Everything, is not exactly persuasive."[14] The Toronto Star called the album "a deliberately dirty affair" and praised Summer for capturing "the best possible readings of predictable but genuine heartland rock 'n' roll."[19] The Whig-Standard said that "Summer writes eminently capable songs even if ... they're gone out of your mind an hour later."[20]
The Daily Illini advised, "Beware of heinous vocals and inexplicable gospel choruses."[21] The Cincinnati Post praised the "loose, funky rockers".[18] The Commercial Appeal admired the up-tempo tracks, but noted that Summer "lacks the delivery or raw skills" to make the serious songs successful.[22] The Courier Journal opined that "the first side is a marvel–six superbly crafted and well-executed pop songs".[16] The Poughkeepsie Journal labeled the album "vintage heartland rock–ringing guitars, simple beats and chords, and no pretense."[23] The Boston Globe said that Summer "slides easily between his guitar and keyboards on this spirited recording".[24]
AllMusic called I've Got Everything "his best, a two-fisted roots rock smorgasbord without a whiff of pretension... [but] a little too glossy and a smidge too sappy".[17]
Track listing
[edit]No. | Title | Length |
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1. | "Treat Her Like a Lady" | |
2. | "Roll Me" | |
3. | "My Turn Train" | |
4. | "Hey Baby" | |
5. | "My Louisa" | |
6. | "Louie Louie Louie" | |
7. | "Don't Leave Me" | |
8. | "Something Is Missing" | |
9. | "Got No Money" | |
10. | "I've Got Everything" | |
11. | "Close Enough for Me" | |
12. | "What's a Poor Boy to Do" |
References
[edit]- ^ Wesley, Ann (June 1997). "Endless Summer". Indianapolis Monthly. Vol. 20, no. 11. p. 86.
- ^ Heim, Chris (May 12, 1989). "Breakthrough artists return". Friday. Chicago Tribune. p. 72.
- ^ Davis, Ken (May 21, 1989). "Summer show at Elco to be recorded". The South Bend Tribune. p. C3.
- ^ Kim, Jae-Ha (May 19, 1989). "Singing is everything for Summer". Weekend Plus. Chicago Sun-Times. p. 15.
- ^ Holland, Elizabethe (August 25, 1989). "Doobies coming for those who listen to the music". Northwest Florida Daily News. p. D2.
- ^ Whitburn, Joel (2018). Top Pop Albums 1995–2016. Record Research Inc. p. 1162.
- ^ a b "Basketball Hoops, Rock 'n' Roll". St. Louis Post-Dispatch. The Associated Press. January 17, 1990. p. Y6.
- ^ a b Warren, Jill (April 30, 1989). "Summer's got everything on new album". The Indianapolis Star. p. E1.
- ^ Rhodes, Dean (September 25, 1989). "Henry Lee Summer appears to have it all". Phoenix Gazette. p. D2.
- ^ a b Redmond, Mike (May 19, 1989). "Summer's album breaks mold". The Indianapolis News. p. A13.
- ^ The International Who's Who in Popular Music. Taylor & Francis Group. 2002. p. 318.
- ^ Roads, Jim (May 11, 1989). "Summer's new album revives soul in rock". Good Times. Richmond Palladium-Item. p. 11.
- ^ Berlin, Joey (August 31, 1989). "Music is Henry Lee Summer's drug". Coeur d'Alene Press. Copley News Service. p. A18.
- ^ a b Zibart, Eve (May 26, 1989). "Summer of Soul: Not So Hot as Old Times". The Washington Post. p. N27.
- ^ Scott, Jane (May 26, 1989). "'Homemade' LP is fine". City Streets. The Plain Dealer. p. 20.
- ^ a b Clark, Mike (June 3, 1989). "Reviews". Scene. Courier Journal. p. 10.
- ^ a b "I've Got Everything Review by Jason Ankeny". AllMusic. Retrieved February 11, 2025.
- ^ a b Nager, Larry (May 20, 1989). "Records". The Cincinnati Post. p. 6C.
- ^ Potter, Mitch (June 23, 1989). "Summer adds edge to predictable pop formulas". Toronto Star. p. E16.
- ^ Burliuk, Greg (June 30, 1989). "Music That Transcends". Magazine. The Whig-Standard. p. 1.
- ^ Sonnenberg, Jim (May 12, 1989). "Retro rock weather". The Daily Illini. p. 11.
- ^ Wynn, Ron (May 28, 1989). "Three singers in new albums easy on production gimmicks". The Commercial Appeal. p. G2.
- ^ Goth, Greg (June 25, 1989). "Henry Lee Summer". Poughkeepsie Journal. p. 1F.
- ^ Basch, Martin (November 2, 1989). "Recordings". Calendar. The Boston Globe. p. 8.