Sheryl Crow - The Globe Sessions

Since her dense, varied, post-modernist eponymous second album illustrated that Sheryl Crow was no one-album wonder, she wasn't left with as much to prove the third time around. Having created an original variation on roots rock with Sheryl Crow, she was left with the dilemma of how to remain loyal to that sound without repeating herself on her third album, The Globe Sessions. To her credit, she never plays lazy, not when she's turning out Stones-y rockers ("There Goes the Neighborhood") or when she's covering Dylan (the remarkable "Mississippi," an outtake from Time Out of Mind). However, she has decided to abandon the layered, yard-sale production and pop-culture fixations that made Sheryl Crow a defining album of the mid-'90s. The Globe Sessions, instead, is the work of a craftsman, one who knows how to balance introspective songs with pop/rockers, one who knows how to exploit their signature sound while becoming slightly more eclectic. In that sense, the album is a lot like a latter-day album from her idols, the Stones -- it finds pleasures within the craft and the signature sound themselves. That means that there are no surprises (apart from the synthesized handclaps, of course). The Celtic homage "Riverwide" may be new, but it's not unexpected, much like how the whiplash transition in "Am I Getting Through" isn't entirely out of the blue. That's not necessarily a bad thing, though, since The Globe Sessions has a strong set of songs. Since it lacks the varied sonics, humor, and flat-out weirdness of Sheryl Crow, it's never quite as compelling a listen as its predecessor, yet it is a strong record, again confirming Crow's position as one of the best roots-rockers of the '90s. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine, All Music Guide

Name Credits Andy Wallace Mixing Avril Brown Violin Benmont Tench Organ (Hammond), Chamberlin, Piano, Organ Bob Ludwig Mastering Bobby Keys Sax (Baritone), Sax (Tenor), Soloist, Sax (Alto) Brandt Scott Production Coordination, Assistant Engineer Brian Scott Assistant Engineer, Production Coordination Chris Hudson Mixing Assistant, Production Coordination Dan McCarroll Drums Dan Rothchild Double Bass, Bass David Schiffman Mixing, Engineer David Tickle Mixing, Mastering, Surround Mix, Digital Mastering Garo Yellin Cello Greg Leisz Pedal Steel, Pedal Steel Banjo Greg Liesz Pedal Steel Gregg Williams Percussion, Programming, Rums, Tambourine, Drums Howard Willing Mixing Assistant, Mixing, Assistant Engineer, Mixing Engineer Jane Scarpantoni Cello Jeff Levison Digital Engineer Jeff Trott Guitar (Acoustic), Slide Guitar, Guitar (Tremolo), Guitar (12 String), Guitar (12 String Acoustic), Moog Synthesizer, Tremolo, Guitar, Bass, Guitar (Electric) Jeri Heiden Design, Art Direction Jim Bogios Drums Jimmie Haskell String Arrangements, Conductor, String Conductor, Arranger Kathy Crow Vocals Kent Smith Trumpet Laura Seaton Violin Lisa Germano Soloist, Violin, Autoharp Lorenza Ponce Violin Mark Feldman Violin Mary Rowell Violin Mary Wooten Cello Matthew Pierce Violin Maura Giannini Violin Michael Davis Trombone Michelle Kinney Cello Mitchell Froom Clavinet, Orchestra Pam Wertheimer Management, Production Coordination, Mixing Assistant Peter Lindbergh Photography Richard Dodd Mixing Rick Rubin Producer, Mixing Rory Kaplan Executive Producer Sabrina Heraux Production Coordination Scooter Weintraub Management Sheryl Crow Vocals, Guitar (12 String Acoustic), Bass, Guitar (Electric), Keyboards, Guitar (Bass), Guitar (12 String Electric), Guitar (Acoustic), Percussion, Wurlitzer, Guitar, Harmonica, National Steel Guitar, Organ (Hammond), Clavinet, Guitar (12 String), Producer, Organ, Tambourine Steve Sisco Mixing, Mixing Assistant, Assistant Engineer, Mixing Engineer Tchad Blake Photography, Inlay Photography, Mixing Tim Smith Bass, Guitar (Electric), Guitar (Acoustic) Todd Wolfe Soloist, Guitar (Electric) Trina Shoemaker Engineer, Drum Loop Val McCallum Guitar (Electric), Guitar Wendy Melvoin Bass, Guitar