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