Lou Ann Barton - Old Enough (1982)

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Lou Ann Barton (born February 17, 1954, Fort Worth, Texas, United States) is an American blues singer based in Austin, Texas since the 1970s. AllMusic noted that "The grace, poise, and confidence she projects on-stage is part of a long tradition for women blues singers".

She recorded the album Old Enough for Asylum Records in 1982, a well-received recording that was co-produced by Jerry Wexler and Glenn Frey. And recorded at the legendary Muscle Shoals Sound Studios, Old Enough is a solid piece of soulful Texas-style blues-rock.

Despite positive reviews, Old Enough did not sell well, and her tenure with Asylum Records was a short one. Barton's Forbidden Tones, a pop-oriented EP slated as her Asylum follow-up, was released by Spindletop Records in 1986. It also failed to find a wide audience.

The debut album by Austin-based blues-rock singer Lou Ann Barton didn't sound like many major-label releases of 1982. 

Produced by Atlantic Records veteran Jerry Wexler (with, worryingly, some help from ex-Eagles schlockmeister Glenn Frey)  Barton reveals herself to be an exceptional singer, sassy and sly but with a welcome tendency toward restraint. (Many singers in this style try too hard to prove their soulfulness and end up sounding ridiculous.) She's also got a keen eye for songs, investing the old standard "Finger Poppin' Time" with enough relish to make it sound fresh and turning Marshall Crenshaw's rockabilly-tinged "Brand New Lover" into a full-on Wanda Jackson-style barnburner. 

There are a few missteps, like the too-slick-by-half radio-friendly ballad "It's Raining," but overall, Old Enough is an unpretentious, timeless-sounding set. 

Track listing

A1.  I'm Old Enough - 3:58 

A2.  Brand New Lover - 2:26 

A3.  It's Raining - 2:51 

A4.  It Ain't Right - 3:30 

A5.  Finger Poppin' Time (Backing Vocals – The Flemtones) - 3:15 

B1. Stop These Teardrops - 4:08 

B2.  The Sudden Stop - 3:33 

B3.  The Doodle Song - 2:51 

B4.  Maybe - 3:04 

B5.  Every Day Of The Week - 2:38

Companies, etc.

• Phonographic Copyright ℗ – Elektra/Asylum Records
• Phonographic Copyright ℗ – WEA International Inc.
• Copyright © – Elektra/Asylum Records
• Copyright © – WEA International Inc.
• Recorded At – Muscle Shoals Sound Studios
• Lacquer Cut at – Sterling Sound
• Mastered At – Sheffield Lab Matrix – △913
• Mastered At – Europadisk
• Pressed By – Allied Record Company – B-16128
• Pressed By – Allied Record Company – B-16129
• Manufactured By – Elektra/Asylum/Nonesuch Records
• Record Company – Warner Communications Inc.

Credits

• Art Direction, Design – Jeff Adamoff
• Backing Vocals – Ava Aldridge, Cindy Richardson, Eddie Struzick, Lenny LeBlanc, Lou Ann Barton
• Baritone Saxophone – Ronnie Eades
• Bass – David Hood
• Drums – Roger Hawkins
• Engineer [Additional Engineering] – Mary Beth McLemore
• Engineer, Mixed By – Steve Melton
• Guitar – Duncan Cameron, Jimmie Vaughan, Jimmy Johnson, Wayne "Night Train" Perkins
• Guitar, Backing Vocals – Glenn Frey
• Horns – Muscle Shoals Horns
• Keyboards – Barry Beckett, Clayton Ivey
• Percussion – Tom Roady
• Photography By – Jim Shea
• Producer – Glenn Frey, Jerry Wexler
• Tenor Saxophone – Harvey Thompson, Walter King
• Trombone – Charlie Rose
• Trumpet, Arranged By [Horns] – Harrison Calloway

Notes

Release Date: 1982 

Recording Location:  Muscle Shoals Sound Studios, Sheffield, AL 

Genre:  Blues, Pop/Rock

Styles:  Blues-Rock

Duration: 32:14 

Label - Asylum Records