Changed

by Rascal Flatts

Overview

The change alluded to in the title of Rascal Flatts' Changed refers to the trio's embrace of self-production of its eighth album, but longtime followers and casual observers alike can be forgiven for thinking nothing is different here. Like any of Rascal Flatts' records, Changed is a smooth machine pumping out arena-country anthems and power ballads, interrupted by the occasional silly novelty or platform-jumping crossover. Here, they're not rubbing elbows with the likes of Natasha Bedingfield -- the British diva who didn't help the group break through in the U.K., but their "Easy" did reach the U.S. Adult Contemporary Top 20, which admittedly isn't foreign territory for Rascal Flatts -- and they've toned down the brightness that gave 2010's Nothing Like This some cheer, a subdued shift that's evident even on goofy roof-raising party tunes like "Banjo" (or "Friday" on its expanded Deluxe Edition; regrettably, it is not a Rebecca Black cover). Changed marches to a deliberate beat, the tempos shifting only slightly when things get either insistent or gentle, the group layering its harmonies heavily on both the soft and loud numbers, giving every cut a candied gloss. Taken in one sitting, this can be too sweet, but that's largely due to that unwavering beat and how it makes everything blend together, with the melodies not being quite strong enough to give the slickness definition. Which isn't to say that there aren't songs that announce themselves, in ways both good (the cool assured adult contemporary pulse of "Hot in Here") and bad (the repetition of "She's Leaving" is an instant irritation), but Changed always errs on the side of caution. And perhaps that says a lot about Rascal Flatts: when left to their own devices, they take fewer risks than usual. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine

Product Details

Release Date:	04/03/2012
Label:	Big Machine Records
UPC:	0843930006175

Tracks

1. Changed
2. Banjo
3. Hot in Here
4. Come Wake Me Up
5. She's Leaving
6. Let It Hurt
7. Lovin' Me
8. Hurry Baby
9. Sunrise
10. Great Big Love
11. A Little Home

Album Credits

Performance Credits

Rascal Flatts   Primary Artist
Joe Don Rooney   Vocals,Guitar (Acoustic),Guitar (Electric)
Gary LeVox   Vocals
Charlie Judge   Strings,Keyboards,Synthesizer
Ilya Toshinskiy   Banjo,Dobro,Fiddle,Bouzouki,Mandolin,Guitar (Acoustic)
Paul Franklin   Guitar (Steel),Guitar (Acoustic)
Shannon Forrest   Drums
Dorian Crozier   Drums
Travis Toy   Banjo,Dobro,Guitar (Steel)
Dann Huff   Banjo,Sitar,Bouzouki,Mandolin,Guitar (Acoustic),Guitar (Electric),Guitar (12 String Acoustic)
Jenee Fleenor   Viola,Fiddle,Violin
Gordon Mote   Piano
Eric Darken   Percussion
Jonathan Yudkin   Cello,Viola,Fiddle,Violin,Mandolin,Accordion
Jay DeMarcus   Bass,Vocals,Bouzouki,Mandolin,Guitar (Electric)
Robbie Buchanan   Piano
Chris McHugh   Drums
Tom Bukovac   Guitar (Acoustic),Guitar (Electric)

Technical Credits

Jeffrey Steele   Composer
Rascal Flatts   Producer
Joe Don Rooney   Composer
Gary LeVox   Composer
Gordie Sampson   Composer
Tony Martin   Composer
Seth Morton   Assistant
Dallas Davidson   Composer
Tim Larsson   Composer
Jimmy Yeary   Composer
Randee St. Nicholas   Photography
Whitney Sutton   Copy Coordination
Kelly King   A&R
Sean Neff   Mixing,Engineer,Programming,Digital Editing
Johan Fransson   Composer
John Murphy   Wardrobe
Darrell Franklin   A&R
Tobias Lundgren   Composer
Becky Reiser   Graphic Design
Nathan Yarborough   Assistant
Charlie Judge   Programming
Taylor Nyquist   Assistant
Paul Jenkins   Composer,Composer
Tony Caldwell   Make-Up,Hair Stylist
Mike Moore   Layout Assistance
Allison Jones   A&R
Kelly Lovelace   Composer
Kelley Lovelace   Composer
Robert Ellis Orrall   Composer
Justin Niebank   Mixing,Engineer
Ira Dean   Composer
Kara DioGuardi   Composer
Marti Frederiksen   Composer
Neil Thrasher   Composer
Ashley Gorley   Composer
Caitlyn Smith   Composer
Sean McConnell   Composer
Mike Griffith   Production Coordination
Tom Shapiro   Composer
Dann Huff   Producer,Programming
Nathan Chapman   Composer
Tom Hambridge   Composer
Drew Bollman   Engineer,Assistant
Adam Ayan   Mastering
Jay DeMarcus   Composer
Mark Hagen   Engineer,Digital Editing
Curtis Wright   Composer
David Huff   Programming
Lee Thomas Miller   Composer
Wendell Mobley   Composer
Jason Sellers   Composer