Did It for the Party

by Big & Rich

Overview

There's a hint of melancholy to the title of Did It for the Party, as if Big & Rich were taking stock of their life and decided they were only in it for the good times. The actuality of Did It for the Party is decidedly less textured, but it is certainly the work of mavericks who've mellowed yet still refuse to give up the ghost entirely. Along with the title track, there's "Congratulations (You're a Rockstar)," "We Came to Rawk," and "Funk in the Country," every one a purported anthem of revelry, but they -- like the rest of Did It for the Party -- are wrapped in a heavy gauze that mutes the mood. Such a shift toward the middle makes sense since Big & Rich revived their commercial fortunes on 2014's Gravity by embracing the middle of the road. They're still in that comfortable, familiar lane on Did It for the Party, but this sequel is undone by the duo doubling down on polish while halfheartedly insisting on living it up on the margins. Pros that they are, they do manage to churn out a couple of ingratiating numbers -- the chipper waiting-room love song "Wake Up Wanting You" and "Smoke in Her Eyes," an effective re-creation of late-'80s arena country -- but that facility with craft also means the sentimental moments are too sticky, particularly when they're imparting life lessons. This move toward the mawkish is a bizarre turn for a duo who once celebrated the trashiest elements of junk culture and, strangely enough, this saccharine streak does indeed make Did It for the Party feel oddly wistful. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine

Product Details

Release Date:	09/15/2017
Label:	Big & Rich Records / Thirty Tigers
UPC:	0752830444614
Rank:	177839

Tracks

1. California
2. Did It for the Party
3. Congratulations (You're a Rockstar)
4. Turns Me On
5. Wake Up Wanting You
6. Smoke in Her Eyes
7. No Sleep
8. We Came to Rawk
9. Funk in the Country
10. The Long Way Home
11. Freedom Road
12. My Son
13. Lie Cheat or Steal

Album Credits

Performance Credits

Big & Rich   Primary Artist
Troy Lancaster   Guitar (Electric)
Steve Mackey   Bass
The Isaacs   Featured Artist
Kenny Olson   Guitar (Electric)
Lester Estelle   Drums
Danny Rader   Guitar (Acoustic)
Brandon Day   Mandolin
Ilya Toshinskiy   Guitar (Acoustic)
Dakota Alphin   Vocal Harmony
Matt Bubel   Drums
Adam Shoenfeld   Mandolin,Guitar (Acoustic),Guitar (Electric)
Trey Hill   Guitar (Acoustic),Guitar (Electric)
Mark Hill   Bass
Michael Rojas   Keyboards
John Willis   Banjo,Guitar (Acoustic)
Jeff Roach   Keyboards
Jimmie Lee Sloas   Bass
Smith Curry   Pedal Steel
Mike Brignardello   Bass
Glenn Worf   Bass
Jonathan Yudkin   Fiddle,Strings
David Dorn   Keyboards
Max Abrams   Saxophone
Miles McPherson   Drums
Mike Johnson   Pedal Steel

Technical Credits

Brandon Day   Composer,Programming
Big Kenny   Composer,Producer
Nick Brophy   Mixing,Engineer
Marty Dodson   Composer
Sean Giovanni   Engineer,Drum Programming
Austin Atwood   Production Coordination
Zach Lockwood   Composer
Sam Raymond   Production Coordination
Michael Whitworth   Composer
Michael Waltery   Production Coordination
Adam Shoenfeld   Composer
Vicky McGehee   Composer
John Rich   Composer,Producer
Mark Nesler   Composer
Phil Vassar   Composer
Andrew Mendelson   Mastering
Taylor Davis   Composer
Eric Webb   Composer
Rodney Clawson   Composer
Garrett Miller   Mixing,Engineer,Programming,Drum Programming
Taylor Pollert   Production Coordination
Sonia Leigh   Composer
Matt Dragstrem   Composer
Miles McPherson   Drum Programming
William Kebler "Keebz"   Composer
Josh Thompson   Composer