Pickin' on Nashville

Pickin' on Nashville
Pickin' on Nashville
Studio album by the Kentucky Headhunters
Released	October 17, 1989
Studio	Sound Shop (Nashville, Tennessee)
Genre	Country rock, Southern rock
Length	34:21
Label	Mercury
Producer	The Kentucky Headhunters
The Kentucky Headhunters chronology
Singles from Pickin' on Nashville
	"Walk Softly on This Heart of Mine"; Released: September 1989; "Dumas Walker"; Released: January 12, 1990; "Oh Lonesome Me"; Released: May 1990; "Rock 'n' Roll Angel"; Released: October 13, 1990;

Pickin' on Nashville is the debut studio album by American country rock/southern rock band the Kentucky Headhunters. It features the singles "Walk Softly on This Heart of Mine", "Oh Lonesome Me", "Dumas Walker", and "Rock 'n' Roll Angel", all of which charted in the Top 40 on the Hot Country Songs charts. "Oh Lonesome Me" was also the highest charting, at No. 8. The album won a Grammy Award for Best Country Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal for the band in 1991.

"Walk Softly on This Heart of Mine" is a cover of a Bill Monroe song, "Skip a Rope" a cover of a Henson Cargill song, and "Oh Lonesome Me" a cover of a Don Gibson song. After brothers Ricky Lee and Doug Phelps left the band in 1992 to form the duo Brother Phelps, they recorded "Ragtop" on their second album (1994's Any Way the Wind Blows). Doug rejoined the band in 1997.

Critical reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
Source	Rating
AllMusic	^[1]

The Tulsa World noted that the band "have more in common with the Georgia Satellites than just a similar name—their bar-band, three- and four-chord boogie has the same loose, endearingly sappy quality."^[2]

Track listing

No.	Title	Writer(s)	Length
1.	"Walk Softly on This Heart of Mine"	Bill Monroe, Jake Landers	3:44
2.	"Dumas Walker"	The Kentucky Headhunters	2:50
3.	"Rag Top"	Doug Phelps, Ricky Lee Phelps	3:11
4.	"Rock 'n' Roll Angel"	Richard Young	3:51
5.	"Smooth"	R. L. Phelps, Samuel Edward Crowe	4:27
6.	"High Steppin' Daddy"	Ralph Wade Martin	2:57
7.	"Skip a Rope"	Glenn Tubb, Jack Moran	2:31
8.	"Some Folks Like to Steal"	R. Young, Fred Young, Martin	2:51
9.	"Oh Lonesome Me"	Don Gibson	3:09
10.	"My Daddy Was a Milkman"	The Kentucky Headhunters	4:28

Personnel

The Kentucky Headhunters

Greg Martin - lead guitar
Doug Phelps - background vocals, bass guitar
Ricky Lee Phelps - lead vocals
Fred Young - drums, percussion
Richard Young - rhythm guitar

Additional musician

Richard Ripani - Hammond B-3 organ on "Oh Lonesome Me", "cheesy organ" on "Rock 'n' Roll Angel"

Technical

Mike Bradley - recording, mixing
The Kentucky Headhunters - production, arrangement
Glenn Meadows - mastering
Jim Zumwalt - executive production

Chart performance

Weekly charts

Chart (1989–1990)	Peak position
US Billboard 200^[3]	41
US Top Country Albums (Billboard)^[4]	2

Year-end charts

Chart (1990)	Position
US Billboard 200^[5]	58
US Top Country Albums (Billboard)^[6]	3
Chart (1992)	Position
US Top Country Albums (Billboard)^[7]	72

Certifications


Region	Certification	Certified units/sales
Canada (Music Canada)^[8]	2× Platinum	200,000^{^}
United States (RIAA)^[9]	2× Platinum	2,000,000^{^}
^{^} Shipments figures based on certification alone.

References

^ "Pickin' on Nashville Review by William Ruhlmann". AllMusic. Retrieved 20 August 2024.
^ Wooley, John (November 5, 1989). "And speaking of hillbilly rock...". Tulsa World. p. H14.
^ "The Kentucky Headhunters, TLP". Billboard. Retrieved December 22, 2020.
^ "The Kentucky Headhunters, CLP". Billboard. Retrieved December 22, 2020.
^ "Top Billboard 200 Albums – Year-End 1990". Billboard. Retrieved December 22, 2020.
^ "Top Country Albums – Year-End 1990". Billboard. Retrieved December 22, 2020.
^ "Top Country Albums – Year-End 1992". Billboard. Retrieved December 22, 2020.
^ "Canadian album certifications – The Kentucky Headhunters – Pickin' on Nashville". Music Canada. Retrieved January 3, 2021.
^ "American album certifications – Kentucky Headhunters – Pickin' on Nashville". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved January 3, 2021.

[AM-1] "Pickin' on Nashville Review by William Ruhlmann". AllMusic. Retrieved 20 August 2024.

[2] Wooley, John (November 5, 1989). "And speaking of hillbilly rock...". Tulsa World. p. H14.

[3] "The Kentucky Headhunters, TLP". Billboard. Retrieved December 22, 2020.

[4] "The Kentucky Headhunters, CLP". Billboard. Retrieved December 22, 2020.

[5] "Top Billboard 200 Albums – Year-End 1990". Billboard. Retrieved December 22, 2020.

[6] "Top Country Albums – Year-End 1990". Billboard. Retrieved December 22, 2020.

[7] "Top Country Albums – Year-End 1992". Billboard. Retrieved December 22, 2020.

[CanadaThe_Kentucky_HeadhuntersPickin'_on_NashvillealbumCertRef-8] "Canadian album certifications – The Kentucky Headhunters – Pickin' on Nashville". Music Canada. Retrieved January 3, 2021.

[United_StatesKentucky_HeadhuntersPickin'_on_NashvillealbumCertRef-9] "American album certifications – Kentucky Headhunters – Pickin' on Nashville". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved January 3, 2021.

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