High Top Mountain is the debut studio album by American country music singer-songwriter Sturgill Simpson. The album was produced by Dave Cobb and was released on June 11, 2013. Simpson self-funded the album. The record is named after a cemetery near Jackson, Kentucky where many of his family are buried.
Reception
Stephen Thomas Erlewine of AllMusic rated High Top Mountain 3 1/2 stars out of 5, comparing its sound favorably to Waylon Jennings. Erik Ernst of the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel also compared it to Jennings, saying that it had "rich vintage sounds, heartbreaking ballads and juke-joint ramblers".
Track listing
Chart performance
The album did not receive much attention on its release and debuted at No. 47 on the Top Country Albums chart. It re-entered the chart after the release of Simpson's second album Metamodern Sounds in Country Music, eventually reaching No. 31 on Top Country Albums for the chart dated November 8, 2014. The album has sold 105,600 copies in the United States as of January 2017.
Personnel
Musicians and contributors
- Sturgill Simpson - vocals, acoustic guitar, Telecaster
- Hargus "Pig" Robbins - piano
- Chris Powell - drums
- Robby Turner - steel guitar, bass (tracks 1, 2, 3, 5, 7, 8, 10)
- Brian "Freedom Eagle Bear" Allen - bass (tracks 4, 6, 9, 11, 12)
- Bobby "Diamond Bob" Emmett - organ, Mellotron
- Leroy Powell - steel guitar (tracks 6, 9), backing vocals (track 6)
- Dave Cobb - 12 string electric guitar (track 7)
Technical personnel
- Produced by Dave Cobb
- Engineered by Vance Powell
- Assistant Engineered by Jason Mott
- Mixed by Vance Powell at Sputnik Sound - Nashville, TN
- Mastering by Richard Dodd
References
