Detours (Sheryl Crow album)

Detours is the sixth studio album by the American singer-songwriter Sheryl Crow, released on February 5, 2008. A return to Crow's forte in roots rock, the album also marks her reunion with Bill Bottrell, who produced her 1993 debut Tuesday Night Music Club and briefly worked on her 1996 album Sheryl Crow. The album sold over 700,000 copies worldwide up to 2010. [1]

Detours
Studio album by Sheryl Crow
Released	February 5, 2008 (2008-02-05)
Recorded	2007 The Hit Farm in Nashville, Odditorium Recorders in California, Sage and Sound Studios in Hollywood, Glenwood Place Studios in Burbank, The Pass Studios in Los Angeles, and 2 Seas Records in Bahrain
Genre	Rock, pop rock, folk rock
Length	52:55
Label	A&M
Producer	Bill Bottrell
Sheryl Crow chronology
Wildflower (2005) Detours (2008) Home for Christmas (2008)
Singles from Detours
"Shine over Babylon" Released: October 31, 2007 "Love Is Free" Released: January 2008 "Now That You're Gone" Released: April 2008 "Out of Our Heads" Released: June 2008 "Detours" Released: October 2008 "Motivation" Released: November 2008

It was nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Pop Vocal Album on December 4, 2008. [2]

Production

Detours was recorded at Crow's Nashville farm and includes 14 of the 24 songs recorded. The first single is a folk-rock anthem, "Shine over Babylon". Crow told Billboard in summer 2007 that the song "is very environmentally conscious, in the tradition of Bob Dylan". The single ended up being a radio airplay release and reached #42 on the Italy Singles Chart and #4 on the Billboard Adult album alternative chart.

I'm really encouraging artists to write about what's going on, because we seem to be very distracted by some lightweight topics. I think it's time to start writing about the reality of what's around us.

In additional comments on her website, Crow describes the single as "in every way a desperate cry for understanding. Perhaps it is even a battle song in the face of fear."

In a statement, Crow described the record as "the most honest record I've ever made. It's about being forced to wake up"[3].

The second single was "Love Is Free" which, in Crow's own words, was "inspired by [the effect of Hurricane Katrina on] New Orleans. What struck me about it is the stoicism of the New Orleans people, they are very spiritually based. You can see it in their eyes that they aren't going to give up, they are going to rebuild." So far "Love Is Free" has gained much airplay in the States and has already begun to enter the Billboard charts: the U.S. Hot 100 (#77), the Canadian Hot 100 (#53) and the Japanese Hot 100 (#10).

Perhaps coincidentally, while the New Orleans-inspired single was distributed and its allusions were noted by Crow during appearances on American television, the album itself was released on the day of New Orleans Mardi Gras.

The singles "Now that You're Gone" (released only in Europe) and "Out of Our Heads" charted #19 and #17, respectively, on the Ukrainian FDR charts. "Motivation" was released as a radio single only and peaked at #14 on the Billboard Triple A chart in the US. The title track, "Detours", charted at #13 in the US after Crow performed it on The Ellen DeGeneres Show.

Official videos

• "Shine over Babylon"
• "Lullaby for Wyatt"
• "Love Is Free"
• "God Bless This Mess"
• "Now That You're Gone"
• "Out of Our Heads"
• "Gasoline"

Critical reception

Professional ratings

Review scores
Source	Rating
AllMusic	[4]
Artistdirect	[5]
Billboard	(favorable)[6]
Blender	[7]
Entertainment Weekly	A[8]
Los Angeles Times	[9]
PopMatters	(8/10)[10]
Rolling Stone	[11]
Slant Magazine	[12]
USA Today	[13]

Detours scored a 75 on the website Metacritic, indicating 'generally favorable' reviews.[14]

Track listing

All lyrics and music by Sheryl Crow, except where noted

No.	Title	Length
1.	"God Bless This Mess"	2:09
2.	"Shine over Babylon" (lyrics: Crow, Bill Bottrell, music: Crow, Bottrell, Brian MacLeod, Eric Schermerhorn)	4:03
3.	"Love Is Free" (lyrics and music: Crow, Bottrell)	3:23
4.	"Peace Be Upon Us" (featuring Ahmed Al Hirmi) (music: Crow, Mike Elizondo, Bottrell, Jeff Trott)	4:22
5.	"Gasoline" (featuring Ben Harper) (music: Crow, Bottrell, Trott)	5:07
6.	"Out of Our Heads" (lyrics: Crow, Bottrell, music: Bottrell)	4:28
7.	"Detours"	3:29
8.	"Now That You're Gone"	3:51
9.	"Drunk with the Thought of You"	2:39
10.	"Diamond Ring" (music: Crow, Trott)	4:10
11.	"Motivation" (lyrics and music: Crow, Bottrell)	3:47
12.	"Make It Go Away (Radiation Song)"	3:24
13.	"Love Is All There Is" (music: Crow, Elizondo, Trott)	4:01
14.	"Lullaby for Wyatt"	4:09
Total length:		52:55

UK bonus tracks

No.	Title	Writer(s)	Length
15.	"Rise Up"	Crow, Bottrell	4:08
16.	"Here Comes the Sun" (iTunes bonus track)	George Harrison	3:00

US iTunes bonus tracks

No.	Title	Writer(s)	Length
15.	"Doctor My Eyes"	Jackson Browne	3:28
16.	"Here Comes the Sun" (Pre-order only)	Harrison	3:00

Japanese bonus tracks

No.	Title	Length
15.	"Rise Up" (lyrics and music: Crow, Bottrell)	4:08
16.	"Beautiful Dream"	3:36

Japanese Tour Edition bonus tracks

No.	Title	Length
15.	"Rise Up" (lyrics and music: Crow, Bottrell)	4:08
16.	"Beautiful Dream"	3:36
17.	"Shine over Babylon" (Live Acoustic version)	4:04
18.	"Detours" (Live Acoustic version)	3:41
19.	"Drunk with the Thought of You" (Live Acoustic version)	2:45
20.	"Love Is Free" (Live Acoustic version)	3:26

Japanese Tour Edition bonus DVD

No.	Title	Length
1.	"God Bless This Mess" (Music video)
2.	"Gasoline" (Music video)
3.	"Love Is Free" (Music video)
4.	"Shine over Babylon" (Music video)
5.	"Out of Our Heads" (Music video)

Personnel

• Adrián Agustin – assistant engineer
• Ahmed AlHirmi – vocals
• Abdulla AlKhalifa – vocal arrangement, vocal producer
• Rosanna Arquette – vocals
• Catherine Berclaz – art direction, creative director
• Bill Bottrell – organ, synthesizer, acoustic guitar, bass guitar, percussion, pedal steel, drums, electric guitar, marimba, pipe, vocals, choir, chorus, producer, engineer, mellotron, acoustic bass, string arrangements, drum programming, mixing, synthesizer bass, wurlitzer
• Doyle Bramhall II – electric guitar
• Teresa Bustillo – assistant
• Matt Butler – cello
• Sheryl Crow – organ, acoustic guitar, bass guitar, piano, accordion, vocals, choir, chorus, handclapping
• Wyatt Crow – noise
• Greg d'Augelli – brass
• Brendan Dekora – assistant engineer
• Mike Elizondo – synthesizer, acoustic guitar, bass guitar, drums, sampling, drum programming
• Eric Fritsch – engineer
• Ben Harper – vocals
• Chris Hudson – production coordination
• Brian MacLeod – percussion, drums, sampling, drum programming
• Alex Pavlides – assistant engineer
• Julian Peploe – art direction, package design
• Mike Rowe – flute sample
• Norman Jean Roy – photography
• Doug Sax – mastering
• Marva Soogrim – vocals
• Zeph Sowers – assistant engineer
• Jeremy Stacey – piano, drums, timbales, vocals, kalimba
• Shari Sutcliffe – contractor
• Matt Tait – engineer
• Ken Takahashi – assistant engineer
• Jeff Trott – acoustic guitar, bass guitar, electric guitar, vocals, choir, chorus, slide guitar
• Scooter Weintraub – management
• Pam Wertheimer – management
• David Allen Young – assistant engineer

Release history and chart performance

Detours debuted at number two on the U.S. Billboard 200 chart, selling about 92,000 copies in its first week and an additional 52,000 copies in its second week.[15] As of May 26, 2010, the album had sold 405,000 copies in the US.[16]

Region	Date	Label	Catalog	Sales	Rank
Japan	January 30, 2008 (2008-01-30)	Universal	UICA-1044	28,518[17]	22
United States	February 5, 2008 (2008-02-05)	A&M	–	405,000	2
United Kingdom	February 18, 2008 (2008-02-18)	Interscope	–	25,000	20
Canada	February 5, 2008 (2008-02-05)	A&M	–	50,000	2
Ireland	February 18, 2008 (2008-02-18)	Interscope	–		28

Year-end charts

Chart (2008)	Peak position
Top Alternative Albums	22
Top Comprehensive Albums	125
Billboard 200	114

Certifications

Region	Certification	Certified units/sales
Canada (Music Canada)[18]	Gold	50,000^^
^*sales figures based on certification alone ^^shipments figures based on certification alone

References

1. Lenoir, Nikolas (4 June 2010). "Découvrez le nouveau titre de Sheryl Crow". Charts In France. Retrieved 6 February 2019.
2. "Grammy Nominations - Sheryl Crow". Grammy. Retrieved 6 February 2019.
3. "Sheryl Crow Readies Most Honest Record". E! Online. November 21, 2007. Retrieved 2019-08-03.
4. Erlewine, Stephen Thomas. "Sheryl Crow: Detours > Review" at AllMusic. Retrieved November 6, 2011.
5. Gargano, Andrew (February 6, 2008). "Detours Review". Artistdirect. Retrieved November 6, 2011.
6. Menze, Jill. "Detours: Sheryl Crow". Billboard. ISSN 0006-2510. Archived from the original on February 3, 2008.
7. "Detours review". Blender. Retrieved November 6, 2011.
8. Willman, Chris (February 1, 2008). "Detours (2008): Sheryl Crow". Entertainment Weekly. Time Inc. (#977). ISSN 1049-0434. Retrieved November 6, 2011.
9. Powers, Ann (February 3, 2008). "Sheryl Crow, lost & found". Los Angeles Times. Tribune Company. ISSN 0458-3035. Retrieved November 6, 2011.
10. Layman, Will (February 12, 2008). "Sheryl Crow: Detours". PopMatters. Retrieved November 6, 2011.
11. DeCurtis, Anthony (30 January 2008). "Sheryl Crow: Detours". Rolling Stone. Straight Arrow. ISSN 0035-791X. Archived from the original on 2008-02-03.
12. Cinquemani, Sal (January 27, 2008). "Sheryl Crow: Detours". Slant Magazine. Retrieved November 6, 2011.
13. Gundersen, Edna (February 5, 2008). "Sheryl Crow's 'Detours' is a wild, wonderful ride". USA Today. Gannett. ISSN 0734-7456. Retrieved November 6, 2011.
14. Detours at Metacritic. Retrieved November 6, 2011.
15. Hasty, Katie (February 20, 2008). "Johnson Remains No. 1; Winehouse, Hancock Soar". Billboard.com. Retrieved November 6, 2011.
16. Mapes, Jillian (May 26, 2010). "Sheryl Crow: Summer Album Preview 2010". Billboard.com. Retrieved November 6, 2011.
17. アルバム 週間ランキング-ORICON STYLE ランキング Archived February 4, 2008, at the Wayback Machine
18. "Canadian album certifications – Sheryl Crow – Detours". Music Canada. Retrieved 6 February 2019.