Love...& Other Sad Stories

Love...& Other Sad Stories is a studio album by American country singer-songwriter Bill Anderson. It was released in 1978 on MCA Records and was produced by Buddy Killen. The album was Anderson's 28th studio recording in his career and was among his final MCA albums. The record included the song, "I Can't Wait Any Longer". Issued as a single, it became a major country hit and minor crossover hit in 1978. It was Anderson's biggest hit single in several years and relaunched his career as a country pop vocalist. The album itself would also receive reception from writers and would chart in music publications.

Love...& Other Sad Stories
Studio album by
Bill Anderson
Released1978 (1978)
RecordedMarch 1978
StudioBradley's Barn
Genre
LabelMCA
ProducerBuddy Killen
Bill Anderson chronology
Billy Boy & Mary Lou
(1977)		 Love...& Other Sad Stories
(1978)		 Ladies Choice
(1979)
Singles from Love...& Other Sad Stories
  1. "I Can't Wait Any Longer"
    Released: April 1978

Background and content

Love...& Other Sad Stories was recorded in March 1978 in sessions produced by Buddy Killen. It was Anderson's third solo project with Killen since first working together in 1976. The sessions were recorded at Bradley's Barn, a studio located in Mount Juliet, Tennessee.[2] The album was a collection of ten tracks. Of these tracks, six were written by Anderson himself. This included "I Can't Wait Any Longer". Other songs were compositions written by Nashville songwriters such as Curly Putman, Bobby Braddock and Sonny Throckmorton.[3]

The tenth track, "I Wonder If God Likes Country Music", featured a collaboration with Grand Ole Opry performer Roy Acuff. In the album's liner notes, Anderson thanked Acuff for joining him. "A special THANKS to Roy Acuff, who will always be the 'King of Country Music'", Anderson wrote.[2] The record's songs were themed around the idea of love and love lost. The subject of the songs also looked at sexuality and intimacy in relationships. Examples of this included "I Can't Wait Any Longer" and "Smooth Southern Highway".[1]

Release and reception
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
BillboardFavorable
Allmusic

Love...& Other Sad Stories was released in 1978 on MCA Records, becoming Anderson's 28th studio album.[2] The album was issued as a vinyl record with five songs on each side.[3] The project was Anderson's lowest-charting solo album to date, reaching a peak of 37 on the Billboard Top Country Albums list.[4] In Canada, the record became Anderson's first to reach the RPM Country Albums chart, peaking at number five.[5] The project included only one single, "I Can't Wait Any Longer". The song was released as a single in April 1978.[4] It became Anderson's biggest hit on the Billboard Hot Country Singles chart in several years, reaching number four by July of that year.[6] It also became his first single since 1970 to chart on the Billboard Hot 100, spending four weeks on the list and peaking at number 80 in July.[7] On the RPM country singles chart, the song peaked at number one, his final chart-topping hit.[8]

Love...& Other Sad Stories received a mixed reception from writers and critics. In a July 1978 Billboard publication, writers noticed a change in Anderson's musical style with the release. "Bill Anderson's wide appeal is crossing over the U.S. with his burgeoning, chart climbing, smash single 'I Can't Wait Any Longer' from his latest album Love...& Other Sad Stories," staff writers commented.[9] Meanwhile, Eugene Chadbourne of Allmusic gave the release only 1.5 out of 5 possible stars in his review. Chadbourne criticized the album's negative portrayal of women physicality, notably on "I Can't Wait Any Longer". "If the opening text of 'I Can't Wait Any Longer' were a prank phone call, it could result in prosecution; if the string arrangement on this opener was also involved, it could frankly be considered a hate crime," he commented.[1] Chadbourne later criticized the album's production, calling it "positively frightening." "This is an album that begins with what sounds like a pervert and ends with an effect described as frightening. Too bad most of it is so boring to listen to," he concluded.[1]

Track listing
Side one[2]
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."I Can't Wait Any Longer"
  • Bill Anderson
  • Buddy Killen
4:26
2."How Married Are You, Mary Ann?"Anderson3:02
3."Smooth Southern Highway"
2:57
4."All That Keeps Me Goin'"Anderson2:36
5."Joanna"Anderson3:38
Side two[2]
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Ride Off in the Sunset"
  • Putman
  • Throckmorton
4:00
2."Whiskey Can't Sing"Anderson2:46
3."On His Way Down the River"Bobby Braddock4:03
4."Summer Sun"Anderson3:24
5."I Wonder If God Likes Country Music" (featuring Roy Acuff)
4:18

Personnel

All credits are adapted from the liner notes of Love...& Other Sad Stories.[2]

Musical personnel

  • Bill Anderson – lead vocals
  • George Brinkley III – strings
  • Marvin Chantry – strings
  • Roy Christensen – strings
  • Bobby Emmons – piano
  • Johnny Gimble – fiddle
  • Carol Gorozetsky – strings
  • The Jordanaires – background vocals
  • Sheldon Kurland – strings
  • The Nashville Edition – background vocals
  • Steven Smith – strings
  • Gary Vanosdale – strings
  • Bobby Wood – piano
  • Stephanie Woolf – strings

Technical personnel

  • Rich Adler – engineering
  • Buddy Killen – producer
  • David Hogan – art direction
  • John R. Miller – photography
  • Ernie Winfrey – engineering

Chart performance
Chart (1978) Peak
position
Canada Country Albums/LP's (RPM)[5] 5
US Top Country Albums (Billboard)[10] 37

Release history
Region Date Format Label Ref.
Canada 1978 Vinyl MCA [11]
United Kingdom [12]
United States [2][3]
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References
  1. Anderson, Bill. "Love...& Other Sad Stories – Bill Anderson – Songs, Reviews, Credits". Allmusic. Retrieved April 28, 2020.
  2. Anderson, Bill (1978). "Love...& Other Sad Stories (Liner Notes & Album Information)". MCA Records.
  3. "Bill Anderson – Love...& Other Sad Stories (1978, Vinyl)". Discogs. Retrieved April 28, 2020.
  4. Whitburn, Joel (2008). Hot Country Songs 1944 to 2008. Record Research, Inc. ISBN 978-0-89820-177-2.
  5. "Search results for "Bill Anderson" -- Country Albums/CDs". RPM. July 17, 2013. Retrieved April 9, 2020.
  6. ""I Can't Wait Any Longer" [country] chart history". Billboard. Retrieved April 28, 2020.
  7. ""I Can't Wait Any Longer" [Hot 100] chart history". Billboard. Retrieved April 28, 2020.
  8. "Search results for "Bill Anderson" – Country Singles". RPM. July 17, 2013. Retrieved April 9, 2020.
  9. "Billboard (Main page)". Billboard. 90 (29): 1. July 22, 1978.
  10. "Bill Anderson Chart History (Top Country Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved April 27, 2020.
  11. "Love...& Other Sad Stories (Canadian Release)". Discogs. Retrieved April 28, 2020.
  12. "Love...& Other Sad Stories (UK release)". Discogs. Retrieved April 28, 2020.
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