Hillbilly Rock


Hillbilly Rock is the fourth studio album by American country music artist Marty Stuart. It was released in October 1989 by MCA Nashville. It peaked at #19 on the Top Country Albums chart but failed to chart on the Canadian charts. It was certified Gold in both countries. The songs "Cry! Cry! Cry!", "Don't Leave Her Lonely Too Long", "Hillbilly Rock", and "Western Girls" were released as singles.

Musical style and composition

Hillbilly Rock has been described as a neotraditional country, honky-tonk, and country rock album, with elements of rockabilly, bluegrass, and Western music.

Critical reception

Peter Saros of Country Universe praised the album in a retrospective review, referring to it as "an essential album from the early '90s country canon that bristles with 'gutsy, imaginative, guitar-gramed arrangements, and stormy sensuality' even as it is too often overshadowed by the bigger commercial successes of its era."

Content

Several songs on this album are covers or would later be covered by other artists. Johnny Cash's "Cry! Cry! Cry!" first appeared on his 1957 album With His Hot and Blue Guitar. "Me and Billy the Kid" was written and recorded by Joe Ely for his album Lord of the Highway and would later be covered by Pat Green and Kevin Welch and the Overtones. "Don't Leave Her Lonely Too Long" was covered by Gary Allan on his 1998 album It Would Be You.

Personnel

Production