Just Across the River


Just Across the River is the twelfth album by American singer-songwriter Jimmy Webb, released in June 2010 by Koch Records. The album features thirteen classic Jimmy Webb tunes performed by Webb with guest appearances by friends, collaborators, admirers, and fellow recording artists Linda Ronstadt, Jackson Browne, Billy Joel, Willie Nelson, Glen Campbell, Michael McDonald, Mark Knopfler, JD Souther, Vince Gill and Lucinda Williams.

Critical reception

In his review for AllMusic, Thom Jurek praised the efforts of producer Fred Mollin to assemble some of Nashville's finest musicians to produce a "gorgeous sound" that was mostly recorded live over two days in a Nashville studio. According to Jurek, some of the highlights include "Oklahoma Nights" with Vince Gill's "beautiful tenor balancing the harmonies"; "Highwayman" with Mark Knopfler's vocals underscoring Webb's vocals, "creating a dark, melancholy authenticity"; "Wichita Lineman" with Billy Joel's remarkable "empathic feel for the duet"; and "P.F. Sloan" with Jackson Browne's vocals making the song "a real tragedy for an era, as well as for a man."
In his review in Rolling Stone magazine, James Hunter awarded the album three and a half out of five stars, noting that "few singers blend grit and grandeur like Jimmy Webb" and that his voice "is like an old Mustang heading through a treacherous yet often gorgeous landscape."

Personnel

;Music
;Production
  • Fred Mollin – producer
  • Matthew McCauley – string arrangements, string conductor
  • Kyle Lehning – engineer
  • Mark Linett – engineer
  • Kerry Cunningham – engineer
  • Casey Wood – engineer
  • Stephen Armstrong – engineer
  • Jared Nugent – engineer
  • Jake Burns – engineer
  • David Stewart – engineer
  • Jay Frigolleto – guitar engineer
  • "Teenage" Dave Salley – overdub engineer
  • Greg Calbi – mastering