Sparkle City
The album cover features David Ball, a middle-aged white man. He wears a white cowboy hat and a dark button-down shirt. His left hand covers his mouth in thought. His right hand holds an acoustic guitar upside down at his side. Cursive text reads "Sparkle City". Serif text reads "David Ball & The Pioneer Playboys".
Studio album by
David Ball
ReleasedApril 20, 2010 (2010-04-20)
StudioLegends Studio, Nashville, Tennessee
GenreCountry
Length34:48
LabelRed Dirt/E1
Producer
  • David Ball
  • Dan Frizsell
David Ball chronology
Heartaches by the Number
(2007)		 Sparkle City
(2010)		 The Greatest Christmas
(2011)

Sparkle City is the eighth album by David Ball. The album was released on April 20, 2010 by Red Dirt/E1.

Critical reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic [1]
Nashville Music Guide[2]
Country Music News[3]

William Ruhlmann of AllMusic says, "He never tries to do too much, satisfying himself to stay within the stylistic confines of traditional honky tonk country, and yet he is enough of a stylist not to come off as generic. It would be easy to imagine some of the songs here competing with George Strait's on the country charts, given the right exposure."[1]

Nashville Music Guide gives the album 7 stars out of 10 and writes, "This album is a great blend: ranging from boogie-woogie and Texas swing, to romantic ballad and even a dash of Mexican flare."[2]

David McGee of The Bluegrass Special concludes his review, "With his basic band, simply told tales, pleasant Tennessee drawl and genial personality, Ball has made yet another worthy stand for straight ahead country, undiluted by any influences save those that would be sanctioned by Hank Williams and Marty Robbins, both of whose spirits are engaged here. Ramblin’ fever is highly infectious."[4]

Rick Bell reviews the album for Country Standard Time and concludes with, "If the longtime veteran only resurfaces with a new release every six years or so, then so be it. An album like "Sparkle City" is well worth the wait."[5]

Gunther Matejka of Country Music News out of Germany rates the album 4½ stars out of 5 and finishes with "Conclusion : The veteran is still on an experimental course - with Texas swing, rock 'n' roll, blues and jazzy revue numbers. A strong sign of life for the singer and songwriter."[3]

Track listing

All tracks are written by David Ball, unless otherwise noted

No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Hot Water Pipe" 3:12
2."Country Boy Boogie" 2:36
3."Just Along for the Ride" 3:29
4."Tulsa" 3:08
5."Maybe Tomorrow" 3:00
6."What'll I Do If I Don't Have You"
2:48
7."Smiling in the Morning" 2:46
8."Back to Alabama" 3:48
9."On Top of the World" 3:16
10."Houston Again"
  • David Ball
  • Lawrence Russell Brown
2:38
11."So Long"
  • David Ball
  • Lawrence Russell Brown
4:07
Total length:34:48

Musicians

  • David Ball – Acoustic Guitar, Vocals
  • The Pioneer Playboys – Band
    • Scott Metko – Drums
    • Troy Cook Jr. – Guitar
    • Billy Pierce – Bass
  • Chris Carmichael – Strings on "What'll I Do If I Don't Have You"
  • Perry Coleman – Background Vocals
  • Musicians on "Tulsa"
    • Jeff Taylor
    • J. T. Corenflos – Electric Guitar
    • Owen Hale – Drums
    • Larry Paxton – Bass
    • Mike Rojas – Piano
    • Perry Coleman – Background Vocals
    • Mike Johnson – Steel Guitar

Production

  • David Ball – Producer
  • Dan Frizsell – Engineer, Mastering, Mixing, Musician, Producer
  • Glabersoni Cook – Artwork, Photography
  • Nate Ewing – Design
  • Mark McIntosh – Design

Track information and credits adapted from Discogs[6] and AllMusic.[7] Track information and credits also verified from the album's liner notes.[8]

References

  1. 1 2 Ruhlmann, William. David Ball - Sparkle City at AllMusic. Retrieved 20 February 2020.
  2. 1 2 "CD Review: David Ball, "Sparkle City"". Nashville Music Guide. 6 April 2011. Retrieved 20 February 2020.
  3. 1 2 "David Ball - Sparkle City". Country Music News. 22 April 2010. Retrieved 20 February 2020.
  4. ↑ McGee, David. "Sparkle City". The Bluegrass Special. Retrieved 20 February 2020.
  5. ↑ Bell, Rick. "Sparkle City". Country Standard Time. Retrieved 20 February 2020.
  6. ↑ "David Ball – Sparkle City". discogs.com. Discogs. Retrieved 20 February 2020.
  7. ↑ "David Ball – Sparkle City". allmusic.com. AllMusic. Retrieved 20 February 2020.
  8. ↑ Sparkle City (liner notes). David Ball. Sun Records. 2010.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
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