Take Me as I Am (Faith Hill album)
| Take Me as I Am | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | October 12, 1993 | |||
| Recorded | July 1993 | |||
| Studio |
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| Genre | Country | |||
| Length | 34:07 | |||
| Label | Warner Bros. Nashville | |||
| Producer |
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| Faith Hill chronology | ||||
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| Singles from Take Me as I Am | ||||
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Take Me as I Am is the debut studio album by American country music singer Faith Hill, released on October 12, 1993, by Warner Bros. Nashville. The album has been certified 3× platinum in the United States for shipments of three million copies.
Four singles were released from the album. The first two—"Wild One" and "Piece of My Heart"—reached No. 1 on the Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks chart in 1994. "Wild One," the tale of a rebellious teen-aged girl in conflict with her parents' more conservative ways, was the lead-off single, spending four weeks at No. 1 that January. "Piece of My Heart", a cover of the 1967 song by Erma Franklin, was issued as the follow-up. The third single, "But I Will", also charted, and the title track reached No. 2 in 1994.
Critical reception
[edit]| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [1] |
| Entertainment Weekly | B+[2] |
| Music Week | [3] |
| Rolling Stone | (favorable)[4] |
| The Rolling Stone Album Guide | [5] |
| Select |   [6] |
Larry Flick from Billboard stated that on "But I Will", "the power of her pliable, pure country voice has never been better showcased than on this heartfelt ballad about a woman who's had just about enough."[7] Ian Nicolson from Music Week wrote, "Pushing Trisha Yearwood in the glamour and multi-format merchandise stakes, the debut release from this rich-voiced singer shows she has the pipes to back up the hype. The rock and roll-tinged US country number one single, 'Wild One', sets the tone, but the 'I've Got This Friend' duet with Larry Stewart will please traditionalists."[3]
Track listing
[edit]All tracks produced by Scott Hendricks; except "Just Around the Eyes" produced by Michael Clute and Gary Burr.
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Take Me as I Am" | 3:17 | |
| 2. | "Wild One" |
| 2:45 |
| 3. | "Just About Now" | 2:57 | |
| 4. | "Piece of My Heart" |
| 4:01 |
| 5. | "I've Got This Friend" (with Larry Stewart) |
| 3:46 |
| 6. | "Life's Too Short to Love Like That" | Sandy Ramos | 2:37 |
| 7. | "But I Will" |
| 3:47 |
| 8. | "Just Around the Eyes" | Burr | 3:07 |
| 9. | "Go the Distance" |
| 3:02 |
| 10. | "I Would Be Stronger Than That" | Burr | 4:48 |
| Total length: | 34:07 | ||
Personnel
[edit]As listed in liner notes.
All tracks except "Just Around the Eyes"
[edit]- Gary Burr – background vocals
- John Catchings – cello
- Bill Cuomo – synthesizer
- Stuart Duncan – mandolin, fiddle
- Paul Franklin – steel guitar, Dobro
- Dann Huff – electric guitar
- John Barlow Jarvis – piano
- Mary Ann Kennedy – background vocals
- Mark Luna – background vocals
- Brent Mason – electric guitar
- Terry McMillan – congas, cymbals, tambourine
- Don Potter – acoustic guitar
- Michael Rhodes – bass guitar
- Pam Rose – background vocals
- Victoria Shaw – background vocals
- Karen Staley – background vocals
- Larry Stewart – background vocals
- Cindy Richardson Walker – background vocals
- Ron Wallace – background vocals
- Lari White – background vocals
- Lonnie Wilson – drums
On "Just Around the Eyes"
[edit]- Gary Burr – background vocals
- Jerry Douglas – dobro
- Rob Hajacos – fiddle
- Terry McMillan – percussion
- Edgar Meyer – acoustic bass guitar
- Harry Stinson – drums
- Biff Watson – acoustic guitar
- Glenn Worf – electric bass guitar
Production
[edit]- Producers: Scott Hendricks (all tracks except "Just Around the Eyes"); Mike Clute and Gary Burr ("Just Around the Eyes" only)
- Assistant producer: John Kunz
- Engineers: Mike Clute, John Kelton
- Assistant engineers: Jon "JD" Dickson, Amy Hughes, John Kunz, Shawn McLean, Wayne Morgan, Herb Tassin
- Mixing: Scott Hendricks
- Mastering: Denny Purcell
- Overdubs: Scott Hendricks, John Kunz
- Art direction: Laura LiPuma
- Design: Garrett Rittenberry
- Photography: Aaron Rapoport
- Make-up: Eric Bernard, Beth Katz
Charts
[edit]
Weekly charts[edit]
|
Year-end charts[edit]
|
Certifications
[edit]| Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
|---|---|---|
| Canada (Music Canada)[13] | 3× Platinum | 300,000^ |
| United States (RIAA)[14] | 3× Platinum | 3,000,000^ |
|
^ Shipments figures based on certification alone. | ||
References
[edit]- ^ Take Me as I Am at AllMusic
- ^ Alanna Nash (December 10, 1993). "Take Me as I Am Review". Entertainment Weekly. Archived from the original on April 21, 2009. Retrieved March 11, 2012.
- ^ a b Nicolson, Ian (March 26, 1994). "Market Preview: Country" (PDF). Music Week. p. 15. Retrieved April 28, 2025.
- ^ "Faith Hill – Take Me as I Am CD Album". CD Universe. Retrieved December 22, 2012.
- ^ Brackett, Nathan; Christian Hoard (2004). The Rolling Stone Album Guide. New York City, New York: Simon and Schuster. p. 378. ISBN 0-7432-0169-8.
rolling stone faith hill album guide.
- ^ CC (July 1994). "New Albums: Soundbites". Select. p. 83. Retrieved December 20, 2024.
- ^ Flick, Larry (May 28, 1994). "Single Reviews" (PDF). Billboard. p. 51. Retrieved March 18, 2021.
- ^ "Faith Hill Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved February 22, 2021.
- ^ "Faith Hill Chart History (Top Country Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved February 22, 2021.
- ^ "Faith Hill Chart History (Heatseekers Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved February 22, 2021.
- ^ "Top Country Albums – Year-End 1994". Billboard. Retrieved February 22, 2021.
- ^ "Top Country Albums – Year-End 1995". Billboard. Retrieved February 22, 2021.
- ^ "Canadian album certifications – Faith Hill – Take me As I am". Music Canada. Retrieved August 31, 2019.
- ^ "American album certifications – Faith Hill – Take me As I am". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved August 31, 2019.
