Modern Times is the twenty-fourth studio album by American country music artist Johnny Paycheck. The album was released in March 1987, via Mercury Records, his only release for the record. It was produced by Stan Cornelius with additional production by Paycheck and Hilka Maria Cornelius.
Modern Times was Paycheck's final album to chart, peaking at 54 on the Billboard Top Country Albums chart.
Critical reception Modern Times received praise from critics upon release, many of whom viewed it as one of Paycheck's finest efforts. Bob Claypool of the Houston Post called it "a solid winner" and celebrated Paycheck's remarkable resilience, writing, "God bless Johnny Paycheck, they oughta build a statue to him!" Wayne Bledsoe of the Knoxville News Sentinel praised the album's expressiveness and restraint, singling out "Old Violin" as a "gut-wrenching masterpiece" that placed Paycheck in the same emotional territory as George Jones.
Cliff Radel of The Salinas Californian gave the album four out of five stars and emphasized the quality of the songwriting, proclaiming Modern Times "has more great lines per tune than any country record made in the last five years." L. Kent Wolgamott of the Lincoln Journal Star gave the album a perfect score, calling it a "mournful country masterpiece," comparing Paycheck's delivery to George Jones.
Track listing
Personnel
Johnny Paycheck – vocals, harmony vocals, co-producer ("Old Violin") Bessyl Duhon – accordion Ava Aldridge – background vocals Cindy Greene – background vocals Cindy Richardson Walker – background vocals Carl Jackson – banjo, harmony vocals ("Modern Times") Dave Pomeroy – bass Mark Evans – bass Ralph Ezell – bass Danny Breeden – drums Jerry Kroon – drums Owen Hale – drums Buddy Spicher – fiddle Kenny Sears – fiddle Bobby Blackford – guitar, keyboard Fred Carter Jr. – guitar Gregg Galbraith – guitar John Long – guitar Ray Flacke – guitar Mark Casstevens – harmonica Jerry Pearson – keyboard Johnny Neel – keyboard Steve Nathan – keyboard Paul Franklin – dobro, steel guitar Jimmy Hall – vocals ("Jole Blon"), saxophone Chuck Mandes – steel guitar Stan Cornelius – producer, bass vocals ("I Grow Old Too Fast (and Smart Too Slow)") Hilka Maria Cornelius – co-producer ("Don't Bury Me 'Till I'm Ready"), tambourine Claudia Mize – production coordinator Steve Popovich – executive producer Dave Cline – engineer Peter Green – engineer Russ Fowler – engineer Steve Chandler – engineer Steve Melton – engineer E. J. Walsh – assistant engineer Stephanie Moore – assistant engineer Empire Studio – photography Bill Brunt – art direction
Charts + Weekly chart performance for Modern Times Chart (1987) Peakposition US Top Country Albums (Billboard) 54
References