THE LINER NOTES

 

Released in 1983 on the Permian label, ‘Back’ marked Lynn’s return to the studio following her departure from CBS in 1980. Produced by Texan Michael Clark, ‘Back’ had echoes of the Countrypolitan sound created by ex-husband and producer, Glenn Sutton, but the feel of the album was markedly different from any of her previous releases. Assembling more than a dozen of Music City’s most celebrated studio players, Clark surrounded Lynn with arrangements that brought her artistry and voice squarely into the contemporary fold of 1980’s Nashville music; intricate instrumentation, layered guitars and melodies that fit as easily into pop playlists as they did country.

 

A ten-song set from some of Nashville’s newest writers, including Grant Boatwright and Johnny Christopher, ‘Back’, featured three singles from the collection, including a soaring duet with Gary Morris on Larry Henley’s “You’re Welcome To Tonight”, carrying Lynn back to Billboard’s Top Ten for the first time in more than five years.

 

‘Back’ is an exploration of love lost and love found. Determined, reflective, heartbroken, satisfied…Lynn’s vocals cut through every emotion on every track, making each song her own, her voice rising and falling effortlessly from the pain of heartbreak to the anger of unfaithfulness and finally the joy of finding love again.

 

A classic in every sense of the word.

​

J Buck Ford