Freedom Highway (Rhiannon Giddens album)
{{Infobox album
| name = Freedom Highway
| type = studio
| artist = Rhiannon Giddens
| cover = Rhiannon Giddens - Freedom Highway.jpg
| alt =
| released = {{Start date|2017|2|24}}
| recorded =
| studio =
| genre = Americana, Folk, Old-time
| length = {{Duration|m=49|s=53}}
| label = Nonesuch
| producer = Dirk Powell
| prev_title = Tomorrow Is My Turn
| prev_year = 2015
| next_title = There Is No Other
| next_year = 2019
}}
{{Music ratings
| MC = 80/100{{cite web |url=http://www.metacritic.com/music/freedom-highway/rhiannon-giddens |title=Reviews for Freedom Highway by Rhiannon Giddens |publisher=Metacritic |accessdate=December 30, 2015}}
| rev1 = AllMusic
| rev1score = {{Rating|5|5}}{{cite web |last=Erlewine |first=Stephen Thomas |author-link=Stephen Thomas Erlewine |url=http://www.allmusic.com/album/freedom-highway-mw0003008277 |title=Freedom Highway – Rhiannon Giddens |publisher=AllMusic |accessdate=November 16, 2019}}
| rev2 = The Guardian
| rev2score = {{Rating|4|5}}{{cite news |last=Denselow |first=Robin |url=https://www.theguardian.com/music/2017/feb/23/rhiannon-giddens-freedom-highway-review |title=Rhiannon Giddens: Freedom Highway review – powerful and timely |work=The Guardian |date=February 23, 2017 |accessdate=September 10, 2018}}
| rev3 = The Independent
| rev3score = {{Rating|3|5}}{{cite news |last=Gill |first=Andy |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/music/reviews/album-reviews-sleaford-mods-english-tapas-stormzy-gang-signs-and-prayer-thundercat-drunk-a7594086.html |title=Album reviews: Sleaford Mods – English Tapas, Stormzy – Gang Signs & Prayer, Thundercat – Drunk, and more |work=The Independent |date=February 22, 2017 |accessdate=September 10, 2018}}
| rev4 = The Irish Times
| rev4score = {{Rating|4|5}}{{cite news |last=Breen |first=Joe |url=https://www.irishtimes.com/culture/music/rhiannon-giddens-freedom-highway-album-review-personal-voice-with-a-political-edge-1.2979366 |title=Rhiannon Giddens – Freedom Highway album review: Personal voice with a political edge |work=The Irish Times |date=February 23, 2017 |accessdate=September 14, 2019}}
| rev5 = Mojo
| rev5score = {{Rating|4|5}}{{cite journal |last=Nelson |first=Chris |url=https://www.mojo4music.com/articles/25211/rhiannon-giddens-freedom-highway-album-of-the-week/ |title=Rhiannon Giddens – Freedom Highway |journal=Mojo |date=February 23, 2017 |accessdate=September 10, 2018}}
| rev6 = The Observer
| rev6score = {{Rating|4|5}}{{cite news |last=Spencer |first=Neil |url=https://www.theguardian.com/music/2017/feb/19/rhiannon-giddens-freedom-highway-review |title=Rhiannon Giddens: Freedom Highway review – timely and arresting |work=The Observer |date=February 19, 2017 |accessdate=September 10, 2018}}
| rev7 = Pitchfork
| rev7score = 7.6/10{{cite web |last=Bernstein |first=Jonathan |url=https://pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/22912-freedom-highway/ |title=Rhiannon Giddens: Freedom Highway |work=Pitchfork |date=February 23, 2017 |accessdate=September 10, 2018}}
| rev8 = Rolling Stone
| rev8score = {{Rating|4|5}}{{cite journal |last=Hermes |first=Will |author-link=Will Hermes |title=The New Protest Singers |journal=Rolling Stone |date=March 23, 2017 |pages=49–50}}
| rev9 = The Times
| rev9score = {{Rating|4|5}}{{cite news |last=Hodgkinson |first=Will |author-link=Will Hodgkinson |url=https://www.thetimes.com/world/us-world/article/pop-rhiannon-giddens-freedom-highway-77z37fjq5 |title=Pop: Rhiannon Giddens: Freedom Highway |work=The Times |date=February 24, 2017 |access-date=September 14, 2019 |url-access=subscription}}
| rev10 = Uncut
| rev10score = 8/10{{cite journal |last=Deusner |first=Stephen |url=https://www.uncut.co.uk/reviews/album/rhiannon-giddens-freedom-highway |title=Rhiannon Giddens – Freedom Highway |journal=Uncut |date=March 8, 2017 |accessdate=September 10, 2018 |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20170311045154/https://www.uncut.co.uk/reviews/album/rhiannon-giddens-freedom-highway |archivedate=March 11, 2017}}
| noprose = yes
}}
Freedom Highway is the second solo studio album of Folk/Americana musician and Carolina Chocolate Drops front woman Rhiannon Giddens. It was released via Nonesuch Records on February 24, 2017.{{cite web|title=First Listen: Rhiannon Giddens, 'Freedom Highway'|url=https://www.npr.org/2017/02/16/515002345/first-listen-rhiannon-giddens-freedom-highway|website=NPR.org|accessdate=20 February 2017}} Freedom Highway was nominated for Album of the Year at the 2017 Americana Music Honors & Awards. The title track "Freedom Highway" is a 1965 civil rights protest song written by Roebuck Staples and title track of The Staple Singers' album of the same name.
Track listing
{{Track listing
| headline = Freedom Highway track listing
| total_length = 49:53
| title1 = At the Purchaser's Option
| writer1 = Rhiannon Giddens/Joey Ryan
| length1 = 4:15
| title2 = The Angels Laid Him Away
| writer2 = Mississippi John Hurt
| length2 = 2:32
| title3 = Julie
| writer3 = Rhiannon Giddens
| length3 = 4:29
| title4 = Birmingham Sunday
| writer4 = Richard Fariña
| length4 = 6:15
| title5 = Better Get It Right the First Time
| writer5 = Rhiannon Giddens/Dirk Powell/Justin Harrington
| length5 = 3:24
| title6 = We Could Fly
| writer6 = Rhiannon Giddens/Dirk Powell
| length6 = 4:52
| title7 = Hey Bébé
| writer7 = Rhiannon Giddens/Dirk Powell
| length7 = 3:19
| title8 = Come Love Come
| writer8 = Rhiannon Giddens
| length8 = 5:19
| title9 = The Love We Almost Had
| writer9 = Rhiannon Giddens/Bhi Bhiman
| length9 = 4:18
| title10 = Baby Boy
| writer10 = Rhiannon Giddens/Lalenja Harrington
| length10 = 4:28
| title11 = Following the North Star
| writer11 = Rhiannon Giddens
| length11 = 1:55
| title12 = Freedom Highway
| writer12 = Roebuck Staples
| length12 = 4:47
}}
Personnel
{{div col}}
- Eric Adcock – engineering, Hammond B3, Wurlitzer
- Patrick Bartley – tenor saxophone
- Bhi Bhiman – electric guitar, background vocals (track 12)
- David Bither – executive producer
- Desiree Champagne – Rubboard
- Rowan Corbett – percussion, harmony vocals
- Jamie Dick – drums, percussion
- Rhiannon Giddens – vocals, banjo, handclapping, production
- Lalenja Harrington – harmony vocals
- Jeri Heiden – design
- Alphonso Horne – trumpet
- Hubby Jenkins – banjo, mandolin
- Robert C. Ludwig – mastering
- Leyla McCalla – cello, harmony vocals
- Malcolm Parson – cello
- John Peets – photography
- Amelia Powell – handclapping
- Dirk Powell – electric bass, bells, engineer, fiddle, acoustic guitar, electric guitar, mandolin, mixing, piano, producer, harmony vocals
- Ina Powell – handclapping
- Sophie Powell – handclapping
- Jason Sypher – bass
- Nolan Theis – horn engineer
- Corey Wilcox – trombone
{{div col end}}
Charts
| class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center"
|+Chart performance for Freedom Highway ! scope="col"| Chart (2017) ! scope="col"| Peak |
| {{album chart|Australia|49|artist=Rhiannon Giddens|album=Freedom Highway|rowheader=true|accessdate=September 10, 2018}} |
| {{album chart|Flanders|60|artist=Rhiannon Giddens|album=Freedom Highway|rowheader=true|accessdate=March 11, 2017}} |
| {{album chart|Netherlands|88|artist=Rhiannon Giddens|album=Freedom Highway|rowheader=true|accessdate=March 4, 2017}} |
| {{album chart|France|114|artist=Rhiannon Giddens|album=Freedom Highway|rowheader=true|accessdate=September 10, 2018}} |
| {{album chart|Ireland2|52|artist=Rhiannon Giddens|rowheader=true|accessdate=March 4, 2017}} |
| {{album chart|Scotland|14|date=20170303|rowheader=true|accessdate=March 4, 2017}} |
| {{album chart|Switzerland|94|artist=Rhiannon Giddens|album=Freedom Highway|rowheader=true|accessdate=March 8, 2017}} |
| {{album chart|UK2|39|date=20170303|rowheader=true|accessdate=March 4, 2017}} |
| {{album chart|Billboard200|124|artist=Rhiannon Giddens|rowheader=true|accessdate=March 7, 2017}} |
| {{album chart|BillboardFolk|8|artist=Rhiannon Giddens|rowheader=true|accessdate=March 7, 2017}} |