Life and Times (Jim Croce album)
{{Use mdy dates|date=February 2023}}
{{Infobox album
| name = Life and Times
| type = Studio album
| artist = Jim Croce
| cover = Jim Croce - Life & Times.jpg
| alt =
| recorded = 1972
| venue =
| studio = Hit Factory, New York City
| genre = Folk rock
| length = 28:48
| label = ABC (USA)
Vertigo (UK)
| producer = Terry Cashman, Tommy West
| prev_title = You Don't Mess Around with Jim
| prev_year = 1972
| next_title = I Got a Name
| next_year = 1973
| misc = {{Singles
| name = Life and Times
| type = studio
| single1 = One Less Set of Footsteps
| single1date = February 1973
| single2 = Bad, Bad Leroy Brown
| single2date = April 1973
| single3 = It Doesn't Have to Be That Way
| single3date = December 1973
}}
}}
{{Album ratings
|rev1 = AllMusic
|rev1score = {{Rating|3|5}}[{{AllMusic|class=album|id=r34310/review|pure_url=yes}} AllMusic review]
|rev2 = The Encyclopedia of Popular Music
|rev2score = {{rating|3|5}}{{cite book |last1=Larkin |first1=Colin |title=The Encyclopedia of Popular Music |date=2006 |publisher=MUZE |volume=2 |page=626}}
|rev3 = The New Rolling Stone Record Guide
|rev3score = {{rating|3|5}}{{cite book |title=The New Rolling Stone Record Guide |date=1983 |publisher=Random House |page=123}}
}}
Life and Times is the fourth studio album by American singer-songwriter Jim Croce, released in January 1973.{{Cite web|url=https://www.allmusic.com/artist/jim-croce-mn0000848034/biography|title=Jim Croce | Biography & History|website=AllMusic}}{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=TQPXAQAAQBAJ&pg=PA314|title=Music in American Life: An Encyclopedia of the Songs, Styles, Stars, and Stories that Shaped our Culture [4 volumes]: An Encyclopedia of the Songs, Styles, Stars, and Stories That Shaped Our Culture|first=Jacqueline|last=Edmondson|date=October 3, 2013|publisher=ABC-CLIO|isbn=9780313393488|via=Google Books}} The album contains the No. 1 Billboard chart hit "Bad, Bad Leroy Brown".{{Cite magazine|url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/jim-croce-five-others-die-in-plane-crash-176662/|title=Jim Croce, Five Others Die in Plane Crash|magazine=Rolling Stone|date=October 25, 1973}} Croce was nominated for two 1973 Grammy Awards in the "Pop Male Vocalist" and "Record of the Year" categories for the song "Bad, Bad Leroy Brown".{{Cite web|url=https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/awards|title=Awards|website=Los Angeles Times}} It would be the last album to be released during Croce's lifetime.
Production
The album was produced by Tommy West and Terry Cashman.
Critical reception
The New Rolling Stone Record Guide wrote: "Croce's nostalgic side began to take over and he started to produce strikingly impersonal experiments in the craft of sentiment. It fits him well."
Track listing
{{Track listing
| headline =
| all_writing = Jim Croce
| title1 = One Less Set of Footsteps
| length1 = 2:46
| title2 = Roller Derby Queen
| length2 = 3:28
| title3 = Dreamin' Again
| length3 = 2:38
| title4 = Careful Man
| length4 = 2:22
| title5 = Alabama Rain
| length5 = 2:14
| title6 = A Good Time Man Like Me Ain't Got No Business (Singin' the Blues)
| length6 = 2:05
| title7 = Next Time, This Time
| length7 = 2:55
| title8 = Bad, Bad Leroy Brown
| length8 = 3:02
| title9 = These Dreams
| length9 = 3:12
| title10 = Speedball Tucker
| length10 = 2:26
| title11 = It Doesn't Have to Be That Way
| length11 = 2:31
}}
Personnel
According to liner notes of the album
- Jim Croce – lead vocals (all tracks); acoustic rhythm guitar (all tracks); backing vocals ("Alabama Rain")
Additional Personnel:
- Maury Muehleisen – acoustic lead guitar (all tracks except "One Less Set of Footsteps" and "Dreamin' Again"); electric lead guitar ("One Less Set of Footsteps" and "Dreamin' Again"); harmonica ("Alabama Rain"); backing vocals ("Careful Man" and "Alabama Rain")
- David Spinozza – electric lead guitar ("Roller Derby Queen" and "Alabama Rain")
- Alan Rolnick – electric rhythm guitar ("One Less Set of Footsteps")
- Tommy West – piano (all tracks except “Dreamin’ Again”, “These Dreams”, “Speedball Tucker” and “It Doesn’t Have to Be That Way”); electric piano ("Dreamin' Again"); percussion ("Alabama Rain"); backing vocals (“One Less Set of Footsteps”, “Roller Derby Queen”, “Dreamin’ Again”, “A Good Time Man Like Me Ain’t Got no Business (Singing the Blues)” and “Bad, Bad Leroy Brown”)
- Kenny Ascher – organ ("A Good Time Man Like Me Ain't Got no Business (Singing the Blues)")
- Joe Macho – bass guitar (all tracks)
- Gary Chester – drums (all tracks except "Dreamin' Again", "Alabama Rain" and "These Dreams")
- Eric Weissberg – fiddle ("Careful Man")
- Michael Kamen – oboe ("Next Time, This Time")
- Terry Cashman – backing vocals (“One Less Set of Footsteps”, “Dreamin’ Again” and “Careful Man”)
- Ellie Greenwich – backing vocals (“Roller Derby Queen”, “A Good Time Man Like Me Ain’t Got no Business (Singing the Blues)” and “Bad, Bad Leroy Brown”)
- Tasha Thomas – backing vocals (“Roller Derby Queen”, “A Good Time Man Like Me Ain’t Got no Business (Singing the Blues)” and “Bad, Bad Leroy Brown”)
- Willie "Slim" McCoy – backing vocals (“Bad, Bad Leroy Brown”)
- Pete Dino – string arrangements ("These Dreams")
Production
- Producers: Terry Cashman, Tommy West
- Engineer: Bruce Tergesen
Chart positions
{{col-begin}}
{{col-2}}
= Weekly charts =
| class="wikitable"
!Year !Chart !Position |
| 1973
{{album chart|Canada|1|chartid=4931}} |
| 1973
|US Billboard 200{{Cite magazine|url=https://www.billboard.com/artist/jim-croce/chart-history/tlp/|title=Jim Croce|magazine=Billboard}} |align="center"|7 |
Singles
| class="wikitable"
! Year ! Single ! Chart ! Position |
| 1973
|"One Less Set of Footsteps" |Billboard Hot 100 |align="center"|37 |
| 1973
|"Bad, Bad Leroy Brown" |Billboard Hot 100 |align="center"|1 |
| 1973
|"It Doesn't Have to Be That Way" |Billboard Hot 100 |align="center"|64 |
{{col-2}}
= Year-end charts =
| class="wikitable" |
| Chart (1973)
!Position |
|---|
| US Billboard 200{{cite web|url=https://bestsellingalbums.org/year-end/Billboard_Top_Albums_1973|title=Top US Billboard 200 Albums - Year-end 1973|website=BestSellingAlbums.org|access-date=December 11, 2024}}
|align="center"|34 |
| Chart (1974)
!Position |
| US Billboard 200{{cite web|url=https://bestsellingalbums.org/year-end/Billboard_Top_Albums_1974|title=Top US Billboard 200 Albums - Year-end 1974|website=BestSellingAlbums.org|access-date=December 11, 2024}}
|align="center"|24 |
{{col-end}}
= Certifications =
| class="wikitable" |
| Country |
|---|
| United States
|Gold |
References
{{reflist}}
{{Jim Croce}}
{{Authority control}}
Category:albums produced by Terry Cashman