| LeAnn Rimes | |
| Type: | studio |
| Artist: | LeAnn Rimes |
| Cover: | Leann rimes.jpg |
| Released: | October 26, 1999 |
| Recorded: | 1999 |
| Studio: | Rosewood Studio (Tyler, Texas); Sound Kitchen and Mike's Music Room (Franklin, Tennessee); The Village (Santa Monica, California). |
| Length: | 38:52 |
| Label: | Curb |
| Prev Title: | Sittin' On Top Of The World |
| Prev Year: | 1998 |
| Next Title: | I Need You |
| Next Year: | 2001 |
LeAnn Rimes is the sixth studio album by American country music artist LeAnn Rimes, released on October 26, 1999 on Curb Records. The album consists almost entirely of covers of old-time country hits. Only one original song, "Big Deal", was included, which was released as the album's first single.
The album received generally positive reviews from music critics, who described its country stylings as a return to form for Rimes. Commercially, the album debuted at number one on the Top Country Albums chart and at number 8 on the Billboard 200. It has been certified Platinum by the RIAA for sales of one million copies in the United States.
"Big Deal" was the album's sole release to country radio, where it reached number six on the US Hot Country Songs chart and number three on the Canada RPM Country Tracks.
A cover of the Willie Nelson song made famous by Patsy Cline, "Crazy", was released exclusively in the United Kingdom, where it reached the top forty of the UK Singles Chart.
LeAnn Rimes received generally positive reviews from music critics. Several reviewers described the album as a return to form for Rimes, resembling the country sound of her major label debut Blue (1996) more so than her previous records. Rimes's vocal ability on the album was praised as improving over time, but its material was criticized for being inappropriate for Rimes's age, with Randy Lewis of the Los Angeles Times saying that she "imitates rather than truly inhabits the deepest emotions of these heartbreak-heavy songs". Beth Johnson of Entertainment Weekly felt that Rimes's interpretations of country classics were missing the "gutsiness and gut-wrenching urgency of performers who felt what they sang". In contrast, Shirley Jinkins of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram felt that LeAnn Rimes showcased that she had some "emotional maturity to go along with that perfect voice" at age 17.[1]
Critics were very complimentary of the album's sole original song, "Big Deal". Randy Lewis described it as "a sassy number that fits her age and temperament to a T" while Beth Johnson called it "contagiously youthful". Stephen Thomas Erlewine of AllMusic felt that it was the best track on the album, saying "she sounds loose, confident and exciting [...] and even more importantly, she never sounds like one of her idols - she sounds like herself".
LeAnn Rimes debuted at #8 on Billboard 200 with 115,000 copies sold in its first week.[2]
The Nashville String Machine (Tracks 1 & 4–8)
| Chart (1999) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Australian Albums (ARIA)[3] | 74 |
| Canadian RPM Top Albums | 18 |
| Canadian RPM Country Albums[4] | 2 |
| UK Albums Chart (OCC)[5] | 119 |
| Chart (1999) | Position | |
|---|---|---|
| Canadian RPM Country Albums[6] | 42 | |
| US Billboard Top Country Albums[7] | 33 | |
| Chart (2000) | Position | |
| US Billboard 200[8] | 118 | |
| US Billboard Top Country Albums | 10 |