Rodney Crowell – Ain't Living Long Like This on vinyl LP. G+. 1978 debut, Ry Cooder and Dr. John on sessions. Ships from Germany.
About Ain't Living Long Like This
A G+ condition vinyl pressing of Rodney Crowell's highly influential 1978 debut album, a commercial disappointment at the time now regarded as one of his finest and most consequential records.
Ain’t Living Long Like This is the debut studio album by Rodney Crowell, released in August 1978 via Warner Bros. Records, produced by Brian Ahern. Recorded shortly after Crowell left Emmylou Harris’s Hot Band, the album features a remarkable cast of guest musicians including Ry Cooder, Ricky Skaggs and Dr. John, and though it failed to chart, it has since proven deeply influential, with several songs going on to become major hits for other artists. This listing is a G+ condition vinyl pressing from a Berlin based eBay seller.
- Who is Rodney Crowell
- About this debut album
- The songs' influential afterlife
- Pressing details and buying advice
In Brief
- Artist Rodney Crowell is an American country singer-songwriter, formerly a member of Emmylou Harris’s Hot Band.
- Release Ain’t Living Long Like This came out in August 1978 via Warner Bros. Records, produced by Brian Ahern.
- Session players Features Ry Cooder, Ricky Skaggs and Dr. John, with backing vocals from Willie Nelson, Emmylou Harris and Nicolette Larson.
- Legacy The title track later became Waylon Jennings’ eleventh number one country hit; Song For The Life became a Top Ten hit for Alan Jackson in 1995.
- Reception Christgau’s Record Guide gave it an A-minus; Rolling Stone and critics have long regarded it as one of Crowell’s finest records.
Rodney Crowell – Ain't Living Long Like This (LP, G+)
Vinyl LP, Warner Bros. Records
Good Plus condition vinyl pressing of Ain’t Living Long Like This, sold by a Berlin based eBay seller with 100% positive feedback.
Pressing Specifications
Critical Reception
Who Is Rodney Crowell?
Rodney Crowell had just left Emmylou Harris's celebrated Hot Band, armful of killer songs in hand, when he set out to make a record that would shake up Nashville. Recorded at Brian Ahern's Enactron Truck mobile studio, Ain't Living Long Like This assembled a remarkable cast of players around Crowell's songwriting, including guitarist Ry Cooder, future bluegrass and country star Ricky Skaggs, and New Orleans piano legend Dr. John, with Willie Nelson, Emmylou Harris and Nicolette Larson all contributing backing vocals across the record.
About This Debut And Its Influential Afterlife
Despite failing to enter the Top Country Albums chart and seeing all three singles miss the Top 40, Ain't Living Long Like This has come to be regarded as one of Crowell's finest and most consequential records, sung with both a sense of tradition and an edge of desperation across songs like the Cajun-flavoured Leaving Louisiana In The Broad Daylight and the rockabilly-fuelled title track. The album's real impact came through its remarkable afterlife: the title track, first recorded by Gary Stewart in 1977 and then by Emmylou Harris in 1978, became Waylon Jennings' eleventh number one country hit in 1980, while Song For The Life, originally cut by the Seldom Scene, went on to become a Top Ten hit for Alan Jackson in 1995. Most of the album's songs found further life through covers by artists including the Oak Ridge Boys, cementing Crowell's reputation as one of the era's most significant Nashville songwriters even before his own solo commercial success arrived years later.
- A genuinely influential debut, widely regarded as one of Crowell’s finest records
- Features remarkable session players including Ry Cooder, Ricky Skaggs and Dr. John
- Songs from this album became major hits for Waylon Jennings and Alan Jackson
- Received an A-minus grade from Robert Christgau upon release
- Good Plus (G+) condition, honestly graded to reflect real vintage wear
- A commercial disappointment at the time of release
- Niche appeal outside serious country and Americana collectors
What is Ain't Living Long Like This by Rodney Crowell?
It is Crowell’s 1978 debut solo album, released via Warner Bros. Records, now widely regarded as one of his most influential records despite modest sales at the time.
What condition is this vinyl copy in?
The sleeve is graded Good Plus (G+).
Who played on this album?
Ry Cooder, Ricky Skaggs and Dr. John all contribute, with backing vocals from Willie Nelson, Emmylou Harris and Nicolette Larson.
What happened to the songs from this album?
The title track became Waylon Jennings’ eleventh number one country hit, and Song For The Life became a Top Ten hit for Alan Jackson in 1995.
Does this listing ship outside Germany?
The seller is based in Berlin and lists a fixed shipping cost; check the current listing for up to date international shipping options and rates.
Where To Buy This Pressing
Worth The Spin?
- A genuinely influential debut whose songs became major hits for other artists
- Features remarkable session players including Ry Cooder and Dr. John
- Best suited to fans of 1970s country-rock and Nashville songwriting history
Ain’t Living Long Like This remains a foundational record in Rodney Crowell’s celebrated songwriting career, and this listing offers an honestly graded G+ pressing from a highly rated German seller.