Crazy Nights is the second studio album by American country music band Lonestar. Four singles were released from this album: "Come Cryin' to Me", "You Walked In", "Say When", and "Everything's Changed". "Come Cryin' to Me" reached number one on the Hot Country Songs charts. Also included is a cover of country rock band Pure Prairie League's single "Amie".
"Come Cryin' to Me" and "Say When" were both co-written by John Rich, who also sang lead on "John Doe on a John Deere" and "What Do We Do with the Rest of the Night". All the other tracks feature Richie McDonald on lead vocals. This was Lonestar's last album to have a neotraditional country sound before developing a more crossover-friendly country-pop sound. This was also Lonestar's last album as a five-piece as Rich left the band the following year. Rich's departure left McDonald as the group's sole lead vocalist because the record label said they wanted McDonald to be lead vocals only. After departing the group, he began a solo career on BNA, and eventually joined Big Kenny in the duo Big & Rich.
"Cheater's Road" was later recorded by Chalee Tennison on her 2003 album Parading in the Rain.
Contents
Critical reception
Thom Owens of Allmusic rated the album three stars out of five, saying that the singles and the "Amie" cover were "solid", but criticizing the other tracks for being "bland".
Personnel
Taken from liner notes.
Lonestar
Richie McDonald – lead vocals (1–4, 6–10), backing vocals (5, 11)
Dean Sams – acoustic piano, backing vocals
Michael Britt – electric lead guitar, acoustic guitar, backing vocals
John Rich – bass guitar, backing vocals, lead vocals (5, 11)
Keech Rainwater – drums, percussion
Additional musicians
Dennis Burnside – acoustic piano, keyboards, Hammond B3 organ
John Barlow Jarvis – acoustic piano, Hammond B3 organ
Brent Mason – electric guitars, gut string guitar
Mark Casstevens – acoustic guitar, mandolin
Bruce Bouton – dobro, pedal steel guitar, lap steel guitar
David Hungate – bass guitar
Duncan Mullins – bass guitar
Lonnie Wilson – drums, percussion
Tom Roady – percussion
Stuart Duncan – fiddle
Larry Franklin – fiddle
Rob Hajacos – fiddle, assorted hoedown tools
John Wesley Ryles – backing vocals
Harry Stinson – backing vocals
Dennis Wilson – backing vocals
Production
Don Cook – producer
Wally Wilson – producer
Mike Bradley – recording, mixing
Mark Capps – recording assistant, mix assistant, additional recording
Pat McMakin – additional recording
John Dickson – additional assistant engineer
Bart Pursley – additional assistant engineer
Adam Shepard – additional assistant engineer
Hank Williams – mastering at MasterMix (Nashville, Tennessee)
Scott Johnson – production assistant
Susan Eaddy – art direction
Debendra Mahalanobis – design
Peter Nash – photography