"Minimum Love" by Mac McAnally

Song#:  1364
Date:  03/05/1983
Debut:  81
Peak:  41
Weeks:  12
Genre:  Soft Rock



Pop Bits:  McAnally was playing music at an early age and began composing songs in his teens. By the time he was in high school, McAnally was good enough to leave and become a session player at the famed Muscle Shoals studios. During a break in a recording session, McAnally started to play some of his original material. That impromptu performance led to his first recording contract with Ariola Records. His 1977 self-titled LP featured the single "It's a Crazy World," which found its way to #37 on the pop chart. It was a promising start, but follow-up singles and albums failed to make any impact. However, he continued to be a successful studio musician and songwriter. Many artists over the years have hit the country chart with McAnally's songs including Alabama (the #1 "Old Flame" in 1981), Sawyer Brown, Kenny Chesney, and Ricky Van Shelton. His songwriting success allowed McAnally to push out a solo album every now and then and in 1983 he issued his fourth album "Nothing But the Truth." It was the first of two albums he would do for Geffen Records. The LP featured this first single that just missed out on the Top 40 peaking at the dreaded #41. It would be McAnally's last single to reach the pop chart. The '90s saw him shift to the country market and he had a few minor chart singles including the #14 "Back Where I Come From."

ReduxReview:  I like this James Taylor....oh, sorry...Mac McAnally song. I'm not sure if McAnally's or Geffen's intent was to sound like a James Taylor recording, but it is kind of what happened. In a good way, I might add. Although McAnally sounds like he got trapped into a conventional pop sound/format, it worked out pretty well for this song. There's nothing here that would make anyone go "I gotta have that record!," but it is certainly an easy going listen with a nice chorus.

ReduxRating:  6/10

Trivia:  Triple Shot!  1) McAnally wrote the song "It's My Job" for Jimmy Buffett in 1981. The song reached #57 on the pop chart. After that, McAnally continued to write songs for Buffett and also tour as part of the Coral Reefer Band, which he continues to do so currently.  2) Although he didn't have great success as a solo artist, McAnally did finally record a #1 hit. McAnally's #70 country chart song from 1990, "Down the Road," got covered in 2008 by Kenny Chesney. Chesney recorded the song as a duet with McAnally and the song reached #1 on the country chart. The pair were also nominated for a Grammy for Best Country Collaboration with Vocals.  3) McAnally continues to be one of Nashville's prime musicians. He has won the CMA's Musician of the Year award a record seven consecutive years from 2008 through 2014.

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