The Last Of The True Believers
Nanci Griffith
1986
Album Summary
The Last of the True Believers is the fourth studio album by American singer-songwriter Nanci Griffith, released in 1986 by Philo Records. The acclaim accorded her from her previous album, Once in a Very Blue Moon, and this album earned her a contract with a major recording company. Here, Griffith continued her turn toward a more country-oriented work than her first two albums, which were primarily folk-sounding. It also includes two songs which were later hits for Kathy Mattea, "Love at the Five and Dime" from Walk the Way the Wind Blows (1986) and "Goin' Gone", her first number one, from Untasted Honey (1987).
WikipediaAbout. Damn. Time. Sifted through enough punk, British bullhickey... overdue for a steel guitar.
Conjuring images of sawdust, line dancing and incest as all good Country should.
Holy fuck, I wasn’t expecting much from this album when I woke up this morning, and even less so after the opening bars of its first track. But there I was standing at a bus stop in baking heat wearing a Sisters of Mercy t-shirt, and this album made me completely forget the searing sun and almost reduced me to tears. It’s so fucking good. Griffiths’ voice is so uplifting, it’s majestic. The production is incredible. This album just shimmers from start to finish - with the title track and “Fly By Night” my personal highlights. Every note seems meticulously placed so as to evoke as much emotion as possible. This is a country pop masterpiece and the easiest 5 stars I’ve given out so far.
3.2 - A sweet country sound, bordering on saccharine. Also extremely feminine. Listening to this record makes me picture a group of middle-aged white women sitting out on camping chairs, sipping white wine, getting a little rowdy, getting a little sad.
Powerhouse of a voice. I got pretty excited by track 1, but then couldn’t find another track to match it. Some close contenders include “Fly By Night” and “Lookin’ For The Time (Workin’ Girl)”. So close to giving it a Four, but it’s lacking some quality that distinguished my favorite albums of this genre.
Ahhh Ice Queen Nanci Griffith, the one that got away. I used to stalk her and her younger sister until she filed for a restraining order, forcing me to attempt suicide 37 times. Bitch. I banged the younger sister though. Hard. Without consent.
A country artist I have never heard. And that's a hard feat to do! 5 star album all the way
Major Allison Krauss vibes. I'm here for it. Takes me back to my childhood in a cozy way.
Great folksy vibes; music feels familiar. Feels like a precursor to Bonnie Raitt or someone we'd get at JFFA.
Really solid album. Calls to mind some very specific memories and reminds me of when I learned that country music was good and worth listening to. A lot of the songs sounded the same, which was a bit of a bummer, but Love at the Five and Dime stands out as one of the few songs which belongs on both my happy and sad playlists. I had never heard of Nanci Griffith before, but now I'm glad that I have!
I enjoyed it! Definitely a fun one to kick this off with. My favorite song was probably "One of These Days." Her voice really comes through in the whole album and I loved the fiddle. I looked Nanci Griffith up and apparently she passed in the last year which is tragic; she was best known for the most played song on the album ("Love at the Five and Dime" which I thought had a really nice vocal line in the eponymous line) but with someone else covering it that blew up in the country world. I hadn't ever heard of her but it seems like she was pretty important and influential.
What a nostalgic sound! It's a harmonious album--hard to pick a highlight. Super charming.
Not really the kind of music I’d seek out on my own but this is def the kind of stuff my mom would have on cassette tapes to listen to in the car so it feels super nostalgic
I'm either getting old, or this list is making me more of a country fan. A solid set of songs from front to back, and doesn't overstay its welcome at all. Favorite tracks: "The Last of the True Believers", "Love At the Five and Dime", "Fly By Night", "Lookin' For the Time"
Love her voice. Really nice songs. Not my bag, but still appreciate them. It's like music that my wife listens to and I don't complain about it.
Particularly liked the 1st track, the last of the true believers. Country.
A really nice album with catchy singable songwriting, a storytellers gift for a beautiful lyric as well as production that is graceful and always in service to the song. I could see Patti Griffith holding the same lofty position in my library as the brilliant Lucinda Williams. 4 🌟
Wow, zaskakująco fajne. Bardzo przyjemny głos. Nie jest to jakaś płyta, do której bym chciał wracać regularnie, ale słuchało się naprawdę miło
A pleasant voice and catchy tunes. Combined nice with a train ride. An otherwise unremarkable album.
Something I have discovered about myself during this vinyl odyssey is that I have quite a fondness for what I consider the best country. Yes, that qualifier makes it almost tautological. But remember that even the most ardent country fans would recognise that a lot of country is banal, overproduced, saccharine, meatheaded or just a bit naff. Anyway, like plenty of people my age, I first began wondering if country had some charms I had, in my ignorance, cold-shouldered after the late renaissance of Johnny Cash (actually, with me it was more that my love of Elvis steered me towards the rest of the Million Dollar Quartet, but you know what I mean). After that, it was a short jaunt to Hank Williams and Merle Haggard (who I prefer to Johnny Cash, in my standard contrarian manner), but I had no drive to explore further than there. I'm British: country is never going to be seen as cool over here. But I just looked up my stats, and country currently sits as my 5th favourite genre, with a flattering average of 4. The best album the generator's introduced to me is Time (The Revelator) by Gillian Welch, an astonishing exploration of Americana's potential. Much of the classic rock I relish openly declares its debt to country. So, I guess I like country. So where does The Last of the True Believers sit? A comfortable 4. Genuinely sweet rather than diabetes-inducing, and although a touch slight, The Last of the True Believers proves delightful throughout if you like country. If you don't, I don't think you'll gain much out of this, and that's fine: it's hardly an offence to dislike a style of music. I should say this is afflicted with that common ailment of 4-star albums: it's more a collection of very good songs than a cohesive album. But is that a fault per se? Hendrix's Are You Experienced is pretty much just a bounding-together of individual tracks, and I still consider that a masterpiece. Mind, Are You Experienced is a collection of some of the greatest songs ever, not just ones that are very good.
Brand new artist and album (to me), and I'm already over-the-moon in love after one full listen. I love Neko Case. And I "like" Alison Krauss. But I already know I'd take Nanci Griffith over either of them (although I'll still continue riding hard for Neko). What an unexpected hidden gem. Perhaps the only thing keeping me from rating it a 5 is I don't want to go all the way on the first date.
really liked it, great to hear some real country music not the cheesy soft-rock trucks guns n'Applebees travesty it has become. Will check out more of her stuff
I had never heard of Nanci Griffith but she is a gifted country singer/songwriter. It's easy to see how she influenced the likes of the Dixie Chicks. I'm personally not a fan of country though.
Some good Americana / Country has made it to the list. While not her best, this is a very good album and an example of how good the music coming out of Nashville was when the pop-Country fad started making waves and changing the genre for the worst. 4/5.
Right at the intersection of folk and country, which is a very nice place to be. The band are very tight, the vocals are flawless, the lyrics talk of an America that doesn't exist anymore (if it ever did). Wonderful
I love her. I’ve seen her in concert, watched her host or appear on Austin City Limits a few times, and listened to her perform, particularly on ‘Other Voices, Other Rooms’, which sounds a bit like this album. She is wonderful. Yes, I still use the present tense with her despite her leaving her corporeal self behind about a year ago. And I love her.
Last of the true believers- Great opening track really setting vibe of album👍 Love at the five and dime- Sweet song about a slightly dysfunctional relationship👍 St Olavs gate- Didn’t stand out to me More than a whisper-Cute lyrics here Banks of the Pontchartrain- Very solid upbeat song👍 Lookin for the time- Like the live version more but this is still 👍 Goin’ Gone- Find the conceit pretty uninteresting here One of these days, Love’s found a shoulder- Perfectly charming songs Fly by night- Another great tune, love the carefree lyrics👍 Wing and the wheel- Doesn’t do much for me Very pleasant album, I love her vocals and there is some good tunes on the track list. Found a few of the slower tracks more boring, but that’s just personal preference. 4/5
This is a wonderful little country album chock full of life. Wonderful storytelling is what I can best encapsulate this album. Enjoyable. That is another great word.
Haven't listened to much country but this was a lovely addition to the country playlist, very charming, and the use of the mandolins and slide guitar helped it out a lot. I'm definitely finding more country I really enjoy . Favourite Tracks - Love At The Five And Dime, St. Olav's Gate
I'm a noob to Ms. Griffith and if this album is at all indicative of her total output, then I will be listening to much more. Really liked it overall. "Love's Found a Shoulder" was a late album standout to my ears. Basically, I'm as jealous as Andy's mom.
I was surprised to hear two songs I recognized that had been made famous by Kathy Mattea, who I loved when I was a kid. Not as much of a country fan these days, but this album is pretty good. 3/5 stars
Highlights: More than a Whisper, Lookin' For the Time, One of These Days.
thank god this doesn't suffer from 80s production disease because i am a giant sucker for her voice and these kinds of songs. ultimately felt kinda middling but nice.
Nice country with good melody and harmonies, but without anything that puts it above other similar artists.
A really nice album with catchy singable songwriting, a storytellers gift for a beautiful lyric as well as production that is graceful and always in service to the song. I could see Nancy Griffith holding the same lofty position in my library as the brilliant Lucinda Williams. 3.5 🌟
I don't usually listen to Country too much, but this album is not bad. It sounds more modern than some of the genre classics, but it remains acoustic throughout, so no country rock either. The first two tracks especially stood out for me. After those, the album loses some steam, but it's still 3/5.
Didn't know she died last year...bit taken aback. Not a massive fan but saw her at a festival once. Anyway. Very country. Lovely voice. Do the songs stand out? Ok to be honest, no. It is very listenable and I often say I don't like the genre much. 3
This has a nice feel to it. There are moments that make me think of some other place, some other reality that I would like to visit. Will have to give this one some more attention.
Nanci Griffith is one of the first contemporary country artists, following the likes of George Strait as they modernized the production of country music while still sticking to their county roots. Griffith's songs are mighty good, while also tender and loving. My main hangups are with the production, which is a little too polished for my liking. One of the great aspects of older country songs was that they had a lot of personality in the rocky production, giving it a sort of gritty edge. This record, to contrast, is all smoothed out. Too round.
This was nice. Maybe a bit more country-leaning than folk-leaning for my particular taste, but I enjoyed it. 3 stars.
Not terrible but a bit too country for my taste. Some good turn of phrase and some good songs - but not a fantastic record.
a vid, šta ja znam, ovo je čisti country, a trenutno baš ne paše nešta, a i ne bi si ovo baš pustio - al da sam na nekom westu, tipa Red Dead Redemption kind of ambience, priroda i to, pasalo bi, ovako sada na ovu magluštinu ujutro....oprosti Nanci špenci, al svejedno nije baš dvojka.
Það tók þessa plötu ca helming af lengd hennar til að komast í gang hjá mér. Öll production frekar low-key, allt voða sætt og krúttlegt, en textarnir eru köntrí! Í lokin var ég farin að spá í hvort ég gæti sjálf framleitt nógu mikið twang til að geta sungið þessi lög.
Had Flyer by her and liked it. Not much of a country music lover She has a nice voice and the music is easy on the ears.
Now that’s some old school, folksy, country sound. I don’t know if I love it or hate it.
Really nice 80s country album. Nothing crazy but very good. She has a really unique accent for country.
Uh Oh. Country. Alright, lets see if I find something to enjoy here. Yes. Quite a lot. Aside from the steel guitar, most of the instrumentation is very nice, the fiddle gets a little whiney in places, but the layered melodic harmonies are quite lovely. Both Last of the True Believers and Love at the Five and Dime I would listen to again, St. Olaf's gate was terrible. Just stereotypical country. Then so was most of the rest. I liked One of These Days. Would have been a 4 or 5 star album without steel guitar. Instead it's 3.
Very sweet sounding stuff. Alotta cool elements but personally not something I go put of my way to listen.
Beautiful and engaging country. For bits and pieces the music stars into generic Amy Grant style blandness but overall this sounds like it broke a few molds and led to inspire some even better Americana
Very refreshing. When country music is good like this is, you get something that has a lot of emotion and earnestness behind its simplicity. That said, I don't know if this is a 1001-albums-to-listen-to kind of good. Some tracks were standouts though, like More Than a Whisper and Lookin' For the Time (Workin' Girl).
I remember growing up my parents had a close friend who raved about Nanci Griffith, I never did check her out so I was looking forward to hearing this one. She had a pleasant voice and could sing a good story, this was a nice listen. 3 stars