Frayed at Both Ends

Frayed at Both Ends is the fourth studio album by American country musician and Staind member Aaron Lewis, Released on January 28, 2022. It peaked at number five on the Billboard Top Country Albums chart, and was the top selling country album in America on release.[1]

Frayed at Both Ends
Studio album by
Aaron Lewis
ReleasedJanuary 28, 2022
GenreCountry
Length
  • 51:28 (standard)
  • 55:55 (deluxe)
LabelValory Music Co.
Producer
Aaron Lewis chronology
State I'm In
(2019)		 Frayed at Both Ends
(2022)
Singles from Frayed at Both Ends
  1. "Am I the Only One"
    Released: July 2, 2021

Content

Lewis has described the album as "stripped down and as raw and as naked as it could possibly be" with the goal being to remove distractions from the songs,[1] and as being “an album of saying things that need to be said about how people actually live”.[2] The song "Everybody Talks to God" was written around 20 years ago by Chris Wallen but had never been recorded.[1] "They Call Me Doc", which tells the story of a triage soldier, was co-written by a navy veteran as part of the CreatiVets program.[1][2] The album includes number one country hit "Am I the Only One".

The deluxe version of the album includes the song "The Third Degree", the lyrics of which were taken from a poem from a notebook belonging to Johnny Cash.[1] Cash's son John Carter Cash gave Lewis permission to create the song.[1] It was also included on the expanded edition of Forever Words.[3]

Tour

On January 26, 2022, two days before the release of the album, Lewis performed at the Warrior Zone in Fort Campbell. This performance was the first stop in a tour promoting Frayed at Both Ends.[4][5] In mid January, Lewis underwent an emergency appendectomy, leading to some shows being canceled.[1]

Reception

Trigger Croneos, writing for Saving Country Music, praised much of the album's songwriting, but criticized how judgmental some of the songs, specifically "Everybody Talks to God" and "Get What You Get", are, as well as Lewis's "traipsing" through the "mine field" of politics and religion.[6]

Alex Clifton, writing for In Review Online, called the album "a mostly turgid, mediocre affair" even when it was not "peddling Lewis's particular propaganda".[7]

Track listing
Frayed at Both Ends track listing
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Again"
4:03
2."Goodbye Town"
3:24
3."Everybody Talks to God"
  • Craig Monday
  • Chris Wallin
4:17
4."Am I the Only One"
4:29
5."Kill Me Like You Love Me"
4:48
6."Pull Me Under"
  • Lewis
  • Ben Kitterman
  • Paul Barber
4:28
7."Life Behind Bars"
3:29
8."Waiting There for Me"
  • Lewis
  • Dean
  • Tyminski
  • Wallin
3:07
9."They Call Me Doc"
  • Shaun Bott
  • Brian Carper
  • Richard Casper
  • Johnny McGuire
  • Jordan Walker
4:03
10."Get What You Get"
  • Lewis
  • Dean
  • Tyminski
3:43
11."Sticks and Stones"
  • Lewis
  • McGinn
  • Barber
3:10
12."One in the Same"
4:28
13."Someone"
  • Lewis
  • Barber
  • McGinn
3:59
Total length:51:36
Deluxe edition bonus track
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
14."The Third Degree"
4:20
Total length:55:56

Personnel

Musicians

  • Aaron Lewis – lead vocals (all tracks), background vocals (6, 14), foot stamping (14)
  • Seth Taylor – acoustic guitar (1–8, 10–13), nylon-string guitar (2); banjo, mandolin (8); baritone guitar (11)
  • Biff Watson – acoustic guitar (1, 4, 10, 12, 13)
  • David Lee Murphy – background vocals (1)
  • Laur Joamets – baritone guitar (1), acoustic guitar (3)
  • Dan Tyminski – mandolin (1, 5, 10), acoustic guitar (5, 9, 10), background vocals (9, 10)
  • Tom Bukovac – acoustic guitar (2, 3, 6, 7, 11)
  • Ira Dean – background vocals (2, 14), piano (3), percussion (5), string arrangement (6); bass guitar, foot stamping (14)
  • Ben Kitterman – Dobro (2, 5, 7, 10, 14), string arrangement (3, 6); background vocals, foot stamping (14)
  • Mickey Raphael – harmonica (2, 12)
  • Jeffrey Steele – background vocals (3)
  • Matt Combs – cello, viola, violin (3, 4, 6)
  • Jake Burns – percussion (3, 5)
  • Bennett Salvay – string arrangement (4)
  • Vince Gill – background vocals (9)
  • Jim "Moose" Brown – Hammond B3 (10), piano (12)
  • Chris Scruggs – acoustic guitar, background vocals, foot stamping (14)
  • Derrek Phillips – drums, background vocals, foot stamping (14)
  • Bob Britt – electric guitar, background vocals, foot stamping (14)
  • Tony Harrell – Hammond B3, background vocals, foot stamping (14)
  • Chuck Turner – background vocals, foot stamping (14)
  • John Carter Cash – background vocals, foot stamping (14)
  • Trey Call – background vocals, foot stamping (14)

Technical

  • Aaron Lewis – production (1–8, 10–13)
  • Ira Dean – production (1–8, 10–14)
  • Ben Kitterman – production (1–3, 5–13), production coordination
  • Jake Burns – production (9), recording (1–13)
  • John Carter Cash – production (14)
  • Ted Jensen – mastering (1–13)
  • Chris Lord-Alge – mixing (1–13)
  • Chuck Turner – mastering, mixing, recording (14)
  • Adam Chagnon – engineering (1–13)
  • Matt Rausch – recording (4)
  • Brian Judd – mixing assistance (1–13)
  • Patrick Prophet – recording assistance (1–13)
  • Andrew Stevens – recording assistance (2, 3)
  • Trey Call – recording assistance (14)
  • Janice Soled – production coordination
  • John Varvatos Jr. – production coordination
  • Doug Rich – production coordination

Charts
Chart performance for Frayed at Both Ends
Chart (2022) Peak
position
US Billboard 200[8] 39
US Top Country Albums (Billboard)[9] 5

References
  1. Windsor, Pam. "Aaron Lewis On 'Frayed At Both Ends' - Currently The No. 1 Selling Country Album In America". Forbes. Retrieved April 12, 2022.
  2. Hollabaugh, Lorie (October 25, 2021). "Aaron Lewis Explores Vintage Country Roots On 'Frayed At Both Ends'". MusicRow.com. Retrieved April 13, 2022.
  3. "Listen to Aaron Lewis 'The Third Degree' From 'Forever Words (Expanded Edition)'". Johnny Cash Official Site. October 25, 2021. Retrieved May 26, 2022.
  4. "AARON LEWIS Celebrates 'Frayed At Both Ends' Album Release With Performance At Kentucky's Fort Campbell (Video)". BLABBERMOUTH.NET. January 30, 2022. Retrieved April 13, 2022.
  5. Steinquest, Ethan. "Aaron Lewis to kick off album release tour at Warrior Zone". The Fort Campbell Courier. Retrieved April 13, 2022.
  6. Croneos, Trigger (February 7, 2022). "Album Review – Aaron Lewis – "Frayed At Both Ends"". Saving Country Music. Retrieved April 12, 2022.
  7. Clifton, Alex (February 8, 2022). "Aaron Lewis — Frayed at Both Ends". In Review Online. Retrieved April 13, 2022.
  8. "Aaron Lewis Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved April 12, 2022.
  9. "Aaron Lewis Chart History (Top Country Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved April 12, 2022.
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