747

## ***747***Studio Album by Lady A

* Standard Edition
* Deluxe Edition

## Singles from *747*

1. Bartender
 Released: May 19th, 2014

2. Freestyle
 Released: October 20th, 2014

3. Long Stretch of Love
 Released: February 7th, 2015

***747*** is the sixth studio album by American country music trio Lady A. It was released on September 30th, 2014, through Capitol Records Nashville.

## Critical Reception

The album received generally positive reviews from contemporary music critics. At Metacritic, which assigns a normalized rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream critics, the album received an average score of 66, based on 5 reviews, which indicates "generally favorable reviews". Stephen Thomas Erlewine of AllMusic rated the album three-and-a-half stars out of five, writing that the album's pop-leaning sound "showcases the trio at its best" and that *747* gives the impression that the band has embraced its crossover status. Jill Menze of *Billboard* also noted the band's confidence on the record and attributed it to the more upbeat feel of the material. "The group's move away from its comfort zone is a worthy venture," writes Menze. "Lady A has always demonstrated the potential to deliver a little something more [and on] 747, we finally get a glimpse of it." Billy Dukes of *Taste of Country* praised the band for mixing things up on *747* and deviating from the middle of the road vibe of prior releases: "Over their last few albums, Charles Kelley and company had fallen back to the middle... ’747′ provides depth, variety and most importantly, a vibe Lady Antebellum can call their own." Dukes also compared the sound on *747* favorably to the repertoire of Fleetwood Mac, noting "Golden" collaborator Stevie Nicks' influence.

Michael McCall of MSN Entertainment described the album as having "a cohesive, celebratory feel that brings out the best in [the group] members" and praised the band for pursuing a sound that sets them apart from other country acts. Gregory Hicks of *The Michigan Daily* wrote a positive review applauding the band for consistently delivering enjoyable country pop, but suggested that their sonic transformation on *747* was not as ambitious or pronounced as it has been made out to be. "As a typical Lady A-formulaic manufactured record," Hicks explains, "it’s an attractive, emotionally grasping LP... But don’t expect the album to cop an attitude in its sound."

In a more critical review, reporter Mikael Wood of *The Los Angeles Times* felt the album was too heavy on "zippy pop-country arrangements" and that the trio's trademark harmonies suffered at the expense of tempo. Marc Hirsh of *The Boston Globe* found the album's sequencing to be ineffective, drawing particular attention to the way the album "seems to simply stop" due to a lack of finality in the closing track, "Just a Girl", and criticized the band for being formulaic in their approach.

## Singles

Bartender
May 19th, 2014Freestyle
October 20th, 2014Long Stretch of Love
February 7th, 2015

## Track Listing

### Deluxe Edition

 13. | "All Nighter" | Nicolle Galyon • David Hodges • Jimmy Robbins

## Credits

### Lady A

* **Hillary Scott** – lead vocals, background vocals
* **Charles Kelley** – lead vocals, background vocals, tambourine
* **Dave Haywood** – background vocals, acoustic guitar, bouzouki, electric guitar, mandolin

### Additional Musicians

* **Steve Bryant** – bass guitar
* **Tom Bukovac** – electric guitar
* **Sarah Buxton** – background vocals
* **Nathan Chapman** – acoustic guitar, banjo, electric guitar, keyboards, mandolin, programming
* **Stuart Duncan** – fiddle
* **Steve Fishell** – steel guitar
* **Shannon Forrest** – drums, percussion
* **Josh Kear** – programming
* **Eric Kinney** – keyboards, programming
* **Tim Lauer** – keyboards
* **Tom Lombardo** – acoustic guitar, electric guitar
* **Rob McNelley** – electric guitar
* **Michael Rhodes** – bass guitar
* **Michael Rojas** – Hammond B-3 organ, keyboards
* **Michael Stuckey** – programming
* **Dave Thompson** – banjo, bass guitar, electric guitar, keyboards, percussion, programming

### Design

* **Amy Fucci** – design
* **Mary Hilliard Harrington** – art direction
* **Daniel Miller** – art direction
* **Nino Muñoz** – photography
* **Karen Naff** – art direction
* **Josh Newman** – art direction, design

### Production

* **Chuck Ainlay** – engineering
* **Lady Antebellum** – production
* **Keith Armstrong** – mixing assistant
* **Sean R. Badum** – engineering
* **Jason Campbell** – production coordination
* **Nathan Chapman** – engineering, production
* **Kyle Connors** - assistant engineer
* **Sam Flora - lyrics**
* **Ted Jensen** – mastering
* **Nick Kallstrom** – engineering
* **Eric Kinney** – engineering, production
* **Chris Lord-Alge** – mixing
* **Ernesto Olivera** – engineering
* **Corrine Parish** - lyrics
* **Dave Thompson** – engineering, production
* **Chris Wilkinson** – assistant engineering, engineering
* **Brian David Willis** – engineering

## References

1. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/747\_(album)