Modern Times (Johnny Paycheck album)
| Modern Times | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
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| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | March 1987 | |||
| Studio | Studio By The Pond (Hendersonville, Tennessee) Doc's Place (Hendersonville, Tennessee) Southern Tracks Studio (Atlanta, Georgia) Muscle Shoals Sound Studio (Sheffield, Alabama) East Avalon Recorders (Muscle Shoals, Alabama) | |||
| Genre | Country | |||
| Length | 34:37 | |||
| Label | Mercury Records | |||
| Producer |
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| Johnny Paycheck chronology | ||||
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| Singles from Modern Times | ||||
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Modern Times is the twenty-fourth studio album by American country music artist Johnny Paycheck. The album was released in March 1987, via Mercury Records, his only release for the record. It was produced by Stan Cornelius with additional production by Paycheck and Hilka Maria Cornelius.
The album was recorded prior to Paycheck beginning his nine-year prison sentence for a 1985 manslaughter conviction. The album includes his haunting signature song "Old Violin," and features a mix of honky-tonk, ballads, and autobiographical material. Critics hailed Modern Times as a powerful comeback that reaffirmed Paycheck's place in country music canon.
Modern Times was Paycheck's final album to chart, peaking at 54 on the Billboard Top Country Albums chart.
Background and recording
[edit]Modern Times marked Paycheck's return to major-label recording following a difficult period that included legal troubles, financial collapse, and extended battles with addiction.[1] Released by Mercury Records, the album was seen as a comeback project, building on the momentum of "Old Violin," a 1986 single that had garnered critical acclaim and moderate commercial success.[1] The record was produced in a traditional country style with steel guitar, fiddle, and straightforward arrangements.[2]
Paycheck appeared on the back of the LP surrounded by diner waitresses instead of the usual whiskey bottles and pistoles, a visual nod to his more subdued, introspective approach.[3] Despite the turmoil surrounding his life at the time, the album showcased a clear and expressive vocal delivery, with a strong emphasis on lyrics that explored aging, redemption, and regret.
Themes
[edit]The album opens with its title track, written by Glenn Sutton and Carl Jackson, in which Paycheck rejects nostalgia in favor of a critical reflection on contemporary society.[1] The autobiographical "Old Violin," written by Paycheck himself, deals directly with his impending incarceration. The song is delivered in a raw, emotional vocal, with the metaphor of an unused violin standing in Paycheck's own perceived obsolescence.[2][3][4]
Other notable songs include "Don't Bury Me 'Til I'm Ready," a defiant anthem against being counted out too soon,[1][3] "Butterflies and Babies," a ballad about fleeting domestic contentment,[2] and "She Don't Love Me All the Time," a classic cheating song with a melancholic twist.[2] "The Other Man" includes the much-quoted line: "The only man I'll share you with is Jesus Christ,"[1][4] which several reviewers cited as one of the most memorable lyrics in recent country music.
The album also features a duet with Southern rock vocalist Jimmy Hall on a country version of Moon Mullican's version of "Jole Blon."[1] While production occasionally leaned toward the glossy side, Paycheck's vocals anchored even the most overproduced material with conviction.[1]
Critical reception
[edit]| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [5] |
| The Salinas Californian |  [4] |
| Lincoln Journal Star | [2] |
Modern Times received near-unanimous praise from critics upon release, many of whom viewed it as one of Paycheck's finest efforts. Bob Claypool of the Houston Post called it "a solid winner" and celebrated Paycheck's remarkable resilience, writing, "God bless Johnny Paycheck, they oughta build a statue to him!"[1] Wayne Bledsoe of the Knoxville News Sentinel praised the album's expressiveness and restraint, singling out "Old Violin" as a "gut-wrenching masterpiece" that placed Paycheck in the same emotional territory as George Jones.[3]
Cliff Radel of The Salinas Californian gave the album four out of five stars and emphasized the quality of the songwriting, proclaiming Modern Times "has more great lines per tune than any country record made in the last five years."[4] L Kent Wolgamott of the Lincoln Journal Star went even further, giving the album a perfect score and calling it a "mournful country masterpiece," comparing Paycheck's delivery to George Jones and praising the authenticity of the arrangements and performances.[2]
Despite the widespread acclaim, the album's commercial performance was muted, with radio reluctant to play new music by an artist facing prison time.[4] Nevertheless, Modern Times solidified Paycheck's reputation as a country traditionalist capable of delivering deeply personal, emotionally resonant work in the face of adversity.
Track listing
[edit]| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Modern Times" | 2:33 | |
| 2. | "Don't Bury Me 'Till I'm Ready" | John Moffat | 3:17 |
| 3. | "Come to Me" | Hilka Maria Cornelius | 3:44 |
| 4. | "Butterflied and Babies" | Cornelius | 5:10 |
| 5. | "Caught Between a Rock and a Soft Place" |
| 3:13 |
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Jole Blon" | Moon Mullican | 3:00 |
| 2. | "Old Violin" | Johnny Paycheck | 3:43 |
| 3. | "She Don't Love Me All the Time" |
| 3:12 |
| 4. | "The Other Man" | Buck Moore | 3:00 |
| 5. | "I Grow Old Too Fast (and Smart Too Slow)" | John Long | 3:45 |
| Total length: | 34:37 | ||
Personnel
[edit]- Johnny Paycheck – vocals, harmony vocals, co-producer ("Old Violin")
- Bessyl Duhon – accordion
- Ava Aldridge – background vocals
- Cindy Greene – background vocals
- Cindy Richardson Walker – background vocals
- Carl Jackson – banjo, harmony vocals ("Modern Times")
- Dave Pomeroy – bass
- Mark Evans – bass
- Ralph Ezell – bass
- Danny Breeden – drums
- Jerry Kroon – drums
- Owen Hale – drums
- Buddy Spicher – fiddle
- Kenny Sears – fiddle
- Bobby Blackford – guitar, keyboard
- Fred Carter Jr. – guitar
- Gregg Galbraith – guitar
- John Long – guitar
- Ray Flacke – guitar
- Mark Casstevens – harmonica
- Jerry Pearson – keyboard
- Johnny Neel – keyboard
- Steve Nathan – keyboard
- Paul Franklin – dobro, steel guitar
- Jimmy Hall – vocals ("Jole Blon"), saxophone
- Chuck Mandes – steel guitar
- Stan Cornelius – producer, bass vocals ("I Grow Old Too Fast (and Smart Too Slow)")
- Hilka Maria Cornelius – co-producer ("Don't Bury Me 'Till I'm Ready"), tambourine
- Claudia Mize – production coordinator
- Steve Popovich – executive producer
- Dave Cline – engineer
- Peter Green – engineer
- Russ Fowler – engineer
- Steve Chandler – engineer
- Steve Melton – engineer
- E. J. Walsh – assistant engineer
- Stephanie Moore – assistant engineer
- Empire Studio – photography
- Bill Brunt – art direction
Charts
[edit]| Chart (1987) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| US Top Country Albums (Billboard) | 54 |
References
[edit]- ^ a b c d e f g h Claypool, Bob (May 10, 1987). "Modern Times, Johnny Paycheck, Mercury Records". Houston Post. Houston, Texas. p. 4F. Retrieved July 30, 2025.
- ^ a b c d e f Wolgamott, L. Kent (April 14, 1987). "Paycheck album reflects familiar country territory". Lincoln Journal Star. Lincoln, Nebraska. p. 6. Retrieved July 30, 2025.
- ^ a b c d Bledsoe, Wayne (May 17, 1987). "Allman and Paycheck no worse for wear". Knoxville News Sentinel. Knoxville, Tennessee. p. 8. Retrieved July 30, 2025.
- ^ a b c d e Radel, Cliff (June 6, 1987). "Johnny Paycheck, "Modern Times," Mercury". The Salinas Californian. Salinas, California. p. 3B. Retrieved July 30, 2025.
- ^ "Modern Times - Johnny Paycheck : Songs, Reviews, Credits, Awards". AllMusic. Retrieved July 29, 2025.