Sheryl Crow’s first new studio album in three-and-a-half years set a career record for the Missouri-born singer-songwriter. The album debuted at Number 2 on Billboard’s Top 200 Albums chart after first week sales totaled 185,000 copies. Crow based her new album,C’mon, C’mon, on the musical spirit of 1970s and ‘80s classic rock.
Fleetwood Mac’s Stevie Nicks makes an appearance on the title cut of Sheryl Crow’s new CD, C’mon, C’mon. Other guests on the album include Don Henley, Emmylou Harris, Liz Phair and the Dixie Chicks’ Natalie Maines. Also joining Sheryl on the album is actress Gwenyth Paltrow, who sings harmony vocals on “It’s Only Love.”
Following the release of Sheryl’s 1998 album, The Globe Sessions, she was confused about the direction of her next recording. At times, she lacked the motivation to even make another album.
Two years ago, Sheryl built a recording studio in her Los Angeles home and began work on her latest album. She says having the home studio added even more stress, because it was a constant reminder to be productive.
Sheryl’s friend Chrissie Hynde of The Pretenders visited her on a day when Crow was at a particularly low point. Chrissie told her, “Music is not your life. Music is something you do, and your life is your life.” So, Sheryl walked away from the project for awhile. She said, “I came back to it with a lot more energy, and it finished itself really quickly.”
Sheryl worked on the new album in New York, Detroit and Nashville, where she wrote songs with her sister, Country music songwriter Kathryn Crow. One of their tunes made it onto C’mon, C’mon, a duet Sheryl recorded with Don Henley called “It’s So Easy.”
Sheryl will headline the Jeep World Outside Festival, which begins July 10 in Charlotte, North Carolina. After wrapping up the festival tour in mid-August, she’ll perform throughout Europe in September and October.
Sheryl describes C’mon, C’mon as a record that feels like summer. The album’s first single,“Soak Up The Sun,” especially evokes that sense of summertime fun.