In A New Age (studio album) by Mickey Newbury

In a New Age, Mickey Newbury's 11th studio album, would have been more appropriately named "In a New Era." Having been burnt out and disenfranchised by the Nashville scene, Newbury retired on royalties in the early 80's. It took the threat of the release of a bootleg to bring him out of retirement.

Newbury had been informed that Airborne Records planned a release of old demos that he had made with dated "new age" sounds. Newbury loathed those recordings and, having found out that only the record packaging had since been printed, Newbury booked some time in the studio with only violinist Marie Rhines as accompaniment.

According to the biography "Crystal and Stone," the session was recorded mostly live and in one take, with just Newbury and Rhines. Once effects and editing was finished, the tapes were rushed to the label executive, who finally agreed to release the new recordings, although one pressing of the old sessions reportedly was pressed on vinyl in Canada. Airborne Records has since folded, but a remix of In a New Age, packaged with a live concert, was reissued under the name "It Might as Well Be The Moon" on Newbury's Mountain Retreat label, and available at his website.

"In a New Age" consists entirely of material that Newbury had released previously on his ten albums. In a way, it's a career retrospective but with entirely new recordings. Newbury leaves off tracks from his four weakest albums: "Harlequin Melodies," his overproduced debut, "I Came to Hear the Music," his collection of Nashville sketches, "Rusty Tracks," a fusion of folk standards and his darkest original material, and "The Sailor," Newbury's most straightforward and bittersweet album.

The album begins with "All My Trials," a segment of Newbury's "An American Trilogy" from the album "'Frisco Mabel Joy." Next is "Cortelia Clark," an excellent track from "Heaven Help the Child." Track 3 is the religious-influenced "I Wish I Was a Willow Tree," originally named "Wish I Was" from the album "His Eye is On the Sparrow." The fourth track is "The Sailor," from "After All These Years." The fifth song is "Frisco Depot," a mournful ballad from "'Frisco Mabel Joy." Track 6 is better known as "I Don't Think Much About Her No More," from "Looks Like Rain." The seventh song is "Lovers" from the album of the same name. Next is "San Francisco Mabel Joy," also from "Looks Like Rain" and reprised and unaltered on "Heaven Help the Child." Bringing the album full circle, Newbury sings his best known song, an arrangement of "Dixie/Battle Hymn/All My Trials," named "American Trilogy," which was a staple for Elivis Presley in his live shows.


"In a New Age" is an excellent place for someone to discover Mickey Newbury's songs, voice and presentation. The vocals are intimate, intriguing and essential. Newbury has abandoned the folky twang of his Nashville years, and presents earnest and hushed lyrics, a sincere vocal delivery for his sincere lyrical content. The recording production is remarkably improved from the late 60s and 70s material, which suffered from limitations in the recording and mixing process.

Regardless of the changes in time, Newbury is still true to himself and his music, maybe more here than ever before. After this career "revival," Newbury would go on to release new material in the 90s and early 2000s before his death in 2002.

Track Pick: Wish I Was