| Family Tradition | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | April 17, 1979 (1979-04-17) | |||
| Recorded | 1978 | |||
| Studio |
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| Genre | Country | |||
| Length | 31:13 | |||
| Label | Elektra/Curb | |||
| Producer | Jimmy Bowen (tracks 6-9) Phil Gernhard (track 10) Ray Ruff (tracks 1-5) | |||
| Hank Williams Jr. chronology | ||||
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| Singles from Family Tradition | ||||
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| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [1] |
| Christgau's Record Guide | C[2] |
| The Rolling Stone Album Guide | [3] |
Family Tradition is a studio album by American musicianHank Williams Jr. It was released in April 1979 byCurb Records, his third studio album for the label.
Family Tradition shows influences fromR&B andsoul music.[1]
Family Tradition was a significant success, both critically and commercially for Williams. It peaked at number 3 on theBillboardTop Country Albums chart, making it Williams' first Top 5 album since 1969'sLive at Cobo Hall. Four of the ten tracks were released as singles, the first single being "I Fought the Law". "I Fought the Law" was originally a hit for the rock & roll groupThe Bobby Fuller Four in the early 1960s and the song was a moderate success for Williams, peaking at number 15 on theBillboardHot Country Singles & Tracks chart. The follow-up singles, "Old Flame, New Fire" and "To Love Somebody" had little success, only peaking at number 54 and number 49 respectively. The final single, the album's title track, "Family Tradition", would become one of Williams' most popular and recognized songs. It peaked at number 4 on the Hot Country Singles & Tracks chart, his first Top 10 single since 1974. Williams' performance received rave reviews by critics and he received his firstGrammy nomination forBest Country Vocal Performance, Male. The album was also a significant commercial success for Williams, becoming only his second album to be certified Gold by theRIAA.
All music is composed byHank Williams Jr., except where noted.
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "To Love Somebody" | Barry Gibb,Robin Gibb | 3:08 |
| 2. | "Old Flame, New Fire" | Oskar Solomon | 2:37 |
| 3. | "Always Loving You" | Steve Young | 4:26 |
| 4. | "We Can Work It All Out" | 2:20 | |
| 5. | "I Fought the Law" | Sonny Curtis | 2:25 |
| 6. | "Family Tradition" | 4:01 | |
| 7. | "Only Daddy That'll Walk the Line" | Jimmy Bryant | 3:18 |
| 8. | "Paying on Time" | Allen Reynolds, Hank Williams Jr. | 3:13 |
| 9. | "I've Got Rights" | 3:35 | |
| 10. | "I Just Ain't Been Able" | 2:35 |
| Year | Single | US Country |
|---|---|---|
| 1978 | "I Fought the Law" | 15 |
| "Old Flame, New Fire" | 54 | |
| 1979 | "To Love Somebody" | 49 |
| "Family Tradition" | 4 |
Weekly charts[edit]
| Year-end charts[edit]
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