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Closer is sixth full-length album by Christian music singer Susan Ashton. It was released in 1999 on Capitol Nashville. It was her only disc for the label. It was produced by Emory Gordy, Jr. The album contains songs written by Diane Warren, Matraca Berg and Kim Richey. Ashton herself only co-wrote one song here, "Think of Me".

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Closer
Studio album by Susan Ashton
Released	April 20, 1999
Recorded	1998–1999
Genre	Country, country pop
Length	46:43
Label	Capitol Nashville
Producer	Emory Gordy, Jr.
Susan Ashton chronology
A Distant Call (1996) Closer (1999) Lost in Wonder-Voices of Worship (2005)

Professional ratings

Review scores
Source	Rating
AllMusic	[1]

Three singles were released, with the Warren-penned "Faith of the Heart" being first. It peaked at No. 51 on the Hot Country Songs chart in the US, while peaking twenty spots lower in Canada. The second single, "You're Lucky I Love You", fared a bit better reaching No. 37 in the US and No. 52 in Canada. The title track didn't chart. The album itself reached No. 34 on the country charts, while failing to find a footing on the Christian music charts.

"Breathless" was later released as a single by River Road in 2001. Both The Jenkins and Hall & Oates released versions of "Getaway Car". "Supernatural" was later recorded by American country music singer Sara Evans on her 2005 album Real Fine Place.

Reception

AllMusic's Heather Phares called Ashton "an emotive vocalist", and said that Closer "finds Ashton hitting her stride as a performer and singer", giving the album four stars out of five.[1]

Track listing

1. "Come On in Out of the Rain" (Jamie O'Hara) 2:53
2. "Closer" (Kent Blazy, Neil Thrasher, Kim Williams) 3:23
3. "Our Little World" (Matraca Berg, Jeff Hanna) 4:37
4. "You're Lucky I Love You" (Thrasher, Maria Cannon-Goodman) 3:31
5. "I Ain't Gonna Fall for Love Again" (Kim Richey, Vince Melamed) 3:21
6. "Breathless" (Blazy, Thrasher, Kelly Shiver) 3:25
7. "Shot for the Moon" (Berg, Sharon Vaughn) 3:56
8. "Getaway Car" (Gary Haase, Billy Mann) 4:59
9. "Supernatural" (Marcus Hummon, Mark Prentice) 3:55
10. "Think of Me" (Ashton, Gayla Borders, Jeff Borders, J.D. Cunningham) 4:06
11. "Faith of the Heart" (Diane Warren) 4:17
12. "Can't Cry Hard Enough" (Marvin Etzioni, David Williams) 4:20

Personnel

• Susan Ashton – lead vocals, harmony vocals
• J.D. Cunningham – backing vocals
• Vince Gill – backing vocals
• Vicki Hampton – backing vocals
• Billy Mann – backing vocals
• Chris Rodriguez – backing vocals
• Harry Stinson – backing vocals
• Neil Thrasher – backing vocals
• Dann Huff – electric guitars, acoustic guitars
• Steve Gibson – electric guitars, gut-string guitars, bouzouki, mandolin
• Biff Watson – acoustic guitars
• Dan Dugmore – steel guitar
• Paul Franklin – steel guitar
• Sonny Garrish – steel guitar
• Stuart Duncan – fiddle, octave fiddle, mandolin
• Mike Lawler – keyboards
• John Barlow Jarvis – piano
• Matt Rollings – piano
• Phil Madeira – Hammond organ
• Steve Nathan – hammond organ
• Emory Gordy Jr. – bass guitar
• Steve Brewster – drums, percussion
• Owen Hale – drums, percussion
• Lonnie Wilson – drums, percussion
• Monisa Angell – viola
• Jim Grosjean – viola
• Gary Vanosdale – viola
• Connie Heard – violin
• Pamela Sixfin – violin
• Chris Teal – violin
• Anthony LaMarchina – cello
• Bob Mason – cello
• Kris Wilkinson – concertmaster

Production

• Emory Gordy Jr. – producer
• Russ Martin – engineer
• Rob MacMillan – assistant engineer
• John Guess – mixing
• Patrick Murphy – mixing assistant
• Glenn Meadows – mastering

Chart performance

Chart (1999)	Peak position
U.S. Billboard Top Country Albums	34

References

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