Heart & Soul Ranked

So. Eric Church just dropped his triple album, Heart & Soul. By now, everyone has had a chance to listen to the full 24 song project. I have lots of thoughts on this album and I really enjoy most of the songs. So I figured that I would rank them, from #24 to #1. Through the rankings you'll get my general feel for the albums, but I do have a lot more thoughts about this project as a whole.

So let's start this off.

24. Bad Mother Trucker

Ooh, boy. I have feelings about this song. Mainly of which is basically saying I LOVE the sound of it. The groove and the vibe is there, but lyrically this song is cheesy and just not good. For me, there’s no personal connection to this song and that’s what usually makes Church’s music so great. You can find some kind of connection to the music, but I’m not the son of a female trucker so there’s nothing for me to grasp onto. Which is a bummer because this song sounds soooooo good. If this song had a different topic, it might have been in the top half of this list. But it’s not, and to me it’s the “worst” song of this project, which is still miles better then the “worst” song from most other artists.

23. Where I Wanna Be

This song sounds like Church (and his crew) decided to get stoned or drunk (or both!) and threw a song together. Lyrically, it’s boring but a step up from "BMT". Sonically, it’s probably the worst sounding song. The vocals on this are all over the place, Chief does this sing shout thing towards the end, and the whistling annoys me more then anything else.

22. Love Shine Down

I’m not a fan of the gospel-like sound of the song. I’m not against gospel…but it just doesn’t do much for me. It’s pretty samey and it’s a super weak closing track to the Heart album. I do enjoy the line “Darlin’ don’t give up on me/That’s my message in the bottle on the sea/Little SOS from this SOB/Darlin, don’t give up on me”. It’s a clever lyric and that’s probably the saving grace of the song.

21. Bright Side Girl

It’s a melancholy AND optimistic song. It’s a weird mix and the production is fine. It sounds like a ray of sunshine opening up the clouds and I guess that’s the point. Lyrically, it’s not as interesting as other songs on this project but I could see this creeping up my list with more time to listen to it.

20. Lynard Skynard Jones

This is a very interesting song, for a couple of reasons. It is only one of two songs that Church didn’t write for this project (This is a solo Casey Beathard write) and that it is the last song of the 24 song set. It’s a good song with not much going on. Production wise, it’s very laid back. I really enjoy the concept of the song, as it tells the story of a Lynard Skynard fan who names her son after the famous band, but it’s not as captivating as I wish it was. Maybe adding a verse or some more detail would have helped this one be higher up on my list...although I do like the ending of the story of the song. It’s just not one that I keep coming back to.

19. Stick That In Your Country Song

Funny how both non-Church written songs are towards the bottom half of the list for me. As exciting as this song was when it was first released, it’s been on the back half of songs I go back to in regards to this whole project. Maybe it’s because it was released 10 months or so before the album or maybe it’s just a song I have to be in the mood for. The song itself sonically and lyrically is straight fire. It’s a hard rock song taking a shot at modern country music, which is a bit perplexing, but Church does what he wants, when he wants, and this song is no different. The rise in energy through the end of the bridge is fantastic and my favorite part of the song by far. It’s a good thing that this was the first track released from Heart & Soul though because the excitement about this one would have never been bigger than being the first single.

18. Look Good and You Know It

This songs like Church just got done jamming to some Motown and said, “Let’s do it like that”, which I don’t mind at all. He’s done Motown covers live in concert and they are extremely entertaining, although it pushes him to his limits vocally. The cold open to the track is strong and I enjoy it, but I wish it was toned just a little bit down. It’s a jam. It’s a song that probably shouldn’t work as well as it does, but it does. Also, the line of "It’s not because you look so good it hurts/I’m just choking on the smoke of a bridge" is one of my favorite lines on the Soul album.

17. People Break.

I know this is gonna be a ranking that many fans don’t agree with me on. "People Break" is probably the most pop sounding song on an Eric Church album (Unless you count "Lovin’ Me Anyway", which was released as kinda an extra song from his CHIEF record). I’m not mad about it, but that percussion really distracts me and it knocks this one down a few pegs. The high notes into the bridge are nice and I love the line “Baby, I get it/I really do/But now I gotta do the hardest part/break the news to a broken heart”. I love the self awareness of realizing this relationship is doomed, there’s nothing you can do to make it better, and still allow yourself to feel that hurt when she finally decides to end it.

16. Doing Life With Me

As the lowest ranking & song, this is kind of a boring track. Throughout this project, I love how dynamic most of the tracks are…but "DLWM" is not. The production is pretty straight forward and the lyrics aren’t as clever as other Church songs of a similar style. I appreciate the law related terms through the song and especially the chorus is very catchy, but I just see this as a less-special "Holdin’ My Own".

15. Through My Raybans

This is gonna for sure get me in trouble, so put down the pitchforks, and let me defend myself. I enjoy the song. This is a nice ode to his fans (the “Friday night soldiers”) and I love a lot of the interesting words that he uses (paupers, kaleidoscope, canvas, etc), but by the end of the second verse it seems like he’s just rambling. Production is fine, but a bit boring and the oohs by the end of the song really don’t add much. I wish this song had a legit bridge and felt more like a strong anthem then it currently does. And the last :45-1:00 of instrumentation just feels unnecessary.

14. Break It Kinda Guy

Johnny Cash + The BeeGees, anyone? Not sure what made Church put those two artists together, but he did, haha. While there’s a lot of heartbreak on Heart & Soul, there’s not much attitude and this gives Soul the attitude it desperately needed. The falsetto works for Eric as well as him going back and forth with his MVP of the project, Joanna Cotten. It’s a fun song with Church playing off of his badass persona.

13. Bunch of Nothing

Another fun one. This song is, as it states, a bunch of nothing. Dude comes into a bar and the narrator of the song gives him a bunch of advice, which is pretty much non-advice. It’s that drunk at a bar that takes your mind off your troubles and makes you remember that it could always be worse, you could be them. The last chorus is great, again with Chief and Jo just going at it. Their voices sound so good together. Gonna be a BLAST to see live. Plus, it’s probably the first Church song I could see people actually dancing to.

12. Rock & Roll Found Me

When I first played Soul in my car and took a drive, that first little groove just got me. It’s a lot more of a chill song then I would have thought it would be. Anything R&R makes me think of "That’s Damn Rock n Roll" off his The Outsiders album. This isn’t that, but it’s better. I love the concept of likening rock n roll to your church or religion. It’s just something that comes to you, not the other way around and anybody who has ever had a deep love of music knows what Church is singing about here. The vocal arrangement for the bridge threw me off for a little bit, and I would have preferred a more subdued vocal, but it’s not bad.

11. Do Side

Do Side is a very divisive song among Church fans. It’s funk-rock tendencies and similar song structure to previous tracks like “Outsiders”…most would write this one off. I don’t. I love the angst and a bit of anger or annoyance that he’s on the wrong side of this break up/hook up. It’s desperately needed on this Heart & Soul project as a whole, but it does seem awkward on &. It would have felt better on Soul. Also enjoy some of the lyrics on this. “saltwater leak from my eyes” is an interesting way of saying that he woke up crying. These little details make me enjoy this jam.

10. Heart of the Night

I don’t think anybody saw a song like this coming. Chief has a lot of musical influences, and this track has all the makings of a rock opera. He said in a few interviews that Meatloaf and Queen were obvious influences in this one. “You can’t go Half-Loaf” he said…and he didn’t. This track has 4 or 5 tempo changes and the dynamic element of that makes me keep coming back. It’s moody, it’s over-dramatic and that bridge. Man, that bridge hits hard. “I watched my old man grow older and slower/These factory wages weighing on his shoulders/This town was a boulder that just broke his back/No, I ain't going out like that” just builds into this awesome crescendo and final moment.

9. Hell of a View

With Church, there’s one good bet I make with each of his records. The first single is not going to do well on radio while the second one will. Call it formulaic, call it insanely good marketing. But I called it being the second single from this project the day it came out. It’s a good song and definitely one that was made for radio success. As with most Church singles made for radio ("Record Year", "Talledega", "Give Me Back My Home Town") it’s still a step or two lyrically above everything else on mainstream radio. The imagery in this song is pretty good. Specific enough for you to paint your own picture. Generic enough for you to put your own love story into it. Love the line “You holdin’ me, holdin’ you”/It’s a hell of a view”. Church also has this knack for “you and me vs the world” songs. Whether it’s The Outsiders (in general) or "HOAV" (love), he makes you feel this restlessness against the normal, which I think is a feeling just about anybody can relate to.

8. Kiss Her Goodbye

A love-gone-wrong song for the ages, where Church misses the moments that he could have kissed her and now he can’t. It’s tender and soft and full of regret. Church’s vocals haven’t sounded this good in quite some time. It’s a track that’s very reminiscent of the "Sinner Like Me" era and it’s the opposite of "Do Side", even if it's just another version of that lost love. If there ever is a single off of &, this would be the song.

7. Jenny

This is probably the biggest surprise on this list. "Jenny" is my highest rated song from Soul and to be honest, it's a biased pick. Shameless, I really loved this one from the beginning when he played it at the Country Radio Seminar in 2020 (where he announced his excursion into the mountains with his crew). The guitar chords make this song catchy as hell and it gives me an acousticy Bob Seger or Springsteen vibe. Yes, "Jenny" is sang over and over and over, but that doesn't both me as much as it does some other people. I would have also appreciated a little less echo on the vocals, but mostly the production has stayed the same from his CRS performance as well as his "Stagecouch" performance.

6. Russian Roulette

This is a CLEAR fan-favorite off the Heart record and for good reason. It's a bit of an anthem and it's the antithesis to Church's own song Springsteen. Instead of looking for a "Melody with a memory", he's looking for one WITHOUT a memory, so he can continue to make his trek without emotionally breaking down. I think this is CLEARLY a single from this project and that it's going to be one of those Church songs that transcends this Heart & Soul era.

5. Mad Man

I love this mostly acoustic track. Lost love is not a theme missing from Church's music. It's spread all throughout his career, but this might be one of his better examples. The production of this track makes you feel like you're going going mad. Starts acoustic and slow with Eric's tender vocals....then by the end you have a massive blow up, going from Jekyll to Hyde in about two and a half minutes. The lyrics are some for the ages comparing shots of Jack to bullets in a gun and how his fuse "might look to you like a half smoked cigarette". It's one of those songs that I don't think many are talking about right now, but give it time and it might be up there with some of Eric's best work.

4. Never Break Heart

"Never Break Heart" is as hopeful and bouncy as an Eric Church song that you'll find. It finds Eric talking to his own heart, saying "Don’t let fear steal your brave, heart/Don’t let doubt take your faith, heart/It’s okay to cry/But don’t never break, heart" through birth, life, and then eventually, death. Moose Brown, who played in Bob Seger's Silver Bullet Band, really adds the cherry on top to this track instrumentally with his use of the keys. This is a song that deserves to be a #1 and being released in a crazy time like this...I think it's the hope that the world needs to hear.

3. Heart on Fire

Absolute banger. I think this song is the song that got me the most excited about this project, and especially Heart. It’s the closest thing to classic rock that I think we will ever get in modern music. It reminds me of a bit more rough around the edges Bob Seger or a Mellencamp tune. After hearing some fans just play the song on an acoustic guitar, it makes me yearn for Church to eventually do an acoustic version as well some day. A couple really bright moments on the track are Joanna Cotten’s voice on the second verse and the amazing guitar solo done by the one and only, Charlie Worsham. This is a dead set concert opener and I cannot WAIT to see him perform this live and scream at the top of my lungs “We weren’t old enough to drink but we damn sure did it/Hat turned back singing Paradise City” like I do in my car every time in comes on, haha.

2. Lone Wolf

Lone Wolf was the first & (and Church Choir exclusive) track that we were really given, with "Raybans" and "DLWM" being released to streaming services and it's a song I hope every Eric Church can eventually listen to. The first verse is special and sets up the "lone wolf" mentality, Anyone who has felt like that or an outsider and has eventually fallen in love with someone will understand this song. From the literal production of Church almost howling during the choruses to the choir like atmosphere of the "hallelujah: line, this is a special song and has connected with a lot of the Church Choir's most passionate people. Also love the short pause before coming back towards the end.

1. Crazyland

This is the song that MADE me want to write this list and organize my favorites. This song is just everything I want in an Eric Church song. Wonderful songwriting, heartfelt vocal performances from EC and Joanna both, and a great backstory. Church dreamt the song one night during this month-long stay in the mountains and came up with this idea of having people be emotions in this “Crazyland”. “Sad”, “Outta His Mind”, “All My Fault”, and “Blues” are some of the many characters in this universe and if you’ve ever spent a substantial amount of time in a bar watching people, your mind will immediately connect some of those people to characters in the song. It’s so creative and the chorus is also super catchy. I love some of the words that he uses too, the line of “Lunatics, liars, and also-rans” is just tip-top EFC writing. Also, I didn’t get the full scope of that last line until probably a month after release and I love that.

So that's it. My rankings. Some people will agree, some people won't. AND THAT'S OK. This #1-#24 won't be the same #1-#24 in six months, a year, five years from now. Opinions change, some songs hit harder at different parts in our life. It's all subjective after all.

So, now the question is what is YOUR favorite song from Heart & Soul? Leave a comment or hit me up on social media. It's @marty_kurtz on Twitter.