Maps of Music

Shake Hands with the Devil (1979)

Where the lyrics of Shake Hands with the Devil take you, and where it was really made.

The first Kris Kristofferson album to miss the charts, made while his film career had grown bigger than his music.

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Shake Hands with the Devil: ninth solo album by Kris Kristofferson
Released in 1979 on Monument Records
Several songs were written by Kristofferson years before release
Ninth album of a ten-album contract with Monument, counted from 1970
Originally issued as a vinyl LP; a CD edition followed in 1995 and is out of print

By the late 1970s, film acting brought more success than recording
Won a Golden Globe for the 1976 film A Star Is Born
No hit solo LP since Jesus Was a Capricorn (1973), which was itself lifted by the country gospel hit Why Me
Albums made under the contract were rushed, and many critics felt they did not match his early standards
Divorcing wife and duet partner Rita Coolidge, whose recording career had passed his by this time

Produced by David Anderle, who had produced all of Kristofferson's solo albums since 1973
Biographer Stephen Miller noted that Monument did not insist on trying a different producer
Mostly songs from Kristofferson's past, including the title track, an unheard 1970 copyright
Michoacan came from the 1971 film Cisco Pike; Seadream was written for the 1976 film The Sailor Who Fell from Grace with the Sea
The only brand-new song was the Caribbean-tinged ballad Prove It to You One More Time Again
Rita Coolidge sings background vocals and has a co-writing credit on Fallen Angel

1	Shake Hands With the Devil	3:27
2	Prove It to You One More Time Again	2:45
3	Whiskey, Whiskey	3:48
4	Lucky in Love	2:42
5	Seadream	3:03
6	Killer Barracuda	3:03
7	Come Sundown	3:40
8	Michoacan	3:00
9	Once More With Feeling	2:51
10	Fallen Angel	4:10

American musician, songwriter and actor, born June 22, 1936 in Brownsville, Texas; died September 28, 2024 in Hana, Hawaii, aged 88.
A pioneer of the 1970s outlaw country movement, moving away from the polished Nashville sound toward a rawer, introspective style.
Signed to Monument Records in 1969 after one single for Epic Records; recorded ten albums for Monument.
Songs such as "Me and Bobby McGee", "For the Good Times", "Sunday Mornin' Comin' Down" and "Help Me Make It Through the Night" became hits for other artists.
"Why Me" and "Highwayman" reached number one on the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart in 1973 and 1985.
Member of the supergroup the Highwaymen (with Willie Nelson, Waylon Jennings and Johnny Cash) from 1985 to 1995.
Acting career in films including A Star Is Born (1976, Golden Globe for Best Actor), Pat Garrett and Billy the Kid (1973), Heaven's Gate (1980) and the Blade trilogy.
Inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame in 2004; received a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award in 2014; three Grammy wins from 13 nominations.
Announced retirement from performing in January 2021; final performance at the Hollywood Bowl on April 29, 2023.

AllMusic's William Ruhlmann writes that the album suggests the singer treated his recording career as an afterthought to his movie career
It was the first Kristofferson album that failed to make the charts
Prove It to You One More Time Again was released as a single and barely scraped the lower reaches of the country singles chart

Biographer Stephen Miller (2008) takes a dim view of the album
Miller says Kristofferson was on worse vocal form than usual from the opening track
Miller says his often off-key singing and poor phrasing and timing showed less ability than an average club singer
Miller calls the results of the 1979 sessions unremittingly monotonous, despite some different styles being tried

No chart entry for the album, the first in Kristofferson's run to miss the charts
Prove It to You One More Time Again reached only the lower end of the country singles chart
Original vinyl LP released by Monument Records in 1979

Come Sundown hit the Top 10 for Bobby Bare in 1970, and George Jones later recorded it twice
Once More with Feeling was a Top 5 country smash for Jerry Lee Lewis in 1970
Whiskey, Whiskey was a 1970 country hit for Nat Stuckey and had been in Kristofferson's concerts since 1972
Killer Barracuda is a Kristofferson copyright dating from 1975
Michoacan and Seadream were both dusted off from the singer's film work