Keys to the Highway

Keys to the Highway is the sixth studio album by country music artist Rodney Crowell, released in 1989 by Columbia Records (see 1989 in country music). It peaked at number 15 on the Top Country Albums chart. The songs, "Many a Long and Lonesome Highway", "If Looks Could Kill", "My Past Is Present", "Now That We're Alone" and "Things I Wish I'd Said" were released as singles. The last single failed to reach the top 40.

Keys to the Highway
Studio album by Rodney Crowell
Released	October 10, 1989[1]
Genre	Country
Length	43:12
Label	Columbia
Producer	Rodney Crowell Tony Brown
Rodney Crowell chronology
The Rodney Crowell Collection (1989) Keys to the Highway (1989) Life Is Messy (1992)
Singles from Keys to the Highway
"Many a Long and Lonesome Highway" Released: September 1989 "If Looks Could Kill" Released: January 1990 "My Past Is Present" Released: July 14, 1990 "Now That We're Alone" Released: October 20, 1990 "Things I Wish I'd Said" Released: January 1991

Professional ratings

Review scores
Source	Rating
Allmusic	[2]
Chicago Tribune	[3]
Los Angeles Times	[4]

Track listing

All songs written By Rodney Crowell except when noted

1. "My Past Is Present" (Crowell, Steuart Smith) - 2:49
2. "If Looks Could Kill" - 3:25
3. "Soul Searchin'" - 3:57
4. "Many a Long and Lonesome Highway" (Crowell, Will Jennings) - 4:16
5. "We Gotta Go on Meeting Like This" (Crowell, Larry Willoughby) - 2:54
6. "Faith Is Mine" - 4:29
7. "Tell Me the Truth" (Crowell, Jim Hanson, Vince Santoro, Smith) - 3:35
8. "Don't Let Your Feet Slow You Down" - 3:18
9. "Now That We're Alone" - 4:14
10. "Things I Wish I'd Said" - 4:08
11. "I Guess We've Been Together for Too Long" (Guy Clark, Crowell) - 2:46
12. "You Been on My Mind" - 3:28

Personnel

Musicians

The Dixie Pearls

• Eddie Bayers – drums
• Barry Beckett – piano, organ
• Rodney Crowell – lead vocals, acoustic guitar
• Hank DeVito – steel guitar, acoustic guitar
• Paul Franklin – steel guitar
• Jim Hanson – bass guitar, background vocals
• Michael Rhodes – bass guitar
• Vince Santoro – drums, background vocals
• Steuart Smith – electric guitar, acoustic guitar

Guest musicians

• Rosanne Cash – background vocals
• Ashley Cleveland – background vocals
• Vince Gill – background vocals
• Mark O'Connor – fiddle, mandolin
• Harry Stinson – background vocals

Technical

• Tony Brown – production
• Donivan Coward – overdubbing
• Rodney Crowell – production, arrangement
• The Dixie Pearls – arrangement
• John Guess – mixing
• Glen Hardin – orchestra arrangement, conduction
• Steve Marcantonio – engineering, mixing
• Glenn Meadows – mastering
• Steuart Smith – arrangement

Chart performance

Weekly charts Chart (1989–1990) Peak position US Billboard 200[5] 180 US Top Country Albums (Billboard)[6] 15

Year-end charts Chart (1990) Position US Top Country Albums (Billboard)[7] 30

Singles

Year	Single	Peak positions
		US Country	CAN Country
1989	"Many a Long and Lonesome Highway"	3	1
1990	"If Looks Could Kill"	6	4
	"My Past Is Present"	22	12
	"'Now That We're Alone"	17	13
1991	"Things I Wish I'd Said"	72	—

Sources

1. AOL Music Profile for "Keys to the Highway"
2. Keys to the Highway at AllMusic. Retrieved June 21, 2011.
3. "Rodney Crowell Keys to the Highway (Columbia... - Chicago Tribune". Articles.chicagotribune.com. November 16, 1989. Retrieved June 21, 2011.
4. "***: Rodney Crowell: "Keys To The Highway" Colunbia - Los Angeles Times". Articles.latimes.com. January 7, 1990. Retrieved June 21, 2011.
5. "Rodney Crowell Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved December 31, 2020.
6. "Rodney Crowell Chart History (Top Country Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved December 31, 2020.
7. "Top Country Albums – Year-End 1990". Billboard. Retrieved December 31, 2020.