| Closer to the Bone | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | September 29, 2009 (2009-09-29) | |||
| Genre | Country | |||
| Language | English | |||
| Label | New West | |||
| Producer | Don Was | |||
| Kris Kristofferson chronology | ||||
| ||||
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| Allmusic |   [1] |
| American Songwriter | [2] |
| BBC | (favorable)[3] |
| No Depression | (favorable)[4] |
| Now | [5] |
| Rolling Stone |  [6] |
| Engine 145 | [7] |
| Uncut | [8] |
Closer to the Bone is the twentieth studio album by Kris Kristofferson. The album was released on September 29, 2009[3] on the New West record label.[9]
Kristofferson has said: ''Closer to the Bone is a reflective album. It's about making sense of life at this end of the game."[10] It was originally entitled Starlight and Stone, but Kristofferson changed it to Closer to the Bone as he felt like it was more descriptive of the meaning of the album: "...the closer to the bone you are and the closer to the truth."[11]
The song, "Good Morning John" was written in the 1970s and is about Johnny Cash.[12] Kristofferson wrote "Sister Sinead" as a tribute to Sinéad O'Connor. The album is dedicated to Stephen Bruton.
(All songs by Kris Kristofferson, except as noted)[13]
| Chart (2009) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| US Billboard 200[14] | 167 |
| US Independent Albums (Billboard)[15] | 28 |
| US Top Country Albums (Billboard)[16] | 29 |
