The Indescribable Wow

The Indescribable Wow
Studio album by Sam Phillips
Released	1988
Recorded	Ocean Way Recorders, Los Angeles, California, Sunset Sound Factory, Hollywood, California
Genre	Folk rock
Label	Virgin
Producer	T-Bone Burnett
Sam Phillips chronology
Recollection (1987) The Indescribable Wow (1988) Cruel Inventions (1991)

The Indescribable Wow is the fifth studio album from American singer and songwriter Sam Phillips. It is her first album for Virgin Records and her first album she released after switching her style from Christian pop to secular Alternative rock and using the name Sam rather than Leslie. Its first single "Holding On to the Earth" peaked at No. 22 on the Billboard Modern Rock Tracks chart in early 1989.^[1]

Reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
Source	Rating
AllMusic	[2]

The Indescribable Wow was well received on its release. In Rolling Stone the reviewer said, "Phillips is a major talent, with great rewards to offer"^[3] while AllMusic states that the album's music is "timeless".^[2]

Track listing

All songs by Sam Phillips, except "Holding On to the Earth" and "She Can't Tell Time" by Sam Phillips and T-Bone Burnett.

1. "I Don't Want to Fall In Love" – 2:54
2. "I Don't Know How to Say Goodbye to You" – 3:19
3. "Flame" – 2:35
4. "Remorse" – 3:43
5. "What Do I Do" – 3:58
6. "I Can't Stop Crying" – 3:21
7. "Holding On to the Earth" – 3:02
8. "She Can't Tell Time"– 3:58
9. "What You Don't Want to Hear" – 3:05
10. "Out of Time" – 4:24

Personnel

• Sam Phillips – vocals, guitars
• T Bone Burnett – guitar, mandocello, Marxophone, producer
• Jerry Scheff – bass
• Steve Jordan – drums
• Ralph Forbes – drum machine
• Mickey Curry – drums
• Alex Acuña – percussion and drums
• Mike Utley – organ
• Darrell Leonard – trumpet
• Buell Neidlinger – cello and string bass
• David Miner – harpsichord, harmonium, bass
• "What Do I Do" arranged by Van Dyke Parks and T-Bone Burnett
• Kevin Killen – mixing
• Rik Pekkonen – recording engineer
• Mike Ross – assistant recording engineer
• Tchad Blake – additional recording
• Dave Knight – assistant engineer
• Brian Soucy – assistant engineer
• Clif Norrell – assistant engineer
• Sunset Sound Factory – recording location
• Hollywood, California – recording location
• Ocean Way Recorders – recording location
• Howie Weinberg – mastering
• Masterdisk New York, New York – mastering location
• Tim Davis – production coordinator

References

1. The Indescribable Wow - Sam Phillips > Charts & Awards > Billboard Singles at AllMusic. Retrieved June 29, 2009.
2. Ankeny, Jason. The Indescribable Wow at AllMusic. Retrieved September 1, 2011.
3. Guterman, Jimmy (August 25, 1988). "Sam Phillips The Indesribable Wow > Album Review". Rolling Stone (533). Archived from the original on March 24, 2010. Retrieved September 1, 2011.