Spooky Lady's Sideshow
Spooky Lady's Sideshow is the fifth solo album by Kris Kristofferson, released in 1974 on Monument Records. It was preceded and followed by duet albums with his wife, Rita Coolidge. It was recorded shortly after Kristofferson's appearance in the movie Pat Garrett and Billy the Kid. The album mostly consists of songs about decline due to alcohol and drug abuse. That theme of decline proved to be (unintentionally) prophetic as this was Kristofferson's first album that failed to see commercial success on a large scale. Background 1973 was Kristofferson's apex with respect to commercial success. His duet album with wife Rita Coolidge topped the country albums chart, and his previous solo albums, Jesus Was a Capricorn, went gold, largely thanks to the surprise gospel smash "Why Me". In addition to being one of the most successful and respected songwriters in the business, Kristofferson was also a movie star, having appeared in Blume in Love and starring in Sam Peckinpah’s Pat Garret and Billy the Kid. Although Kristofferson commercial stock was high, some reviewers contended that the quality of his songwriting was slipping due to his preoccupation with Hollywood. Recording and composition With the release of Spooky Lady’s Sideshow, Kristofferson would