The Dreamer (Blake Shelton album)

The Dreamer is the second studio album released by American country music artist Blake Shelton. Released in 2003 on Warner Bros. Records Nashville, it features the Number One single "The Baby," as well as the singles "Heavy Liftin'" and "Playboys of the Southwestern World." The Dreamer is certified gold by the Recording Industry Association of America and features staff writers on all but one track.

Content
"The Baby" was the first single from the album. This song spent three weeks at Number One on the Billboard country charts in early 2003, becoming Shelton's second Number One hit. Unlike with his debut album, the second and third singles from The Dreamer did not peak as highly: "Heavy Liftin'" peaked at number 32, and "Playboys of the Southwestern World" at number 24.

"Georgia in a Jug" was previously recorded by Johnny Paycheck on his 1978 album Take This Job and Shove It, and his version was a number 20 country hit that year. "In My Heaven" was previously recorded by Mark Wills on his 2001 album Loving Every Minute.

Critical reception
Robert L. Doerschuk of Allmusic rated the album three stars out of five, saying, "Rough, rawboned energy drives Blake Shelton's sophomore release[…]the problem lies more with the material, which represents the doldrum state of songwriting in music city." Ray Waddell of Billboard thought that the album's variety of material made it "broader than its predecessor", contrasting the "muscular" "Heavy Liftin'" to the "impressive passion" on "The Baby", although he criticized the production of "Asphalt Cowboy".

Personnel
As listed in liner notes.


 * Bobby Braddock – keyboards
 * Larry Cordle – background vocals
 * Neal Coty – background vocals
 * Melodie Crittenden – background vocals
 * Dan Dugmore – steel guitar
 * Shannon Forrest – drums
 * Paul Franklin – steel guitar
 * Rob Hajacos – fiddle
 * Wes Hightower – background vocals
 * Tim Lauer – keyboards
 * Charlie McCoy – harmonica, trumpet, vibraphone
 * Blue Miller – background vocals
 * Greg Morrow – drums
 * Danny Myrick – background vocals
 * Russ Pahl – banjo
 * Alison Prestwood – bass guitar
 * Michael Rhodes – bass guitar
 * John Rich – background vocals
 * Michael Rojas – keyboards
 * Brent Rowan – electric guitar, baritone guitar, Wurlitzer electric piano
 * John Wesley Ryles – background vocals
 * Leslie Satcher – background vocals
 * Blake Shelton – lead vocals, acoustic guitar
 * Sharon Vaughn Bellamy – background vocals
 * John Willis – acoustic guitar
 * Dennis Wilson – background vocals