My Own Best Enemy
# My Own Best Enemy

My Own Best Enemy is the seventh studio album by soft rock singer-songwriter Richard Marx. The album hit No. 126 on the Billboard album chart in 2004. The album produced two singles, "When You're Gone" and "Ready to Fly." Both of them reached the 'Hot Adult Top 40' chart. "Ready To Fly" also hit No. 22 on the adult contemporary chart.

The album marked a return to the microphone for Marx, who had spent the early-2000s as a successful songwriter and producer, after the comparatively weak commercial reception of his last album in 2000.

As of January 2018, the album had sold a total of 56,958 copies in America per Nielsen SoundScan.

## Track listing

All songs written by Richard Marx, except "Suspicion" co-written by Fee Waybill.

* "Nothing Left to Say" – 3:57
* "When You're Gone" – 4:24
* "One Thing Left" – 3:55
* "Loves Goes On" – 3:35
* "Ready to Fly" – 4:39
* "Again" – 6:17
* "Colder" – 3:09
* "Everything Good" – 3:18
* "The Other Side" – 4:56
* "Someone Special" – 4:15
* "Suspicion" – 3:56
* "Falling" – 5:13

Bonus tracks on Japanese release • "Endless Summer Nights (Live version)" – 4:30

Bonus tracks on U.S. Target exclusive release 7243 4 73450 2 9

* "Should've Known Better" (Acoustic) – 3:46
* "Don't Mean Nothing" (Acoustic) – 3:57
* "When You're Gone" (Acoustic) – 3:44
* "Hazard" (Acoustic) – 4:10
* "Endless Summer Nights" (Live performance) – 4:25

## Personnel

* Richard Marx – arrangements, lead vocals, backing vocals (1, 4–6, 8, 10, 11), acoustic guitar (1–3, 5–7, 9, 11, 12), additional electric guitar (5), acoustic piano (5), string arrangements (5, 9, 12), electric guitar (8, 10, 11), keyboards (8, 9), synth bass (9)
* David Cole – virtual synthesizer (2, 6), synthesizers (7, 11), string arrangements (9), keyboard pad (12)
* Gary Smith – Hammond B3 organ (2, 4), keyboards (10)
* J. T. Corenflos – electric guitar (1, 3, 10, 12), guitars (2)
* Keith Urban – guitars (2), guitar solo (2), backing vocals (2), additional guitar (3)
* Michael Landau – guitars (4, 7), additional electric guitar (5), electric guitar (8), guitar solo (8)
* Michael Thompson – acoustic guitar (5), electric guitar (5, 9), guitars (6)
* Shane Fontayne – guitars (6), electric guitar (8, 11)
* Bruce Gaitsch – acoustic guitar (10)
* Paul Franklin – steel guitar (10)
* Glenn Worf – bass (1–3, 10, 12)
* Lance Morrison – bass (4, 7)
* Mark Browne – bass (6, 8, 11)
* Steve Brewster – drums (1–3, 5, 10, 12)
* Matt Laug – drums (4, 7)
* John Blasucci – drum programming (5)
* Greg Bissonette – drums (6, 8, 11)
* Matt Walker – drums (9)
* Eric Darken – percussion (4, 9)
* Stephen Balderston – cello (3, 8)
* Cliff Colnot – cello orchestration (3)
* Arif Mardin – string arrangements (5)
* Jessica Andrews – backing vocals (4)

The Amazing Nashville String Players

* Cello
   * Anthony LaMarchina
   * Carol Rabinowitz
   * Sari Reist
* Violin
   * David Angell
   * David Davidson
   * Connie Ellisor
   * Gerald Greer
   * Connie Heard
   * Pam Sixfin
   * Chris Teal
   * Kathy Umstead
   * Mary Kathryn Vanosdale
* Viola
   * Jim Grosjean
   * Gary Vanosdale
   * Kris Wilkinson (also string contractor)

## Production

* Producers – David Cole and Richard Marx
* Recorded and Mixed by David Cole
* Additional Engineering – Matt Prock
* Art Direction and Design – Beth Middleworth
* Creative Director – Gordon H. Lee
* Cover Photo – Paul Elledge
* Other Photos – Clay Patrick McBride
* Management – Wayne Issak and Karen Scott for Issak Entertainment.

## Charts

Singles

| Year | Song | US A.C. | US Adult Top 40 | Germany |
| - | - | - | - | - |
| 2004 | "When You're Gone" | - | 20 | - |
| 2005 | "Ready To Fly" | 22 | 29 | 48 |
