[5] Produced by Wolf Stephenson and Tommy Couch, Years of Tears was recorded in Muscle Shoals, Alabama.

[12] The Los Angeles Times wrote that it "plays to his key strength, which is an ability to bring you into the bleak, dark, anxious and solitary places inhabited by troubled minds.

"[13] The Denver Post noted that "the Muscle Shoals, Ala., session players provide him with gritty, introspective deep-soul instrumental support that seems relevant and vital for the 1990s.

"[7] Texas Monthly determined that "the label's synthesizer-and-strings approach has kept him contemporary without making him sound foolish.

"[15] AllMusic wrote: "Bland's animated, raw voice, though not as wide-ranging, still has a character and quality unmatched in blues, soul or vintage R&B.