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Album Review:

Big City Secrets

  • Release Date: 1997
  • Genre: Rock
  • Label: Realworld
  • Total Time: 55:31

Review

Joseph Arthur refers to his music as "someone struggling to heal over experimental folk-rock." His major-label career began after he received an unexpected answering machine message from Peter Gabriel offering him a contract on Gabriel's Real World label. Arthur's music employs a wide range of musical influences, adorning his songs with instruments as diverse as hurdy gurdy, corn horn, Venetian xylophone, caxixi, birimbau and harmonic missles. Experimental folk-rock is an apt label for such eclectic instrumentation. As for "struggling to heal," Arthur's strategy appears to be to heal through catharsis. His lyrics are populated with angsty lines like "you're easy for me to bleed on," "put my daddy on Prozac, I don't think I want him back" and "you became a spider as I fed you the blood from my nose." All that "healing" can get to be a bit overbearing, especially when expressed in Arthur's tortured vocals. In his most restrained moments, his voice resembles David Rice or Jeffrey Gaines, but at his most extreme he's a dead ringer for Billy Corgan of the Smashing Pumpkins. The songwriting is at its best when Arthur uses his sharp ear for melody, as on "Mikel K," "Big City Secret," and the harmonica-driven "Mercedes," which features background vocals from Brian Eno and Gabriel himself. The album's weaker offerings ("Desert," "Porcupine") have a tendency to drone tunelessly. But even then the weakness of the melody is somewhat mitigated by the inventiveness of the arrangements, and it's easy to see what attracted Gabriel to this promising artist. ~ Evan Cater, All Music Guide

Tracks

Track Title iTunes Composers Performers Time
Big City Secrets
...
Joseph Arthur Joseph Arthur (4:37)
Mercedes
Joseph Arthur Joseph Arthur (6:18)
Mikel K
Joseph Arthur Joseph Arthur (3:54)
Good About Me
Joseph Arthur Joseph Arthur (4:58)
Daddy's on Prozac
Joseph Arthur Joseph Arthur (4:05)
Marina
Joseph Arthur Joseph Arthur (4:03)
Birthday Card
Joseph Arthur Joseph Arthur (5:36)
Crying Like a Man
Joseph Arthur Joseph Arthur (6:16)
Porcupine
Joseph Arthur Joseph Arthur (4:42)
Dessert
Joseph Arthur Joseph Arthur (1:05)
Haunted Eyes
Joseph Arthur Joseph Arthur (4:44)
Bottle of You
Joseph Arthur Joseph Arthur (5:29)

Credits

Peter Gabriel (Vocals (Background)), Ray Martin (Engineer), Ron Aslan (Drum Loop), Martyn Barker (Percussion), Martyn Barker (Drums), Martyn Barker (Gong), Martyn Barker (Berimbau), Martyn Barker (Caxixi), Martyn Barker (Drums (Snare)), Martyn Barker, Martyn Barker (Scaffolphoneum), Markus Dravs (Percussion), Markus Dravs (Accordion), Markus Dravs (Drums), Markus Dravs (Horn), Markus Dravs (Keyboards), Markus Dravs (Producer), Markus Dravs (Drum Programming), Markus Dravs (Mixing), Markus Dravs (Sheet Metal), Nigel Eaton (Hurdygurdy), Simon Edwards (Bass), Simon Edwards (Guitar), Simon Edwards (Harmonica), Simon Edwards (Piano), Simon Edwards (Arranger), Simon Edwards (Berimbau), Simon Edwards (Mellotron), Brian Eno (Vocals), Brian Eno (Vocals (Background)), Paul Morris (Editing), Nick Plytas (Mellotron), Ashley Slater (Trombone), Roger Beaujolais (Xylophone), Roger Beaujolais (Vibraphone), Goetz Botzenhardt (Engineer), Ben Findlay (Engineer), Ben Findlay, Ben Findlay (Digital Editing), Ben Findlay (Mixing), Joseph Arthur (Bass), Joseph Arthur (Guitar), Joseph Arthur (Harmonica), Joseph Arthur (Vocals), Joseph Arthur (Main Performer), Joseph Arthur (Illustrations), Joseph Arthur (Paintings), Joseph Arthur (Drawing), Lee Phillips (Assistant Engineer), Ruadhri Cushnan (Engineer), Crispin Murray (Editing), Nick Kirkland (Engineer), Nick Kirkland, Mark Aubury (Assistant Engineer), Ibi Tijani (Engineer), Jacquie Turner (Engineer), Michele Turriani (Photography), Tristan Manco (Graphic Design), Tristan Manco (Design), Justin Griffith (Assistant Engineer)
 
 
Wikipedia: Big City Secrets
Big City Secrets
Big City Secrets cover
Studio album by Joseph Arthur
Released March 11, 1997
Recorded Real World Studios, England
Genre Alternative Rock
Length 55:47
Label Real World Records
Producer Markus Dravs
Professional reviews
Joseph Arthur chronology
Cut and Blind
EP

(1996)
Big City Secrets
(1997)
Vacancy (EP)
(1999)

Big City Secrets is the first studio album by Joseph Arthur, released by Real World Records on March 11, 1997. Peter Gabriel and Brian Eno contribute backing vocals on the song "Mercedes."

Track listing

  1. "Big City Secret" - 4:37
  2. "Mercedes" - 6:18
  3. "Mikel K" - 3:54
  4. "Good About Me" - 4:58
  5. "Daddy's on Prozac" - 4:05
  6. "Marina" - 4:03
  7. "Birthday Card" - 5:36
  8. "Crying Like a Man" - 6:16
  9. "Porcupine" - 4:42
  10. "Dessert" - 1:05
  11. "Haunted Eyes" - 4:44
  12. "Bottle of You" - 5:29

Artists

  • Joseph Arthur: Guitars, Vocals - all tracks, Harmonica - track 2, Highly-Strung bass - track 5.
  • Ron Aslan: Drum loop - track 7.
  • Roger Beaujolais: Vibes - track 1.
  • Martyn Barker: Treated Tubular Kit - track 1, Drums - track 2, 3, 5, 6, 9, 10, 11, Caxixi - track 4, Military Snare - track 7, Bondage Snare - track 8, Scaffolphoneum - track 9, Birimbau - track 11, Cow Gong - track 11, Percussion - track 12.
  • Markus Dravs: Keyboard instruments - track 1, Desert Storm - track 1, Gravel Percussion - track 1, Corn Horn - track 2, Drum Programming - track 4, 7, 9, Lesley Accordion - track 7, Low Drum - track 8, Sheet Percussion - track 8.
  • Nigel Eaton: Hurdy gurdy - track 3.
  • Simon Edwards: bass - all tracks, Piano - track 4, Coal Bass - track 7, Additional Guitars - track 7, String Fossil Bass - track 8, Maze Bass - track 9, Sas - track 9, Birimbau - track 11, Mellotron - track 11, Persian Fretless - track 11, Filter Bass - track 12, Harmonic Missiles - track 12.
  • Brian Eno: Backing vocals - track 2.
  • Peter Gabriel: Backing vocals - track 2.
  • Nick Plytas: Mellotron - track 7.
  • Ashley Slater: Trombone - track 6, 8.

Credits

  • Produced by Markus Dravs (c/o Fundamental Music)
  • Engineered and digitally edited by Ben Findlay
  • Mixed by Markus Dravs with Ben Findlay
  • Additional engineers Justin Griffith, Lee Phillips, Lee Fitzgerald, Mark Aubury
  • Additional editors Crispin Murray, Paul Morris
  • Recorded and mixed at Real World Studios, England.
  • Additional venues Swanyard Studios, Eascote Studios, Berwick Street Studios in England; Shelter Island Studios in New York.
  • A Real World Design
  • Graphic Design by Tristan Manco
  • Photography by Michele Turriani (front and back of booklet)
  • Anna Gabriel (inlay & CD label).
  • Paintings & drawings by Joseph Arthur
  • all tracks published by Real World Music Ltd/EMI Virgin Music Ltd
  • Special thanks to Harvey Schwarts, Rob Bozas, and Peter Gabriel

Trivia

Background vocals on the second track, "Mercedes," were provided by Peter Gabriel (founder of Real World Records) and Brian Eno.

External links


 
 

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Album Review. Copyright © 2008 All Media Guide, LLC. Content provided by All Music Guide ® , a trademark of All Media Guide, LLC. All rights reserved.  Read more
Wikipedia. This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article "Big City Secrets" Read more

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