Blackbird | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
Studio album by | ||||
Released | 4 April 2014 | |||
Recorded | Nashville | |||
Length | 48:00 | |||
Label | Liberation Records | |||
Producer | ||||
Dan Sultan chronology | ||||
| ||||
Singles from Blackbird | ||||
Blackbird is the third studio album by Australian musician Dan Sultan, released in April 2014. The album was his first in five years and was the culmination of many months of writing and recording. Blackbird peaked at number 4 on the ARIA Charts and was certified gold.
Prior to recording the album, Sultan said he hadn't been motivated or inspired to write. He told the ABC "I had to make a few changes and change a few things up to get motivated and get inspired again, and I was in a bit of a rut for a while, so once I did that I found that everything flowed on from there." [4] "You go through what you're going through and that can be pretty heavy. And then you write about what you've been through, which can be therapeutic." [5]
Dan attributes much of his satisfaction with his album to producer Jacquire King, "We had a phone conversation before we even agreed to make the record together, just to see if we would get along. We spoke on the phone for about 40 minutes. I think the first five minutes was about the record and the rest was just talkin' shit, just hanging out. We became friends there and then and we were good friends by the time I left." [6]
At the ARIA Music Awards of 2014, Blackbird was nominated for four awards; winning one, the ARIA Award for Best Rock Album. At the Australian Independent Record (AIR) Awards of 2014, Sultan won the Best Independent Blues and Roots Album for Blackbird. [7] At the National Indigenous Music Awards of 2014, Sultan won National Cover Art of the Year for Blackbird. [8]
Review scores | |
---|---|
Source | Rating |
Rolling Stone Australia | [9] |
TheMusic | [9] |
ToneDeaf | [9] |
The Australian | [10] |
The Music said "This is a big step forward for Dan Sultan." [9] Tonedeaf said "Blackbird epitomises everything a good Australian rock album should be. A perfectly balanced blend of big band rock n' roll matched with soft, soulful ballads." [9] Iain Shedden from The Australian praised the production work by Jacquire King and said Blackbird plays to Sultan's strengths as a performer and there is much to like in the old-school styles he embraces. Shedden said "It's the strikingly beautiful ballads 'Nobody Knows' and 'Gullible Few' that highlight best Sultan's emotional depth." [10]
Ali Birnie from BeatMagazine said "Named after the famous Nashville studio in which it was recorded, Blackbird showcases Sultan's soulful and charismatic vocals, delivering an impressive array of Aussie rock tunes and heartfelt ballads." adding "This album has delivered that classic rock and soul sound of his that we have come to know so well." [11] Emily Hoskin from Blank GC said "From the opening song, Sultan barely comes up for a breath. Each track is distinct from the last, and as the album progresses, it gets better and better. From country to soul to blues, to Aussie rock and even the appearance of a didgeridoo, Blackbird takes you on a tour through everything Australian music has to be proud of." adding "Blackbird is the album he was born to release. If you have felt slightly underwhelmed with his previous releases, please, give this one a chance. It's good. Really, really good." [12] Patrick Emery from Sydney Morning Heard said "the songwriting is sharp; the production slick." [13]
No. | Title | Length |
---|---|---|
1. | "Make Me Slip" | 3:11 |
2. | "Can't Blame Me" | 3:22 |
3. | "Under Your Skin" | 2:24 |
4. | "High Street Riot" | 4:38 |
5. | "Ain't Thinking About You" | 3:12 |
6. | "Kimberley Calling" | 4:13 |
7. | "The Same Man" | 4:11 |
8. | "Nobody Knows" | 4:32 |
9. | "Waiting On the End of the Phone" | 3:02 |
10. | "It Belongs to Us" | 4:05 |
11. | "No More Expectations" | 3:00 |
12. | "Loving's Just for Fools" | 4:15 |
13. | "Gullible Few" | 3:55 |
Chart (2014) | Peak position |
---|---|
Australian Albums (ARIA) [14] | 4 |
Chart (2014) | Rank |
---|---|
Australian Albums Chart [15] | 59 |
Australian Artist Albums Chart [16] | 28 |
Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
---|---|---|
Australia (ARIA) [17] | Gold | 35,000^ |
^ Shipments figures based on certification alone. |
Country | Date | Format | Label | Catalogue |
---|---|---|---|---|
Australia | 4 April 2014 | Digital download, [18] CD, [19] | Dan Sultan | LMCD0238 |
Baby Animals is an Australian hard rock band active from October 1989 to 1996 and reformed in 2007. The original line-up was Frank Celenza on drums; Suze DeMarchi on lead vocals and guitar; Dave Leslie on guitar and backing vocals; and Eddie Parise on bass guitar and backing vocals. They recorded two studio albums, Baby Animals – which peaked at No. 1 on the ARIA Albums Chart, and Shaved and Dangerous – which reached No. 2. At the ARIA Music Awards of 1992 the group won three trophies: Album of the Year and Breakthrough Artist – Album for Baby Animals and Breakthrough - Single for "Early Warning". Baby Animals was listed in 100 Best Australian Albums. The reunited line-up are DeMarchi, Leslie, Dario Bortolin on bass guitar and Mick Skelton on drums and percussion. Their fourth studio album, This Is Not the End, was issued in May 2013, which reached the top 20.
Katie Anne Noonan is an Australian singer and songwriter. In addition to a successful solo career encompassing opera, jazz, pop, rock and dance, she was the singer in the band George and remains the singer in the band Elixir; performs with her mother Maggie Noonan; and plays with her band The Captains. Noonan was the musical director of and performed at the 2018 Commonwealth Games' opening and closing ceremonies.
"Under the Milky Way" is a single by Australian alternative rock band the Church, released on 15 February 1988, and appears on their fifth studio album Starfish. The song was written by bass guitarist and lead vocalist Steve Kilbey and his then-girlfriend Karin Jansson of Curious (Yellow). It peaked at No. 22 on the Australian Kent Music Report Singles Chart, No. 24 on the United States Billboard Hot 100, No. 25 on the New Zealand Singles Chart and appeared in the Dutch Single Top 100. At the ARIA Music Awards of 1989, the song won 'Single of the Year'. It was issued simultaneously in both 7" vinyl and 12" vinyl formats by Arista Records (internationally) and Mushroom Records.
The discography of American group Jonas Brothers consists of six studio albums, three live albums, three soundtrack albums, one compilation album, one video album, three extended plays, and 30 singles.
Only by the Night is the fourth studio album by American rock band Kings of Leon, released in September 2008 through RCA Records. Writing for the band's fourth album commenced just days after the release of their third, Because of the Times. The album was recorded by producers Jacquire King and Angelo Petraglia in April 2008 at Nashville's Blackbird Studio.
Jacquire King is an American record producer, recording engineer and mixer. King has worked with such notable artists as Kings of Leon, Tom Waits, James Bay, Kaleo, Modest Mouse, Shania Twain, Buddy Guy, Norah Jones, Of Monsters and Men, Cold War Kids, Punch Brothers, City and Colour, Robert Ellis, Dawes and others. His work has received more than 35 Grammy Award nominations to date.
Been Waiting is the debut studio album by Australian recording artist Jessica Mauboy, released on 22 November 2008 by Sony Music Australia. While Mauboy was still a member of the girl group Young Divas, she began to work on what became Been Waiting. She co-wrote several of the album's songs and worked with many songwriters and producers, including Israel Cruz, Cutfather, Audius Mtawarira, Michael "Fingaz" Mugisha, Kwame Holland, Jonas Jeberg and Adam Reily, among others.
Daniel Leo Sultan is an Australian alternative rock singer-songwriter and guitarist, actor and author. At the ARIA Music Awards of 2010 he won Best Male Artist and Best Blues & Roots Album for his second album, Get Out While You Can. At the 2014 ceremony he won Best Rock Album for Blackbird, which had reached number four on the ARIA Albums Chart. In 2017, Sultan's record Killer was nominated for three ARIA awards: Best Male Artist, Best Rock Album, and Best Independent Release. Sultan's debut children's music album Nali & Friends was named Best Children's Album at the ARIA Music Awards of 2019.
Jan Skubiszewski is an Australian composer, record producer, songwriter and sound engineer from Melbourne, Australia. He is also a professional multi-instrumentalist. His work as a record producer and composer for film and television has resulted in numerous gold and number one records, won critical acclaim and numerous awards and nominations at ARIA, APRA, AIR, Film Critics Circle of Australia, Logie Awards, Screen Music Awards, National Indigenous Music Awards.
"Lanterns" is the second single from Australian alternative rock band Birds of Tokyo's fourth album, March Fires. Band member Ian Berney said "It was always about our own sense of community and reaching far and wide in the most positive way we could, with the most positive message we had at the time, and it really connected with people."
Rüfüs Du Sol, stylised as RÜFÜS DU SOL and formerly known as simply Rüfüs from 2010 to 2018, are an Australian alternative dance group from Sydney, that consists of Tyrone Lindqvist, Jon George and James Hunt. Their debut album Atlas peaked at number one in Australia, while their second album Bloom debuted atop the Australian albums chart in early 2016. Their single "You Were Right" won the ARIA Award for Best Dance Release in 2015. While still known as Rüfüs elsewhere, they performed as Rüfüs Du Sol in the United States because Rufus was already taken. In 2018 they changed their name to Rüfüs Du Sol internationally.
30:30 Hindsight is the fifteenth studio album by Jimmy Barnes. The album celebrates 30 years since his chart-topping debut solo album, Bodyswerve in September 1984. It was released in August 2014 and debuted at number 1 in Australia, giving Barnes his tenth solo number 1 album.
Kingswood is an Australian alternative rock group, formed in 2007 in Melbourne, Australia by Fergus Linacre, Alex Laska, Jeremy "Mango" Hunter and Justin Debrincat. The group has released five studio albums to date.
Conrad Ignatius Mario Maximilian Sewell is an Australian singer and songwriter. Sewell is best known for his vocals on Kygo's single "Firestone" and his number-one single "Start Again".
Killer is the fourth studio album by Australian musician Dan Sultan, released in July 2017.
"The Deepest Sighs, the Frankest Shadows" is a song by Australian alternative rock band Gang of Youths, released in August 2017 as the fourth single from their second studio album Go Farther in Lightness (2017). The song peaked at number 93 on the ARIA Singles Chart, becoming the band's second top 100 single.
Dirty Ground is the first extended play by Australian musician Dan Sultan, released in November 2014. The EP was recorded in one day and features new songs, quieter moments and B-sides from Sultan's latest studio album, Blackbird.
Aviary Takes is the fifth studio album by Australian musician Dan Sultan, released on 15 March 2019. The album sees Sultan recording acoustic and piano versions of his most celebrated tracks from his four studio albums to date, as well as three cover-versions.
Open Live is the first live album by Australian musician Dan Sultan. The album was recorded at the National Theatre, Melbourne on 21 March 2015 during Sultan's Blackbird tour and released in November 2015. Upon announcement Sultan said "In case you missed my Open Live shows recently, we recorded a live album of these intimate and unique shows, where I even road-tested some new songs".
Nali & Friends is the sixth studio album and first children's music album by Australian musician Dan Sultan, released on 12 April 2019. While this is Sultan's first children's album, he has previously collaborated with children's music icons The Wiggles and Play School.