Far (album)

Last updated

Far
Reginaspektorfarcover.jpg
Studio album by
Regina Spektor
ReleasedJune 23, 2009
StudioPhantom Studios (Westlake Village, CA)
Bungalow Palace Studio (Los Angeles)
Clinton Studio (New York City)
SeeSquared Studios (New York City)
Gramercy Post (New York City)
State of the Arc (Richmond)
Genre
Length47:39
Label Sire
Producer Mike Elizondo, Jacknife Lee, Jeff Lynne, David Kahne, Regina Spektor
Regina Spektor chronology
Begin to Hope
(2006)		Far
(2009)		 Live in London
(2010)
Singles from Far
  1. "Laughing With"
    Released: May 18, 2009
  2. "Eet"
    Released: October 2009

Far is the fifth studio album by American alternative singer-songwriter Regina Spektor. It was released in Europe on June 22, 2009, and in North America on June 23, 2009, through Sire Records. [1]

Contents

Background

Spektor decided to work with multiple producers on the album. She has compared composing an album to taking a class, and said she wanted to have "multiple professors". [2] She also felt that having multiple producers would help each to not worry what the single or big hit would be. The tracks produced by David Kahne, who produced Spektor's previous studio album, Begin to Hope (2006), and by Mike Elizondo, who produced her next studio album, What We Saw from the Cheap Seats (2012), credit Spektor as "co-producer", whereas those produced by Jacknife Lee and Jeff Lynne do not.

Although Lynne, as founder of Electric Light Orchestra and co-founder of The Traveling Wilburys, has an expansive musical background, Spektor did not know of his work when she originally met him. [3] "Regina's songs are like literature," said Lynne, who doesn't usually work with new artists, but said that Spektor's demo tapes blew him away. "It hits you right in the face how brilliant it is," he said. [4]

Release

The album's first single, "Laughing With", was uploaded to Spektor's MySpace page on May 8, 2009, and was released as a digital download on May 18 in the United States and parts of Europe, along with the b-side "Blue Lips". Two viral videos for "Dance Anthem of the 80's" [ sic ] and "Eet" were also released on Spektor's MySpace account. [5] The official music video for "Laughing With" was released on iTunes on May 26, 2009.

A deluxe edition of the album was released with two bonus tracks and a DVD that included four music videos.

The track "Human of the Year" was included in a pivotal scene of the pilot episode of the HBO series Enlightened . [6]

Reception

Professional ratings
Aggregate scores
SourceRating
Metacritic 74/100 [7]
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar half.svgStar empty.svg [8]
The A.V. Club (B+) [9]
Entertainment Weekly (B+) [10]
The Guardian Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg [11]
NME (6/10) [12]
Paste (49/100) [13]
Pitchfork Media (4.8/10) [14]
Rolling Stone Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg [15]
Spin Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg [16]
Robert Christgau (A-) [17]

Far scored 74 on Metacritic, which signifies "generally favorable reviews". [18]

David Bevan of Spin said that, in "The Calculation", Spektor "purrs a scenario of love and hurt that plays out in the breakfast nook". [19]

Ann Powers of the LA Times said of "Eet": "It's not just cute." [20]

Melissa Maerz of Entertainment Weekly praised the album's quirkiness. She said that, in "Folding Chair", Spektor "literally sings like a dolphin", and that "Wallet" is the "best song ever inspired by a Blockbuster card". [21]

Jon Dolan of Rolling Stone said "Laughing With" is a song that "ends collapsing in an existential freakout over a soft beat and weeping cello". [22]

Emily MacKay of NME said "Human of the Year" has "a typically Spektorian conceit", and that Spektor's "remarkable, gutsy voice vaults to the rafters of heartbreak". [23]

James Skinner of Drowned in Sound called "Genius Next Door" a "spiralling Gothic narrative that comes on with all the otherworldly beauty of a Haruki Murakami story". He went on to say the album does not aim "at ideas above its station", nor does it "flounder in search of unity". [24]

Max Neibaur of Frequency said that, in "Man of a Thousand Faces", the "pathos of the lyrics is still strong enough to make the Incredible Hulk tear up a bit". [25] Of the whole album, he said that Far "pleases every auditory appetite". [25]

Jeremy Blacklow of Access Hollywood called the album a "wonderful soothing summer sound". [26]

Lewis of the Cord Weekly said: "Spektor delivers gloomy tales of turmoil, complemented by slow, haunting piano notes that could just as easily accompany a horror film." [27]

Snyder of the New Haven Advocate said that, overall, Spektor has "redirected some of that freaky stuff, tweaked and perfected it, to a new place where it fits better", and that the songs are "sometimes kind of serious". [28]

According to Neibaur, "The stark contradictions of critics relating to Spektor exemplify a larger problem in modern music criticism—very few writers truly analyze music from an artistic perspective any longer." [25] In a similar vein, during a June 24, 2009, interview, Spektor remarked that: "I mean, in this book, it's music criticism from the 19th century, and they're ripping Tchaikovsky a new asshole, but the thing that really gets me is that it's written so beautifully. It's nasty reviews in beautiful language, and that's what I want. My dad will forward me some of the stuff people write about me, and I think it's all bullshit. It's all, 'Oh, this sucks, that sucks, blah.' I don't want that. I want you to write poetically about how bad I suck." [29]

Music videos

Adria Petty, daughter of musician Tom Petty, directed four music videos for the album. The videos can be viewed on Spektor's MySpace page and are also available on the bonus DVD included with the deluxe edition of Far. The songs for which videos were made are:

Chart performance

Far entered the official UK Albums Chart at number 30. [34] It debuted at number 16 on the Canadian Albums Chart. In the US, the album sold 50,000 copies in its first week and entered the US Billboard 200 at number three; [35] it would go on to spend nineteen weeks on the chart. [36]

Track listing

All tracks are written by Regina Spektor

No.TitleProducer(s)Length
1."The Calculation" Mike Elizondo 3:11
2."Eet"Mike Elizondo3:52
3."Blue Lips" Jeff Lynne 3:34
4."Folding Chair"Jeff Lynne3:35
5."Machine"Mike Elizondo3:55
6."Laughing With" Jacknife Lee 3:17
7."Human of the Year" David Kahne 4:07
8."Two Birds"Jacknife Lee3:18
9."Dance Anthem of the 80's"Jacknife Lee3:43
10."Genius Next Door"Jeff Lynne5:06
11."Wallet"Jeff Lynne2:28
12."One More Time with Feeling"David Kahne3:59
13."Man of a Thousand Faces"Mike Elizondo3:11
Deluxe edition
No.TitleProducer(s)Length
14."Time Is All Around"Mike Elizondo3:06
15."The Sword & the Pen"Jeff Lynne3:48
iTunes bonus track version
No.TitleProducer(s)Length
16."Riot Gear"David Kahne2:06
17."The Flowers (Live, Begin to Hope Tour)" (Pre-order only) 4:04

Personnel

Charts

Certifications

RegionCertification Certified units/sales
Australia (ARIA) [53] Gold35,000^

^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.

Related Research Articles

<i>The Eminem Show</i> 2002 studio album by Eminem

The Eminem Show is the fourth studio album by American rapper Eminem, released on May 26, 2002, through Aftermath Entertainment, Shady Records, and Interscope Records. The album saw Eminem take a predominant production role, including the album's three hit singles: "Without Me", "Cleanin' Out My Closet", and "Sing for the Moment". Guest appearances include Obie Trice, D12, Dr. Dre, Nate Dogg, Dina Rae, and Eminem's daughter, Hailie Jade.

<i>Crush</i> (Bon Jovi album) 2000 studio album by Bon Jovi

Crush is the seventh studio album by American rock band Bon Jovi. It was released on May 29, 2000, by Mercury Records in the UK and on June 13, 2000, by Island Records in the US. It was produced by Jon Bon Jovi, Richie Sambora, and Luke Ebbin. The album marks the longest timespan between studio albums for the band, with five years between the release of These Days (1995) and this album. After the initial plan to team up with producer Bruce Fairbairn fell through because of his death a year earlier, Bon Jovi and Sambora hired Luke Ebbin to update their sound.

<i>All the Way... A Decade of Song</i> 1999 greatest hits album by Celine Dion

All the Way... A Decade of Song is the first English-language greatest hits album by Canadian singer Celine Dion. Released by Sony Music on 12 November 1999, it features nine previously released songs on most editions and seven new recordings on all editions. Dion worked on new tracks mainly with David Foster. Other producers include Max Martin, Kristian Lundin, Robert John "Mutt" Lange, James Horner, and Matt Serletic. It is the best-selling greatest hits album in the US during the Nielsen SoundScan era. All the Way... A Decade of Song has sold over 22 million copies worldwide, including over nine million in the United States, five million in Europe, two million in Japan and one million units in Canada.

<i>The Cookbook</i> 2005 studio album by Missy Elliott

The Cookbook is the sixth studio album by American rapper Missy Elliott, released on July 4, 2005, by The Goldmind Inc. and Atlantic Records in Germany and the United Kingdom, and on July 5 in the United States and Japan. To date, it is her final long play studio effort.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Regina Spektor</span> American musician (born 1980)

Regina Ilyinichna Spektor is a Russian-born American singer, songwriter, and pianist.

<i>Idlewild</i> (Outkast album) 2006 studio album / soundtrack album by Outkast

Idlewild is the sixth and final studio album by the American hip hop duo Outkast. It was released on August 22, 2006, by LaFace Records and served as the soundtrack album to the duo's musical film of the same name, which was released that same month. Containing themes relating to the music industry, the album also featured songs not included in the film while incorporating jazz, blues, swing, and soul styles in its music.

<i>Unplugged</i> (Alicia Keys album) 2005 live album by Alicia Keys

Unplugged is the first live album by American singer Alicia Keys. It was released on October 7, 2005 by J Records. Recorded as part of the television program MTV Unplugged on July 4, 2005 at the Brooklyn Academy of Music, the album includes songs from her first two studio albums Songs in A Minor (2001) and The Diary of Alicia Keys (2003).

<i>Begin to Hope</i> 2006 studio album by Regina Spektor

Begin to Hope is the fourth album by Soviet-born American singer-songwriter Regina Spektor. It was released June 13, 2006. The album debuted at number 70 on the Billboard 200, but due to the popularity of the single "Fidelity", it peaked at number 20 and was labeled a "pace setter" by Billboard. Rolling Stone named it the 21st-best album of 2006. The album was certified Gold by the RIAA for shipments to U.S. retailers of 500,000 units.

<i>Brave</i> (Jennifer Lopez album) 2007 studio album by Jennifer Lopez

Brave is the sixth studio album by American singer and actress Jennifer Lopez. It was released on October 4, 2007, by Epic Records. Inspired by her marriage with Marc Anthony and taking influences by Jamiroquai and Sade, Brave features prominently samples from 1970s songs, and R&B music. Brave sees Lopez working with new collaborators, such as Ryan Tedder, Midi Mafia, J.R. Rotem, Bloodshy, Lynn & Wade LLP, The Clutch and others, while also working with long-time collaborator Cory Rooney throughout the album.

<i>Paper Trail</i> 2008 studio album by T.I.

Paper Trail is the sixth studio album by American rapper T.I., released September 30, 2008, on Grand Hustle Records and Atlantic Records. He began to write songs for the album as he awaited trial for federal weapons and possession charges. Unlike his past albums, he wrote his lyrics down on paper, which he had not done since his debut album, I'm Serious (2001).

<i>19</i> (Adele album) 2008 studio album by Adele Adkins

19 is the debut studio album by the English singer-songwriter Adele Adkins, released on 28 January 2008 by XL Recordings. Following Adele's graduation from the BRIT School in April 2006, she began publishing songs and recorded a three-song demo for a class project and gave it to a friend. They posted the demo on MySpace, where it became very successful and led to interest from the record label. This led to Adele signing a recording contract at age 18 with the label and providing vocals for Jack Peñate. During this session for Peñate's song she met producer Jim Abbiss, who would go on to produce the majority of her debut album.

<i>Year of the Gentleman</i> 2008 studio album by Ne-Yo

Year of the Gentleman is the third studio album by American singer and songwriter Ne-Yo. It was released by Compound Entertainment and Def Jam Recordings on September 16, 2008 in the United States. As with his previous albums In My Own Words (2006) and Because of You (2007), Ne-Yo worked with Stargate, Reggie "Syience" Perry, and Shea Taylor on much of the album, but also consulted new collaborators, including Chuck Harmony, Polow da Don, The Stereotypes, Butter Beats, and Shomari "Sho" Wilson.

<i>My Love: Essential Collection</i> 2008 greatest hits album by Celine Dion

My Love: Essential Collection is the third English-language greatest hits album by Canadian recording artist Celine Dion. It was released by Columbia Records on 24 October 2008 as the follow-up to her previous English-language compilation, All the Way... A Decade of Song (1999). In the album's liner notes, she dedicated this collection of songs, recorded between 1990 and 2008, to her fans who supported her throughout the years. My Love: Essential Collection was released as a single disc, consisting of Dion's most successful singles, including: "My Heart Will Go On", "Because You Loved Me", "The Power of Love" and "It's All Coming Back to Me Now". The two-disc edition, entitled My Love: Ultimate Essential Collection, has been further expanded to include more hits and rare songs that have not previously appeared on her albums. Both editions include one new track, "There Comes a Time". The album was not released in Japan, where Sony Music Entertainment instead released Complete Best.

<i>The Resistance</i> (album) 2009 studio album by Muse

The Resistance is the fifth studio album by the English rock band Muse, released on 11 September 2009 through Warner Bros. Records and Muse's Helium-3 imprint. It was self-produced and recorded from September 2008 to May 2009 at Studio Bellini in Lake Como, Italy. It mixes rock with orchestral and electronic music, with lyrics influenced by politics and more oppressive subjects. It includes a three-part, 13-minute long symphony piece, "Exogenesis".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Regina Spektor discography</span>

The discography of Regina Spektor, a Russian-American anti-folk musician, consists of eight studio albums, four extended plays, two live albums, and twenty-six singles.

"Eet" is a song from Regina Spektor's fifth studio album, Far. It was released as the album's second official single in October 2009. In Europe it was released as a digital download on November 27, 2009.

<i>And Ill Scratch Yours</i> 2013 studio album by various artists

And I'll Scratch Yours is a compilation album developed by the English rock musician Peter Gabriel. Initially slated for release in 2010, the album was released on 24 September 2013. The original concept was that And I'll Scratch Yours would serve as a companion piece to Gabriel's 2010 covers album Scratch My Back. The idea was to give the artists whose songs Gabriel covered on Scratch My Back a medium to reciprocate – And I'll Scratch Yours would feature those artists covering Gabriel's songs. Three artists, David Bowie, Neil Young and Radiohead, declined to record covers of Gabriel's material, so Brian Eno, Joseph Arthur and Feist contributed covers to the album instead.

<i>What We Saw from the Cheap Seats</i> 2012 studio album by Regina Spektor

What We Saw from the Cheap Seats is the sixth studio album by American alternative singer-songwriter Regina Spektor. On November 21, 2011, Spektor posted on her Facebook page that the album had been recorded with Mike Elizondo in Los Angeles during the summer of 2011. It was released on May 29, 2012. The album is a collection of new material alongside the first studio recordings of several songs Spektor had previously only performed live.

<i>Beauty Behind the Madness</i> 2015 studio album by the Weeknd

Beauty Behind the Madness is the second studio album by Canadian singer-songwriter the Weeknd. It was released on August 28, 2015, through XO and Republic Records. It features guest appearances from Labrinth, Ed Sheeran and Lana Del Rey. The album was executive produced by the Weeknd, DaHeala and Illangelo, and includes production from Kanye West, Stephan Moccio, Ben Billions, DannyBoyStyles, Max Martin, and Ali Payami, among others.

<i>Remember Us to Life</i> 2016 studio album by Regina Spektor

Remember Us to Life is the seventh studio album by singer-songwriter Regina Spektor. Spektor announced that it would be released on September 30, 2016, on July 22, 2016. The lead single of the album is "Bleeding Heart", which is available to listen in full via SoundCloud via Spektor herself.

References

  1. ↑ "Regina Spektor Announces New Album, Far". April 13, 2009.
  2. ↑ "Performance Wrap-Up: Regina Spektor Live At WERS". September 24, 2009. Archived from the original on September 28, 2009.
  3. ↑ "Pitchfork: Regina Spektor Spills About New Album". March 16, 2009. Archived from the original on September 1, 2011. Retrieved April 16, 2020.
  4. ↑ Rolling Stone magazine issue 1082/1083, July 9–23, 2009. "New York's Screwball Pop Queen" by Jenny Eliscu.
  5. ↑ "Dance Anthem of the 80s Video on MySpace". May 8, 2009. Archived from the original on October 4, 2009.
  6. ↑ Brennan, Matt (January 7, 2013). "Now and Then: 'Enlightened,' HBO's Masterpiece of Heartbreak". IndieWire. Retrieved June 6, 2021.
  7. ↑ "Far". Metacritic. Archived from the original on September 5, 2012. Retrieved March 14, 2010.
  8. ↑ Phares, Heather (June 23, 2009). "( Far > Overview )". allmusic. Retrieved March 3, 2010.
  9. ↑ Phipps, Keith (June 30, 2009). "Regina Spektor: Far | Music | Review". The A.V. Club. Retrieved March 3, 2010.
  10. ↑ Melissa Maerz (June 17, 2009). "Far". EW.com. Archived from the original on August 23, 2009. Retrieved March 3, 2010.
  11. ↑ Caroline Sullivan (June 19, 2009). "Review: Regina Spektor, Far | Music". The Guardian. London. Retrieved March 3, 2010.
  12. ↑ "Regina Spektor - Album review: Regina Spektor - 'Far' - Album Reviews". Nme.Com. June 23, 2009. Retrieved March 3, 2010.
  13. ↑ "Regina Spektor: Far :: Music :: Reviews :: Paste". Pastemagazine.com. June 19, 2009. Retrieved March 3, 2010.
  14. ↑ "Album Reviews: Regina Spektor: Far". Pitchfork. June 23, 2009. Retrieved March 3, 2010.
  15. ↑ "Far : Regina Spektor : Review". Rolling Stone. June 22, 2009. Archived from the original on June 24, 2009. Retrieved March 3, 2010.
  16. ↑ "Regina Spektor, 'Far' (Sire) | Spin Magazine Online". Spin.com. July 2009. Retrieved March 3, 2010.
  17. ↑ Christgau, Robert (August 2009). "Reviews: Regina Spektor". Robert Chrisgau. Retrieved February 21, 2011.
  18. ↑ "Retrieved 18-07-2009". Metacritic.com. June 23, 2009. Archived from the original on June 26, 2009. Retrieved October 10, 2009.
  19. ↑ "Retrieved 18-07-2009". Spin.com. July 2009. Retrieved October 10, 2009.
  20. ↑ "Retrieved 18-11-2009". Latimesblogs.latimes.com. June 22, 2009. Retrieved October 10, 2009.
  21. ↑ Maerz, Melissa (June 17, 2009). "Retrieved 18-11-2009". Ew.com. Archived from the original on August 23, 2009. Retrieved October 10, 2009.
  22. ↑ "Retrieved 18-11-2009". Rollingstone.com. June 22, 2009. Archived from the original on June 24, 2009. Retrieved October 10, 2009.
  23. ↑ "Retrieved 18-07-2009". Nme.com. June 23, 2009. Retrieved October 10, 2009.
  24. ↑ Skinner, James (June 23, 2009). "Retrieved 18-11-2009". Drownedinsound.com. Archived from the original on July 15, 2009. Retrieved October 10, 2009.
  25. 1 2 3 "Retrieved 01-08-2009". Frequencymagazine.net. August 25, 2008. Archived from the original on September 2, 2009. Retrieved October 10, 2009.
  26. ↑ Blacklow, Jeremy (June 28, 2009). "Retrieved 18-11-2009". Accesshollywood.com. Retrieved October 10, 2009.
  27. ↑ Retrieved 18-07-2009 Archived July 18, 2009, at the Wayback Machine
  28. ↑ Dan Barry (June 23, 2009). "Retrieved 18-07-2009". Newhavenadvocate.com. Retrieved October 10, 2009.[ dead link ]
  29. ↑ Montgomery, James (June 24, 2009). "Retrieved 18-11-2009". Mtv.com. Archived from the original on October 23, 2009. Retrieved October 10, 2009.
  30. ↑ "Video Laughing With van regina spektor - MySpace Video". Vids.myspace.com. Archived from the original on October 4, 2009. Retrieved October 10, 2009.
  31. ↑ "Video Eet van regina spektor - MySpace Video". Vids.myspace.com. Archived from the original on June 11, 2009. Retrieved October 10, 2009.
  32. ↑ "Video Dance Anthem of the 80s van regina spektor - MySpace Video". Vids.myspace.com. Archived from the original on October 4, 2009. Retrieved October 10, 2009.
  33. ↑ "Video Man of a Thousand Faces van regina spektor - MySpace Video". Vids.myspace.com. Archived from the original on October 4, 2009. Retrieved October 10, 2009.
  34. ↑ . June 29, 2009 UK Album Chart http://uk.launch.yahoo.com/c/uk/album_charts.html, UK Album Chart.{{cite news}}: Check |url= value (help); Missing or empty |title= (help)
  35. ↑ Caulfield, Keith (June 2, 2012). "Regina Spektor & Edward Sharpe Are Top 10 Bound on Billboard 200". Billboard. Retrieved December 1, 2018.
  36. ↑
  37. ↑ "Australiancharts.com – Regina Spektor – Far". Hung Medien. Retrieved May 22, 2021.
  38. ↑ "Austriancharts.at – Regina Spektor – Far" (in German). Hung Medien. Retrieved May 22, 2021.
  39. ↑ "Ultratop.be – Regina Spektor – Far" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved May 22, 2021.
  40. ↑ "Regina Spektor Chart History (Canadian Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved May 22, 2021.
  41. ↑ "Lescharts.com – Regina Spektor – Far". Hung Medien. Retrieved May 22, 2021.
  42. ↑ "Offiziellecharts.de – Regina Spektor – Far" (in German). GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved May 22, 2021.
  43. ↑ "Irish-charts.com – Discography Regina Spektor". Hung Medien. Retrieved May 22, 2021.
  44. ↑ "Charts.nz – Regina Spektor – Far". Hung Medien. Retrieved May 22, 2021.
  45. ↑ "Official Scottish Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved May 22, 2021.
  46. ↑ "Swedishcharts.com – Regina Spektor – Far". Hung Medien. Retrieved May 22, 2021.
  47. ↑ "Swisscharts.com – Regina Spektor – Far". Hung Medien. Retrieved May 22, 2021.
  48. ↑ "Official Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved May 22, 2021.
  49. ↑ "Regina Spektor Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved May 22, 2021.
  50. ↑ "Regina Spektor Chart History (Top Alternative Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved May 22, 2021.
  51. ↑ "Regina Spektor Chart History (Top Rock Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved May 22, 2021.
  52. ↑ "Top Billboard 200 Albums – Year-End 2009". Billboard. Retrieved May 22, 2021.
  53. ↑ "ARIA Charts – Accreditations – 2010 Albums" (PDF). Australian Recording Industry Association . Retrieved August 25, 2012.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.