Grace/Wastelands

Last updated

Grace/Wastelands
Gracewastelands.png
Studio album by
Peter Doherty
Released13 March 2009 (2009-03-13)
Recorded2008
Studio Olympic Studios (London)
Genre
Length41:40
Label EMI (UK/Australia)
Astralwerks (US)
Producer Stephen Street
Peter Doherty chronology
Oh! What a Lovely Tour
(2008)		Grace/Wastelands
(2009)		Hamburg Demonstrations
(2016)
Singles from Grace/Wastelands
  1. "Last of the English Roses"
    Released: 9 March 2009
  2. "Broken Love Song"
    Released: 3 August 2009

Grace/Wastelands is the debut solo studio album from the Babyshambles frontman and the Libertines co-frontman Peter Doherty. It was released in Australia on 13 March 2009, in the UK on 16 March, and in the US on 24 March, with the single "Last of the English Roses" preceding it by one week. The album features contributions from Blur guitarist Graham Coxon (who plays guitar on all the songs on the album apart from "Broken Love Song") [1] Dot Allison, Peter Wolfe (aka Wolfman), and members of Babyshambles. Most of the songs have been played live or feature in demo form on leaked sessions.

Contents

History

Following famous stints in Babyshambles and the Libertines, Doherty began to play various solo shows throughout the UK. His biggest came on 12 July 2008, where Doherty played a solo gig at the Royal Albert Hall in London. It was his biggest solo show ever but the solo show wasn't received well. According to the critics "whole chunks of the set passed by as listless noodling, with neither Doherty nor the audience appearing to know quite how to behave". The consensus was that – without a full band – Doherty seemed out of place at such a big venue.

However, on 13 January 2009, NME.com announced that Doherty's solo studio album, entitled Grace/Wastelands would be released on 16 March, preceded by a single, "Last of the English Roses", on 9 March. The website also revealed the track listing of the album and credits.

Recording and release

The original track listing included "Through the Looking Glass" but it was replaced by "I Am the Rain" due to it fitting the vibe of the album more.[ citation needed ] "Through the Looking Glass" ended up as a B-side to "Last of the English Roses." A preliminary track list for the album also included "Darksome Sea", a song co-written and recorded with Peter Wolfe in Summer 2008, however the song did not end up on the album. Also, the song "1939 Returning" was originally planned to be a duet with Amy Winehouse. [2]

The album was released to positive reviews, despite only reaching #17 on the UK Albums Chart.

Critical reception

Professional ratings
Aggregate scores
SourceRating
AnyDecentMusic? 6.5/10 [3]
Metacritic 74/100 [4]
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg [5]
The A.V. Club B+ [6]
Entertainment Weekly B+ [7]
The Guardian Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg [8]
The Independent Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg [9]
NME 7/10 [10]
Pitchfork 5.7/10 [11]
Q Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg [12]
Rolling Stone Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg [13]
Spin 8/10 [14]

Initial critical response to Grace/Wastelands was positive. At Metacritic, which assigns a normalized rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream critics, the album has received an average score of 74, based on 22 reviews. [4] Q wrote that the album, while not Doherty's "defining statement", nonetheless "demolishes the charge that his talent has been fatally squandered". [12] Similarly, Garry Mulholland of The Observer wrote that the album showcases Doherty as an "outstanding singer-songwriter and charismatic poet-vagabond". [15]

Though critics were a lot more fond of the record than Doherty's last two efforts, the album did not sell as well as was expected, particularly in the UK – peaking only at 17 in the UK Top 40.

Track listing

All tracks are written by Peter Doherty, except where noted.

  1. "Arcady" – 2:53
  2. "Last of the English Roses" – 4:59
  3. "1939 Returning" – 3:10
  4. "A Little Death Around the Eyes" – 3:32 (Doherty, Carl Barât)
  5. "Salomè" – 3:14
  6. "I Am the Rain" – 3:14 (Doherty, John Robinson)
  7. "Sweet By and By" – 3:05 (Doherty, Alan Wass)
  8. "Palace of Bone" – 4:24
  9. "Sheepskin Tearaway" – 2:43 (Doherty, Dot Allison)
  10. "Broken Love Song" – 3:44 (Doherty, Peter Wolfe)
  11. "New Love Grows on Trees" – 3:38
  12. "Lady Don't Fall Backwards" – 2:17

Personnel

Charts

Chart (2009)Peak
position
Austrian Albums Chart [16] 11
Belgian Albums Charts (Flanders) [17] 7
Dutch Albums Chart [18] 83
French Albums Chart [19] 7
German Albums Chart [20] 20
Swedish Albums Chart [21] 13
Swiss Albums Chart [22] 10
UK Albums Chart [23] 17
US Billboard Heatseekers [24] 35

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Graham Coxon</span> English musician and singer

Graham Leslie Coxon is an English musician, singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist and painter who came to prominence as a founding member of the rock band Blur. As the group's lead guitarist and secondary vocalist, Coxon is featured on all of Blur's studio discography. He has also led a solo career since 1998, producing and playing all instrumentation on his solo albums. As well as being a musician, Coxon is a visual artist: he designed the cover art for all his solo albums as well as Blur's 13 (1999).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Libertines</span> English rock band

The Libertines are an English rock band, formed in London in 1997 by frontmen Carl Barât (vocals/guitar) and Pete Doherty (vocals/guitar). The band, centred on the songwriting partnership of Barât and Doherty, has also included John Hassall (bass), and Gary Powell (drums) for most of its recording career. The band was part of the garage rock revival and spearheaded the movement in the UK.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pete Doherty</span> English musician, actor and poet (born 1979)

Peter Doherty is an English musician, songwriter, actor, poet, writer and artist. He is best known for being co-frontman of The Libertines, which he formed with Carl Barât in 1997. His other musical projects are indie band Babyshambles and Peter Doherty and the Puta Madres.

<i>Think Tank</i> (Blur album) 2003 studio album by Blur

Think Tank is the seventh studio album by the English rock band Blur, released on 5 May 2003. Continuing the jam-based studio constructions of the group's previous album, 13 (1999), the album expanded on the use of sampled rhythm loops and brooding, heavy electronic sounds. There are also heavy influences from dance music, hip hop, dub, jazz, and African music, an indication of songwriter Damon Albarn's expanding musical interests.

Stephen Brian Street is an English music producer best known for his work with the Smiths, the Cranberries and Blur. Street collaborated with Morrissey on his debut album Viva Hate following the split of the Smiths.

<i>Blur</i> (Blur album) 1997 studio album by Blur

Blur is the fifth studio album by the English rock band Blur, released on 10 February 1997 by Food Records. Blur had previously been broadly critical of American popular culture and their previous albums had become associated with the Britpop movement, particularly Parklife, which had helped them become one of Britain's leading pop acts. After their previous album, The Great Escape, the band faced media backlash and relationships between the members became strained.

<i>13</i> (Blur album) 1999 studio album by Blur

13 is the sixth studio album by English alternative rock band Blur, released on 15 March 1999. Continuing the stylistic shift away from the Britpop sound of the band's early career, 13 explores experimental, psychedelic and electronic music.

<i>Is There Anybody Out There? The Wall Live 1980–81</i> 2000 live album by Pink Floyd

Is There Anybody Out There? The Wall Live 1980–81 is a live album released by Pink Floyd in 2000. It is a live rendition of The Wall, produced and engineered by James Guthrie, with tracks selected from the August 1980 and June 1981 performances at Earls Court in London. The album was first released in the United Kingdom on 27 March 2000, and a US/Canadian release by Columbia Records on 18 April.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Babyshambles</span> English rock band

Babyshambles were an English rock band established in London. The band was formed by Pete Doherty during a hiatus from the Libertines. As of 2013 the band included Mick Whitnall, Drew McConnell and Adam Ficek. Babyshambles have released three albums—Down in Albion (2005), Shotter's Nation (2007) and Sequel to the Prequel (2013)—three EPs and a number of singles.

<i>Down in Albion</i> 2005 studio album by Babyshambles

Down in Albion is the debut album by Babyshambles, Pete Doherty's post-Libertines band.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Peter Wolfe (musician)</span> English singer-songwriter

Peter Wolfe also known as Wolfman, is an English musician, and songwriter, best known for his collaborations with Libertines and Babyshambles singer Pete Doherty.

Adam Steven Ficek is an English musician and psychotherapist who performs under the Roses Kings Castles name. He is a songwriter and member of Babyshambles alongside being a Doctor of Psychotherapy.

<i>Shotters Nation</i> 2007 studio album by Babyshambles

Shotter's Nation is the second album by English rock band Babyshambles and was released in the United Kingdom on 1 October 2007 by Parlophone to generally favourable reviews. In the United States the album was released on 23 October 2007 by Astralwerks. The first single from the album, "Delivery", was released on 17 September 2007.

<i>Up the Shambles – Live in Manchester</i> 2007 video by Babyshambles

Up the Shambles – Live in Manchester is a live DVD of the band Babyshambles. The DVD was released without the band's prior knowledge according to bassist Drew McConnell. The DVD was released around the time of the band's second album Shotters Nation, but not only featured a much older version of the band, it was recorded prior to the release of the first album Down in Albion. The set list features songs of the band's debut, B-sides, unreleased songs and songs by Pete Doherty's other band The Libertines.

<i>22 Dreams</i> 2008 studio album by Paul Weller

22 Dreams is the ninth solo studio album by Paul Weller. It was released on 2 June 2008.

<i>Oh! What a Lovely Tour</i> 2008 live album / DVD by Babyshambles

Oh! What a Lovely Tour is a CD/DVD package by the British indie rock band Babyshambles released on 2 June 2008. It is the first live album of the band. The concert was recorded during the winter leg of the UK arena tour at the SECC Glasgow on 1 December 2007. In addition to the concert film edited and directed by Giorgio Testi, the DVD also contains the music videos for "The Blinding", "Love You But You're Green", "Delivery" and "You Talk".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Stephen Large</span> Musical artist

Stephen Large is an English, London-based keyboard player, composer, arranger, and long-term member of UK band Squeeze.

<i>Sequel to the Prequel</i> 2013 studio album by Babyshambles

Sequel to the Prequel is the third studio album by the English band Babyshambles. It was released on 3 September 2013 under EMI Records. It is their first release of new material since 2007's Shotter's Nation.

<i>The Magic Whip</i> 2015 studio album by Blur

The Magic Whip is the eighth studio album by English rock band Blur. It was recorded in Hong Kong and London, and released by Parlophone on 27 April 2015 and Warner Bros. Records on 28 April 2015. It was the band's first studio album in 12 years since Think Tank (2003), marking the longest gap between studio albums in Blur's career, and the first in 16 years since 13 (1999) to have featured the original line-up. The album also marks the return of the band's longtime producer Stephen Street following Blur (1997).

<i>Bottle It In</i> 2018 studio album by Kurt Vile

Bottle It In is the eighth studio album by American musician Kurt Vile, released on October 12, 2018 through Matador Records. It features contributions from Kim Gordon, Cass McCombs, Stella Mozgawa of Warpaint, and Mary Lattimore.

References

  1. ↑ "Last of the English Roses". Songfacts.com. Retrieved 25 March 2009.
  2. ↑ Pete Doherty’s Solo Album - Track-By-Track
  3. ↑ "Grace/Wastelands by Peter Doherty reviews". AnyDecentMusic? . Retrieved 12 January 2020.
  4. 1 2 "Reviews for Grace/Wastelands by Peter Doherty". Metacritic . Retrieved 19 June 2011.
  5. ↑ Phares, Heather. "Grace/Wastelands – Peter Doherty". AllMusic . Retrieved 19 June 2011.
  6. ↑ Murray, Noel (24 March 2009). "Peter Doherty: Grace/Wastelands". The A.V. Club . Retrieved 19 June 2011.
  7. ↑ Greenwald, Andy (18 March 2009). "Grace/Wastelands". Entertainment Weekly . Retrieved 19 June 2011.
  8. ↑ Petridis, Alexis (13 March 2009). "Pete Doherty: Grace/Wastelands". The Guardian . Retrieved 19 June 2011.
  9. ↑ Gill, Andy (13 March 2009). "Album: Peter Doherty, Grace/Wastelands (Parlophone)". The Independent . Archived from the original on 17 March 2009. Retrieved 12 January 2020.
  10. ↑ Haynes, Gavin (12 March 2009). "Album Review : Peter Doherty". NME . Archived from the original on 6 September 2014. Retrieved 19 June 2011.
  11. ↑ Cohen, Ian (24 March 2009). "Peter Doherty: Grace/Wastelands". Pitchfork . Retrieved 12 January 2020.
  12. 1 2 "Peter Doherty: Grace/Wastelands". Q (273): 98. April 2009.
  13. ↑ Hoard, Christian (2 April 2009). "Grace/Wastelands : Peter Doherty". Rolling Stone . Archived from the original on 12 April 2009. Retrieved 19 June 2011.
  14. ↑ Brod, Doug (April 2009). "Vital Signs". Spin . 25 (4): 80. Retrieved 12 January 2020.
  15. ↑ Mulholland, Garry (15 March 2009). "Pop review: Peter Doherty, Grace/Wastelands". The Observer . Retrieved 19 June 2011.
  16. ↑ "oe3.ORF.at / Woche 12 / 2009". orf.at. ORF. Archived from the original on 23 March 2012. Retrieved 19 June 2011.
  17. ↑ "Peter Doherty - Grace / Wastelands". ultratop.be. Hung Medien. Retrieved 19 June 2011.
  18. ↑ "Peter Doherty - Grace / Wastelands". dutchcharts.nl. Hung Medien. Retrieved 19 June 2011.
  19. ↑ "Semaine du 16/03/2009 au 22/03/2009". disqueenfrance.com. Archived from the original on 22 January 2013. Retrieved 19 June 2011.
  20. ↑ "Chartverfolgung / Doherty,Peter / Longplay". musicline.de. Archived from the original on 2 October 2012. Retrieved 19 June 2011.
  21. ↑ "Peter Doherty - Grace / Wastelands". swedishcharts.com. Hung Medien. Retrieved 19 June 2011.
  22. ↑ "Peter Doherty - Grace / Wastelands". swisscharts.com. Hung Medien. Retrieved 19 June 2011.
  23. ↑ "Archive Chart". Official Charts Company . Retrieved 19 June 2011.
  24. ↑ "Grace/Wastelands - Peter Doherty". billboard.com. Billboard . Retrieved 19 June 2011.
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.