Lady's Bridge (album)

Last updated

Lady's Bridge
Richard Hawley Lady.jpg
Studio album by
Richard Hawley
Released20 August 2007 (UK)
9 October 2007 (US)
RecordedYellow Arch Studios and Axis Studios, Sheffield
Genre Alternative pop, chamber pop
Length48:24
Label Mute
Producer Richard Hawley, Colin Elliot, Mike Timm
Richard Hawley chronology
Coles Corner
(2005)		Lady's Bridge
(2007)		 Truelove's Gutter
(2009)
Singles from Lady's Bridge
  1. "Tonight the Streets Are Ours"
    Released: 6 August 2007
  2. "Serious"
    Released: 15 October 2007
  3. "Valentine"
    Released: 28 January 2008

Lady's Bridge is the fifth studio album from musician Richard Hawley, released on 20 August 2007 in the UK and on 9 October 2007 in the US. The album follows his 2005 Mercury Music Prize-nominated album Coles Corner . It is named after the landmark location of Lady's Bridge in Hawley's hometown of Sheffield, an old bridge over the River Don that historically connected the rich and poor parts of the town. [1] [2] Hawley told Uncut magazine that "the title is a metaphor too; it's about leaving the past behind". [1] The cover features a photograph, taken by Martin Parr, of Hawley and his guitar at the Club 60 music venue in Sheffield as a tribute to his father Dave who had died of lung cancer earlier that year: Dave Hawley had been a blues guitarist at the club in his youth, playing alongside Muddy Waters and John Lee Hooker. [3]

Contents

The song "Dark Road" originally appeared as a B-side to Hawley's "Born Under a Bad Sign" single. "Roll River Roll" is used as the theme song for the dark British sitcom Getting On . A special edition of the album with a bonus DVD was also released.

The album was certified gold for sales of 100,000 copies in the UK on 11 June 2010. [4]

Critical reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg [5]
BBC Music very favourable [3]
Drowned in Sound 8/10 [6]
The Guardian Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg [7]
MusicOMH Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg [8]
NME 8/10 [2]
Pitchfork 5.8/10 [9]
Uncut Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg [1]

Lady's Bridge was very favourably received by most critics. AllMusic said the album was "as moving, tender, and literate as its predecessor, without the least bit of formula or pretension applied... Ultimately, Lady's Bridge is a sad kind of record that doesn't leave one depressed... [it] proves that Cole's Corner (sic) was no one-off, and dare it be said, this surpasses the previous album in diversity, depth, and elegance without ever sounding false". [5] BBC Music said that "Lady's Bridge is an utterly lovely, timeless album that Hawley can be proud of, and deserves to further his cause in becoming a proper national treasure". [3] Drowned in Sound was similarly won over, stating that "as a follow-up to a wonderful record in Coles Corner, then, Hawley's latest set more than holds up. It's arguably his most varied collection yet... Nobody was expecting a bad record, but a few people might be surprised by the exceptional pedigree of Richard Hawley's fifth full-length." [6] The Guardian said "this fifth album of easy south Yorkshire nostalgia - stuck in a lush, late-50s groove of twinkly pianos and Disney strings - should rankle. Magically, it doesn't... This is music to connect the generations: beautiful, moving pop at its best." [7] NME stated that "Lady's Bridge is an album that has moments that won't be bettered this year or any other... At worst, some might accuse it of being clever pastiche. But pastiche is hollow, whereas Hawley's the real deal: his heart is all there. [2] Uncut said that the album "sounds as if it has been decanted from a time when disc jockeys wore dinner jackets, and a gentleman in trouble might soothe his troubled heart with a stroll along the banks of the canal. Not that Hawley needs to change. While he still sings like a kinder, sadder Jarvis Cocker would, perhaps after an encounter with his karaoke uncle, he does it with such sincerity that it seems churlish to resist." [1] MusicOMH considered the album to be "a continuation of the Mercury-nominated Coles Corner - lush orchestration, melancholic, wistful ballads - but with an added edge... its this pleasing variety to the songs that make this Hawley's strongest album to date..." and concluding that "Lady's Bridge is a wonderful album that will only confirm and enhance that burgeoning reputation". [8]

Pitchfork was a dissenting voice, believing that "following Coles Corner, it's... a little harder to be totally taken in by [this album]... It begins to feel less like appropriation than note-perfect recreation... There's been no journey, no emotional progress, and little emotional payoff. For an album and artist so otherwise focused, the effect winds up more soporific than satisfying, however stylish and serene." [9]

"Tonight the Streets Are Ours" was featured in both the opening titles of the film Exit Through The Gift Shop and The Simpsons episode "Exit Through the Kwik-E-Mart". It also appeared in the final episode of the 2024 Netflix series Baby Reindeer .[ citation needed ]

Track listing

All tracks written and composed by Richard Hawley.

  1. "Valentine" – 4:27
  2. "Roll River Roll" – 5:11
  3. "Serious" – 3:24
  4. "Tonight the Streets Are Ours" – 3:40
  5. "Lady Solitude" – 5:32
  6. "Dark Road" – 3:58
  7. "The Sea Calls" – 5:54
  8. "Lady's Bridge" – 4:00
  9. "I'm Looking for Someone to Find Me" – 3:18
  10. "Our Darkness" – 4:08
  11. "The Sun Refused to Shine" – 4:57

Special edition bonus DVD

  1. "Now Then: A Short Film" – 34:30
  2. "Tonight the Streets Are Ours" (video) – 3:42

Singles

Personnel

Certifications

RegionCertification Certified units/sales
United Kingdom (BPI) [10] Gold100,000^

^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.

Related Research Articles

<i>L.A. (Light Album)</i> 1979 album by the Beach Boys

L.A. is the 23rd studio album by the American rock band the Beach Boys, released on March 16, 1979, and their first issued through CBS Records. Recorded during a period of acrimony between the band members, it was a critical and commercial failure, peaking at number 100 in the U.S. and number 32 in the UK.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Richard Hawley</span> English musician (born 1967)

Richard Willis Hawley is an English singer-songwriter, guitarist, and producer. After his first band Treebound Story broke up, Hawley found success as a member of Britpop band Longpigs in the 1990s. After that group broke up in 2000, he joined the band Pulp, led by his friend Jarvis Cocker, for a short time. As a solo musician, Hawley has released eight studio albums. He has been nominated for a Mercury prize twice and once for a Brit Award. He has collaborated with Lisa Marie Presley, Shakespears Sister, Arctic Monkeys, Manic Street Preachers, Elbow, Duane Eddy and Paul Weller.

<i>The Fire Inside</i> Album by Bob Seger

The Fire Inside is the fourteenth studio album by American singer-songwriter Bob Seger. The album was released in mid 1991 on the record label, Capitol. It was Seger's first album of entirely new music since Like a Rock in 1986. Though credited to "The Silver Bullet Band", much of the album used guest and session musicians, with limited contributions from Silver Bullet Band members. Among the guest artists on the album are Joe Walsh, Bruce Hornsby, Roy Bittan, Steve Lukather, Don Was, Waddy Wachtel, Rick Vito, Mike Campbell, Patty Smyth, Lisa Germano, and Kenny Aronoff.

<i>Its All About to Change</i> 1991 studio album by Travis Tritt

It's All About to Change is the second studio album by American country music singer Travis Tritt, released on Warner Bros. Records in 1991. The tracks "The Whiskey Ain't Workin'", "Nothing Short of Dying", "Anymore", and "Here's a Quarter " were released as singles; "Bible Belt" also charted from unsolicited airplay. "Anymore" was the second single of Tritt's career to reach Number One on the Hot Country Songs charts. Overall, this is Tritt's highest-certified album; with sales of over three million copies in the U.S., it has been certified 3× Platinum by the RIAA. He recorded the song "Bible Belt" for My Cousin Vinny in collaboration with the band Little Feat, and this placement gained him some exposure.

<i>T-R-O-U-B-L-E</i> (album) 1992 studio album by Travis Tritt

T-R-O-U-B-L-E is the third studio album by American country music artist Travis Tritt. It was released on Warner Bros. Records in 1992. Five singles were released from the album: "Lord Have Mercy on the Working Man", "Can I Trust You with My Heart", the title track, "Looking Out for Number One", and "Worth Every Mile"; they reached numbers 5, 1, 13, 11, and 30 on Billboard Hot Country Songs. The album was certified 2× Platinum by the RIAA for U.S. shipments of two million copies.

<i>Really</i> (album) 1972 studio album by J. J. Cale

Really is the second studio album by J. J. Cale. It was released in 1972.

<i>There You Go Again</i> 2000 studio album by Kenny Rogers

There You Go Again is the twenty-fourth studio album by American singer Kenny Rogers, released in 2000. It is his second studio album on his own Dreamcatcher Records label. It produced the singles "There You Go Again", "He Will, She Knows", "Homeland" and "Beautiful ".

<i>Coles Corner</i> (album) 2005 studio album by Richard Hawley

Coles Corner is the fourth studio album from English pop/rock musician Richard Hawley, released on 5 September 2005 in the UK and on 6 September 2005 in the US. The title immortalises the legendary Sheffield landmark Coles Corner, a popular meeting place of old and new lovers. The album was nominated for the 2006 Mercury Music Prize for best album.

<i>The Rainy Season</i> 1993 studio album by Marc Cohn

The Rainy Season is the second studio album by American singer-songwriter Marc Cohn, released in 1993. The album peaked at number 63 on the Billboard 200 chart and at number 24 on the UK charts.

<i>Incognito</i> (Spyro Gyra album) 1982 studio album by Spyro Gyra

Incognito is the sixth album by Spyro Gyra, released in 1982. At Billboard magazine, it reached No. 46 on the Top 200 Albums chart, and No. 2 on that magazine's Jazz Albums chart.

<i>Naughty</i> (Chaka Khan album) 1980 studio album by Chaka Khan

Naughty is the second solo album by American R&B and funk singer Chaka Khan, released on Warner Bros. Records in 1980.

<i>Jane from Occupied Europe</i> 1980 studio album by Swell Maps

Jane from Occupied Europe is the second and final album by English post-punk band Swell Maps. It was released in 1980 by Rather Records and Rough Trade Records. In 1989, the album was reissued with eight bonus tracks by Mute Records.

<i>A Love Like Ours</i> 1999 studio album by Barbra Streisand

A Love Like Ours is the twenty-eighth studio album by American singer Barbra Streisand. It was released in North America on September 21, 1999, and Europe on September 20, 1999. It is her 23rd Top 10 album in the US. This was Streisand's first commercial release since her marriage to actor James Brolin. Much of the material was inspired by this event. As such, the disc booklet contains images of her and Brolin.

<i>Lowedges</i> 2003 studio album by Richard Hawley

Lowedges is the third studio album from musician Richard Hawley. It was released in the UK in February 2003 by Setanta Records. It is named after a district in Hawley's home city of Sheffield.

<i>Late Night Final</i> 2001 studio album by Richard Hawley

Late Night Final is the second studio album from musician Richard Hawley, released in the UK in October 2001 by Setanta Records. Named after the cry of vendors selling the Sheffield Star evening newspaper on the streets of his home city, it was released to positive reviews. A single, "Baby, You're My Light" was released from the album in February 2002, reaching #81 in the UK Singles Chart.

<i>Trueloves Gutter</i> 2009 studio album by Richard Hawley

Truelove's Gutter is the sixth studio album from musician Richard Hawley, released on 21 September 2009 in the UK and on 22 September 2009 in the US. The album title refers to an ancient street in Hawley's native Sheffield, now thought to be the location of present-day Castle Street, which was allegedly named after 18th-century innkeeper Thomas Truelove, who used to charge local people to dump their rubbish in the gutter in the street that then flowed down to the River Don. Thematically, Truelove's Gutter is Hawley's darkest album to date. Hawley told the BBC that the album was inspired by particularly dark periods in his life and those of others. The album features some uncommon instrumentation, such as the waterphone, megabass, and cristal baschet.

<i>Memphis</i> (Boz Scaggs album) 2013 studio album by Boz Scaggs

Memphis is the seventeenth studio album by American singer-songwriter Boz Scaggs. It was Scaggs's first solo release since 2008's Speak Low. The album was released on March 5, 2013, by 429 Records. The album has debuted on Billboard 200 at No. 17, and has sold 90,000 copies in the US as of March 2015.

<i>The Gil Evans Orchestra Plays the Music of Jimi Hendrix</i> 1974 studio album by Gil Evans Orchestra

The Gil Evans Orchestra Plays the Music of Jimi Hendrix is an album of Jimi Hendrix's compositions by jazz composer, conductor and pianist Gil Evans. The music was arranged by Evans and members of his orchestra. The album was recorded in 1974 and performed by Evans with an orchestra featuring David Sanborn, Howard Johnson, Billy Harper, and John Abercrombie. The album was re-released with additional tracks on CD in 1988.

<i>The Crossing</i> (Paul Young album) 1993 studio album by Paul Young

The Crossing is the fifth studio album by English singer Paul Young. Released in 1993, the album peaked at No. 27 on the UK Albums Chart.

<i>What a Song Can Do</i> 2021 studio album by Lady A

What a Song Can Do is the ninth studio album by American country music trio Lady A. It was released on October 22, 2021, through Big Machine Records. The album includes the single "Like a Lady" and thirteen other tracks. It is also the first new album released under the name Lady A and second after the deluxe edition of Ocean in 2020.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 McKay, Alastair. "Review: Richard Hawley – Lady's Bridge". Uncut . London, England: IPC Media . Retrieved 31 October 2012.
  2. 1 2 3 Pattison, Louis (14 August 2007). "Review: Richard Hawley – Lady's Bridge". NME . London, England: IPC Media. Retrieved 31 October 2012.
  3. 1 2 3 Wade, Ian (10 August 2007). "Review: Richard Hawley – Lady's Bridge". BBC Music . Retrieved 31 October 2012.
  4. ↑ "BPI searchable database". Archived from the original on 6 October 2017. Retrieved 1 November 2012.
  5. 1 2 Jurek, Thom. Richard Hawley – Lady's Bridge > Review at AllMusic
  6. 1 2 Webb, Rob (7 August 2007). "Review: Richard Hawley – Lady's Bridge". Drowned in Sound. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 31 October 2012.
  7. 1 2 Rogers, Jude (17 August 2007). "Review: Richard Hawley – Lady's Bridge". The Guardian . London, England: Guardian Media Group . Retrieved 31 October 2012.
  8. 1 2 Murphy, John. "Review: Richard Hawley – Lady's Bridge". MusicOMH . Retrieved 31 October 2012.
  9. 1 2 Klein, Joshua (18 October 2007). "Review: Richard Hawley – Lady's Bridge". Pitchfork . Retrieved 31 October 2012.
  10. ↑ "British album certifications – Richard Hawley – Lady's Bridge". British Phonographic Industry.
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.