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Some Kind of Trouble

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Untitled

Some Kind of Trouble is the third studio album from British singer-songwriter James Blunt. The album was released on November 8, 2010.[2] The album's lead single, "Stay the Night", was released on October 25, 2010.[3] The album was recorded in Blunt's private recording studio in Los Angeles. The album debuted at #4 in the UK with over 100,000 copies sold on the first week and has received mixed reviews from critics.[4] Blunt will promote the album with a new tour, due to start in 2011.[5]

Background

In an interview with Contact Music, Blunt said of the album: "After the last tour, I tried writing at the piano, but I found I was repeating myself, writing sad songs about poor old me. I needed to get away from music for a while. My new songs are more optimistic. One thing I did learn is that your artistic credibility goes out the window when you have a record that big. 'You're Beautiful' meant something to me, but to most people, it's a song they sing when they're drunk."[6] In a interview with Robert Copsey from Digital Spy, Blunt describes the album, saying "It's got a certain innocence to it, which my last album didn't have. It doesn't sound like the current popular electro sound; it sounds like the late 70's / early 80's when the US electric guitar bands came to the UK. What I really like about it is its energy and optimism - it's completely positive." While answering what is his favorite track from the album, he answered "My favourite track is probably 'Turn Me On'."[7]

Cover

The photograph used for the album cover was taken by YouTuber Shaycarl with his iPhone. The picture is of his daughter when he threw her up in the air, with the intention of using it as a thumbnail in one af his "Shaytards" vlogs. James Blunt saw the thumbnail and bought the rights to use it as the cover of his new album.

Music

The album features 12 new songs and was produced by Steve Robson (with additional production from Greg Kurstin, Eg White, Kevin Griffin and Warren Huart). It sees Blunt, capturing a new feeling of spontaneity and freshness summed up by his comment that he sees his first two albums as a pair of book ends - action and reaction. Some Kind Of Trouble, then, is very much the start of a new chapter. The album was recorded largely in London with members of James' touring band.[8] Produced mainly by Steve Robson, key tracks include the bittersweet “These are the Words,” the trenchant, pointed “Superstar” and the infectious “Stay the Night,” a sexy, acoustic guitar driven, party song about “singing ‘Billie Jean’ and mixing vodka and caffeine.” Written by Blunt, Robson, and OneRepublic’s Ryan Tedder, the song also shouts-out to the legendary Bob Marley, referencing the reggae master’s “Is This Love.” In addition to collecting his first (and likely last) co-write with Marley, “Stay the Night” marks the first time Blunt has written with two other songwriters in the same room or started songs from scratch. In addition to Robson, with whom he wrote the majority of the album, Blunt also wrote with The Bird and the Bee’s Greg Kurstin, Kevin Griffin, Wayne Hector and “All the Lost Souls” collaborator Eg White, with whom he wrote the brash “Turn Me On,” which will probably dispel the idea of Blunt as “Mr. Sensitive”. “People expect me to be quite a serious person, who takes life and myself seriously, and that’s not really the case,” he says. “Maybe they’ll see another side in this album?”. The album’s anchor is “No Tears,” an unsentimental ballad about “the summing up of a life,” Blunt says. “There are certain songs along the way that are milestones - that define a writer to themselves. Goodbye My Lover was that song on the first album. Same Mistake was from the second. No Tears is my milestone on this album.”[9]

Critical reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
Allmusic[10]
BBC(mixed)[11]
Daily Express[12]
Daily Mirror[13]
The Daily Telegraph[14]
Entertainment.ie[15]
Evening Standart[16]
The Guardian(mixed)[17]
The Independent(mixed)[18]
The Observer(favorable)[19]

The album received mainly mixed reviews from music critics. Aggregating website AnyDecentMusic? reports a rating of 3.8 based on seven reviews. Stephen Thomas Erlewine from Allmusic was positive in his review, rating the album with 3.5/5 stars, saying that "Dispensing with the brooding insularity of 2007’s sophomore affair All the Lost Souls, James Blunt opts for optimism on his third album, 2010’s Some Kind of Trouble". He finished his review, saying "Some Kind of Trouble is a step in the right direction for Blunt, a move toward love songs free of pretension".[20] The Guardian was particulary mean in his review, saying that "Shallow, soulless and strangely cynical, Some Kind of Trouble is a thoroughly depressing listen".[21] A mixed review came from The Independent who went to say that "It's as if he's testing out new directions, future lyrical strategies, but isn't quite prepared to commit whole-heartedly to them just yet." The Daily Telegraph was favorable, saying "Lacking the overwrought intensity of his debut, his third album is buoyed by quirky hooks and simple, thoughtful lyrics." The Evening Standard review said, "There's no world-conquering ballad like You're Beautiful, and no belated attempt to repackage Blunt as hip and cool."[22] The Observer review stated, "New single Stay the Night is a cheery, ramshackle workout reminiscent of David Gray or Natalie Imbruglia and that "These Are the Words" is a particularly fine performance".[23] Entertainment.ie's Jenny Mulligan gave the album only 1 star but credits James with being genuine and honest.[15]

Track listing

[24]

  1. "Stay the Night" (Blunt, Robson, Tedder, Marley) – 3:36
  2. "Dangerous" (Blunt, Robson) – 3:10
  3. "Best Laid Plans" (Blunt, Hector, Robson) – 3:30
  4. "So Far Gone" (Blunt, Robson, Tedder) – 3:34
  5. "No Tears" (Blunt, Hector, Robson) – 3:50
  6. "Superstar" (Blunt, Kurstin) – 3:49
  7. "These Are the Words" (Blunt, Hector, Robson) – 3:23
  8. "Calling Out Your Name" (Blunt, Hector, Robson) – 3:24
  9. "Heart of Gold" (Blunt, Robson) – 3:31
  10. "I'll Be Your Man" (Blunt, Kevin Griffin) – 3:37
  11. "If Time Is All I Have" (Blunt, White) – 3:25
  12. "Turn Me On" (Blunt, White) – 2:29
  13. "There She Goes Again" (Amazon.com bonus track) – 3:52
  14. "Into The Dark" (iTunes bonus track) – 2:50
  15. "This Love Again" (Japanese bonus track) - 2:58
OpenDisc Content
  1. "Stay The Night" (Live At Metropolis) – 3:46
  2. "So Far Gone" (Live At Metropolis) – 4:00
  3. "If Time Is All I Have" (Live At Metropolis) – 3:25
  • On the physical CD, "Turn Me On" appears as track 13, as it is preceded by five seconds of silence (appearing as track 12). The tracklisting on the back cover of the CD jumps from 11 to 13, with an empty space between the two tracks.[25]

Chart performance

Chart (2010) Providers Peak
position 		Certification Sales/Shipped
Australian Albums Chart[26] ARIA 8 Platinum 70,000 —
European Top 100 Albums[27] IFPI 2 —
Finland's Official List[28] 9 —
French Digital Albums Chart[29] SNEP 1 2,600[30]
French Albums Chart[29] 3 100.000[31]
German Albums Chart[32] BVMI 2 Gold[33] 100,000
German Downloads Chart[34] 1
Italian Albums Chart[35] FIMI 7
Swiss Albums Chart[36] 1 Platinum 30,000
UK Albums Chart[37] BPI 4 [38] Gold[39] 100,000
U.S Billboard Hot 200[40] RIAA 11

Year-end charts

Chart (2010) Rank
German Albums Chart[41] 28

References

  1. ^ Forthcoming UK Singles
  2. ^ http://www.amazon.co.uk/Some-Kind-Trouble-James-Blunt/dp/B00426CLCI/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=music&qid=1284203391&sr=1-1
  3. ^ Elaine Quirke (23/09/10). "James Blunt Announces UK Tour". Daily Mirror. Retrieved 12/10/10. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= and |date= (help)
  4. ^ Jason Gregory (11/10/10). "James Blunt To Sing Taliban Into Surrender In Afghanistan". Gigwise. Retrieved 12/10/10. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= and |date= (help)
  5. ^ http://www.allgigs.co.uk/view/article/3368/Hes_In_Some_Kind_Of_Trouble_James_Blunt_Returns_With_New_Album_And_2011_Tour.html
  6. ^ Optimistic singer James Blunt - Interview Contact Music Retrieved 2010-11-26
  7. ^ James Blunt Interview by Robert Copsey - Digital Spy Digital Spy Retrieved 2010-11-28
  8. ^ Some Kind of Trouble at Amazon Amazon Retrieved 2010-11-25
  9. ^ James Blunt's Some Kind of Trouble Music Amazon Retrieved 2010-11-29
  10. ^ Allmusic Review
  11. ^ BBC Review
  12. ^ Express Review
  13. ^ The Mirror Review
  14. ^ The Telegraph Review
  15. ^ a b Mulligan, Jenny (05 November 2010). "James Blunt = Some Kind of Trouble. Review by Jenny Mulligan. Entertainment.ie". Entertainment.ie. Retrieved 11 January 2011. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help); Text "Music" ignored (help) Cite error: The named reference "Entertainment.ie" was defined multiple times with different content (see the help page).
  16. ^ Evening Standart Review
  17. ^ The Guardian Review
  18. ^ The Independent Review
  19. ^ The Observer Review
  20. ^ [1]
  21. ^ [2]
  22. ^ [3]
  23. ^ [4]
  24. ^ http://hmv.com/hmvweb/displayProductDetails.do?sku=208321
  25. ^ Back cover of physical CD
  26. ^ James Blunt - Some Kind of Trouble. Hung Medien. Retrieved January 16, 2011.
  27. ^ http://www.billboard.com/#/charts/european-albums?tag=relcharts
  28. ^ http://www.ifpi.fi/tilastot/virallinen-lista/artistit/james+blunt/some+kind+of+trouble
  29. ^ a b "Tops Albums : Florent Pagny n°1" (in French). Chartsinfrance.net. Retrieved 2010-11-17.
  30. ^ "Disques : Florent Pagny en tête, les Black Eyed Peas de retour" (in French). Ozap. Retrieved 2010-11-18.
  31. ^ "Ventes de disques : Florent Pagny démarre doucement" (in French). LeParisien. Retrieved 2010-11-17.
  32. ^ http://www.musikindustrie.de/gold_platin_datenbank/#topSearch
  33. ^ http://www.musikindustrie.de/gold_platin_datenbank/#topSearch
  34. ^ http://www.media-control.de/x-factor-gewinnerin-auf-platz-15-der-download-charts.html
  35. ^ "federation of the italian music industry" (in Italian). fimi.it. Retrieved 2010-11-22.
  36. ^ Steffen Hung. "Swiss Charts – Albums Top 100 05.12.2010". swisscharts.com. Retrieved 2010-12-02.
  37. ^ "James Blunt - All The Lost Souls worldwide chart positions and trajectories". aCharts.us. Retrieved 21 September 2007.
  38. ^ http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio1/chart/albums
  39. ^ http://www.bpi.co.uk/certifiedawards/Search.aspx
  40. ^ http://www.billboard.com/charts/billboard-200#/charts/billboard-200
  41. ^ http://www.viva.tv/charts/viva-album-jahrescharts-2010-2010-211/
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