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11 (Bryan Adams album)

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11 is the eleventh studio album by Canadian singer-songwriter Bryan Adams. Released on March 17, 2008, by Polydor Records, 11 was the first release of new Adams material since Colour Me Kubrick in 2005 and the first studio album since 2004's Room Service. Adams, Jim Vallance, Eliot Kennedy, Gretchen Peters, Trevor Rabin, and Robert John "Mutt" Lange received producing and writing credits. Similar to Adams's previous material, the themes in 11 are mainly based on love, romance, and relationships. 11 received generally mixed reviews from contemporary music critics.

Three songs were released from the album in various forms: "I Thought I'd Seen Everything", "Tonight We Have the Stars", and "She's Got a Way", of which all were released internationally. "I Thought I'd Seen Everything" was the only one to have any lasting effects on the music chart, reaching mostly the Top 50, Top 100, and Top 200 in Europe and Canada. Adams was nominated for a Juno Award in the category "Best Artist" in 2009 for this record.

The album peaked within the top ten in eleven territories worldwide, including Canada (with sales just below 10,000 copies in its first week), the United Kingdom, Germany, Denmark, and Switzerland. 11 charted within the top twenty in three other territories. The album has sold approximately half a million copies, which might be considered somewhat disappointing compared to Adams's previous albums sales. However, this could at least partially be attributed to the decline in CD sales for all artists during this time.

The track "Flower Grown Wild" was reportedly written about Amy Winehouse.

Conception

In an interview on Canada AM, Adams said the title 11 was picked because it was his eleventh studio album, when soundtrack album Spirit: Stallion of the Cimarron is included. In addition, Adams mentioned there was no hidden meaning behind the title:[1] it was his eleventh studio release and contained eleven tracks, and "there are no secondary meanings," Adams later mentioned in an interview with the BBC.[2] The album's cover was taken during a photo shoot in a hotel in Switzerland while Adams was doing a self-photo story for an Italian men's magazine. Adams liked the photo so much that he ended up using it as the album's cover.[3]

As with the previous album, Room Service, significant portions of the album were produced while on tour.[4] According to co-writer Jim Vallance, modern technology and equipment made it much easier to record the album.[5] Adams recorded the album while on tour, making use of the time between playing on stage and readying himself for the next gig. Adams and Vallance recorded the album normally while sitting backstage or in an hotel room with small devices that they usually carried along on tours, but especially during their off-days.[3] Adams, in an interview, mentioned that when recording a song, they needed to set up mattresses against the windows, and having microphones run through the toilet.[5]

11 was originally going to be an acoustic album, aiming for the "soft-hard approach" "perfected" by the British rock band, The Who. However, after a long tour, some of the acoustic songs started growing on him, which led to changes. Adams would record for a few hours, and then wheel the whole recording kit back onstage. "It makes me a little more interested in going on tour," he said in retrospect.[6] Adams, who was never fully committed to the idea of creating a full-fledged acoustic album, decided against it after seeing an acoustic band opening for him during one of his concerts. What he saw made him certain that he was not able to create such an album.[7]

Writing and themes

At the end of the writing season for 11, Adams and his companions had written 30 songs. After a selection process, 19 of these songs were removed, though some of them made it to the deluxe edition released later in 2008. The first single, "I Thought I'd Seen Everything", was written in 2007, and went through two or three changes before Adams made the finishing touches. Originally it had another title and a different melody, and as Adams later put it, "In the course of listening to the music and spending time with it, you do end up changing it."[3]

Adams co-wrote all songs on the album (as seen during his 2009 concert in Peterborough, Canada).

Adams hadn't worked together on an album with Vallance since the late 1980s.[5] According to Adams, they teamed up after "throwing ideas back and forth"[3] from 2003 until the album was released. Vallance would send MP3 audio files by e-mail to Adams during the recording seasons. Adams would then add some elements to them and send them back. They continued doing this until a song was completed; Vallance claimed it took longer for them to write songs than during their previous collaborations, but felt the end product was just as good.[5]

In Adams's words, the main theme in the album is "searching for something". The lyrical meaning behind track number four, "Oxygen", is what a person needs in order to survive: "The person you are with is giving you the air you breathe," and that people in general "need each other 100%."[8] The album's first single, "I Thought I'd Seen Everything", is about keeping an open mind.[3] The theme of "Broken Wings" is about "somebody who taught me how to fly", a metaphor about for "putting your trust in somebody who can give you faith and the belief that you can succeed." "Something to Believe In" is based upon the affirmation of life and faith, while "Walk on By" warns the listener of distrustfulness. Adams likes to end his albums with a melancholic song; he continued this in 11 with "Something to Believe In", though that was not the final track.[8] "Flowers Gone Wild" touches on the same theme as two songs he wrote in the early 1980s, "Cover Girl" and "The Best Is Yet To Come", which are based upon Dorothy Stratten, the murdered playboy bunny. However, "Flowers Gone Wild" is also about people with misplaced emotions and their unfulfilled needs, which are pushed forth by the media; Adams says that this leads people to lose their "sense of decency". Adams explained further: "It's a sort of new love affair with an old story, devouring our celebrities and leaving them when we are done."[3]

Release

The finishing touches to the album were done in September 2007, but the European release of the album was delayed until March 2008.[7] The album was released independently in the United States exclusively through Wal-Mart and Sam's Club retail stores on May 13, 2008. The deal was brokered one month after the album's international release.[9] On October 5, 2008, a Deluxe Edition of 11 was announced on Adams's website. The album featured new tracks and contained a DVD. The Deluxe Edition was released n the UK on November 10, 2008, and on the following day in Canada.[10] The new CD features the original 11 tracks, a new song "Saved" and two B-sides, "Way of the World" and "Miss America". A remix of "She's Got a Way" replaces the original version, but includes another remix done by Chicane.[11] The DVD features Adams and his backing band rehearsing the material from the album. It also contains behind-the-scenes footage.[10]

Critical response

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[12]
BBC Musicfavorable[13]
Daily Mailfavorable[18]
Houston Pressfavorable[17]
Jam!(average)[16]
musicOMH[20]
People[21]
The Sunday Times[15]
The Vancouver Sunfavorable[19]
Virgin Media[14]

11 overall received mixed, but mostly unflattering, reviews from critics. Music reviewer Chris Jones from the BBC wrote generally positively about 11 in his review, concluding that it was another strong album even if Adams's voice sounded dispassionate on some tracks.[13] The Canadian website Jam! gave the album an average review, with reviewer Darryl Stedan stating that the lyrics were cliché and predictable and that the album, while not criticising it, "didn't really mean much."[16] Ryan Wasoba from the alternatively weekly magazine Houston Press wrote favorably of the record in a backhanded way, commenting that 11's appeal laid in its "inoffensiveness" and "digestibility".[17] In another favorable review, Daily Mail writer Adrian Thrills said the album highlight was "Oxygen", commenting on the similarities with the music of Bob Dylan.[18] Amy O'Brian of The Vancouver Sun wrote favorably of the new album, while at the same time criticising it for its clichés, bad lyrics, and too-familiar melodies; she concluded, "It's cheesy and overdone, but the truth is that it just might give Adams his first hit in a decade."[19]

Stephen Thomas Erlewine from AllMusic gave the record two out of five stars, saying that Adams's "fondness for obvious hooks" had "flattened into clichés".[12] Matt O'Leary from Virgin Media criticised the album, saying thatAdams's "over-familiar trademark" made the sound of 11 a little more "irksome". O'Leary gave the album two out of five stars.[14] The Sunday Times reviewer Steve Jelbert wrote, "Eleven studio albums into his career, the Canadian rocker returns with a set so devoid of surprises that it could easily have been created with a computer program." He continued by criticising the album for what he saw as mundane lyrical metaphors, attempts of copying U2, and rigid one-note basslines. However, he concluded that the album was better than Lenny Kravitz's latest effort, It Is Time for a Love Revolution.[15] Chuck Arnold and Christina Tapper of People gave the album two-and-a-half stars out of four and stated that the 11 songs "show that, at 48, Adams is still capable of capturing the essence of young, unbridled love. Sure, the guy can get sappy, but he's always sincere."[21]

Chart and commercial performance

11 was Adams's first studio album to be released in four years, since Room Service in 2004. In the album's first week of release, it sold just below 10,000 copies in Canada [22] and debuted at number one on the Canadian Albums Chart, beginning a four-week run on the chart and marking the first time since 1991's Waking Up the Neighbours that Adams was able to top the Canadian record chart.[23] In the United States, it debuted at number 80 on the Billboard 200 of May 31, 2008, and stayed on the chart for four weeks.[24] 11 was Adams's first studio album since 18 til I Die to crack the US top 100.[25] 11 also spent ten weeks on the European Albums Chart, peaking at number three,[26] and reached number seven on the Independent Albums Chart during its five-week run.[24] At the 2009 Juno Awards, Adams was nominated for "Artist of the Year" for 11.[27]

Internationally, 11 was a commercial success. The album charted in the top ten in several countries, including the United Kingdom,[28] Switzerland, India,[5] Germany,[29] Austria, Denmark, Portugal and The Netherlands, peaking at number one in India and Switzerland.[30] France was the album's least successful charting territory, peaking at number 157.[30] Switzerland was the only country in Europe were 11 managed to top a national record chart, staying on the chart for a full 13 weeks before dropping off from number 81.[31] With sales of over 15,000 units, the album was certified gold in Switzerland[32] and Denmark.[33] The album has sold over half a million copies worldwide.[34]

The first single, "I Thought I'd Seen Everything", was released as a download-only single in the UK on March 17, 2008. Although it was officially released to US radio on March 1, 2008, it proved popular on Adult Contemporary radio stations where it peaked at number 21. In Canada, "I Thought I'd Seen Everything" was officially released to radio in March 2008, reaching number 47 on the Canadian Hot 100.[24] "Tonight We Have the Stars", the second single, was released as a digital single on June 6, 2008.[35] The third and last single, "She's Got a Way", was released in September and did not chart anywhere in North America or Europe.

11 Tour

Adams on stage during his tour promoting 11 in Paso Robles, California, US on July 30, 2008

In support of 11, Adams started the "11 concerts, 11 cities" tour, holding concerts in 11 different countries in just 11 days. The intimate shows at some spectacular venues saw Adams perform an acoustic set on stage with just his guitar and harmonica. The London show was on the March 11, 2008, at St. James Church in Piccadilly. The last stop of his 11-day concert tour was in Copenhagen, Denmark, on March 17.[36] After the "11 concerts, 11 cities" tour, Adams continued to promote his album, this time on an acoustic tour touring with such musical acts as Foreigner and Rod Stewart. Later in an interview, he was asked what song he felt sounded the best acoustically, Adams responded:[37]

"Well, they all work acoustically, because they were all written on an acoustic guitar. This album started out as an acoustic record and halfway through I sort of switched gears and decided to make sort of an acoustic rock record. When I play the songs live, it has actually sort of led me into a path of this next tour, which is my first American acoustic tour. I feel confident enough with these songs and with the songs in the past that the show is going to be quite interesting, sort of hearing these songs stripped down completely, just myself and a guitar."

This accoustic tour formed the beginning of Adams's Bare Bones tour, which still operates in between his usual band's shows.

Track listing

Original CD
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Tonight We Have the Stars"Bryan Adams, Jim Vallance, Gretchen Peters4:05
2."I Thought I'd Seen Everything"Adams, Eliot Kennedy, Robert John "Mutt" Lange5:07
3."I Ain't Losin' the Fight"Adams, Kennedy, Lange3:56
4."Oxygen"Adams, Kennedy, Lange3:35
5."We Found What We Were Looking For"Adams, Lange, Trevor Rabin3:38
6."Broken Wings"Adams, Kennedy3:37
7."Somethin' to Believe In"Adams, Kennedy4:01
8."Mysterious Ways"Adams, Peters4:28
9."She's Got a Way"Adams, Kennedy4:41
10."Flower Grown Wild"Adams, Vallance, Peters3:53
11."Walk on By"Adams, Vallance2:53
Deluxe Edition Bonus Tracks
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
12."The Way of the World" (Originally a UK/Japan Bonus Track/B-side of lead single)Adams, Vallance, Peters3:18
13."Saved"Adams, Peters4:08
14."Miss America" (Originally an iTunes Bonus Track/B-side of lead single)Adams, Kennedy3:57
15."She's Got a Way" (Chicane Remix)Adams, Kennedy3:36

Source:[38]

Personnel

There were 11 personnel members.[39]

Additional personnel

There were 13 additional personnel members.[40]

  • Pointless Brothers – backing vocals (track 6)
  • Kathleen Edwards – backing vocals (track 7)
  • Teese Gohl – string arrangement (tracks 7, 8)
  • Gavin Greenway – string arrangement (track 11)
  • Hal Beckett – string conductor (tracks 7, 8, 11)
  • Bob Clearmountain – mixing
  • Olle Romo – editing
  • Ben Dobie – recording
  • Bryan Gallant – additional recording
  • Kirk Mcnally – additional recording
  • Roger Monk – string recording (track 8)
  • Chicane – remixer for track 15
  • J. Hockley – additional production and recording for track 15

Charts and certifications

References

  1. ^ ""Bryan Adams: Das interview zu "11"". songwroter.de. Archived from the original on April 19, 2008. Retrieved April 2, 2012. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
  2. ^ "Jones, Tom (August 11, 2010). "Talking Shop: Bryan Adams". BBC Entertainment. Retrieved April 2, 2012.
  3. ^ a b c d e f "Bryan Adams gone wild: a candid interview". Blender. Retrieved August 11, 2010.
  4. ^ "Bryan Adams back with new album 11". Windsor Star. Canada.com. Archived from the original on November 9, 2012. Retrieved August 10, 2010. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
  5. ^ a b c d e f "Vallance, Jim. "11". JimVallance.com. Retrieved October 19, 2008.
  6. ^ "Renzetti, Elizabeth (May 15, 2008). "High flyin' Bryan". The Globe and Mail. Retrieved August 11, 2010.
  7. ^ a b "Macneil, Jason. "Bryan Adams returns with '11'". Jam.canoe.ca. Retrieved August 10, 2010.
  8. ^ a b "Roura, Phil (July 11, 2008). "Bryan Adams' '11' heaven". Daily News. Archived from the original on November 1, 2010. Retrieved April 2, 2012. {{cite news}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
  9. ^ "Bryan Adams and Wal-Mart team for album". Billboard. Reuters. April 9, 2008. Retrieved August 10, 2010.
  10. ^ a b "11 CD/DVD Deluxe Edition in Stores now!". Bryan Adams.com. November 15, 2008. Retrieved August 10, 2010.
  11. ^ "11 – Deluxe Edition". 911.com. Retrieved August 11, 2010.
  12. ^ a b Erlewine, Stephen Thomas. "11 - Bryan Adams". AllMusic. Archived from the original on February 18, 2012. Retrieved August 11, 2010.
  13. ^ a b Jones, Christ (March 6, 2008). "Review of Bryan Adams - 11". BBC Music. Retrieved August 10, 2010.
  14. ^ a b O'Leary, Matt. "Bryan Adams: 11 review". Virgin Media. Retrieved August 11, 2010.
  15. ^ a b Jelbert, Steve (March 15, 2008). "Bryan Adams: 11". The Sunday Times. London. Archived from the original on June 15, 2011. Retrieved August 11, 2010. {{cite news}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
  16. ^ a b Sterdan, Darryl (March 18, 2008). "Album Review: 11". Jam!. Retrieved August 11, 2010.
  17. ^ a b Wasoba, Ryan (July 24, 2008). "Bryan Adams's 11, 11 Times Through". Houston Press. Retrieved August 11, 2010.
  18. ^ a b Thrills, Adrian (March 7, 2008). "Bryan Adams, the regular guy of rock-turned-snapper, on his new album and exhibition of pictures". Daily Mail. London. Retrieved August 11, 2010.
  19. ^ a b O'Brian, Amy (September 24, 2008). "Adams returns with signature moves intact for album 11". The Vancouver Sun. Retrieved August 11, 2010.
  20. ^ Murphy, John (March 17, 2008). "Bryan Adams – 11 (Polydor)". musicOMH. Archived from the original on June 29, 2011. Retrieved August 13, 2010. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
  21. ^ a b Arnold, Chuck; Tapper, Christina (June 9, 2008). "Picks and Pans Review: Bryan Adams (11)". People. Retrieved November 22, 2012. {{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  22. ^ Williams, John. "Bryan Adams' 11 hits No. 1". Jam!. Retrieved August 11, 2010.
  23. ^ "Waking Up the Neighbours – Canadian Album Chart". RPM. Retrieved August 11, 2010.
  24. ^ a b c d e f g h "Bryan Adams: 11". Billboard. Archived from the original on August 11, 2010. Retrieved August 11, 2010.
  25. ^ "Bryan Adams". Billboard. Archived from the original on August 11, 2010. Retrieved August 11, 2010.
  26. ^ a b "European Albums – Week of April 05, 2008". Billboard. Archived from the original on October 22, 2010. Retrieved October 21, 2010.
  27. ^ "Corden, Elaine (March 27, 2009). "Vibrant Vancouver music scene sets the stage for Juno-mania". Vancouver Sun. Retrieved August 11, 2010.
  28. ^ a b "Chart Stats – Bryan Adams". UK Albums Chart (The Official Charts Company). Retrieved October 18, 2008.
  29. ^ a b "Chartverfolgung / Bryan Adams / Longplay" (in German). German Albums Chart (Media Control Charts). Retrieved August 10, 2010.
  30. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o "Bryan Adams – 11 (album)". LesCharts.com (in French). French Albums Chart (Syndicat National de l'Édition Phonographique). Retrieved August 11, 2010.
  31. ^ "Swiss Chart". hitparade.ch. Retrieved August 11, 2010.
  32. ^ a b "Swiss Chart". International Federation of the Phonographic Industry – Switzerland. Archived from the original on August 10, 2009. Retrieved August 10, 2010. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
  33. ^ a b "Guld og platin i april" (in Danish). International Federation of the Phonographic Industry (IFPI). Retrieved August 20, 2012.
  34. ^ "Corden, Elaine (March 23, 2009). "As tears go by: Juno nominee Bryan Adams' goodies keep rockin' the baddies". Vancouver Sun. Retrieved August 11, 2010.
  35. ^ "Bryan Adams' Official website". Archived from the original on October 11, 2008. Retrieved October 18, 2008. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
  36. ^ "Bryan Adams to play 11 day tour + new single, studio album + free download". bandbewblogs.com. Archived from the original on October 9, 2008. Retrieved October 18, 2008.
  37. ^ "Zimbio Interview with Bryan Adams". zimbio.com. Archived from the original on October 11, 2008. Retrieved October 18, 2008. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
  38. ^ 11 (Media notes). Bryan Adams. Polydor. pp. 1–9. {{cite AV media notes}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |titlelink= (help)CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  39. ^ 11 (Media notes). Bryan Adams. Polydor. pp. 10–11. {{cite AV media notes}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |titlelink= (help)CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  40. ^ 11 (Media notes). Bryan Adams. Polydor. pp. 11–12. {{cite AV media notes}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |titlelink= (help)CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  41. ^ "Hungarian Album Chart". Hungarian Albums Chart (Mahasz). Archived from the original on September 2, 2010. Retrieved August 11, 2010.
  42. ^ "Discography Bryan Adams". Irish Albums Chart (Irish Recorded Music Association). Archived from the original on July 13, 2011. Retrieved August 11, 2010. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
  43. ^ "Italian Chart Archive". Italian Albums Chart (Federation of the Italian Music Industry). Archived from the original on September 27, 2011. Retrieved August 11, 2010. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
  44. ^ "Sales for the period 25.03.2008 – 30.03.2008". Polish Albums Chart (Związek Producentów Audio Video). April 7, 2008. Retrieved August 12, 2010.
  45. ^ "Swiss End-Year Charts". LesCharts.com. International Federation of the Phonographic Industry – Switzerland. Retrieved August 29, 2010.

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