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Heaven & Hell (Joe Jackson album)

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Heaven & Hell
Studio album by
Released2 September 1997
GenreRock, pop, classical music
Length50:25
LabelSony Classical
ProducerJoe Jackson and Ed Roynesdal
Joe Jackson chronology
This Is It! (The A&M Years 1979-1989)
(1997)
Heaven & Hell
(1997)
Symphony No. 1
(1999)
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[1]

Heaven & Hell, released in 1997, is the 13th studio album by Joe Jackson, a musical interpretation and song cycle representing the seven deadly sins.[2][3]

Billed to Joe Jackson & Friends; the friends included vocalists Dawn Upshaw ("Angel (Lust)"), Joy Askew ("Tuzla (Avarice)"), Suzanne Vega ("Angel (Lust)"), Brad Roberts from the Crash Test Dummies ("Passacaglia/A Bud and a Slice (Sloth)"), Jane Siberry ("The Bridge (Envy)"); and violinist Nadja Salerno-Sonnenberg ("Prelude", "Fugue 2/Song of Daedalus (Pride)").[2]

This album was subsequently performed on tour with Jackson on piano, accordion and melodica, Valerie Vigoda on violin and vocals, and Elise Morris on keyboards, glockenspiel and vocals. The drums were programmed with the exception of "Right (Anger)" - which had drummers Dan Hickey and Kenny Aronoff drumming on opposite speakers through most of the song, and Jared Crawford of the musical Stomp playing plastic buckets in Times Square during the bridge..

Dramatic adaptation

In Boston in 2007, the album was adapted into a jukebox musical under the name Heaven & Hell: The Fantastical Temptation of the 7 Deadly Sins, with the script written by Jason Slavick. The play followed the album's track listing, with each vice presented through a mixture of dance and a representation of each sin in daily life. Heaven & Hell had a five-day run at the Boston Conservatory.[4]

Track listing

All songs written and arranged by Joe Jackson.

No.TitleLength
1."Prelude"2:59
2."Fugue 1/More Is More" (Gluttony)5:32
3."Angel" (Lust)7:11
4."Tuzla" (Avarice)7:33
5."Passacaglia/A Bud and a Slice" (Sloth)8:36
6."Right" (Anger)4:40
7."The Bridge" (Envy)5:59
8."Fugue 2/Song of Daedalus" (Pride)7:55

Personnel

Musicians
  • Joe Jackson – piano, bongos on "Prelude", vocals on "Fugue 1/More is More", "Passacaglia/A Bud and a Slice" and "Fugue 2/Song of Daedalus", voice of Soul in Torment on "Angel", voices of Cynicism and Greed on "Tuzla"
  • Nadja Salerno-Sonnenberg – solo violin on "Prelude" and on "Fugue 2/Song of Daedalus"
  • Dawn Upshaw – voice of Angel on "Angel", voice of Forgetfulness on "Tuzla"
  • Suzanne Vega – voice of Fallen Angel on "Angel"
  • Mary Rowellviolin on "Angel"
  • Allison Cornell – viola on "Angel"
  • Sue Hadjopoulos – congas and bongos on "Angel" and on "The Bridge"
  • Joy Askew – voice of Conscience on "Tuzla"
  • Brad Roberts – vocals on "Passacaglia/A Bud and a Slice"
  • Judith LeClairbassoon on "Passacaglia/A Bud and a Slice"
  • Dan Hickey – drums (left) on "Right"
  • Kenny Aronoff – drums (right) on "Right"
  • Jared Crawford – plastic buckets on Times Square
  • Jane Siberry – vocals on "The Bridge"
  • Mary Rowell, Laura Seaton, Sandra Park, Joyce Hammann, Todd Reynolds, Mark Feldman, Naomi Katz, Cenovia Cummins, James Tsao – violins
  • Juliet Haffner, Allison Cornell, David Blinn, Katherine Beeson, Mary Rowell – violas
  • Erik Friedlander, Stephanie Cummins, Richard Locker – cellos
  • William Sloat – acoustic bass
Production

Charts

Chart performance for Heaven & Hell
Chart (1997) Peak
position
US Top Classical Albums (Billboard)[5] 3
US Top Classical Crossover Albums (Billboard)[6] 3

References

  1. ^ Griggs, Tim. Heaven and Hell at AllMusic. Retrieved 2 August 2016.
  2. ^ a b Ruhlmann, William. "Joe Jackson Biography". AllMusic.com. Retrieved 2 August 2016.
  3. ^ Morse, Steve (5 September 1997). "Stepping Out: Pop star turned classical composer, Joe Jackson takes on the Seven Deadly Sins". Santa Cruz Sentinel. Santa Cruz, CA. Retrieved 2 August 2016 – via Newspapers.com. Open access icon
  4. ^ Anderman, Joan (4 March 2007). "Temptation begets inspiration: Joe Jackson's album 'Heaven & Hell' is basis for a new musical production". The Boston Globe. Boston, MA. Retrieved 2 August 2016.
  5. ^ "Joe Jackson Chart History (Top Classical Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved 18 July 2021.
  6. ^ "Joe Jackson Chart History (Top Classical Crossover Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved 18 July 2021.