Peace Beyond Passion
 | This article needs additional citations for verification. (September 2014) |
| Peace Beyond Passion | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | June 25, 1996 | |||
| Recorded | 1995 – 1996 | |||
| Studio | Alpha Studios, Conway Studios, David Gamson Studios, Ocean Way, RPM Studios, The Sound Factory | |||
| Genre | ||||
| Length | 59:10 | |||
| Label | Maverick | |||
| Producer | David Gamson | |||
| Me'shell Ndegeocello chronology | ||||
| ||||
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [1] |
| Entertainment Weekly | C+[2] |
| The Guardian | [3] |
| Los Angeles Times | [4] |
| Muzik | 5/5[5] |
| NME | 6/10[6] |
| Q |  [7] |
| Rolling Stone | [8] |
| The Rolling Stone Album Guide | [9] |
| The Village Voice | B+[10] |
Peace Beyond Passion is an album by Me'shell Ndegeocello. It was released on June 25, 1996, on Maverick Records. The album peaked at #63 on the Billboard Top 200 list in 1996. The album also peaked at #15 on Billboard's R&B Albums chart. It went on to become Me'shell's most commercially successful album. The album was positively received by music critics. The album was also nominated for the 'Best R&B Album' Grammy Award in 1997.
The first single "Leviticus: Faggot" peaked at #15 on Billboard's Dance Music/Club Play Singles chart in 1996. The music video was positively received on R&B outlets, despite its heavy storyline.
The second single and the biggest hit from the album was a Bill Withers' cover "Who Is He (And What Is He to You)?". The single reached #1 on the Billboard Dance Music/Club Play Singles chart in November 1996, as well as peaking at #34 on Billboard's Top R&B/Hip-Hop Singles & Tracks chart.
The third and final single was a remixed version of the ballad "Stay", which peaked at #15 on Billboard's Dance Music/Club Play Singles chart and #67 on Billboard's Top R&B/Hip-Hop Singles & Tracks chart.
Track listing
All songs written by Me'shell Ndegéocello, except where noted.
- "The Womb" – 1:25
- "The Way" – 4:58
- "Deuteronomy: Niggerman" – 4:01
- "Ecclesiastes: Free My Heart" (Ndegéocello, Torri Ruffin) – 5:22
- "Leviticus: Faggot" – 6:08
- "Mary Magdalene" – 5:51
- "God Shiva" (Ndegéocello, Wendy Melvoin) – 4:09
- "Who Is He and What Is He to You" (Bill Withers, Stan McKinney) – 4:49
- "Stay" – 4:30
- "Bittersweet" – 5:17
- "A Tear and a Smile" – 3:49
- "Make Me Wanna Holler" (Ndegéocello, Federico González Peña, Melvin Ragin, Marvin Gaye, James Nyx) – 8:51
Personnel
- Me'Shell Ndegéocello – bass guitar, percussion (#1), drum programming (#2, 11), lead guitar (#5), and all other instruments (#1–11)
- David Gamson – drum programming (#1–3, 9–11), drums and atmosphere (#6)
- Wah Wah Watson – guitar (#1), "wah guitar" (#5, 8, 12), acoustic guitar (#8)
- Wendy Melvoin – guitar (#2, 7, 10), guitar arrangement (#2, 7), acoustic guitar (#6)
- David Fiuczynski – guitar solo (#4, 7)
- Allen Cato – guitar (#4)
- Billy Preston – organ (#3, 8, 11)
- Federico González Peña – Fender Rhodes piano (#4, 5, 12), percussion (#1)
- Joshua Redman – saxophones (#2, 3, 6, 10)
- Bennie Maupin – bass clarinet (#3)
- Oliver Gene Lake – drums (#1, 3–5, 8, 10, 12)
- Luis Conte – percussion (#3–5, 7, 10, 12)
- Daniel Sadownick – percussion (#1)
Arranged by David Gamson and Me'Shell Ndegéocello
Vocals arranged by David Gamson
String arrangements for tracks #5, 8 an 11 by Paul Riser
- Production
- Produced by David Gamson
- Recording engineer – Rail Jon Rogut
- Additional engineering – David Gamson and Charles Nasser
- Recording engineer for track #4 – Mike Krowiak, assisted by Suzanne Dyer
- Mixing – Bob Power
- Mastering – Tom Coyne
- Gregory-Trevor Gilmer – art direction
- Guzman (Constance Hansen & Russell Peacock) – photography
References
- ^ Gallucci, Michael. "Peace Beyond Passion – Meshell Ndegeocello". AllMusic. Retrieved April 24, 2020.
- ^ Browne, David (July 12, 1996). "Peace Beyond Passion". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved April 24, 2020.
- ^ Wells, Chris (June 7, 1996). "CD of the week: Me'shell Ndegeocello". The Guardian.
- ^ Hilburn, Robert (June 23, 1996). "'Passion' Comes Through". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on October 17, 2015. Retrieved April 24, 2020.
- ^ Jones, Bob (July 1996). "Me'shell Ndegeocello: Peace Beyond Passion (WEA)". Muzik. No. 14. p. 141.
- ^ Fortnam, Ian (June 22, 1996). "Me'shell Ndegeocello – Peace Beyond Passion". NME. p. 50. Archived from the original on August 17, 2000. Retrieved April 26, 2020.
- ^ "Me'shell Ndegeocello: Peace Beyond Passion". Q. No. 118. July 1996. p. 120.
- ^ Hardy, Ernest (July 11, 1996). "Me'Shell Ndegeocello: Peace Beyond Passion". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on August 20, 2008. Retrieved April 24, 2020.
- ^ Himes, Geoff (2004). "Meshell Ndegeocello". In Brackett, Nathan; Hoard, Christian (eds.). The New Rolling Stone Album Guide (4th ed.). Simon & Schuster. p. 571. ISBN 0-7432-0169-8.
- ^ Christgau, Robert (July 23, 1996). "Consumer Guide". The Village Voice. Retrieved April 24, 2020.