Lost in Space (Aimee Mann album)
| Lost in Space | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
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| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | August 27, 2002 | |||
| Recorded | Stampede Origin Studios, Sonora Recorders, Henson Recording Studios, Q Division, Kampo | |||
| Genre | Pop rock | |||
| Length | 43:03 | |||
| Label | V2, SuperEgo | |||
| Producer | Mike Denneen, Ryan Freeland, Michael Lockwood | |||
| Aimee Mann chronology | ||||
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| Singles from Lost in Space | ||||
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Lost in Space is an album by singer-songwriter Aimee Mann, released in 2002 on her own label, SuperEgo Records. A special edition released in 2003 featured a second disc containing six live recordings, two B-sides and two previously unreleased songs.
Mann performed the songs "This Is How It Goes" and "Pavlov's Bell" during a guest appearance on the television show Buffy the Vampire Slayer, in the season seven episode "Sleeper". "Today's the Day" is featured in the 2002 film Enough. The cover and accompanying mini-comic were drawn by Canadian cartoonist Seth.[1]
This album also introduced a more heavily produced experimental sound for Mann, that has not been featured in prior albums or albums after Lost in Space.
Reception
| Aggregate scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| Metacritic | 74/100[2] |
| Review scores | |
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [3] |
| Blender | [4] |
| Chicago Sun-Times |  [5] |
| Entertainment Weekly | B+[6] |
| Orlando Sentinel | [7] |
| Pitchfork | 7.6/10[8] |
| Q | [9] |
| Rolling Stone | [10] |
| Spin | 6/10[11] |
| The Village Voice | C+[12] |
Lost in Space holds a score of 74 out of 100 from Metacritic, indicating "generally favorable reviews".[2] E! Online gave the album a B+ and stated, "Mann's cranky muse is consistently compelling, showcasing both her wry lyrics and terrific melodies."[2] Uncut gave the album four stars out of five and called it "textured and complex".[2] Blender also gave it four stars out of five and said the album "pushes [Mann] in a new direction."[2] Q likewise gave it four stars and said that Mann has "returned to writing songs which are wry, funny, adult and perceptive, all wrapped up in handsome melodies."[2] Billboard gave it a positive review and called it "sonically rich" and "home to some of Mann's most intimate storytelling."[13] Neumu.net gave it seven stars out of ten and called it "a rare record that simply responds to the quiet masses who maybe feel just a bit to much too often, and offers them a soothing, downbeat source of comfort without preaching or apology."[14] Mojo gave it a positive review and stated: "Michael Lockwood's production occasionally affects a sound akin to a Vonda Sheppard reared on black dreams and Russian literature."[2]
Other reviews are very average or mixed: Trouser Press gave it an average review and said of Mann, "The songs are not as strong overall as on her previous albums, and the tempo neither flags nor picks up over the course of the album."[15] In his The Village Voice Consumer Guide, Robert Christgau gave it a C+ and said of Mann, "For her fans, the news is that she's invested her profits in studio musicians. Takes talent to make that more boring than solo acoustic, no?"[12] Rolling Stone gave it two stars out of five and said, "The tempos and melodies drag throughout; it's as though we've heard Mann sing these songs before, only here her understated passion comes off more like overstated indifference."[10]
Track listing
All songs written by Aimee Mann, unless otherwise noted.
- "Humpty Dumpty" – 4:01
- "High on Sunday 51" (Paul Dalen, Mann) – 3:15
- "Lost in Space" – 3:28
- "This Is How It Goes" – 3:47
- "Guys Like Me" – 3:12
- "Pavlov's Bell" – 4:27
- "Real Bad News" – 3:53
- "Invisible Ink" (Mann, Clayton Scoble) – 4:59
- "Today's the Day" – 4:42
- "The Moth" – 3:46
- "It's Not" – 3:27
Special edition disc two tracks
- "Real Bad News" (Live from Brussels) – 3:38
- "The Moth" (Live from Stockholm) – 3:31
- "This Is How It Goes" (Live from Brussels) – 3:38
- "The Scientist" (Live from Brussels) – 4:19 (Coldplay cover)
- "Invisible Ink" (Live from Brussels) – 5:07
- "Nightmare Girl" (B-side) – 3:49
- "Backfire" (B-side) – 3:15
- "Fighting the Stall" – 4:04
- "Observatory" – 4:19
- "It's Not" (Live on BBC) – 3:16
Personnel
- Aimee Mann – upright bass, clappers, drum fills, drums, egg shaker, 12-string acoustic guitar, acoustic guitar, electric guitar, bass guitar, keyboards, percussion, piano, sound effects, tambourine, lead vocals, background vocals
- Jay Bellerose – drums
- Jebin Bruni – Chamberlin, piano, Prophet 5, synthesizer strings
- Denyse Buffum – viola
- Darius Campo – violin
- Susan Chatman – violin
- Larry Corbett – cello
- Mike Denneen – harpsichord, electric piano, Wurlitzer
- Joel Derouin – violin
- Jason Falkner – bass guitar
- Ryan Freeland – clappers, drum loops, radio sound effects
- Armen Garabedian – violin
- Berj Garabedian – violin
- Buddy Judge – background vocals
- Suzie Katayama – conductor
- Peter Kent – violin
- Natalie Leggett – violin
- Mario de León – violin
- Michael Lockwood – APR synthesizer, autoharp, bass guitar, celeste, Chamberlin, clappers, dobro, e-bow, 12-string electric guitar, acoustic guitar, electric guitar, baritone guitar, harmonium, keyboards, Leslie pedal, drum loops, machines, marxophone, mini moog, omnichord, Prophet 600, shaker, slide guitar, sound effects, theremin, zither
- Seth McClain – clappers
- Joe Meyer – french horn
- Carole Mukogawa – viola
- Dave Palmer – organ
- Michael Penn – drum loops
- Jonathan Quarmby – horn arrangements, string arrangements
- Mike Randle – background vocals
- Michele Richards – violin
- Steve Richards – cello
- Rusty Squeezebox – background vocals
- Darian Sahanaja – background vocals
- John Sands – drums, shaker
- Dan Smith – cello
- David Stone – upright bass
- Patrick Warren – Chamberlin, marxophone, synthesizer strings
- John Wittenberg – violin
PS: Although not a Halloween album a lot of the instruments used on the album are associated with Halloween music especially the Theremin, celeste and harmonium.
Sales
By June 2008, the album had sold 232,000 units.[16]
References
- ^ Third last page of the mini-comic: Art direction & design: Gail Marowitz, Aimee Mann & Seth. Illustrations: Seth.
- ^ a b c d e f g "Reviews for Lost in Space by Aimee Mann". Metacritic. Retrieved February 9, 2013.
- ^ Doerschuk, Robert L. "Lost in Space – Aimee Mann". AllMusic. Retrieved February 9, 2013.
- ^ Smith, RJ (September 2002). "Aimee Mann: Lost in Space". Blender (9): 152. Archived from the original on August 17, 2004. Retrieved June 9, 2017.
- ^ DeRogatis, Jim (August 18, 2002). "Neko Case, 'Blacklisted' (Bloodshot) / Aimee Mann, 'Lost in Space' (SuperEgo)". Chicago Sun-Times. Archived from the original on November 19, 2018. Retrieved February 11, 2016.
- ^ Tyrangiel, Josh (August 23, 2002). "Lost in Space". Entertainment Weekly. Archived from the original on May 23, 2012. Retrieved February 9, 2013.
- ^ Abbott, Jim (August 30, 2002). "Mann's Misery Loves The Company Of Beautiful Music". Orlando Sentinel. Retrieved June 30, 2017.
- ^ Dahlen, Chris (August 25, 2002). "Aimee Mann: Lost in Space". Pitchfork. Retrieved February 9, 2013.
- ^ "Aimee Mann: Lost in Space". Q (195): 112. October 2002.
- ^ a b Kemp, Mark (August 27, 2002). "Aimee Mann: Lost in Space". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on December 5, 2007. Retrieved July 7, 2013.
- ^ Harris, Keith (October 2002). "Aimee Mann: Lost in Space". Spin. 18 (10): 114–15. Retrieved June 9, 2017.
- ^ a b Christgau, Robert (April 22, 2003). "Not Hop, Stomp". The Village Voice. New York. Archived from the original on December 20, 2013. Retrieved February 9, 2013.
- ^ "Billboard review". Archived from the original on December 27, 2002. Retrieved 2013-07-07.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link) - ^ Neumu.net review
- ^ Trouser Press review
- ^ Nagy, Evie (27 May 2008). "Still Her Own Mann: Aimee Mann". Billboard. Retrieved 6 March 2019.