Before the Calm

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Before The Calm
Studio album by
Witness
Released12 July 1999
Recorded1998–1999 at Rockfield Studios, Wales
GenreAlternative, lo-fi
Length44:01
LabelIsland
ProducerPhil Vinall
Witness chronology
Before The Calm
(1999) 		Under A Sun
(2001)
Alternate album cover
US version
Singles from Before The Calm
  1. "Scars"
    Released: 1 March 1999
  2. "Audition"
    Released: 7 June 1999
  3. "Hijacker"
    Released: 27 September 1999

Before The Calm is the debut album from the Wigan-based band, Witness. The album was released in the UK in 1999 via Island Records and spawned three singles for the band in "Scars", "Audition" and "Hijacker", with the former two placing in the Top 75 of the UK singles chart.[1]

Reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
Hi-Fi News and Record
(A:1*)[3]
NME[4]

Upon release, the album was lauded with all-round critical acclaim.

Hi-Fi News and Record in September 1999, Johnny Black was impressed with the album's immediate accessibility, labelling Before The Calm a "truly wonderful debut" and Witness a band whose music was "moody, rootsy, gutsy, rockin'-folk with attitude".[3] Reviewing the album five months after its American release, Terry Eagan of Ink 19 described Before The Calm as a "dark album" in which "the listener is treated to some of the most beautiful lyrics and singing to appear this year".[10] In drawing comparisons to Velvet Underground and Unknown Pleasures, he also noted that the songs on the album serve to "create an intimacy between the performers and the listener that only the most classic of albums are capable of accomplishing".[10] In a retrospective look at the album in September 2006, Nick Southall of Stylus Magazine noted the depth of Gerard Starkie's lyrics and the "aged sadness" of his vocal delivery, declaring the album "the starkest, coldest, warmest, most haunted, most beautiful collection of songs to ever venture from the North West of England, despite what popular opinion may suggest".[5]

Despite being well received by the music press, album sales were minimal,[5][11] as the band's co-manager, the late Rob Partridge, contemporaneously noted that "Before The Calm doesn't include a really 'radio-friendly' single, so the promotional opportunities are quite limited".[12]

Alternative version

The US version of the album was issued on MCA Records under the name "Witness UK"[10] and, along with a different album cover and artwork, featured two additional bonus tracks—"Long First Chapter" and "Before The Calm"—which were to be found as b-sides on the UK single releases of "Scars" and "Hijacker", respectively.

Track listing

All tracks written by Witness, except where noted.

No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Second Life" 2:44
2."Scars" 2:47
3."Freezing Over Morning" 4:41
4."Hijacker" 4:14
5."My Own Old Song" 3:58
6."So Far Gone" 6:12
7."Cause And Effect" 3:12
8."Heirloom"Witness/Harte5:12
9."Audition" 3:06
10."My Friend Will See Me Through" 4:39
11."Still" 3:11
US Bonus Tracks
No.TitleLength
12."Long First Chapter"3:32
13."Before The Calm"3:04

Personnel

Witness

  • Gerard Starkie – vocals, guitars
  • Ray Chan – guitars
  • Dylan Keeton – bass
  • John Langley – drums

Additional musicians

  • Julian Pransky-Poole – additional instrumentation

Recording credits

  • Phil Vinall – producer
  • Paul Read – engineer
  • Phelan Kane – programming

Release history

Region Date Label Format Catalogue
UK 12 July 1999 Island Records CD CID 8084, 546 373–2
United States 16 May 2000 MCA Records CD 088 112 269-2

References

  1. ^ "Witness at OfficialCharts.com". Official Charts. Retrieved 17 June 2009.
  2. ^ a b c Henderson, Alex. "Review: Before The Calm". AllMusic. Retrieved 17 June 2009.
  3. ^
    Hi-Fi News and Record
    (September 1999).
  4. ^ a b "Review: Before The Calm". Retrieved 4 May 2009.
  5. ^ a b c d Southall, Nick. "Review: Before The Calm". Stylus Magazine. Retrieved 17 June 2009.
  6. ^ Review soundbite sticker accompanying US album release.
  7. ^ The Times album review, July 1999
  8. ^ Melody Maker album review, July 1999
  9. Independent News & Media
    . Retrieved 25 June 2009.
  10. ^ a b c Eagan, Terry (October 2000). "Review: Witness UK, Before The Calm". Ink 19. Retrieved 17 June 2009.
  11. ^ "Feature: Witness The Comeback". Wigan Reporter (3 May 2001): 39.
  12. ^ Dylan Harris (September 2000). "Rob Partridge Interview". Retrieved 4 May 2009.
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