Cradlesong
Encyclopedia
Cradlesong is the second solo studio album by the Matchbox Twenty
lead-singer Rob Thomas
, released on June 30, 2009 by Atlantic Records
. The album's first single "Her Diamonds
" was a success around the world, while reaching number three in Australia
and topping the Billboard Hot Adult Top 40 Tracks chart, meanwhile other singles "Someday
" and "Mockingbird
" attained success on the Adult Contemporary charts. The album received mostly positive reviews, with the single "Her Diamonds", a song written about his wife and her illness, receiving praise by many reviewers. The album takes a pop rock feel with a variety of sounds mixed by longtime producer Matt Serletic
who is praised for smooth production of the album. It debuted on the US Billboard 200
at number #3 selling 122,000 copies, while reaching top-ten positions in Canada
and Australia
.
On February 25, 2009, it was announced via Fox News that the album's then-supposed title was Cradle Song. It was mentioned, in addition, that there "are at least four hot singles awaiting radio play including 'Her Diamonds' and 'Someday.'" On the same day, Thomas announced on his official website that he has been "back and forth to Los Angeles
quite a bit, mixing the new record." However, he denied the album will be released in May, mentioning it "looks like it won't be coming until the last week of June or the first week of July."
On March 2, 2009, Clark Collis of Entertainment Weekly
interviewed Thomas, where he confirmed he has since shelved his initial efforts to evoke The Rhythm of the Saints, and claimed the album is scheduled for a June 30 release. Having played half the forthcoming album to Entertainment Weekly, it was reported that many of the lyrics on Cradle Song center around troubled relationships, and three more song titles were revealed: "Meltdown" (described as "INXS
-esque power pop
" that stood out as "a possible first single"), "Fire on the Mountain" (an "epic, tribal drum-driven" track inspired by Dave Eggers
' book "What Is the What: The Autobiography of Valentino Achak Deng
") and the melancholic country-leaning "Getting Late" (suggested as the "set's likely closer" and what Thomas described as "a little ditty about death." in the vein of Tom Petty
and Willie Nelson
.) The proper magazine article added that "Someday" is a power ballad with a tinkling piano introduction reminiscent of 80's band Damn Yankees
.
On March 4, 2009, Thomas clarified on the message board of his official web-site that the album's title will be one word: "cradlesong". He announced that the lead single for this album had been chosen and a director is being sought after for the video. Thomas also announced that, at the time, he had mixed eleven songs so far and had recorded a total of twenty-seven. He confirmed a total of twelve songs will make the final cut, but added "the first pressing will have an extra 3 on it as well" and "later in the year i'm going to try to find a way to release the others, but i'll keep popping them out here and there at shows."
On March 6, 2009, minute-long snippets of the tracks "Meltdown" and "Her Diamonds" were temporarily featured on the front page of his official site. Despite being removed from the website, they are presently being featured in a RateTheMusic survey.
On April 27, 2009 the first single "Her Diamonds" was released on iTunes. The song is about his wife Marisol and her longtime illness. This was followed by "Give Me the Meltdown
" on June 9, "Someday
" on June 16, and "Fire on the Mountain" on June 23. All four singles were released before the album's release date on June 30, 2009. "Someday" featured in promo spots for NBC
's 2009 fall season of The Biggest Loser
.
Rob kicked off his Cradlesong Tour
in Hollywood, Florida starting on September 23, 2009 at the Hard Rock Live.
review said that "Thomas returns with a soaring collection of infectious pop songs that are destined for heavy rotation in 2009 and beyond". The Rolling Stone
review said that "There is plenty of unexpected texture to keep your ears engaged". The Los Angeles Times
review would say that "Thomas presides over a sleekly produced, constantly undulating mixture of sounds that seems designed to appeal to all of the people all of the time". The Allmusic review was also positive: "This dogged sense of purpose does result in a tighter, better record than Something to Be and even it's not a lot of fun, it's not meant to be: it's big music about big issues, even inflating personal issues to the universal". The Boston Globe review said that: "The Matchbox Twenty
frontman's second solo album showcases all of his admirable middle-of-the-road gifts and offers a glimpse of the possibilities when he explores the more extreme edges". The New York Times
review considered Cradlesong his second persistently polite, numbingly polished solo album".
at number #3, selling 122,000 copies while "Her Diamonds" ascended up the Billboard Hot 100
to a peak of 23. According to Nielsen Soundscan
, as of January 3, 2010, Cradlesong has sold 362,458
copies in the United States
.
Matchbox Twenty
Matchbox Twenty is an American rock band, formed in Orlando, Florida in 1995...
lead-singer Rob Thomas
Rob Thomas (musician)
Robert Kelly "Rob" Thomas is an American rock recording artist and songwriter. He is the primary songwriter and lead singer of the band Matchbox Twenty. Thomas also records and performs as a solo artist...
, released on June 30, 2009 by Atlantic Records
Atlantic Records
Atlantic Records is an American record label best known for its many recordings of rhythm and blues, rock and roll, and jazz...
. The album's first single "Her Diamonds
Her Diamonds
"Her Diamonds" is the lead single from Rob Thomas's second studio album Cradlesong.Thomas confirmed the single's release via a Twitter account he had created on March 11, 2009. The single premiered on April 22, preceding the release of Cradlesong on June 30...
" was a success around the world, while reaching number three in Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
and topping the Billboard Hot Adult Top 40 Tracks chart, meanwhile other singles "Someday
Someday (Rob Thomas song)
"Someday" is a song released from Rob Thomas' second album, Cradlesong. It was released as the album's third single in September 2009 only in digital format, and followed as a physical release in December 2009...
" and "Mockingbird
Mockingbird (Rob Thomas song)
Mockingbird is a song by American recording artist Rob Thomas. It is the fourth single from the album Cradlesong, released on April 20, 2010. The song first debuted at #50 on the ARIA Charts and, in the US, debuted at 29 on the Adult Pop Songs chart and at 100 on the Billboard Hot 100, making his...
" attained success on the Adult Contemporary charts. The album received mostly positive reviews, with the single "Her Diamonds", a song written about his wife and her illness, receiving praise by many reviewers. The album takes a pop rock feel with a variety of sounds mixed by longtime producer Matt Serletic
Matt Serletic
Matt Serletic is a record producer who has worked with several popular bands and artists for Atlantic Records, including Collective Soul, Matchbox Twenty, Blessid Union of Souls, Edwin McCain, Stacie Orrico, Taylor Hicks, Rob Thomas, and singer/songwriter Angie Aparo. Serletic will be working with...
who is praised for smooth production of the album. It debuted on the US Billboard 200
Billboard 200
The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists...
at number #3 selling 122,000 copies, while reaching top-ten positions in Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
and Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
.
Background
On September 15, 2008, Thomas told Billboard.com that he's "probably about 80 percent done" with his second solo record, tentatively titled Cradle Songs at the time. Thomas characterized the album as "the usual mish-mosh of styles, but hopefully just holding true to a bunch of good songs." with the article also mentioning that the record will nonetheless feature several tracks that "take a more global, rhythmic direction after working with South American and African percussionists." Thomas explained one such experiment:On February 25, 2009, it was announced via Fox News that the album's then-supposed title was Cradle Song. It was mentioned, in addition, that there "are at least four hot singles awaiting radio play including 'Her Diamonds' and 'Someday.'" On the same day, Thomas announced on his official website that he has been "back and forth to Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
quite a bit, mixing the new record." However, he denied the album will be released in May, mentioning it "looks like it won't be coming until the last week of June or the first week of July."
On March 2, 2009, Clark Collis of Entertainment Weekly
Entertainment Weekly
Entertainment Weekly is an American magazine, published by the Time division of Time Warner, that covers film, television, music, broadway theatre, books and popular culture...
interviewed Thomas, where he confirmed he has since shelved his initial efforts to evoke The Rhythm of the Saints, and claimed the album is scheduled for a June 30 release. Having played half the forthcoming album to Entertainment Weekly, it was reported that many of the lyrics on Cradle Song center around troubled relationships, and three more song titles were revealed: "Meltdown" (described as "INXS
INXS
INXS are an Australian rock band, formed as The Farriss Brothers in 1977 in Sydney, New South Wales. Mainstays are Garry Gary Beers on bass guitar, Andrew Farriss on guitar/keyboards, Jon Farriss on drums, Tim Farriss on lead guitar and Kirk Pengilly on guitar/sax...
-esque power pop
Power pop
Power pop is a popular musical genre that draws its inspiration from 1960s British and American pop and rock music. It typically incorporates a combination of musical devices such as strong melodies, crisp vocal harmonies, economical arrangements, and prominent guitar riffs. Instrumental solos are...
" that stood out as "a possible first single"), "Fire on the Mountain" (an "epic, tribal drum-driven" track inspired by Dave Eggers
Dave Eggers
Dave Eggers is an American writer, editor, and publisher. He is known for the best-selling memoir A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius and for his more recent work as a screenwriter. He is also the co-founder of the literacy project 826 Valencia.-Life:Eggers was born in Boston, Massachusetts,...
' book "What Is the What: The Autobiography of Valentino Achak Deng
What Is the What: The Autobiography of Valentino Achak Deng
What Is the What: The Autobiography of Valentino Achak Deng is a 2006 novel written by Dave Eggers. It is based on the real life story of Valentino Achak Deng, a Sudanese refugee and member of the Lost Boys of Sudan program.-Plot summary:...
") and the melancholic country-leaning "Getting Late" (suggested as the "set's likely closer" and what Thomas described as "a little ditty about death." in the vein of Tom Petty
Tom Petty
Thomas Earl "Tom" Petty is an American singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist. He is the frontman of Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers and was a founding member of the late 1980s supergroup Traveling Wilburys and Mudcrutch. He has also performed under the pseudonyms of Charlie T...
and Willie Nelson
Willie Nelson
Willie Hugh Nelson is an American country music singer-songwriter, as well as an author, poet, actor, and activist. The critical success of the album Shotgun Willie , combined with the critical and commercial success of Red Headed Stranger and Stardust , made Nelson one of the most recognized...
.) The proper magazine article added that "Someday" is a power ballad with a tinkling piano introduction reminiscent of 80's band Damn Yankees
Damn Yankees
Damn Yankees is a musical comedy with a book by George Abbott and Douglass Wallop and music and lyrics by Richard Adler and Jerry Ross. The story is a modern retelling of the Faust legend set during the 1950s in Washington, D.C., during a time when the New York Yankees dominated Major League...
.
On March 4, 2009, Thomas clarified on the message board of his official web-site that the album's title will be one word: "cradlesong". He announced that the lead single for this album had been chosen and a director is being sought after for the video. Thomas also announced that, at the time, he had mixed eleven songs so far and had recorded a total of twenty-seven. He confirmed a total of twelve songs will make the final cut, but added "the first pressing will have an extra 3 on it as well" and "later in the year i'm going to try to find a way to release the others, but i'll keep popping them out here and there at shows."
On March 6, 2009, minute-long snippets of the tracks "Meltdown" and "Her Diamonds" were temporarily featured on the front page of his official site. Despite being removed from the website, they are presently being featured in a RateTheMusic survey.
On April 27, 2009 the first single "Her Diamonds" was released on iTunes. The song is about his wife Marisol and her longtime illness. This was followed by "Give Me the Meltdown
Give Me the Meltdown
"Give Me the Meltdown" is a song released from Rob Thomas' second album, Cradlesong.It was released to the iTunes Store on June 9, 2009. It peaked at #106 on the Billboard Hot 100 with digital sales only...
" on June 9, "Someday
Someday (Rob Thomas song)
"Someday" is a song released from Rob Thomas' second album, Cradlesong. It was released as the album's third single in September 2009 only in digital format, and followed as a physical release in December 2009...
" on June 16, and "Fire on the Mountain" on June 23. All four singles were released before the album's release date on June 30, 2009. "Someday" featured in promo spots for NBC
NBC
The National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...
's 2009 fall season of The Biggest Loser
The Biggest Loser
The Biggest Loser is an American reality game show that debuted on NBC October 19, 2004. The show features obese people competing to win a cash prize by losing the highest percentage of weight relative to their initial weight....
.
Rob kicked off his Cradlesong Tour
Cradlesong Tour
The Cradlesong Tour is the second solo concert tour by Matchbox Twenty frontman Rob Thomas. The tour supported his second studio album, Cradlesong and the digital EP, Someday EP. The tour primarily visited North America and Australia...
in Hollywood, Florida starting on September 23, 2009 at the Hard Rock Live.
Critical reception
At Metacritic, which assigns a normalized rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream critics, the album received an average score of 73, based on 7 reviews, which indicates "generally positive reviews". The BillboardBillboard (magazine)
Billboard is a weekly American magazine devoted to the music industry, and is one of the oldest trade magazines in the world. It maintains several internationally recognized music charts that track the most popular songs and albums in various categories on a weekly basis...
review said that "Thomas returns with a soaring collection of infectious pop songs that are destined for heavy rotation in 2009 and beyond". The Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone is a US-based magazine devoted to music, liberal politics, and popular culture that is published every two weeks. Rolling Stone was founded in San Francisco in 1967 by Jann Wenner and music critic Ralph J...
review said that "There is plenty of unexpected texture to keep your ears engaged". The Los Angeles Times
Los Angeles Times
The Los Angeles Times is a daily newspaper published in Los Angeles, California, since 1881. It was the second-largest metropolitan newspaper in circulation in the United States in 2008 and the fourth most widely distributed newspaper in the country....
review would say that "Thomas presides over a sleekly produced, constantly undulating mixture of sounds that seems designed to appeal to all of the people all of the time". The Allmusic review was also positive: "This dogged sense of purpose does result in a tighter, better record than Something to Be and even it's not a lot of fun, it's not meant to be: it's big music about big issues, even inflating personal issues to the universal". The Boston Globe review said that: "The Matchbox Twenty
Matchbox Twenty
Matchbox Twenty is an American rock band, formed in Orlando, Florida in 1995...
frontman's second solo album showcases all of his admirable middle-of-the-road gifts and offers a glimpse of the possibilities when he explores the more extreme edges". The New York Times
The New York Times
The New York Times is an American daily newspaper founded and continuously published in New York City since 1851. The New York Times has won 106 Pulitzer Prizes, the most of any news organization...
review considered Cradlesong his second persistently polite, numbingly polished solo album".
Chart performance
Cradlesong made a positive debut on the Billboard 200Billboard 200
The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists...
at number #3, selling 122,000 copies while "Her Diamonds" ascended up the Billboard Hot 100
Billboard Hot 100
The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...
to a peak of 23. According to Nielsen Soundscan
Nielsen SoundScan
Nielsen SoundScan is an information and sales tracking system created by Mike Fine and Mike Shalett. Soundscan is the official method of tracking sales of music and music video products throughout the United States and Canada...
, as of January 3, 2010, Cradlesong has sold 362,458
copies in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
.
Track listing
Bonus DVD
A deluxe edition is available exclusively from Target stores in the US. Included is the original standard studio album, as well as a bonus DVD which includes interviews, plus a behind-the-scenes look at the album photo shoot and video shoot for "Her Diamonds". It can be purchased in said stores or online via Target's website.Personnel
- Abe Laboriel, Jr. – drums
- Adam Tilzer – assistant engineer
- Alex Arias – assistant engineer, Pro-Tools
- Alfred Ortiz – Taiko drums
- Andrew McPherson – photography
- Andrew Schubert – Pro-Tools
- Ben Peeler – Bouzouki, guitar, guitar (Steel), oud, Lap Steel guitar
- Bob Ludwig – mastering
- Bryan Sutton – guitar (acoustic), mandolin
- Butch Walker – vocals (background)
- Chris Lord-Alge – mixing
- Dean Serletic – production coordination
- Dejan Stanjevic – engineer, assistant engineer
- Dino Soldo – sax (tenor)
- Hal Winer – engineer, assistant engineer
- Jack Daley – bass
- James Grundler – vocals (background)
- Jason Dale – assistant engineer
- Jess Sutcliffe – engineer
- Jim Keltner – drums
- Jimmie Lee Sloas – bass
- Jordan Stilwell – assistant engineer
- Jose Vergara – African drums
- Justin Niebank – engineer
- Keith Armstrong – assistant engineer
- Keith Fiddmont – sax (alto), sax (Tenor)
- Kenny Aronoff – drums
- Kim Hutchcroft – sax (baritone), sax (bass), sax (tenor)
- Lee Sklar – bass
- Lee Thornburg – trumpet
- Lenny Castro – percussion
- Louise Robinson – illustrations
- Magatte Sow – African drums
- Marcus Brown – African drums
- Marisol Thomas – vocals (background), co-arranger
- Mark Dobson – percussion, engineer, Pro-Tools
- Matt Serletic – piano, arranger, keyboards, organ (hammond), programming, vocals (background), producer, vocal arrangement, horn arrangements, snaps
- Michael Bland – drums, snaps
- Michael Landau – guitar
- Michael Lippman – management
- Mike Leisz – engineer, assistant engineer, Pro-Tools
- Nik Karpen – assistant engineer
- Norman Moore – art direction, design
- Patrick Warren – piano, keyboards, organ (hammond), chamberlin, organ (pump), string arrangements, snaps
- Patrick Woodward – assistant engineer, Pro-Tools
- Reverend Shuichi To... – Taiko drums
- Ria Lewerke – art direction, design
- Rob Thomas – guitar, keyboards, Tom-Tom, vocals, vocals (background), vocal arrangement, snaps, art conception
- Robert Smith – African drums
- Robyn Troup – vocals (background)
- Rusty Anderson – guitar, guitar (electric)
- Sean Hurley – bass
- Shari Sutcliffe – contractor
- Sharlotte Gibson – vocals (background)
- Sherree Ford Brown – vocals (background)
- Soro Gnenemon – African drums
- Stevie Blacke – strings
- Taylor Moyer – Taiko drums
- Tim Pierce – guitar (acoustic), guitar, guitar (electric), snaps
- Tom Bukovac – guitar (acoustic), bass, guitar, beat box, snaps
- Victor Indrizzo – percussion, drums
Charts and certifications
| Chart (2009) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Australian Albums Chart ARIA Charts The ARIA charts are the main Australian music sales charts, issued weekly by the Australian Recording Industry Association. The charts are a record of the highest selling singles and albums in various genres in Australia. ARIA commenced compiling its own charts in-house from the week ending 26 June... |
3 |
| German Albums Chart | 40 |
| New Zealand Albums Chart | 17 |
| Swiss Albums Chart | 53 |
| UK Albums Chart UK Albums Chart The UK Albums Chart is a list of albums ranked by physical and digital sales in the United Kingdom. It is compiled every week by The Official Charts Company and broadcast on a Sunday on BBC Radio 1 , and published in Music Week magazine and on the OCC website .To qualify for the UK albums chart... |
75 |
| US Billboard 200 Billboard 200 The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists... |
3 |
| Country | Sales |
|---|---|
| Australia Australian Recording Industry Association The Australian Recording Industry Association is a trade group representing the Australian recording industry which was established in 1983 by six major record companies, EMI, Festival, CBS, RCA, WEA and Universal replacing the Association of Australian Record Manufacturers which was formed in 1956... |
70,000 |
| United States Recording Industry Association of America The Recording Industry Association of America is a trade organization that represents the recording industry distributors in the United States... |
362,458 |
External links
- RobThomasMusic.com — Rob Thomas's official website