Hurricane (Eric Benét album)

Hurricane
Studio album by Eric Benét
Released June 21, 2005
Genre R&B, soul, quiet storm
Length 59:49
Label Friday, Reprise
Producer Walter Afanasieff, Eric Benét, Michael Carney, Hod David, Andy Duncan, David Foster, Humberto Gatica, George Nash, Jr., Demonté Posey, Drew Ramsey, Shannon Sanders
Eric Benét chronology

A Day in the Life
(1999)		 Hurricane
(2005)		 Love & Life
(2008)
Singles from Hurricane
  1. "I Wanna Be Loved"
    Released: May 10, 2005
  2. "Hurricane"
    Released: 2005
  3. "Pretty Baby"
    Released: June 6, 2006
Professional ratings
Review scores
Source Rating
Allmusic [1]
Mojo [2]
Vibe [3]
The Washington Post (favorable)[4]

Hurricane is the third studio album by American R&B recording artist Eric Benét, released June 21, 2005, on Friday Records, with distributing by Reprise Records.[5] It is the follow-up to his second album A Day in the Life (1999) and follows the shelving of his Better and Better project for Warner Bros. Records. Recorded at various recording studios, the album was written and produced by Benét with several other producers, including Walter Afanasieff, Michael Carney, Hod David, David Foster, George Nash, Jr., and Demonté Posey.

Recording

Recording sessions for the album took place at various recording locations, including the Hit Factory in New York, New York, Bowery Digital, Chalice Studios, Ocean Way Studio, The Studio, Warner Bros. Sound Stage, and Westlake Audio in Los Angeles, California, Chartmaker Studios, Drew's Groove Studios, Panic Room, and Soundstage Studio in Nashville, Tennessee, Jade Studios and Jupiter Studios in Franklin, Tennessee, and Eastman Scoring Stage in Burbank, California.[2] Production was handled by Benét and several other record producers, including Walter Afanasieff, Michael Carney, Hod David, Dave Foster, George Nash, Jr., and Demonté Posey.[6]

Composition

Hurricane incorporates musical elements of gospel and contributions from jazz musicians Roy Hargrove, Chris Botti, and Viktor Krauss.[4] A departure from the jazzy, groove-based urban sound of Benét's previous work, the album features an adult contemporary style with sweeping strings, layered vocals, and nimble acoustic guitars.[7] According to Rashod D. Ollison of The Washington Post, "Hurricane is lush in spots, the overall sound more in the adult contemporary vein. More Christopher Cross, less R. Kelly".[7]

Reception

Allmusic writer Stephen Thomas Erlewine gave it three-and-a-half out of four stars and commented that "The quiet storm is well performed but dull, yet the Prince-styled numbers are engaging, melodic, and nimble, strong showcases for Benet's mellow skills".[1] Mojo gave the album three out of five stars and called it "a very palatable collection of self-penned confessional songs".[2] Laura Checkoway of Vibe called it "an uneven mix of simplistic sentimentality", stating "Reflective and repentant at times, Hurricane is more likely to sing you to sleep than knock you off your feet".[3] The Washington Post commented favorably on the album's themes of "healing and redemption", and stated "The spiritual tone often brings out the best in [Eric Benet]'s supple tenor on 'In The End' and other tracks".[4]

Track listing

No. TitleWriter(s)Producer(s) Length
1. "Be Myself Again"  Eric Benét, Hod David, Andrew WyattEric Benét, Hod David 3:21
2. "Pretty Baby"  Benét, George Nash, Jr., Demonté PoseyDemonté Posey, Eric Benét, George Nash, Jr. 4:56
3. "Hurricane"  Benét, David FosterDavid Foster, Humberto Gatica 4:40
4. "Where Does the Love Go"  Benét, David, WyattHod David 4:13
5. "My Prayer"  Walter Afanasieff, Benét, John LangWalter Afanasieff 5:09
6. "Man Enough to Cry"  Benét, Dean ParksDavid Foster, Humberto Gatica 4:13
7. "I Know"  Benét, Drew Ramsey, Shannon SaundersDrew Ramsey, Shannon Saunders 3:43
8. "India"  Benét, Parks, Danny PeckWalter Afanasieff 4:08
9. "The Last Time"  Benét, Amy Foster-Gillies, FosterDavid Foster, Humberto Gatica 3:41
10. "In the End"  Benét, Neal Larson, Linda ThompsonWalter Afanasieff 3:43
11. "Making Love"  Benét, Michael Carney, Andy DuncanAndy Duncan, Eric Benét, Michael Carney 4:23
12. "Cracks of My Broken Heart"  Afanasieff, Benét, Tim Blixseth, Jonathan ClarkWalter Afanasieff 4:36
13. "I Wanna Be Loved"  Benét, PoseyDemonté Posey, Eric Benét 4:38
14. "Still with You"  Afanasieff, Benét, BlixsethWalter Afanasieff 4:40

Personnel

Credits for Hurricane adapted from Allmusic.[6]

Musicians

  • Spanky Alford – guitar, soloist
  • Eric Benét – audio production, vocal bass, percussion, producer, vocals
  • Chris Boardman – string arrangements
  • Chris Botti – soloist, trumpet
  • Randall Bowland – guitar
  • David Campbell – string arrangements
  • Vinnie Colaiuta – drums
  • Larry Corbett – cello
  • Nathan East – bass
  • Larry Gold – string arrangements
  • Anthony Johnson – drums
  • Jef Lee Johnson – guitar
  • Viktor Krauss – bass

  • Frank Lacy – horn
  • Michael Landau – electric guitar
  • Lucia Micarelli – violin
  • Brian Frazier Moore – drums
  • Dan Needham – drums
  • Pino Palladino – bass
  • Dean Parks – guitar
  • Van Dyke Parks – arranger, conductor
  • Tim Pierce – guitar
  • James Poyser – keyboards
  • William Ross – arranger, conductor
  • Jacques Schwarz-Bart – horn
  • Norbert Stachel – saxophone

Production

  • Walter Afanasieff – arranger, audio production, keyboards, producer, programming
  • Steve B. – engineer
  • Tim Blixseth – executive producer
  • Lee Bridges – assistant
  • Michael Carney – audio production, producer
  • Hod David – audio production, bass, drums, guitar, mixing, producer
  • Kevin "KD" Davis – mixing
  • Rich Davis – production coordination
  • Neil Devor – engineer
  • Andy Duncan – audio production, engineer, guitar, mixing, producer
  • Danny Duncan – engineer
  • Olivia Fischa – make-up
  • Dave Foster – arranger, keyboards, producer, string arrangements
  • David Foster – audio production, keyboards
  • Humberto Gatica – audio production, engineer, mixing, producer
  • Bernie Grundman – mastering
  • Dawn Haynes – stylist
  • Kaori Kinoshita – assistant engineer
  • Emanuel Kiriakou – digital editing, engineer, programming
  • Manny Marroquin – mixing

  • George Nash, Jr. – audio production, producer
  • Mike O'Connor – engineer
  • Juan Patino – mixing, percussion
  • Csaba Petocz – engineer
  • Kathleen Philpott – design
  • Demonté Posey – audio production, keyboards, organ, producer
  • Drew Ramsey – audio production
  • Alejandro Rodriguez – engineer
  • Alex Rodriguez – assistant engineer
  • Aldo Ruggiero – assistant
  • Jochem van der Saag – programming
  • Shannon Sanders – audio production, organ, piano, producer, programming, synthesizer
  • F. Reid Shippen – mixing
  • John Sneltz – engineer
  • Jorge Vivo – engineer
  • Stephen Walker – art direction, design
  • Shelley Wiseman – production coordination
  • Joe Wohlmuth – engineer
  • Patrick Woodward – engineer, mixing
  • Andrew Wyatt – engineer

Charts

Chart (2010) Peak
Position
US Billboard 200[8] 133
US Billboard Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums[9] 27

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 Erlewine, Stephen Thomas (2005). Review: Hurricane. Allmusic. Retrieved on 2011-01-16.
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 Product Notes – Hurricane. Muze. Retrieved on 2011-01-16.
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 Checkoway, Laura (August 2005). "Review: Hurricane". Vibe: 148.
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 Columnist (August 12, 2005). "Review: Hurricane". The Washington Post: T.06.
  5. ↑ Mitchell, Gail (September 3, 2005). Rhythm & Blues – Stormy Days for Benét. Billboard: 80. Retrieved on 2011-06-08.
  6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 Credits: Hurricane. Allmusic. Retrieved on 2011-01-16.
  7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 Ollison, Rashod D. (August 11, 2005). "Eric Benet Is Back, But So Is His Baggage". The Washington Post: 18.T.
  8. ↑ Eric Benét Album & Song Chart History – Billboard 200. Billboard. Retrieved on 2011-01-16.
  9. ↑ Eric Benét Album & Song Chart History – R&B/Hip-Hop Albums. Billboard. Retrieved on 2011-01-16.

External links