Lessons to Be Learned

Lessons to Be Learned is the debut album by Australian singer-songwriter Gabriella Cilmi. It was released in the United Kingdom on 31 March 2008 by Island Records and in Australia on 10 May 2008 by Mushroom Records. Co-written and produced by the team Xenomania, the album takes its title from a line in the song "Sweet About Me", which became a worldwide hit.

Lessons to Be Learned
Studio album by
Gabriella Cilmi
Released31 March 2008 (2008-03-31)
Recorded2005–2008; Kent, England
GenrePop, rock[1]
Length37:46 (standard edition)
LabelIsland
ProducerBrian Higgins, Xenomania
Gabriella Cilmi chronology
Lessons to Be Learned
(2008)		 Ronnie Scott's Live Session
(2008)
Alternative cover
US cover and European deluxe edition cover
Singles from Lessons to Be Learned
  1. "Sanctuary"
    Released: 12 December 2007
  2. "Sweet About Me"
    Released: 17 March 2008
  3. "Don't Wanna Go to Bed Now"
    Released: 21 July 2008
  4. "Save the Lies"
    Released: 18 August 2008
  5. "Warm This Winter"
    Released: 15 December 2008

Background

Speaking in July 2008 to Pete Lewis of the magazine Blues & Soul, Cilmi explained the meaning behind the album title:

I guess the title 'Lessons To Be Learned' has always been a line that jumped out from the single 'Sweet About Me'. Plus it kinda sums up the whole experience for me, because I've been recording this album for three years - I started when I was 13! So, during its making, I had to learn so many things! I moved from Melbourne to London last year. So I had to learn how to communicate with adults and just get my opinion across really fast, as well as learn just basic everyday things like how to catch tubes![2]

Several different versions of the album have been released with varying track lists, without there being one edition including all released tracks. On some early printings, "Messy" was not included. Tracks such as "Round and Round", "Sorry" and "Warm This Winter" were included as bonus tracks on only some editions of the album. A track titled "Sad Sad World" appeared only on a promotional UK version of the album.

Critical reception
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[3]
BBC Music(mixed)[4]
Daily Music Guide[5]
PopMatters[6]
Sputnikmusic[7]
The Times[8]

Lessons to Be Learned received generally mixed reviews from critics. Sharon Mawer from AllMusic called it "a good debut album" and praised Cilmi's "confidence" and range of styles, however did not feel the album was original, saying "it had all been heard before, many times in a crowded market". Mawer also compared her vocals and styles to artists including Anastacia, Joss Stone, Kylie Minogue, and Duffy.[3] Daily Music Guide gave the album a generally mixed-to-negative review, calling "Sweet About Me" "slightly irritating" and also noted "if you expected ["Sweet About Me"] to give you a preview of what her debut album might sound like, you would be wrong". "Save the Lies" and "Sit in the Blues" were considered highlights of the album, while "Awkward Game" and "Einstein" were criticised for having "too much gloss".[5]

Mike Joseph from PopMatters considered Cilmi an Amy Winehouse clone, yet without "a fraction of the wit or lived-in soulfulness that Back to Black (or even Winehouse's debut, Frank) possessed." Joseph also said he found himself "praying Lessons to Be Learned will end quickly". He highlighted "Safer" and "Sit in the Blues", but compared Cilmi negatively to fellow artists such as Winehouse, Adele and Duffy.[6] Jake C. Taylor of Sputnikmusic gave the album a generally positive review, summarising: "With an excellent blend of pop rock, jazz, blues and soul, Lessons to Be Learned is fun, engaging and wonderful listen from an upcoming star, whose vocal techniques are simply wonderful." He, however, criticised Cilmi as having little that separates her from her competing peers.[7]

Track listing
Standard edition
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Save the Lies"Gabriella Cilmi, Miranda Cooper, Brian Higgins, Tim Powell, Bob Bradley, Saint Etienne3:38
2."Sweet About Me"Cilmi, Cooper, Higgins, Tim Larcombe3:23
3."Sanctuary"Cilmi, Cooper, Higgins3:28
4."Einstein"Cilmi, Cooper, Higgins, Larcombe3:39
5."Got No Place to Go"Cilmi, Cooper, Higgins, Powell, Nick Coler3:23
6."Don't Wanna Go to Bed Now"Cilmi, Cooper, Higgins, Powell, Coler, Shawn Lee3:09
7."Messy" (not included on early printings)Cilmi, Cooper, Higgins3:54
8."Awkward Game"Cilmi, Cooper, Higgins, Powell, Lee3:28
9."Safer"Cilmi, Cooper, Higgins, Coler, Lee3:24
10."Cigarettes and Lies"Cilmi, Cooper, Higgins2:51
11."Terrifying"Cilmi, Cooper, Higgins2:37
12."Sit in the Blues"Cilmi, Cooper, Higgins, Larcombe, Mike Christer3:23
Australian bonus track
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
13."Sorry"Cilmi, Adrian Hannan, Barbara Hannan3:29
UK and Brazilian bonus track
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
13."Echo Beach"Mark Gane3:27
Australian special edition bonus disc
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Sanctuary" (live acoustic)Cilmi, Cooper, Higgins3:32
2."Sweet About Me" (live from the Alice Sessions)Cilmi, Cooper, Higgins, Larcombe3:40
3."Cigarettes and Lies" (live acoustic)Cilmi, Cooper, Higgins3:06
4."Awkward Game" (live acoustic)Cilmi, Cooper, Higgins, Powell, Lee3:45
5."Cry Me a River" (live from the Alice Sessions)Justin Timberlake, Timothy Mosley, Scott Storch3:38
6."Got No Place to Go" (live acoustic)Cilmi, Cooper, Higgins, Powell, Coler3:10
7."Save the Lies" (live acoustic)Cilmi, Cooper, Higgins, Powell, Bradley, Saint Etienne3:35
8."Terrifying" (live acoustic)Cilmi, Cooper, Higgins3:46
9."Safer" (live acoustic)Cilmi, Cooper, Higgins, Coler, Lee3:44
European deluxe edition
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
13."Sweet About Me" (acoustic)Cilmi, Cooper, Higgins, Larcombe3:42
14."Cry Me a River" (acoustic)Timberlake, Mosley, Storch3:41
15."Round and Round"Cilmi, Cooper, Higgins3:39
16."Echo Beach"Mark Gane3:21
UK deluxe edition
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
13."Sweet About Me" (acoustic)Cilmi, Cooper, Higgins, Larcombe3:42
14."Cry Me a River" (acoustic)Timberlake, Mosley, Storch3:41
15."Round and Round"Cilmi, Cooper, Higgins3:39
16."Warm This Winter"Hank Hunter, Mark Barkan2:31
17."Echo Beach"Mark Gane3:21
US edition
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Got No Place to Go"Cilmi, Cooper, Higgins, Powell, Coler3:21
2."Sweet About Me"Cilmi, Cooper, Higgins, Larcombe3:22
3."Sanctuary"Cilmi, Cooper, Higgins3:27
4."Einstein"Cilmi, Cooper, Higgins, Larcombe3:38
5."Save the Lies"Cilmi, Cooper, Higgins, Powell, Bradley, Saint Etienne3:38
6."Round and Round"Cilmi, Cooper, Higgins3:39
7."Awkward Game"Cilmi, Cooper, Higgins, Powell, Lee3:28
8."Cigarettes and Lies"Cilmi, Cooper, Higgins2:51
9."Terrifying"Cilmi, Cooper, Higgins2:37
10."Safer"Cilmi, Cooper, Higgins, Coler, Lee3:24
11."Sit in the Blues"Cilmi, Cooper, Higgins, Larcombe, Christer3:23

Charts

Release history
Region Date Label Format Catalogue
United Kingdom 31 March 2008[26] Island CD, digital download 1763307
Australia 10 May 2008[27] Mushroom 5144275002
New Zealand 12 May 2008 Warner Bros. 5144275002
Europe 20 June 2008 Island 060251773945
Brazil 10 September 2008 Universal CD 602517739468
Australia (deluxe edition) 11 October 2008[28] Mushroom 5186504315
Poland 28 October 2008 Universal 1785089
United States 17 March 2009 Universal Republic B0012720-02

References
  1. "Lessons to be Learned". AllMusic. Retrieved 28 July 2018.
  2. Pete Lewis (2012). "Gabriella Cilmi: Lessons Learned". Blues & Soul Magazine. Retrieved 6 September 2012.
  3. AllMusic review
  4. Chris Jones (18 April 2008). "Gabriella Cilmi Lessons To Be Learned Review". BBC - Music. BBC. Retrieved 6 September 2012.
  5. David Spencer (30 November 2008). "Gabriella Cilmi - Lessons To Be Learned (Island)". DailyMusicGuide. Archived from the original on 12 March 2012. Retrieved 6 September 2012.
  6. Mike Joseph (20 May 2009). "Gabriella Cilmi: Lessons to Be Learned". PopMatters. PopMatters Media, Inc. Retrieved 6 September 2012.
  7. Sputnikmusic review
  8. The Times review
  9. "Gabriella Cilmi – Lessons To Be Learned – Music Charts". αCharts.us. Retrieved 18 August 2009.
  10. "ultratop.be – Gabriella Cilmi – Lessons To Be Learned". Ultratop (in French). Retrieved 18 August 2009.
  11. "European Top 100 Albums – Chart Listing For The Week Of Aug 23 2008". Billboard. Nielsen Business Media, Inc. Archived from the original on 2 October 2011. Retrieved 18 August 2009.
  12. "Artisti – Classifica settimanale dal 25-07-2008 al 31-07-2008". Federation of the Italian Music Industry (in Italian). Archived from the original on 23 February 2012. Retrieved 18 August 2009.
  13. "The Official Charts Company – Gabriella Cilmi – Lessons To Be Learned – Deluxe Edition". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 18 August 2009.
  14. "Lessons to Be Learned > Charts & Awards > Billboard Albums". Allmusic. Retrieved 18 August 2009.
  15. "ARIA Charts – End Of Year Charts – Top 100 Albums 2004". Australian Recording Industry Association. Archived from the original on 6 July 2011. Retrieved 18 August 2009.
  16. "Jahreshitparade 2008 – austriancharts.at" (in German). austriancharts.at. Archived from the original on 17 September 2011. Retrieved 28 March 2010.
  17. "Jaaroverzichten 2008" (in Dutch). dutchcharts.nl. Archived from the original on 17 September 2011. Retrieved 18 August 2009.
  18. "Classement Albums – année 2008". Syndicat National de l'Édition Phonographique (in French). Archived from the original on 29 July 2012. Retrieved 18 August 2009.
  19. "Deutsche Alben-Charts 2008 (select "Deutsche Album-Charts", "Top 100" and "2008")" (in German). Charts-Surfer. Retrieved 28 March 2010.
  20. "Swiss Year-End Charts 2008". swisscharts.com. Archived from the original on 13 February 2010. Retrieved 18 August 2009.
  21. "UK Year-End Charts 2008" (PDF). The Official Charts Company. ChartsPlus. Retrieved 18 August 2009.
  22. "ARIA Charts – Accreditations – 2008 Albums". Australian Recording Industry Association. Archived from the original on 10 August 2020.
  23. "Les Meilleurs Ventes de CD (Albums) en 2008". Archived from the original on 18 October 2011.
  24. "Gold-/Platin-Datenbank (Gabriella Cilmi; 'Lessons to Be Learned')" (in German). Bundesverband Musikindustrie.
  25. "The Official Swiss Charts and Music Community: Awards (Gabriella Cilmi; 'Lessons to Be Learned')". IFPI Switzerland. Hung Medien.
  26. hmv.com: albums: Lessons To Be Learned (2008)
  27. "CILMI, GABRIELLA / LESSONS TO BE LEARNED". Archived from the original on 6 August 2008. Retrieved 31 March 2008.
  28. http://www.sanity.com.au/product/product.asp?sku=2116575
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