Perfectly Clear
Perfectly Clear is the seventh studio album recorded by American singer Jewel. Her first album of country music, it was released on Valory Records (an imprint of Big Machine Records) on June 3, 2008 (see 2008 in country music).
Perfectly Clear | ||||
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Studio album by | ||||
Released | June 3, 2008 | |||
Recorded | Late 2006-Early 2008 | |||
Genre | Country | |||
Length | 40:45 | |||
Label | Valory | |||
Producer |
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Jewel chronology | ||||
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Singles from Perfectly Clear | ||||
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Aggregate scores | |
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Source | Rating |
Metacritic | (69/100) [1] |
Review scores | |
Source | Rating |
About.com | [2] |
Allmusic | [3] |
Billboard | (positive) [4] |
Entertainment Weekly | (B+)[5] |
Los Angeles Times | [6] |
The New York Times | (positive)[7] |
Rolling Stone | [8] |
Slant Magazine | [9] |
USA Today | [10] |
Album description
The album is composed of a mixture of new and old fan-favorite songs, although only one of the songs had previously appeared on one of her albums. "2 Become 1", from 0304 appeared in a new country version that was re-titled, "Two Become One".[11] Its lead single, "Stronger Woman", peaked at #13 on the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart.[12] John Rich, one half of the country rock duo Big & Rich, produced the album.[13]
"I Do", was released to country radio on June 23, 2008 as the album's second single, which peaked in the Top 40. "Till It Feels Like Cheating" was released on October 27, 2008 as the third single,[14] but only stayed on the charts for one week debuting and peaking at #57. Perfectly Clear debuted at #8 on the Billboard 200 with 48,000 copies.[15] The album was released in Australia on May 29, 2009.[16] It was released across Europe in June 2009.[17] The European edition also includes the video for the first single "Stronger Woman". As of June 2010, the album has sold 370,000 copies worldwide, including 240,000 in the U.S.[18]
Critical reception
The album received generally favorable reviews.[1] Rolling Stone magazine gave a mixed review, giving the album 2.5 stars out of 5. The reviewer said that "Jewel doesn't call upon the gritty storytelling of a real Nashville star […] the album is overcrowded by placid soft-rock tunes like "Two Become One" and "Anyone But You" with schmaltzy choruses and flavorless piano-laden verses."[8] Allmusic gave a mixed review too, giving the album 2 and half stars out of 5. The reviewer also criticized Rich's production and the "poppy, simple songs about relationships […] but it does mean it feels more like the Jewel that everybody came to love back in 1995[.]"[3]
A positive review came from Entertainment Weekly, which received the album well, calling Jewel an "earnest storyteller",[5] and Billboard magazine, which said that the album "is not only persuasive, but down-home, old-school country."[4] The New York Times gave the album an ambivalent review, saying that Jewel's voice was "sharp [and] assured" but criticizing the production.[7]
Track listing
- "Stronger Woman" (Jewel, Marv Green) – 4:02
- "I Do" (Jewel) – 4:04
- "Love Is a Garden" (Jewel, Shaye Smith) – 3:48
- "Rosey And Mick" (Jewel) – 3:36
- "Anyone But You" (Jewel, Wynn Varble) – 3:55
- "Thump Thump" (Jewel) – 3:57
- "Two Become One" (Jewel, Guy Chambers) – 3:44
- "Till It Feels Like Cheating" (Lisa Carver, Liz Rose) – 4:00
- "Everything Reminds Me of You" (Jewel, Joe Firstman) – 3:15
- "Loved By You (Cowboy Waltz)" (Jewel) – 3:28
- "Perfectly Clear" (Jewel) – 2:56
Personnel
- Steve Brewster - drums
- Mike Brignardello - bass guitar
- Eric Darken - percussion
- Jason Freese - mellotron, Hammond organ, synthesizer strings, Wurlitzer
- Wes Hightower - background vocals
- Jewel - acoustic guitar, lead vocals, background vocals
- Mike Johnson - pedal steel guitar
- Liana Manis - background vocals
- Ethan Pilzer - bass guitar
- John Rich - background vocals
- Mike Rojas - accordion, Hammond organ, piano, Wurlitzer
- Adam Shoenfeld - electric guitar
- Glenn Worf - bass guitar
- Jonathan Yudkin - banjo, bouzouki, dulcimer, fiddle, mandolin, viola
Charts
Weekly charts
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Year-end charts
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Singles
Year | Single | Chart positions | ||
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US Country | US | US Pop | ||
2008 | "Stronger Woman" | 13 | 84 | 95 |
"I Do" | 38 | — | — | |
"Till It Feels Like Cheating" | 57 | — | — |
Release history
Country | Date |
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United States | June 3, 2008 |
Canada | |
Australia | May 29, 2009 |
Austria | June 3, 2009 |
Germany | |
United Kingdom | June 22, 2009 |
Spain | |
Denmark |
References
- "Perfectly Clear Reviews, Ratings, Credits, and More at Metacritic". Metacritic. Retrieved April 29, 2012.
- "Jewel - Perfectly Clear". Countrymusic.about.com. 2008-06-03. Retrieved 2012-03-05.
- Perfectly Clear at AllMusic
- "Perfectly Clear". Billboard. 2008. Archived from the original on 2008-06-03. Retrieved 2012-05-14.
- Bierly, Mandi (June 6, 2008). "Music Review: Perfectly Clear, by Jewel". Entertainment Weekly.
- Appleford, Steve (June 3, 2008). "A change, maybe, but predictable". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on June 6, 2008. Retrieved April 29, 2012.
- Ratliff, Ben; Petrusich, Amanda; Caramanica, Jon; Chinen, Nate (June 2, 2008). "Still Holding on to the Feeling: Journey in 2008". The New York Times.
- Ganz, Caryn (June 12, 2008). "Perfectly Clear : Jewel : Review". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on May 29, 2008. Retrieved April 29, 2012.
- Keefe, Jonathan (June 1, 2008). "Jewel: Perfectly Clear". Slant Magazine. Retrieved August 28, 2013.
- Mansfield, Brian (June 9, 2008). "Jewel, Perfectly Clear: Country Roads, Take Me Home". USA Today.
- "Jewel, Brad Paisley To Tour Together". Billboard. Retrieved 2008-05-28.
- Billboard - Hot Country Songs - Stronger Woman Archived May 11, 2013, at the Wayback Machine
- Gold, Scott (May 25, 2008). "Jewel sees Nashville as a destination, not a detour". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 2008-05-28.
- "News : Headlines : BREAKING NEWS: Brad Paisley Arrested? : Great American Country". Gactv.com. 2008-10-20. Archived from the original on 2013-01-24. Retrieved 2012-03-05.
- "Disturbed Scores Third Straight No. 1 Album". Billboard.com. Retrieved 2012-05-14.
- Praxis Media. "Radio1 Rodos Greece ::: UK Forthcoming Albums ::: Charts, DJ Promos, Dance, Lyrics, Free Mp3 Samples Downloads". Radio1.gr. Retrieved 2012-03-05.
- http://www.billboard.com/articles/columns/chart-beat/957692/ask-billboard-jewel-ciara-ricky-martin
- "Response from ARIA re: chart inquiry, received 2017-01-20". imgur.com. Retrieved January 20, 2017.
- "Top 20 Country Chart - Australian Record Industry Association". Ariacharts.com.au. Archived from the original on May 13, 2012. Retrieved March 5, 2012.
- "Official UK Albums Top 100". Official Charts Company. June 28, 2009. Archived from the original on February 23, 2014. Retrieved December 31, 2016.
- "Jewel Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved December 6, 2020.
- "Jewel Chart History (Top Country Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved December 6, 2020.
- "Top Country Albums – Year-End 2008". Billboard. Retrieved December 6, 2020.