Joseph Arthur Come To Where I'm From CD

Personnel: Joseph Arthur; Ben Findlay (acoustic guitar); Nadia Lanman (cello); T Bone Burnett (piano); Rick Will (synthesizer); Carla Azar (drums, shaker, background vocals); Jim Keltner (drums); Marcus Dravs (programming); Stella (background vocals); Eugene.
Producers: T Bone Burnett, Joseph Arthur, Rick Will.
Personnel: Luvclaw (acoustic guitar, programming); Queenchina (cello); Yodaclaus (piano); Lovehammers (synthesizer); Darkstar (drums, background vocals); Nightime (drums); Siren (background vocals).
Audio Mixers: Rick "Soldier" Will; Tchad Blake.
Recording information: Sound City Studios, Van Nuys, CA; Sound City Sunset Sound Real World; Sunset Sound, Hollywood, CA.
Photographer: Anton Corbijn.
Unknown Contributor Roles: Eugene; Luvclaw.
With Come to Where I'm From, Joseph Arthur shows a willingness to ease up on the stifling angst that dominated his previous efforts. To be sure, the album still has more than its share of gut-wrenching misery -- there's no shortage of lines like "I feel like taking a razor blade and on my wrist write an invitation" -- but this time out, the anguish is balanced by healthy doses of self-awareness and a winking sense of humor. "Ashes Everywhere," a wistful guitar and harmonica breakup ballad, induces intentional chuckles with its meandering, dopey melody and lines like "I'm just trying to be all that I can be without destroying you or joining the army." In the ferocious and whimsical rap "Creation or a Stain" -- a strange sort of crossbreed of Beck, the Beastie Boys and OMC -- Arthur whines about "a guy in my head" and says, "I've come back from the dead so anything can happen/ I'm obsessed with tragic endings standing out like Eric Clapton." In addition to the somewhat lighter tone, Come to Where I'm From exhibits a more polished and accessible sound, without sacrificing the adventurous spirit that has been Arthur's greatest asset. Arthur undoubtedly benefited greatly from the shrewd ear of veteran producer T-Bone Burnett, a master of art-folk melancholy whose resumé includes records by the Wallflowers, Counting Crows, Elvis Costello, and Sam Phillips. Burnett's input seems to have had the effect of honing Arthur's untamed talent. The melodies are tighter and catchier, demonstrating more restraint without seeming constrained. The U2-influenced "Chemical" has the sound of an alternative-radio hit. Arthur, who once described his music as "someone trying to heal over experimental folk-rock," is clearly still hurting. But somehow it seems significant that he's now able to sing, "I'm trying to enjoy the pain." ~ Evan CaterEntertainment Weekly (12/29/00, p.138) - Ranked #1 Album of the Year in EW's Best of 2000.
Entertainment Weekly (4/21/00, pp.74-5) - "...As tastefully ravaged as its lyrics, a scorched landscape of murky atmospherics, unshaven guitars, and - surprise - delicately affecting melodies..." - Rating: A-
Q (7/00, p.110) - 4 stars out of 5 - "...Beautifully judged, almost dreamlike production. Made for nature's wounded, this is an album that's built to last a lifetime."
Magnet (6-7/00, p.68) - "...[He] makes the most of misery, doing so without ever dwindling into poetic blathering....Beautiful, brilliant and not to be forgotten."
CMJ (1/08/01, p.9) - Included in CMJ's "Best of the Year" for 2000.
CMJ (3/20/00, p.3) - "...a magestic rose in a field of beautifully exotic orchids....eclectic...compelling....a dozen haunting moodscapes using [Arthur's] brawny pop craft and relentless musicianship as faithful tools..."
Melody Maker (6/27/00, p.76) - 3.5 stars out of 5 - "...There are enough moments of lushly delivered melancholia to make this interesting in an Elliot-Smith-being-loud kinda way..."
Mojo (Publisher) (5/00, p.92) - "...A beautiful record....Arthur's strong melodies and arresting imagery always win through....unsettling, like Kurt Cobain unplugged and unhinged..."