Bitter (Meshell Ndegeocello album)

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Bitter
Meshell Bitter album cover.jpg
Studio album by
Meshell Ndegéocello
ReleasedAugust 24, 1999
Recorded1997–99
Genre
Length47:36
LabelMaverick[1]
ProducerCraig Street[2]
Meshell Ndegéocello chronology
Peace Beyond Passion
(1996) 		Bitter
(1999) 		Cookie: The Anthropological Mixtape
(2002)
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic4/5 stars[3]
Robert Christgau(3-star Honorable Mention)(3-star Honorable Mention)(3-star Honorable Mention)[4]
Entertainment WeeklyA[5]
Rolling Stone3.5/5 stars[6]
Spin5/10[7]

Bitter is the third album by Meshell Ndegeocello.[8] It was released on August 24, 1999, on Maverick Records. The album peaked at #105 on the Billboard Top 200 in 1999.[9] The album also peaked at #13 on Billboard's Top Internet Albums chart and #40 on Billboard's R&B Albums chart.

Critical reception[]

Billboard called the album "a modern masterpiece," writing that it "shines for its sonic presence as well as its inherent musical quality."[2] The New York Times wrote that "its rhythms flow in circulatory patterns guided by Ms. Ndegeocello's bass playing; guitars, strings and her guarded vocals intertwine like brain waves."[10] The Chicago Tribune called it "one long bittersweet downer."[1] Vibe called Bitter the "Album of the Year."[11] The Hartford Courant wrote that "though Bitter attempts to explore ambitious life themes about loyalty, faith, love and beauty, it instead commits the mortal sin of dullness."[12]

Track listing[]

  1. "Adam" (Meshell Ndegéocello) – 2:24
  2. "Fool of Me" (Ndegéocello, Federico González Peña) – 3:30
  3. "Faithful" (Ndegéocello, David Gamson) – 4:46
  4. "Satisfy" (Ndegéocello, Peña) – 4:05
  5. "Bitter" (Ndegéocello) – 4:15
  6. "May This Be Love" (Jimi Hendrix) – 5:17
  7. "Sincerity" (Ndegéocello, Doyle Bramhall II) – 5:30
  8. "Loyalty" (Ndegéocello, Allen Cato) – 4:20
  9. "Beautiful" (Ndegéocello) – 2:44
  10. "Eve" (David Torn, Roger Moutenot) – 1:23
  11. "Wasted Time" (Ndegéocello) – 4:55
  12. "Grace" (Ndegéocello) – 4:27

Personnel[]

Musicians[]

(instruments are not stated in the booklet)

Technical[]

  • Craig Street – producer
  • Dusty Wakeman – engineer (Mad Dog Studios, Burbank, Ca.)
  • S. Husky Höskulds - engineer for additional recordings (Sunset Sound Factory, Los Angeles, Ca.)
  • Tom Schick – engineer for additional recordings (Sear Sound, New York, N.Y.)
  • Elijah Bradford, Rafael Serrano, Chris Ribando, Joseph Turner – second engineers
  • Roger Moutenot – mixing (Sunset Sound Factory, L.A.)
  • Joseph Turner – mixing assistant
  • Greg Calbi – mastering (Sterling Sound, N.Y.)
  • Paul Thompson – production assistant
  • Kai Morrison – project coordination
  • Kevin Reagan – art direction, design
  • Gail Swanlund – design
  • Sheryl Nields – photography

References[]

  1. ^ Jump up to: a b Kot, Greg. "Meshell NdegeocelloBitter (Maverick)Instead of bringing the boho-flavored,..." chicagotribune.com.
  2. ^ Jump up to: a b "Reviews & Previews". Billboard. Nielsen Business Media, Inc. September 4, 1999 – via Google Books.
  3. ^ "Bitter - Meshell Ndegeocello | Songs, Reviews, Credits | AllMusic" – via www.allmusic.com.
  4. ^ "Robert Christgau: CG: Meshell". www.robertchristgau.com.
  5. ^ "Music Review: 'Bitter'". EW.com.
  6. ^ "Me'Shell Ndegeocello: Bitter : Music Reviews : Rolling Stone". October 1, 2007. Archived from the original on 2007-10-01.
  7. ^ "Reviews". SPIN. SPIN Media LLC. October 29, 1999 – via Google Books.
  8. ^ "Meshell Ndegeocello | Biography & History". AllMusic.
  9. ^ "MeShell Ndegeocello". Billboard.
  10. ^ Powers, Ann (October 8, 1999). "Album of the Week (Published 1999)" – via NYTimes.com.
  11. ^ "Revolutions". Vibe. Vibe Media Group. September 29, 1999 – via Google Books.
  12. ^ MCGARITY, NEAL. "BITTER -- ME'SHELL NDEGEOCELLO". courant.com.
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