A New Morning

Infobox Album | Name = A New Morning
Type = Album
Artist = Suede


Released = flagicon|UK September 30 2002
Recorded = 2002
Genre = Britpop
Length = --
Label = Columbia Records
Producer = Stephen Street, John Leckie, Dave Eringa
Reviews =
*Allmusic Rating|3.5|5 [http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=10:he881vy4zzua link]
*Pitchfork Media (6.9/10) [http://www.pitchforkmedia.com/article/record_review/22095-a-new-morning link]
Last album = "Head Music"
(1999)
This album = "A New Morning"
(2002)
Next album = "Singles"
(2003)
|

"A New Morning" is the fifth and final studio album by Suede, released in late 2002.

By the time the album was released, public interest in the band had waned, as shown by the poor charting of both the album and singles. Despite this, however, the album received moderate praise from critics and is generally liked by fans due to its warmer, and more simplistic sound (as opposed to "Head Music"). All the tracks were produced by Stephen Street, except "Positivity" which was produced by John Leckie, and "You Belong to Me" which was produced by Dave Eringa.

Background

The creation of Suede's fifth studio album "A New Morning", was long and costly. Following the release of their 1999 album "Head Music" and subsequent tour, keyboardist Neil Codling announced his departure from the group on March 23, 2001, citing problems with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome. [Cohen, Jonathan. [http://www.billboard.com/bbcom/search/google/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=805726 "Billboard Bits: Fatboy Slim, Suede, Keb' Mo'"] . billboard.com. March 23, 2001.] Singer Brett Anderson was furious at Codling's leaving, but understood the reasons behind his departure: "He couldn't help it, I know, but I did feel aggrieved. I felt let down. But more at the universe than at Neil."Raphael, Amy. [http://www.guardian.co.uk/theobserver/2002/sep/15/featuresreview.review3 "Waking Up to a New Morning..."] . guardian.co.uk. Sept 15, 2002.] Codling was replaced by former Strangelove keyboardist Alex Lee.

Anderson also had gotten sober for this record, overcoming his crack addiction and claiming that "A New Morning" was "the first ever Suede record that wasn’t influenced in its making by drugs".Author unknown. [http://www.nme.com/news/suede/12604 "The Drugs Don't Work"] . NME.com. Sept 24, 2002.]

The group originally began working with American producer Tony Hoffer, whom Anderson had originally met in a bathroom at Paisley Park in Minneapolis, Minnesota.Author unknown. [http://www.nme.com/news/suede/8346 "Brett Anderson - Toilet (Banter) Trader!"] . NME.com. June 27, 2001.] The two hit it off, finding several common musical interests so Anderson asked for Hoffer's input on some the group's recent work.

Although the group recorded 10 songs that Anderson said were the "best we've written"Author unknown. [http://www.nme.com/news/suede/8998 "Cred Music!"] . NME.com. Aug 16, 2001.] with Hoffer, most of the material described as "electronic folk" recorded with him producing was scrapped.Rutherford, Dani. [http://www.xfm.co.uk/Suedes-New-Morning "Suede's 'New Morning'"] . xfm.co.uk. July 2, 2003.] The group ultimately decided to work with Stephen Street for the album, and recorded most of the released material with him in two months.Author unknown. [http://www.nme.com/news/suede/11393 "'Morning' Glory!"] . NME.com. Apr 30, 2002.]

Overall, seven different recording studios and four producers were used during the two year recording span for "A New Morning", and costs estimated at around £1 million. Street stated that the album was a return to classic song construction, and bassist Mat Osman said that lyrically "A New Morning" is " [V] ery positive and upbeat".

Reaction

The lead single for the album was "Positivity", which received a large amount of criticism from fans and the press. [http://www.brettanderson.co.uk/forum/read.php?2,66712,page=4 Post by Brett Anderson on Nov 8, 2007] . brettanderson.co.uk. "Last Accessed Aug 28, 2008".] "NME" writer Julian Marshall wrote that "Positivity" was " [G] reeted with an apathetic shrug by everyone but the most devoted".Marshall, Julian. [http://www.nme.com/reviews/suede/6836 "Suede: Obsessions"] , NME.com. November 21, 2002.] Although it peaked at #16 on the charts and Anderson initially felt happy about the song, his feelings towards it would change in time. He later said of "Positivity" that "When I first wrote it I thought it was a masterpiece but soon realized that many people were genuinely offended by it." He would also go on to say "...If there was ever just one song that destroyed a band then it was 'Positivity' with Suede."

"Obsessions" was the second single released and despite being better received than "Positivity", the song charted at a lower position and was ultimately the final single released from the album.

"A New Morning" failed to crack the British Top 20, peaking at #24, which was the lowest chart position for the group at that time. The album remains the only studio album from Suede's catalog not to be released in the U.S. [Carpenter, Troy. [http://www.billboard.com/bbcom/search/google/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1885938 "Billboard Bits: Memorial Day, Anastasio, Suede] ". billboard.com. May 12, 2003.]

Aftermath

Suede released a compilation album "Singles" in 2003 which featured two new songs, "Love the Way You Love Me" and the single "Attitude".

Shortly after the release of "Singles" the group issued a joint statement on November 5 explaining that outside of the remaing dates on their current tour, that Suede would not be working together for the foreseeable future: "Suede would like to announce that from next year (2004) they will be working on their own individual projects."Author unknown. [http://www.nme.com/news/suede/15465 "Suede Split"] . NME.com. Nov 6, 2003.] The announcement confirmed rumors of the group splitting up since the release of "A New Morning".

Anderson later stated that he felt he had to break out of Suede as he was in an artistic dead end and needed to do " [W] hatever it takes to get my demon back." [Author unknown. [http://www.nme.com/news/suede/15651 "Rarities CD for Suede Fanclub Members"] . NME.com. Dec 1, 2003.]

Track listing

#"Positivity" (Brett Anderson, Richard Oakes, Simon Gilbert, Mat Osman, Neil Codling) – 2:56
#"Obsessions" (Anderson, Oakes) – 4:11
#"Lonely Girls" (Anderson, Codling) – 3:13
#"Lost in TV" (Anderson, Osman) – 3:40
#"Beautiful Loser" (Anderson, Alex Lee, Oakes) – 3:38
#"Streetlife" (Anderson, Lee) – 2:51
#"Astrogirl" (Anderson, Lee) – 4:35
#"Untitled... Morning" (Anderson, Oakes) – 6:01
#"One Hit to the Body" (Anderson, Oakes, Codling) – 3:07
#"When the Rain Falls" (Anderson) – 4:48
#"You Belong to Me" (Anderson) – 17:29
#*"Oceans," a hidden track, starts at around the 13:30 mark.

UK singles charting

* 2002 "Positivity" No. 16
* 2002 "Obsessions" No. 29

References