Heroes & Thieves
Encyclopedia
Heroes & Thieves is the third album
by Vanessa Carlton
, released by The Inc. Records
on October 9, 2007 (see 2007 in music
). It is co-produced by Irv Gotti, Linda Perry
and Third Eye Blind
lead singer Stephan Jenkins
, who produced Carlton's second album, Harmonium
(2004), and Carlton co-wrote the tracks with Perry and Jenkins. It is Carlton's first album on The Inc. Records, after Irv Gotti signed her to a record deal there in late 2006, and Gotti has said that Heroes & Thieves is the first album on which he is acting as "co-pilot" rather than "dictator".
The album itself was a commercial failure, becoming her first not to enter the Top 40 of the Billboard 200
. Selling just over 18,000 copies in its first week of release, the album is Carlton's lowest selling album to date. As of 2011, the album has sold approximately 75,000 copies in the United States
. Due to its commercial failure, the album only spawned two singles. The first, Nolita Fairytale
, was a minor success for Carlton, reaching the Top 40 in the United Kingdom
, as well as having minor radio success in the United States
. The follow up single, Hands On Me
, was more successful, reaching the Top 40 in Australia
, as well as becoming her first song in five years to chart in New Zealand
. Although it was a commercial failure in the US, it did receive minimal airplay on mainstream radio.
Despite minimal chart success, the album was a critical success, becoming Carlton's highest rated album on Metacritic
, with a 78% approval rate. Allmusic awarded the album three and a half stars, while PopMatters
rated the album an eight out of a possible ten. USA Today
also praised the album, awarding it three out of four stars. Slant Magazine awarded the album three out of five stars, and the Philadelphia Daily News
rated the album at a "B".
: "It's Now", "Summer Child" (alternatively titled "Tuesday") and "Underneath". In May 2005, in a post on her official site's forum, Carlton said to her fans that she would be releasing a third album in 2006, although she added "most people will know it as my second!" because of a perceived lack of commitment to Harmonium at her then-current label, A&M Records
. During her Harmonium tour, Carlton debuted three new songs in June 2005 at The Living Room in New York City: "Put Your Hands on Me", "This Time" (co-written with Linda Perry
) and "The One". (For the release of the album, the title of "Put Your Hands on Me" was shortened to "Hands on Me" because Joss Stone
has a song with the original title on her 2007 album, Introducing Joss Stone
.) When on tour with rock singer Stevie Nicks
in 2005 and 2006, Carlton premiered the songs "Best Behavior" and "All Is Well". (Nicks recorded backing vocals for the track "The One".)
In December 2005, they completed half the album and experienced what Carlton described as a "whirlwind moment", during which they recorded five songs in two weeks. Carlton said on her website that Perry was "fantastic and genuine and really inspiring". Mastering
work on the album was proceeding by February 2006, when Billboard
magazine quoted a spokesperson for Carlton as saying that Stephan Jenkins and several "departure producers" had contributed to the album. According to Carlton, she recorded most of the album in a Victorian
mansion with Jenkins in San Francisco. She told her fans in September that she was writing songs in the city, and the following month, after signing with The Inc. Records, she said she would return to the studio in Los Angeles to record more songs. The head of The Inc., Irv Gotti, helped to produce the album and said that 7 Aurelius
and Rick Rubin
would also serve as co-producers, though neither are credited in the album's liner notes
.
Carlton said she was inspired by the atmosphere of her New York City
loft apartment, including the view from her window, and by her thoughts during long walks around the Nolita neighborhood — "I was very inspired by the vibe here ... There really is a very deep, underlying connection between this space and my record." Another inspiration was metaphor
s in German fairy tales
such as Little Red Riding Hood
, the theme of which she said she adapted for the album: "The moral of that story is to never stray from the beaten path or you'll get eaten by a wolf. And, of course, in the past few years, I've really strayed from the beaten path and reaped the rewards. Instead of being eaten by the wolf, I've tamed the wolf, and it does what I say." The album was influenced by Carlton's breakup with its co-producer, Stephan Jenkins, and Carlton said that one of the reasons they remained friends was that "nothing took precedence over the music ... No matter what was going on in the emotional realm, all we cared about was the album. It created this kinetic environment that was kind of like Fleetwood Mac
. It made for better music."
Carlton said the song "Nolita Fairytale
" is about her life in Nolita, and in her words, "the series of revelations I have had over the past few years." She called the song "Heroes & Thieves" "a song about assessing, to put it in a dramatic way, the Heroes and Thieves in your life"; it is about her personal evolution, and her deciding how she wants to lead her life and the people with whom she wants to share it. The fourth song, "My Best", has been described by Carlton as "one of the most level-headed responses to a broken relationship [...] no matter what crimes are committed in any relationship that fell apart, you kind of always keep your promise to that person, those people in your past. If you were to serendipitously cross paths with them again, you would always be the best version of yourself and offer them your best." The track "The One", which features Stevie Nicks
, was inspired by conversations Carlton had with Nicks about relationships and the search for one true love. According to Irv Gotti, the ballad "Home" (which Carlton said she felt sad singing) was written about Stephan Jenkins, Carlton's partner at the time of its writing, although he added that "Vanessa's found home in her music, and home can be anything for people: a boyfriend, husband, child, mother ... what home can represent makes it such an enormous record. That record is very special to me." The closing track, "More Than This", documents a relationship in which Carlton felt the other party "can never have enough. It's like if they don't want peace, it would just be peaceful. The song is saying how you could experience euphoria if, in this moment, you decided you didn't need any more than this. But I don't know ... Maybe it's hard to actively make that decision."
reported in June 2007 that the album was to be released on October 9, that the first single was "Nolita Fairytale
", and that the second single may be "Hands on Me". Heroes & Thieves is also Carlton's first album on the Universal Motown music label, after she parted ways with A&M Records
in 2004. In a November interview with Vibe magazine, Irv Gotti said of the response to Carlton's signing with the predominantly R&B
and hip hop
label The Inc.:
It was reported in October 2007 that Carlton would embark on a concert tour, the Haunted Club Tour, from November 2 (Scottsdale
, Arizona
, U.S.) to November 24 (Montreal
, Quebec
, Canada
). Carlton said that a guitarist and a violinist would accompany her. During the tour, she said that the music video for the second single, "Hands on Me", would be filmed in December, after which she would undertake a larger scale tour with a full band. Also by December, she was playing a series of live shows in association with radio station
s."Hands on Me" gained promotional support when it was prominently featured in promotional commercials for the CW show Gossip Girl
. A stripped down version of the album track More Than This appears on the compilation Songs for Tibet.
. Released on July 17, 2007 the single was met with generally favorable reviews. The single was a commercial failure however, failing to chart on any major charts. It did, however, appear on the Billboard Hot Adult Top 40 Tracks
, peaking at number 26. The video premiered on AOL Music on August 22. It debuted at number eleven on VH1
's television show VSpot Top 20 Countdown
, and peaked at number five. Hands On Me
was released as the album's official second single. The single was as unsuccessful as her previous single, only peaking at number 30 on the US Billboard Hot Adult Top 40 Tracks
, The album received a 79/100 score based on 8 critical reviews, indicating "generally favorable reviews". Allmusic praised the album, stating "Given this sophomore slump, it's not entirely surprising that for her third album, 2007's Heroes & Thieves, she's elected for a compromise between the two extremes: embracing the soft pop that brought her fame without rejecting the confessionals that distinguished her second. Some of this is merely straightforward heartache -- after the 2004 release of Harmonium, Carlton parted ways with Stephan Jenkins, the Third Eye Blind leader who produced the album -- but there are other matters on her mind, as evidenced by the mother-daughter saga "Spring Street" and the line about losing her record deal on the album's opening song and single, "Nolita Fairytale." True, she's moved from A&M to the rap-identified The Inc., but this isn't as drastic a change as it seems: the two labels are within the Universal umbrella, and Carlton has hardly gone hip-hop here. Instead, Heroes & Thieves delivers the expected, even more so than her second album: sweeping gusts of piano, sounds that feel dramatic but not weighty. Like on Be Not Nobody, there's a sense of lightness to Carlton's writing—even if things get a little sad here, they're not gloomy—which not only makes her accessible, it means that it's as easy to take this as mood music as it is for introspection. That Carlton doesn't quite provide incentive to dig deeper could be called a flaw—her voice is too sweet and girlish to command, her melodies mellifluous but not grabbing—but Heroes & Thieves flows easily, and it's a nice return to the strengths of her debut."
PopMatters
also praised the album, commenting "Heroes & Thieves isn’t a perfect album and sometimes gets too idiosyncratic and precious for its own good. It’s already spawned its share of detractors, specifically reviewers who question whether Carlton has the vocal goods to pull off some of the more complicated numbers. I think her imperfect singing keeps her sounding human and give her props for not messing with a pitch correction program. And if you feel the same, well, maybe you too should start thinking you might have a problem with ‘Nessa addiction. See you at the next ‘Nessaholics meeting." Slant Magazine gave the album a mixed review in their review, saying "Carlton's voice continues to mature (there's a gritty quality to her vocals on songs like "Fools Like Me," and the earthiness of guest Stevie Nicks's alto harmonies on the country-leaning "The One" tempers Carlton's more reedy lead vocal), but the material in general isn't exactly what you'd expect from an artist who left the nest in search of creative freedom and appreciation, making Heroes & Thieves somewhat less rewarding than her last album."
Entertainment Weekly
praised the album, stating "With a youthful voice and a predilection for flowery lyrics, the 27-year-old still comes off as an angst-afflicted teenager adapting her diary into song — even though she's now rhapsodizing about adult stuff like rent-controlled apartments (Nolita Fairytale) and temp work (Hands on Me). This can be surprisingly touching and personal, as on the exuberant title track, or simply pretentious, as on Come Undone, where she muses, I'm a sycophantic courtier with an elegant repost. However precious her poetry can be, Carlton always pins it to melodies that morph and expand evocatively. Heroes climaxes grandly in the soaring ballad Home, followed by the choral volcano that is More Than This. As sappy as this combination is, the orchestral one-two punch is also inescapably moving. And it's the kind of thing Carlton does best — no matter what label she's on." The reviewer later awarded the album a "B" rating.
, selling 18,200 copies in its first week of release. As of June 2011, the album has sold approximately 75,000 copies in the United States and 203,000 worldwide.
Album
An album is a collection of recordings, released as a single package on gramophone record, cassette, compact disc, or via digital distribution. The word derives from the Latin word for list .Vinyl LP records have two sides, each comprising one half of the album...
by Vanessa Carlton
Vanessa Carlton
Vanessa Lee Carlton is an American singer-songwriter and musician. Upon completion of her education at the School of American Ballet, Carlton chose to pursue singing instead, performing in New York bars and clubs while attending university. Three months after recording a demo with producer Peter...
, released by The Inc. Records
The Inc. Records
The Inc. Records , is an American record label, owned by Irv Gotti.In 1999, Murder Inc. released its first album, Venni Vetti Vecci by Ja Rule. The album featured the hit single "Holla Holla". The album was executively produced by Irv Gotti and moved on to go platinum, which rose Ja Rule and...
on October 9, 2007 (see 2007 in music
2007 in music
This is a list of notable events in music that took place in the year 2007.-January:*January 1 - George Shearing is knighted for services to music in the Queen's New Year Honours List. Evelyn Glennie becomes a Dame...
). It is co-produced by Irv Gotti, Linda Perry
Linda Perry
Linda Perry is an American rock musician, songwriter, and record producer. Once best known as the lead singer and primary songwriter of 4 Non Blondes, Perry has founded two record labels and has become a major songwriter and producer...
and Third Eye Blind
Third Eye Blind
Third Eye Blind is an American alternative rock band formed in the early 1990s in San Francisco. The songwriting duo of Kevin Cadogan and Stephan Jenkins signed the band's first major label recording contract with Elektra records in 1996 resulting in two multi platinum albums. The band's lineup...
lead singer Stephan Jenkins
Stephan Jenkins
Stephan Douglas Jenkins , is an American musician best known as the lead singer, songwriter, and guitarist for Third Eye Blind. Under Jenkins's leadership, Third Eye Blind has sold over eight million copies of four albums: Third Eye Blind , Blue , Out of the Vein , and Ursa Major...
, who produced Carlton's second album, Harmonium
Harmonium (Vanessa Carlton album)
Harmonium is the second album by American pop singer-pianist Vanessa Carlton, released by A&M Records in the United States on November 9, 2004 . Carlton co-wrote some of the album with Stephan Jenkins, her then-boyfriend and the lead singer of Third Eye Blind, who produced the album. Harmonium...
(2004), and Carlton co-wrote the tracks with Perry and Jenkins. It is Carlton's first album on The Inc. Records, after Irv Gotti signed her to a record deal there in late 2006, and Gotti has said that Heroes & Thieves is the first album on which he is acting as "co-pilot" rather than "dictator".
The album itself was a commercial failure, becoming her first not to enter the Top 40 of the Billboard 200
Billboard 200
The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists...
. Selling just over 18,000 copies in its first week of release, the album is Carlton's lowest selling album to date. As of 2011, the album has sold approximately 75,000 copies in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. Due to its commercial failure, the album only spawned two singles. The first, Nolita Fairytale
Nolita Fairytale
"Nolita Fairytale" is a song by Vanessa Carlton, and is the first single from her third album, Heroes & Thieves. The single was released as a digital download at the U.S. iTunes Store and to U.S...
, was a minor success for Carlton, reaching the Top 40 in the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
, as well as having minor radio success in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. The follow up single, Hands On Me
Hands on Me
"Hands on Me" is a song on Vanessa Carlton's third studio album, Heroes & Thieves , and is the album's second single. According to the website FMQB.com, it is to be released to mainstream contemporary hit radio in the United States on February 19, 2008...
, was more successful, reaching the Top 40 in Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
, as well as becoming her first song in five years to chart in New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
. Although it was a commercial failure in the US, it did receive minimal airplay on mainstream radio.
Despite minimal chart success, the album was a critical success, becoming Carlton's highest rated album on Metacritic
Metacritic
Metacritic.com is a website that collates reviews of music albums, games, movies, TV shows and DVDs. For each product, a numerical score from each review is obtained and the total is averaged. An excerpt of each review is provided along with a hyperlink to the source. Three colour codes of Green,...
, with a 78% approval rate. Allmusic awarded the album three and a half stars, while PopMatters
PopMatters
PopMatters is an international webzine of cultural criticism that covers many aspects of popular culture. PopMatters publishes reviews, interviews, and detailed essays on most cultural products and expressions in areas such as music, television, films, books, video games, comics, sports, theater,...
rated the album an eight out of a possible ten. USA Today
USA Today
USA Today is a national American daily newspaper published by the Gannett Company. It was founded by Al Neuharth. The newspaper vies with The Wall Street Journal for the position of having the widest circulation of any newspaper in the United States, something it previously held since 2003...
also praised the album, awarding it three out of four stars. Slant Magazine awarded the album three out of five stars, and the Philadelphia Daily News
Philadelphia Daily News
The Philadelphia Daily News is a tabloid newspaper that serves Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States. The newspaper is owned by Philadelphia Media Holdings which also owns Philadelphia's other major newspaper The Philadelphia Inquirer. The Daily News began publishing on March 31, 1925, under...
rated the album at a "B".
Background
In January 2005, two months after the release of Harmonium, Carlton co-wrote three songs with production team The MatrixThe Matrix (music producer)
The Matrix is an American pop music writing and production team, consisting of Lauren Christy, Graham Edwards and Scott Spock.-Background:Before her involvement in The Matrix, Lauren Christy had moderate success as a singer-songwriter, releasing two albums under Mercury Records in the mid-1990s,...
: "It's Now", "Summer Child" (alternatively titled "Tuesday") and "Underneath". In May 2005, in a post on her official site's forum, Carlton said to her fans that she would be releasing a third album in 2006, although she added "most people will know it as my second!" because of a perceived lack of commitment to Harmonium at her then-current label, A&M Records
A&M Records
A&M Records is an American record label owned by Universal Music Group that operates under the mantle of its Interscope-Geffen-A&M division.-Beginnings:...
. During her Harmonium tour, Carlton debuted three new songs in June 2005 at The Living Room in New York City: "Put Your Hands on Me", "This Time" (co-written with Linda Perry
Linda Perry
Linda Perry is an American rock musician, songwriter, and record producer. Once best known as the lead singer and primary songwriter of 4 Non Blondes, Perry has founded two record labels and has become a major songwriter and producer...
) and "The One". (For the release of the album, the title of "Put Your Hands on Me" was shortened to "Hands on Me" because Joss Stone
Joss Stone
Jocelyn Eve Stoker , better known by her stage name Joss Stone, is an English soul singer-songwriter and actress. Stone rose to fame in late 2003 with her multi-platinum debut album, The Soul Sessions, which made the 2004 Mercury Prize shortlist...
has a song with the original title on her 2007 album, Introducing Joss Stone
Introducing Joss Stone
Introducing Joss Stone is the third studio album by English recording artist Joss Stone. It was released in the United Kingdom on 12 March 2007 by Relentless Records...
.) When on tour with rock singer Stevie Nicks
Stevie Nicks
Stephanie Lynn "Stevie" Nicks is an American singer-songwriter, best known for her work with Fleetwood Mac and an extensive solo career, which collectively have produced over forty Top 50 hits and sold over 140 million albums...
in 2005 and 2006, Carlton premiered the songs "Best Behavior" and "All Is Well". (Nicks recorded backing vocals for the track "The One".)
Production
In August 2005, Carlton said she was to enter the recording studio the following month with producer Linda Perry, with whom she had previously collaborated after executives at A&M Records sent her into the studio to record a second single for Harmonium. Carlton said of the album's creative pulsinator team,In December 2005, they completed half the album and experienced what Carlton described as a "whirlwind moment", during which they recorded five songs in two weeks. Carlton said on her website that Perry was "fantastic and genuine and really inspiring". Mastering
Audio mastering
Mastering, a form of audio post-production, is the process of preparing and transferring recorded audio from a source containing the final mix to a data storage device ; the source from which all copies will be produced...
work on the album was proceeding by February 2006, when Billboard
Billboard (magazine)
Billboard is a weekly American magazine devoted to the music industry, and is one of the oldest trade magazines in the world. It maintains several internationally recognized music charts that track the most popular songs and albums in various categories on a weekly basis...
magazine quoted a spokesperson for Carlton as saying that Stephan Jenkins and several "departure producers" had contributed to the album. According to Carlton, she recorded most of the album in a Victorian
Victorian architecture
The term Victorian architecture refers collectively to several architectural styles employed predominantly during the middle and late 19th century. The period that it indicates may slightly overlap the actual reign, 20 June 1837 – 22 January 1901, of Queen Victoria. This represents the British and...
mansion with Jenkins in San Francisco. She told her fans in September that she was writing songs in the city, and the following month, after signing with The Inc. Records, she said she would return to the studio in Los Angeles to record more songs. The head of The Inc., Irv Gotti, helped to produce the album and said that 7 Aurelius
7 Aurelius
Marcus Vest better known by his stage name Channel 7, formerly 7 Aurelius, is a singer, songwriter, and producer most noted for his work with The Inc. Records....
and Rick Rubin
Rick Rubin
Frederick Jay "Rick" Rubin is an American record producer and the co-president of Columbia Records. Along with Russell Simmons, Rubin was the co-founder of Def Jam Records and also established American Recordings...
would also serve as co-producers, though neither are credited in the album's liner notes
Liner notes
Liner notes are the writings found in booklets which come inserted into the compact disc jewel case or the equivalent packaging for vinyl records and cassettes.-Origin:...
.
Composition
According to Carlton, the album is "the best batch of songs I've ever written". She described it as "pretty uplifting" and as having "a lot of layers ... [There are] very complex arrangements but everything just makes me feel good and not in a simplistic way." She also called it her most honest album, and the only one of hers that she considers "a body of work" as opposed to a collection of songs. "I think that shows", she said. "It really does feel like a real album." Carlton says that the concept of the album is "about personal evolution and finding joy through hardships. Every song is like a different chapter in a book". According to her, the lyrics are "far better written" and build on her greater life experience, which she says produces "a more interesting perspective through song" and lyrics more adults can listen to than previously, when she was writing from the point of view of a seventeen year-old girl rather than "more of a fully formed person".Carlton said she was inspired by the atmosphere of her New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
loft apartment, including the view from her window, and by her thoughts during long walks around the Nolita neighborhood — "I was very inspired by the vibe here ... There really is a very deep, underlying connection between this space and my record." Another inspiration was metaphor
Metaphor
A metaphor is a literary figure of speech that uses an image, story or tangible thing to represent a less tangible thing or some intangible quality or idea; e.g., "Her eyes were glistening jewels." Metaphor may also be used for any rhetorical figures of speech that achieve their effects via...
s in German fairy tales
German folklore
German folklore shares many characteristics with Scandinavian folklore and English folklore due to their origins in a common Germanic mythology. It reflects a similar mix of influences: a pre-Christian pantheon and other beings equivalent to those of Norse mythology; magical characters associated...
such as Little Red Riding Hood
Little Red Riding Hood
Little Red Riding Hood, also known as Little Red Cap, is a French fairy tale about a young girl and a Big Bad Wolf. The story has been changed considerably in its history and subject to numerous modern adaptations and readings....
, the theme of which she said she adapted for the album: "The moral of that story is to never stray from the beaten path or you'll get eaten by a wolf. And, of course, in the past few years, I've really strayed from the beaten path and reaped the rewards. Instead of being eaten by the wolf, I've tamed the wolf, and it does what I say." The album was influenced by Carlton's breakup with its co-producer, Stephan Jenkins, and Carlton said that one of the reasons they remained friends was that "nothing took precedence over the music ... No matter what was going on in the emotional realm, all we cared about was the album. It created this kinetic environment that was kind of like Fleetwood Mac
Fleetwood Mac
Fleetwood Mac are a British–American rock band formed in 1967 in London.The only original member present in the band is its eponymous drummer, Mick Fleetwood...
. It made for better music."
Carlton said the song "Nolita Fairytale
Nolita Fairytale
"Nolita Fairytale" is a song by Vanessa Carlton, and is the first single from her third album, Heroes & Thieves. The single was released as a digital download at the U.S. iTunes Store and to U.S...
" is about her life in Nolita, and in her words, "the series of revelations I have had over the past few years." She called the song "Heroes & Thieves" "a song about assessing, to put it in a dramatic way, the Heroes and Thieves in your life"; it is about her personal evolution, and her deciding how she wants to lead her life and the people with whom she wants to share it. The fourth song, "My Best", has been described by Carlton as "one of the most level-headed responses to a broken relationship [...] no matter what crimes are committed in any relationship that fell apart, you kind of always keep your promise to that person, those people in your past. If you were to serendipitously cross paths with them again, you would always be the best version of yourself and offer them your best." The track "The One", which features Stevie Nicks
Stevie Nicks
Stephanie Lynn "Stevie" Nicks is an American singer-songwriter, best known for her work with Fleetwood Mac and an extensive solo career, which collectively have produced over forty Top 50 hits and sold over 140 million albums...
, was inspired by conversations Carlton had with Nicks about relationships and the search for one true love. According to Irv Gotti, the ballad "Home" (which Carlton said she felt sad singing) was written about Stephan Jenkins, Carlton's partner at the time of its writing, although he added that "Vanessa's found home in her music, and home can be anything for people: a boyfriend, husband, child, mother ... what home can represent makes it such an enormous record. That record is very special to me." The closing track, "More Than This", documents a relationship in which Carlton felt the other party "can never have enough. It's like if they don't want peace, it would just be peaceful. The song is saying how you could experience euphoria if, in this moment, you decided you didn't need any more than this. But I don't know ... Maybe it's hard to actively make that decision."
Release & promotion
According to the News-Times, the album was originally scheduled for release in early 2007. Entertainment WeeklyEntertainment Weekly
Entertainment Weekly is an American magazine, published by the Time division of Time Warner, that covers film, television, music, broadway theatre, books and popular culture...
reported in June 2007 that the album was to be released on October 9, that the first single was "Nolita Fairytale
Nolita Fairytale
"Nolita Fairytale" is a song by Vanessa Carlton, and is the first single from her third album, Heroes & Thieves. The single was released as a digital download at the U.S. iTunes Store and to U.S...
", and that the second single may be "Hands on Me". Heroes & Thieves is also Carlton's first album on the Universal Motown music label, after she parted ways with A&M Records
A&M Records
A&M Records is an American record label owned by Universal Music Group that operates under the mantle of its Interscope-Geffen-A&M division.-Beginnings:...
in 2004. In a November interview with Vibe magazine, Irv Gotti said of the response to Carlton's signing with the predominantly R&B
Contemporary R&B
Contemporary R&B is a music genre that combines elements of hip hop, soul, R&B and funk.Although the abbreviation “R&B” originates from traditional rhythm and blues music, today the term R&B is most often used to describe a style of African American music originating after the demise of disco in...
and hip hop
Hip hop music
Hip hop music, also called hip-hop, rap music or hip-hop music, is a musical genre consisting of a stylized rhythmic music that commonly accompanies rapping, a rhythmic and rhyming speech that is chanted...
label The Inc.:
It was reported in October 2007 that Carlton would embark on a concert tour, the Haunted Club Tour, from November 2 (Scottsdale
Scottsdale, Arizona
Scottsdale is a city in the eastern part of Maricopa County, Arizona, United States, adjacent to Phoenix. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, as of 2010 the population of the city was 217,385...
, Arizona
Arizona
Arizona ; is a state located in the southwestern region of the United States. It is also part of the western United States and the mountain west. The capital and largest city is Phoenix...
, U.S.) to November 24 (Montreal
Montreal
Montreal is a city in Canada. It is the largest city in the province of Quebec, the second-largest city in Canada and the seventh largest in North America...
, Quebec
Quebec
Quebec or is a province in east-central Canada. It is the only Canadian province with a predominantly French-speaking population and the only one whose sole official language is French at the provincial level....
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
). Carlton said that a guitarist and a violinist would accompany her. During the tour, she said that the music video for the second single, "Hands on Me", would be filmed in December, after which she would undertake a larger scale tour with a full band. Also by December, she was playing a series of live shows in association with radio station
Radio station
Radio broadcasting is a one-way wireless transmission over radio waves intended to reach a wide audience. Stations can be linked in radio networks to broadcast a common radio format, either in broadcast syndication or simulcast or both...
s."Hands on Me" gained promotional support when it was prominently featured in promotional commercials for the CW show Gossip Girl
Gossip Girl (TV series)
Gossip Girl is an American teen drama television series based on the book series of the same name written by Cecily von Ziegesar. The series was created by Josh Schwartz and Stephanie Savage, and premiered on The CW on September 19, 2007...
. A stripped down version of the album track More Than This appears on the compilation Songs for Tibet.
Singles
The album's lead single was Nolita FairytaleNolita Fairytale
"Nolita Fairytale" is a song by Vanessa Carlton, and is the first single from her third album, Heroes & Thieves. The single was released as a digital download at the U.S. iTunes Store and to U.S...
. Released on July 17, 2007 the single was met with generally favorable reviews. The single was a commercial failure however, failing to chart on any major charts. It did, however, appear on the Billboard Hot Adult Top 40 Tracks
Hot Adult Top 40 Tracks
Adult Top 40 is a variation on the United States Billboard charts...
, peaking at number 26. The video premiered on AOL Music on August 22. It debuted at number eleven on VH1
VH1
VH1 or Vh1 is an American cable television network based in New York City. Launched on January 1, 1985 in the old space of Turner Broadcasting's short-lived Cable Music Channel, the original purpose of the channel was to build on the success of MTV by playing music videos, but targeting a slightly...
's television show VSpot Top 20 Countdown
VSpot Top 20 Countdown
VH1 Top 20 Video Countdown is a weekly television show on the VH1 cable television network in the United States. The long-running series began in 1994 as the VH1 Top 10 Countdown, as part of VH1's "Music First" rebranding effort...
, and peaked at number five. Hands On Me
Hands on Me
"Hands on Me" is a song on Vanessa Carlton's third studio album, Heroes & Thieves , and is the album's second single. According to the website FMQB.com, it is to be released to mainstream contemporary hit radio in the United States on February 19, 2008...
was released as the album's official second single. The single was as unsuccessful as her previous single, only peaking at number 30 on the US Billboard Hot Adult Top 40 Tracks
Hot Adult Top 40 Tracks
Adult Top 40 is a variation on the United States Billboard charts...
Critical reception
Heroes & Thieves has become the most critically successful album of Carlton's career. In metacriticMetacritic
Metacritic.com is a website that collates reviews of music albums, games, movies, TV shows and DVDs. For each product, a numerical score from each review is obtained and the total is averaged. An excerpt of each review is provided along with a hyperlink to the source. Three colour codes of Green,...
, The album received a 79/100 score based on 8 critical reviews, indicating "generally favorable reviews". Allmusic praised the album, stating "Given this sophomore slump, it's not entirely surprising that for her third album, 2007's Heroes & Thieves, she's elected for a compromise between the two extremes: embracing the soft pop that brought her fame without rejecting the confessionals that distinguished her second. Some of this is merely straightforward heartache -- after the 2004 release of Harmonium, Carlton parted ways with Stephan Jenkins, the Third Eye Blind leader who produced the album -- but there are other matters on her mind, as evidenced by the mother-daughter saga "Spring Street" and the line about losing her record deal on the album's opening song and single, "Nolita Fairytale." True, she's moved from A&M to the rap-identified The Inc., but this isn't as drastic a change as it seems: the two labels are within the Universal umbrella, and Carlton has hardly gone hip-hop here. Instead, Heroes & Thieves delivers the expected, even more so than her second album: sweeping gusts of piano, sounds that feel dramatic but not weighty. Like on Be Not Nobody, there's a sense of lightness to Carlton's writing—even if things get a little sad here, they're not gloomy—which not only makes her accessible, it means that it's as easy to take this as mood music as it is for introspection. That Carlton doesn't quite provide incentive to dig deeper could be called a flaw—her voice is too sweet and girlish to command, her melodies mellifluous but not grabbing—but Heroes & Thieves flows easily, and it's a nice return to the strengths of her debut."
PopMatters
PopMatters
PopMatters is an international webzine of cultural criticism that covers many aspects of popular culture. PopMatters publishes reviews, interviews, and detailed essays on most cultural products and expressions in areas such as music, television, films, books, video games, comics, sports, theater,...
also praised the album, commenting "Heroes & Thieves isn’t a perfect album and sometimes gets too idiosyncratic and precious for its own good. It’s already spawned its share of detractors, specifically reviewers who question whether Carlton has the vocal goods to pull off some of the more complicated numbers. I think her imperfect singing keeps her sounding human and give her props for not messing with a pitch correction program. And if you feel the same, well, maybe you too should start thinking you might have a problem with ‘Nessa addiction. See you at the next ‘Nessaholics meeting." Slant Magazine gave the album a mixed review in their review, saying "Carlton's voice continues to mature (there's a gritty quality to her vocals on songs like "Fools Like Me," and the earthiness of guest Stevie Nicks's alto harmonies on the country-leaning "The One" tempers Carlton's more reedy lead vocal), but the material in general isn't exactly what you'd expect from an artist who left the nest in search of creative freedom and appreciation, making Heroes & Thieves somewhat less rewarding than her last album."
Entertainment Weekly
Entertainment Weekly
Entertainment Weekly is an American magazine, published by the Time division of Time Warner, that covers film, television, music, broadway theatre, books and popular culture...
praised the album, stating "With a youthful voice and a predilection for flowery lyrics, the 27-year-old still comes off as an angst-afflicted teenager adapting her diary into song — even though she's now rhapsodizing about adult stuff like rent-controlled apartments (Nolita Fairytale) and temp work (Hands on Me). This can be surprisingly touching and personal, as on the exuberant title track, or simply pretentious, as on Come Undone, where she muses, I'm a sycophantic courtier with an elegant repost. However precious her poetry can be, Carlton always pins it to melodies that morph and expand evocatively. Heroes climaxes grandly in the soaring ballad Home, followed by the choral volcano that is More Than This. As sappy as this combination is, the orchestral one-two punch is also inescapably moving. And it's the kind of thing Carlton does best — no matter what label she's on." The reviewer later awarded the album a "B" rating.
Commercial performance
Accompanied by minimal press coverage, it debuted at number forty-four on the U.S. Billboard 200Billboard 200
The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists...
, selling 18,200 copies in its first week of release. As of June 2011, the album has sold approximately 75,000 copies in the United States and 203,000 worldwide.
Track listing
Album
| Chart (2007) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| U.S. Billboard 200 Billboard 200 The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists... |
44 |
| U.S. Billboard Comprehensive Albums Billboard Comprehensive Albums Billboard Comprehensive Albums was established in 2003 and was a weekly albums chart produced by Billboard magazine that ranked the biggest selling albums in the United States regardless of the product's age or method of sales.... |
44 |
| U.S. Billboard Top Digital Albums | 8 |
Credits and Personnel
- Vanessa CarltonVanessa CarltonVanessa Lee Carlton is an American singer-songwriter and musician. Upon completion of her education at the School of American Ballet, Carlton chose to pursue singing instead, performing in New York bars and clubs while attending university. Three months after recording a demo with producer Peter...
: Vocals, Background Vocals, Piano, Keyboards, String Arrangements - Stephan JenkinsStephan JenkinsStephan Douglas Jenkins , is an American musician best known as the lead singer, songwriter, and guitarist for Third Eye Blind. Under Jenkins's leadership, Third Eye Blind has sold over eight million copies of four albums: Third Eye Blind , Blue , Out of the Vein , and Ursa Major...
: Guitar (Acoustic), Keyboards, Programming, Percussion, Group Vocalist, Harp Arrangement, String Arrangements - Linda PerryLinda PerryLinda Perry is an American rock musician, songwriter, and record producer. Once best known as the lead singer and primary songwriter of 4 Non Blondes, Perry has founded two record labels and has become a major songwriter and producer...
: Guitar (Acoustic), Guitar, Piano, Mellotron - Stevie NicksStevie NicksStephanie Lynn "Stevie" Nicks is an American singer-songwriter, best known for her work with Fleetwood Mac and an extensive solo career, which collectively have produced over forty Top 50 hits and sold over 140 million albums...
: Vocals, Guest Appearance - Tony Fredianelli: Guitar
- Eric Schemerhorn: Guitar
- Sebastian Steinburg: Bass
- Jon Evans: Bass
- Paul III: Bass
- Leo Kramer: Bass
- Brain: Drums
- Nathan Wetherington: Drums
- Brad HargreavesBrad HargreavesBradley William Hargreaves is an American drummer. He is currently the drummer for the alternative bands Third Eye Blind and Year Long Disaster.- Career :...
: Drums - Matt ChamberlainMatt ChamberlainMatthew Chamberlain is an American drummer, producer and sound engineer. He is currently based in Los Angeles, California.-Early life:...
: Drums, Percussion - Luis Conte: Percussion
- Herve Salters: Keyboard
- Conor Heffernan: Organ, Group Vocalist
- Hattie Webb: Harp, Group Vocalist
- The Section QuartetThe Section QuartetThe Section Quartet is a string quartet that is based in Los Angeles, California. Emerging in 1998, Section features Eric Gorfain and Daphne Chen on violin, Lauren Chipman on viola, and Richard Dodd on cello. It specializes in turning popular rock songs into classical quartet pieces...
: Strings - Eric Gorfain: Violin, String Arrangements
- Daphne Chen: Violin
- Leah Katz: Viola
- Richard Dodd: Cello
- Carla Kihlstedt: Orchestrator
- Jason Martineau: Orchestrator
- Michelle Maruyama: Orchestrator
- Melissa Reese: Background Vocals, Group Vocalist
- Dionzya Sutton: Group Vocalist
- Ari Ingber: Group Vocalist (More Than This)
- Josh Ingber: Group Vocalist (More Than This)
- Lee Moretti: Background Vocalist (Come Undone), Group Vocalist (More Than This)
- Executive producers: Vanessa CarltonVanessa CarltonVanessa Lee Carlton is an American singer-songwriter and musician. Upon completion of her education at the School of American Ballet, Carlton chose to pursue singing instead, performing in New York bars and clubs while attending university. Three months after recording a demo with producer Peter...
, Stephan JenkinsStephan JenkinsStephan Douglas Jenkins , is an American musician best known as the lead singer, songwriter, and guitarist for Third Eye Blind. Under Jenkins's leadership, Third Eye Blind has sold over eight million copies of four albums: Third Eye Blind , Blue , Out of the Vein , and Ursa Major...
, Irv "Gotti" Lorenzo - Produced by: Stephan Jenkins ("Spring Street" and "This Time" produced by Linda PerryLinda PerryLinda Perry is an American rock musician, songwriter, and record producer. Once best known as the lead singer and primary songwriter of 4 Non Blondes, Perry has founded two record labels and has become a major songwriter and producer...
) - Engineered by: Sean Beresford ("Spring Street" and "This Time" engineered by Linda Perry)
- Mixed by: Manny Maroquinn at Larrabee North Studios, Universal City, CA ("Spring Street" and "This Time" mixed by Bill Botrell at The Pass, Los Angeles, CA)
- Mastered by: Emily Lazar, assisted by Joe LaPorta at The Lodge, NYC
- A&R: Jolene Cherry and Irv Gotti
- A&R administration by: Darcell Lawrence, Errol Vaughn, Eliose Bryan, Nina Freeman, Tracy Tolmaire for Universal Motown
- Marketing: Tenisha Ramos for The Inc., Jill Capone for Universal Motown
- Creative art direction: Vanessa Carlton
- Art department by: Sandra Brummels and Christopher Kornmann
- Illustrator: James Riches
- Additional lettering by: Vanessa Carlton
- Boots by: Stevie NicksStevie NicksStephanie Lynn "Stevie" Nicks is an American singer-songwriter, best known for her work with Fleetwood Mac and an extensive solo career, which collectively have produced over forty Top 50 hits and sold over 140 million albums...
- "The Moon" and "Happy Thoughts" written by Robert Lewis Stevenson
- Photography: Kurt Iswarienko
- Stylist: Elisa Goodkind, Goodkind Style, Inc
- Makeup: Lisa Storey, The Wall Group
- Hair: Damian Monzillo, Celestine
- Agency: Mitch Rose for CAA
- Management: Jordan Feldstein
- Publicity: Dvora Vener-Engelfeild for BWR Public Relations; Tracy Zamotand Kim Harris for Universal Motown
- Legal: Tim Mandelbaum, Esq; Monika Tashman; Selveme, Mandelbaum and Mintz
- Business manager: Phil Sarna for PSBM