Mezzamorphis
Encyclopedia
Mezzamorphis is the second studio album
Studio album
A studio album is an album made up of tracks recorded in the controlled environment of a recording studio. A studio album contains newly written and recorded or previously unreleased or remixed material, distinguishing itself from a compilation or reissue album of previously recorded material, or...

 by the Christian rock
Christian rock
Christian rock is a form of rock music played by individuals and bands whose members are Christians and who often focus the lyrics on matters concerned with the Christian faith. The extent to which their lyrics are explicitly Christian varies between bands...

 band
Band (music)
In music, a musical ensemble or band is a group of musicians that works together to perform music. The following articles concern types of musical bands:* All-female band* Big band* Boy band* Christian band* Church band* Concert band* Cover band...

 Delirious?
Delirious?
Delirious? were an English Christian rock and worship band. For the majority of their career, the lineup featured Martin Smith on vocals and guitar, Stu G on guitar and backing vocals, Jon Thatcher on bass guitar, Tim Jupp on keys and piano, and Stew Smith on drums and percussion...

. Released in 1999, it represented a large step towards a more electronic
Electronic music
Electronic music is music that employs electronic musical instruments and electronic music technology in its production. In general a distinction can be made between sound produced using electromechanical means and that produced using electronic technology. Examples of electromechanical sound...

 and mainstream sound for the band and received a mostly positive critical reception. However, despite the critical acclaim, many former Delirious? fans disliked the album, claiming that the band had sold out
Selling out
"Selling out" is the compromising of integrity, morality, or principles in exchange for money or "success" . It is commonly associated with attempts to tailor material to a mainstream audience...

 to the secular industry.

Mezzamorphis spawned two UK singles, "See the Star
See the Star
"See the Star" is the first UK single and second US radio single from Delirious?'s second album, Mezzamorphis. It reached #16 in the UK Singles Charts making it the band's highest charting single, until their final single release History Maker which entered the UK Singles chart at #4 in 2010.-Track...

" and "It's OK
It's OK (Delirious? song)
"It's OK" is the second UK single from and the fifth track on Delirious?'s second album, Mezzamorphis. It was released on February 21, 2000, reaching #18 in the UK Singles Charts and #3 in the indie section...

", both of which landed in the top 20 of the UK Singles Charts, whilst the album itself peaked at number 25 on the UK Album Charts, giving Delirious? their second top 30 album in a row. The album has since been certified silver
Music recording sales certification
Music recording sales certification is a system of certifying that a music recording has shipped or sold a certain number of copies, where the threshold quantity varies by type and by nation or territory .Almost all countries follow variations of the RIAA certification categories,...

 in the UK. In the US, "Gravity
Gravity (Delirious? song)
"Gravity" is a song written and recorded by UK outfit Delirious?. The song was the first US radio single released in support of the band's 1999 studio album, Mezzamorphis. "Gravity" also appears on the compilation album, WOW 2000.-External links:*...

" was released as the lead single in promotion of the album.

Recording and production

Following their breakthrough 1997 album King of Fools, Delirious? started recording Mezzamorphis in February 1998, and continued to record throughout that year, interspersed with summer tours throughout the US and UK. The band began recording with roughly half the songs already written, and continued writing as they recorded. Most of the recording took place in an old school in West Sussex
West Sussex
West Sussex is a county in the south of England, bordering onto East Sussex , Hampshire and Surrey. The county of Sussex has been divided into East and West since the 12th century, and obtained separate county councils in 1888, but it remained a single ceremonial county until 1974 and the coming...

. In the words of lead vocalist Martin Smith
Martin Smith (songwriter)
Martin James Smith is an English vocalist, guitarist, and songwriter. He was the front man of the Christian rock and worship band Delirious? He co-wrote three songs on Michael W. Smith's 2004 album Healing Rain and is going to be collaborating with Michael W. Smith on his upcoming album...

, "We turned a classroom into a control room, and there were some wooden rooms where students used to dine, in which we set up a drum kit with different mike positions. We did the bulk of it there for the first six months in between touring. In the end, we went to a smaller studio in Ford just to finish it off." The band used movable drapes to experiment with different drum sounds and reverbs
Reverberation
Reverberation is the persistence of sound in a particular space after the original sound is removed. A reverberation, or reverb, is created when a sound is produced in an enclosed space causing a large number of echoes to build up and then slowly decay as the sound is absorbed by the walls and air...

; most of the drums on the album are thus natural and unprocessed.

Formerly known for a sound similar to that of U2, Delirious? aimed for a more dense and electronic sound, taking inspiration from Radiohead
Radiohead
Radiohead are an English rock band from Abingdon, Oxfordshire, formed in 1985. The band consists of Thom Yorke , Jonny Greenwood , Ed O'Brien , Colin Greenwood and Phil Selway .Radiohead released their debut single "Creep" in 1992...

. Producer Tedd T
Tedd T
Tedd T., born Tedd Andrew Tjornhom , is a Grammy Award–winning music producer, songwriter, arranger, programmer, and engineer. He also launched the independent record label Teleprompt Records in 2003 as a joint venture with Word / Warner Music Group. His interest in the music industry began in his...

 was brought in to add aspects of electronica
Electronica
Electronica includes a wide range of contemporary electronic music designed for a wide range of uses, including foreground listening, some forms of dancing, and background music for other activities; however, unlike electronic dance music, it is not specifically made for dancing...

 to the production. Recording was finished at a small studio near Littlehampton
Littlehampton
Littlehampton is a seaside resort town and civil parish in the Arun District of West Sussex, England, on the east bank at the mouth of the River Arun. It lies south southwest of London, west of Brighton and east of the county town of Chichester....

, putting the final touches on vocals.

The album was mixed by Jack Joseph Puig
Jack Joseph Puig
Jack Joseph Puig is a Grammy Award-winning music engineer and producer with a long track record of successful productions, including the mid-1990s production of Tonic. Puig also worked with Hole, Jellyfish, The Black Crowes, John Mayer, Weezer, Fiona Apple, Green Day, The Counting Crows, No Doubt,...

 in Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...

 early in 1999. In the words of guitarist Stu G, "Martin and I went out to LA in January for three weeks and sat down with him and explained to him what we were doing and where we were coming from, what we were trying to accomplish with the music. He was very perceptive. He definitely took our tracks and made them into something we couldn't have done ourselves." Puig's mixing of the album deepened the bass sound and brought it more of a "club" feel.

Content

As with the previous album, King of Fools, Mezzamorphis is mostly midtempo; notable exceptions include "Bliss" and "Gravity". The new electronic direction taken by the band incorporated a theremin
Theremin
The theremin , originally known as the aetherphone/etherophone, thereminophone or termenvox/thereminvox is an early electronic musical instrument controlled without discernible physical contact from the player. It is named after its Russian inventor, Professor Léon Theremin, who patented the device...

, played by bassist Jon Thatcher; additionally, Stu G used Revox
Revox
ReVox is a brand name of Swiss audio equipment created by Studer on March 27, 1951.The ReVox brand name was spun off into Studer Revox AG in 1990. During Studer's acquisition by Harman International Industries, Revox was sold separately to a group of private investors...

 tape delays to create keyboard-like guitar effects. Classical instruments were also included, including a Salvation Army
Salvation Army
The Salvation Army is a Protestant Christian church known for its thrift stores and charity work. It is an international movement that currently works in over a hundred countries....

 brass band on "It's OK", an upright bass (also played by Thatcher) on "Kiss Your Feet", and a string quartet
String quartet
A string quartet is a musical ensemble of four string players – usually two violin players, a violist and a cellist – or a piece written to be performed by such a group...

 throughout the album.

While Mezzamorphis is not strictly a concept album
Concept album
In music, a concept album is an album that is "unified by a theme, which can be instrumental, compositional, narrative, or lyrical." Commonly, concept albums tend to incorporate preconceived musical or lyrical ideas rather than being improvised or composed in the studio, with all songs contributing...

, more than one professional reviewer has pointed out that there is a general theme of getting to heaven
Heaven
Heaven, the Heavens or Seven Heavens, is a common religious cosmological or metaphysical term for the physical or transcendent place from which heavenly beings originate, are enthroned or inhabit...

 running through the whole work. The band have confirmed this, and have also pointed out a theme of change. "Heaven", inspired by the troubles in Northern Ireland, ties the two themes of heaven and change together; according to Smith, "we have to come to realize that we come from the dust, yet we believe one day we'll meet Jesus. In the meantime, we're caught between two worlds. Heaven is my home."

The first track, "Mezzanine Floor", is the change-oriented centrepiece of the album, written about the musical growth of the band. According to Stu G
Stu G
, better known by the stage name Stu G, is an English vocalist, guitarist, and songwriter. He served as the lead guitarist, backing vocalist, and secondary songwriter for the rock band Delirious? from 1994 until 2009. His song writing credits for the band include "Come Like You Promise",...

, "we feel that we're at a point where we've left where we were, but we're not yet where we believe we're going to end up. So, we're on the way, in the middle, on the mezzanine floor." "Metamorphis", written solely by Stu G, further explores this theme of change. The name of the album is a mixture of the names of these two tracks (see Metamorphosis
Metamorphosis
Metamorphosis is a biological process by which an animal physically develops after birth or hatching, involving a conspicuous and relatively abrupt change in the animal's body structure through cell growth and differentiation...

 and Mezzanine
Mezzanine (architecture)
In architecture, a mezzanine or entresol is an intermediate floor between main floors of a building, and therefore typically not counted among the overall floors of a building. Often, a mezzanine is low-ceilinged and projects in the form of a balcony. The term is also used for the lowest balcony in...

).

Another strong theme from the album is peer pressure
Peer pressure
Peer pressure refers to the influence exerted by a peer group in encouraging a person to change his or her attitudes, values, or behavior in order to conform to group norms. Social groups affected include membership groups, when the individual is "formally" a member , or a social clique...

, particularly due to the band's part-Christian-part-mainstream status. The song "Gravity" refers to the opposing influences of Heaven and the secular world pulling the band in opposite directions, whilst "Metamorphis" further explores "the fact that out in the world, although everybody wants to be their own selves, we're pulled this way and that. Everyone you meet wants you to be something or another. The song asks God to help us to be our own true selves, as God sees us, not the way folk pressure us to be what they want us to be." "Bliss" deals with accusations of selling out
Selling out
"Selling out" is the compromising of integrity, morality, or principles in exchange for money or "success" . It is commonly associated with attempts to tailor material to a mainstream audience...

; in the words of Stu G, "we know exactly where we want to go, we want to take our music to the world and have it recognized as being as good as anything that's out there. But we're not going to compromise or back away from our integrity as Christians."

Promotion, reception, and response

The promotional UK tour featured American rock band Switchfoot
Switchfoot
Switchfoot is an American rock band from San Diego, California. The band's members are Jon Foreman , Tim Foreman , Chad Butler , Jerome Fontamillas , and Drew Shirley .After early successes in the Christian rock scene, Switchfoot first gained mainstream...

 as support. Delirious? also performed several songs live at Glastonbury Festival
Glastonbury Festival
The Glastonbury Festival of Contemporary Performing Arts, commonly abbreviated to Glastonbury or even Glasto, is a performing arts festival that takes place near Pilton, Somerset, England, best known for its contemporary music, but also for dance, comedy, theatre, circus, cabaret and other arts.The...

.

The first single, "See The Star
See the Star
"See the Star" is the first UK single and second US radio single from Delirious?'s second album, Mezzamorphis. It reached #16 in the UK Singles Charts making it the band's highest charting single, until their final single release History Maker which entered the UK Singles chart at #4 in 2010.-Track...

", was released in the UK in 1999, selling over 5,000 copies in the first day and 12,000 copies in the first week. This was enough to push it to number 16 in the UK Singles Charts and number two in the indies — the highest chart position ever held by a Delirious? single. A year later, the band released "It's OK
It's OK (Delirious? song)
"It's OK" is the second UK single from and the fifth track on Delirious?'s second album, Mezzamorphis. It was released on February 21, 2000, reaching #18 in the UK Singles Charts and #3 in the indie section...

", which entered the singles charts at number eighteen and the indie charts at number three. The song was featured an episode of the US television series Get Real
Get Real (TV series)
Get Real is a short-lived comedy-drama on the FOX Network centering on the fictional Green family of San Francisco. It ran from September 1999 to April 2000...

. "Gravity" was planned to be released as a single in the UK, but was only released as a radio single in the US, due to Radio One
BBC Radio 1
BBC Radio 1 is a British national radio station operated by the British Broadcasting Corporation which also broadcasts internationally, specialising in current popular music and chart hits throughout the day. Radio 1 provides alternative genres after 7:00pm including electronic dance, hip hop, rock...

's refusal to playlist the band.

Mezzamorphis was released on 12 April 1999 in the United Kingdom. Despite the extensive publicity campaign, the album debuted at number 25 in the UK Album Charts and number 2 in the indies, lower than the band's first album, King of Fools; however, it was the second consecutive Top 30 release for the band. The album also reached number 2 in the CCM
Contemporary Christian music
Contemporary Christian music is a genre of modern popular music which is lyrically focused on matters concerned with the Christian faith...

 charts in America and number 137 in 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...

 (number 5 in the Heatseekers
Top Heatseekers
Top Heatseekers refers to either of two separate "Breaking and Entering" music charts issued weekly by Billboard Magazine: the Heatseekers Albums chart or the Heatseekers Songs chart. They were introduced by Billboard in 1993 with the purpose of highlighting the sales by new and developing musical...

) following its 8 June release.

Critical response was generally positive in both the secular and UK Christian music media. Rock Sound
Rock Sound
Rock Sound is a British magazine which champions rock music. The magazine aims at being more "underground" and less commercial, whilst also giving coverage to more well known acts.-History:...

 magazine praised "the band's talent for writing instant rock/pop songs" and stated, "it shouldn't be long before Delirious? claim their rightful place as one of Britain's brightest new bands", whilst Q
Q (magazine)
Q is a popular music magazine published monthly in the United Kingdom.Founders Mark Ellen and David Hepworth were dismayed by the music press of the time, which they felt was ignoring a generation of older music buyers who were buying CDs — then still a new technology...

 magazine named them "the hottest thing in Christian rock" and predicted, "Mezzamorphis will be the album that makes them". The UK Christian music magazine Cross Rhythms
Cross Rhythms
Cross Rhythms is a Christian media organisation based in Stoke-on-Trent, England.-History:The roots of what was to become Cross Rhythms go back to two separate sources which merged in 1991. In 1983, broadcaster Chris Cole started a 30-minute weekly Christian music radio show on Plymouth Sound FM, a...

 awarded the album a full ten-square rating, calling the album an "absolute classic", whilst Jesus Freak Hideout
Jesus Freak Hideout
Jesus Freak Hideout is a Christian music website. The website specializes in reviewing, previewing, and selling Christian albums. The website is known for its album reviews, independent music, artist interviews, concert dates and ministry through devotionals and prayer...

 stated, "the musical growth is evident... and appreciated". The album also drew comparisons to U2's anthemic qualities and was praised for its modern production.

In the United States, the Virgin
Virgin Records
Virgin Records is a British record label founded by English entrepreneur Richard Branson, Simon Draper, and Nik Powell in 1972. The company grew to be a worldwide music phenomenon, with platinum performers such as Roy Orbison, Devo, Genesis, Keith Richards, Janet Jackson, Culture Club, Lenny...

 marketed version omitted three songs that were included on the Sparrow version. Each of these contained explicit faith references. Additionally, the album caused some controversy in the US Christian music scene due to the lyric "she's as pretty as hell" in the song "It's OK". The band had left the song off promotional copies of the album, and Sparrow Records had considered leaving the song off the album; several Christian retailers dropped the album amongst the complaints. Smith wrote a response to the controversy on the band's website; however, many fans continued to believe that the band had left Christian rock
Christian rock
Christian rock is a form of rock music played by individuals and bands whose members are Christians and who often focus the lyrics on matters concerned with the Christian faith. The extent to which their lyrics are explicitly Christian varies between bands...

 for the secular industry. The band also received criticism for the lack of the word "Jesus" on the album. "We recognise the ultimate validity of the criticisms leveled against us," responded lead singer Martin Smith, "and we feel as a band that this just speaks to the spiritual and intellectual maturity of our listening audience and Christians in general, for that matter."

Chart success

Year Chart Position
1999 Billboard Top Contemporary Christian 2
Heatseekers
Top Heatseekers
Top Heatseekers refers to either of two separate "Breaking and Entering" music charts issued weekly by Billboard Magazine: the Heatseekers Albums chart or the Heatseekers Songs chart. They were introduced by Billboard in 1993 with the purpose of highlighting the sales by new and developing musical...

5
UK Album Charts 25
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...

137

Year Single Chart aPeak
position
1999 "See the Star
See the Star
"See the Star" is the first UK single and second US radio single from Delirious?'s second album, Mezzamorphis. It reached #16 in the UK Singles Charts making it the band's highest charting single, until their final single release History Maker which entered the UK Singles chart at #4 in 2010.-Track...

"
UK Singles Charts 16
Cross Rhythms Annual Chart 36
US Christian Radio 7
"Gravity
Gravity (Delirious? song)
"Gravity" is a song written and recorded by UK outfit Delirious?. The song was the first US radio single released in support of the band's 1999 studio album, Mezzamorphis. "Gravity" also appears on the compilation album, WOW 2000.-External links:*...

"
Cross Rhythms
Cross Rhythms
Cross Rhythms is a Christian media organisation based in Stoke-on-Trent, England.-History:The roots of what was to become Cross Rhythms go back to two separate sources which merged in 1991. In 1983, broadcaster Chris Cole started a 30-minute weekly Christian music radio show on Plymouth Sound FM, a...

 Annual Chart
2
US Christian Radio 4
"Bliss" Cross Rhythms Annual Chart 5
"Heaven" Cross Rhythms Annual Chart 9
2000 "Love Falls Down" US Christian Radio 7
"It's OK
It's OK (Delirious? song)
"It's OK" is the second UK single from and the fifth track on Delirious?'s second album, Mezzamorphis. It was released on February 21, 2000, reaching #18 in the UK Singles Charts and #3 in the indie section...

"
UK Singles Charts 18
Cross Rhythms Annual Chart 19

UK track listing

  1. "Mezzanine Floor" (Martin Smith
    Martin Smith (songwriter)
    Martin James Smith is an English vocalist, guitarist, and songwriter. He was the front man of the Christian rock and worship band Delirious? He co-wrote three songs on Michael W. Smith's 2004 album Healing Rain and is going to be collaborating with Michael W. Smith on his upcoming album...

    , Stuart Garrard) – 3:44
  2. "Heaven" (Smith, Garrard) – 3:59
  3. "Follow" (Smith, Garrard) – 4:39
  4. "Bliss" (Smith, Garrard) – 3:15
  5. "It's OK
    It's OK (Delirious? song)
    "It's OK" is the second UK single from and the fifth track on Delirious?'s second album, Mezzamorphis. It was released on February 21, 2000, reaching #18 in the UK Singles Charts and #3 in the indie section...

    " (Smith, Garrard) – 4:08
  6. "Metamorphis" (Garrard) – 4:20
  7. "See The Star
    See the Star
    "See the Star" is the first UK single and second US radio single from Delirious?'s second album, Mezzamorphis. It reached #16 in the UK Singles Charts making it the band's highest charting single, until their final single release History Maker which entered the UK Singles chart at #4 in 2010.-Track...

    " (Smith, Garrard) – 3:30
  8. "Gravity
    Gravity (Delirious? song)
    "Gravity" is a song written and recorded by UK outfit Delirious?. The song was the first US radio single released in support of the band's 1999 studio album, Mezzamorphis. "Gravity" also appears on the compilation album, WOW 2000.-External links:*...

    " (Garrard, Jonathan Thatcher, Smith) – 3:18
  9. "Beautiful Sun" (Garrard) – 4:35
  10. "Love Falls Down" (Smith, Garrard) – 3:58
  11. "Blindfold" (Smith) – 5:58
  12. "Kiss Your Feet" (Smith, Thatcher) – 4:19

US track listing (Sparrow Records version)

  1. "The Mezzanine Floor" (Smith, Garrard) – 3:44
  2. "Heaven" (Smith, Garrard) – 3:59
  3. "Follow" (Smith, Garrard) – 4:39
  4. "Bliss" (Smith, Garrard) – 3:15
  5. "Beautiful Sun" (Garrard) – 4:35
  6. "Metamorphis" (Garrard) – 4:20
  7. "See The Star
    See the Star
    "See the Star" is the first UK single and second US radio single from Delirious?'s second album, Mezzamorphis. It reached #16 in the UK Singles Charts making it the band's highest charting single, until their final single release History Maker which entered the UK Singles chart at #4 in 2010.-Track...

    " (Smith, Garrard) – 3:30
  8. "Gravity
    Gravity (Delirious? song)
    "Gravity" is a song written and recorded by UK outfit Delirious?. The song was the first US radio single released in support of the band's 1999 studio album, Mezzamorphis. "Gravity" also appears on the compilation album, WOW 2000.-External links:*...

    " (Garrard, Jonathan Thatcher, Smith) – 3:18
  9. "It's OK
    It's OK (Delirious? song)
    "It's OK" is the second UK single from and the fifth track on Delirious?'s second album, Mezzamorphis. It was released on February 21, 2000, reaching #18 in the UK Singles Charts and #3 in the indie section...

    " (Smith, Garrard) – 4:08
  10. "Love Falls Down" (Smith, Garrard) – 3:58
  11. "Blindfold" (Smith) – 5:58
  12. "Kiss Your Feet" (Smith, Thatcher) – 4:19
  13. "Jesus' Blood" (Smith) - 5:54
  14. "Deeper 99" (Smith, Garrard) - 4:19

US track listing (Virgin Records version)

  1. "The Mezzanine Floor" (Smith, Garrard) – 3:44
  2. "Deeper 99" (Smith, Garrard) - 4:19
  3. "Heaven" (Smith, Garrard) – 3:59
  4. "Follow" (Smith, Garrard) – 4:39
  5. "It's OK
    It's OK (Delirious? song)
    "It's OK" is the second UK single from and the fifth track on Delirious?'s second album, Mezzamorphis. It was released on February 21, 2000, reaching #18 in the UK Singles Charts and #3 in the indie section...

    " (Smith, Garrard) – 4:08
  6. "Metamorphis" (Garrard) – 4:20
  7. "See The Star
    See the Star
    "See the Star" is the first UK single and second US radio single from Delirious?'s second album, Mezzamorphis. It reached #16 in the UK Singles Charts making it the band's highest charting single, until their final single release History Maker which entered the UK Singles chart at #4 in 2010.-Track...

    " (Smith, Garrard) – 3:30
  8. "Gravity
    Gravity (Delirious? song)
    "Gravity" is a song written and recorded by UK outfit Delirious?. The song was the first US radio single released in support of the band's 1999 studio album, Mezzamorphis. "Gravity" also appears on the compilation album, WOW 2000.-External links:*...

    " (Garrard, Jonathan Thatcher, Smith) – 3:18
  9. "Bliss" (Smith, Garrard) – 3:15
  10. "Beautiful Sun" (Garrard) – 4:35
  11. "Love Falls Down" (Smith, Garrard) – 3:58
  12. "Blindfold" (Smith) – 5:58

Personnel

  • Martin Smith
    Martin Smith (songwriter)
    Martin James Smith is an English vocalist, guitarist, and songwriter. He was the front man of the Christian rock and worship band Delirious? He co-wrote three songs on Michael W. Smith's 2004 album Healing Rain and is going to be collaborating with Michael W. Smith on his upcoming album...

     - vocals, guitar, recording of sounds to tape
  • Stuart "Stu G" Garrard - lead guitar, backing vocals, Otari Radar engineer
  • Stewart Smith - drums, percussion, backing vocals, art direction
  • Jon Thatcher - bass, keyboard, upright bass, theremin
  • Tim Jupp - keys, Logic Audio programming, editing
  • Tony Patoto - band manager, backing vocals

External links

The source of this article is wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.  The text of this article is licensed under the GFDL.
 
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