Be Not Nobody
Template:Use mdy dates Template:Infobox album Be Not Nobody is the debut studio album by American singer-songwriter Vanessa Carlton, released on April 30, 2002, through A&M Records. As of late 2004 the album had sold 1.38 million copies in the US according to Nielsen SoundScan,<ref name="billboard10-7-2004">Template:Cite magazine</ref> and Variety magazine reported in July 2003 that it had sold 2.3 million worldwide.<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref> Billboard magazine placed Carlton at number twenty-one on its year-end "Top Pop Artists" list for 2002.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
"A Thousand Miles" was released as the lead single from the album and reached the top five on the US Billboard Hot 100, number one in Australia and the top ten in the United Kingdom. Be Not Nobody was certified gold by the RIAA in June 2002, and platinum in October 2002.<ref>RIAA database for Vanessa Carlton</ref> "Ordinary Day" charted inside the top forty on the US Hot 100. "Pretty Baby" was remixed and released as the album's third and final single in early 2003. After the single's release, subsequent pressings of the album contained the remixed single version of the song in place of its original album version. "Pretty Baby" did not appear on the Hot 100 or the UK top seventy-five, but was nominated for a 2003 Teen Choice Award for "Choice Love Song".<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Critical reception
Template:Music ratings AllMusic's Stephen Thomas Erlewine praised the album for being "charmingly ambitious" with using "soaring strings, intimate pianos, crooned vocals, and pretty melodies" that showcase Carlton's potential as an emotive songwriter, concluding that: "Be Not Nobody is naïve, but much of it's well crafted and nearly all of it is endearing; it's a rare debut that is quite enjoyable in its own right yet is almost more enticing because of what it suggests that she could do next."<ref name="AM"/> Sal Cinquemani of Slant Magazine felt that the record's "youthful sincerity" saves Carlton from "career-damaging parallels" to Fiona Apple and Tori Amos, but was critical of her vocals rarely reaching the "sonic heights" of said predecessors.<ref name="Slant"/> Chris Willman of Entertainment Weekly wrote, "She's almost got Tori's intricate keyboard figures and edgy vocal style down, but there'll be none of the famous Amos loopiness in these earnest self-help bromides."<ref name="EW"/> Ernest Hardy of Rolling Stone commended the album's impeccable musicanship but felt it was in service of "overwrought victim-of-love material that's been done to death," and critiqued that Carlton's performance compared to her inspirations "seems to be playing dress-up in their emotions and themes."<ref name="RS"/>
Track listing
All songs were written by Vanessa Carlton, except where noted.
- "Ordinary Day" – 3:58
- "Unsung" – 4:20
- "A Thousand Miles" – 3:57
- "Pretty Baby" – 3:55
- "Rinse" – 4:31
- "Sway" – 3:57
- "Paradise" – 4:50
- "Prince" – 4:09
- "Paint It Black" (Mick Jagger, Keith Richards) – 3:30
- "Wanted" – 3:55
- "Twilight" – 4:49
UK bonus track
- "Wanted" (Ripe Mix) – 3:55
Japanese bonus tracks
- "Twilight" (Live) – 4:07
- "Wanted" (Ripe Mix) – 3:55
Asian Tour Edition bonus tracks
- "A Thousand Miles (Piano & Vocal - Live in Tokyo)" – 4:02
- "Ordinary Day (Piano & Vocal - Live in Holland)" – 3:47
- "Paradise" (Piano & Vocal Version) – 3:49
- "A Thousand Miles" (Live in New York) (Video) – 4:26
Reissues
- "Pretty Baby" (single version) – 4:08
Personnel
Credits adapted from AllMusic and album's liner notes.<ref name="allmusiccredits">Template:Cite web</ref><ref name="liner notes">Template:Cite AV media notes</ref>
Template:Col-begin Template:Col-2 Musicians
- Vanessa Carlton – piano, vocals
- Abe Laboriel Jr. – drums
- John Goux – guitar, dulcimer, sitar
- Leland Sklar – bass guitar
- Ron Fair – vibraphone, organ, harmonica
- Alex Al – electric upright bass (8)
- Chuck Berghofer – upright bass (7)
- Luis Conte – percussion
Orchestra
- Endre Granat Template:Small, Eun Mee Ahn, Jackie Brand, Charlie Bisharat Template:Small, Becky Bunnell, Bruce Dukov, Franklyn D'Antonio, Mario de León, Joel Derouin, Armen Garabedian, Berj Garabedian, Alan Grunfeld, Clayton Haslop, Tamara Hatwan, Amy Hershberger, Lily HoChen, Kirstin Fife, Tiffany Hu, Natalie Leggett, Phillip Levy, Rene Mandel, Robin Olson, Sid Page, Sara Parkins, Katia Popov, Barbara Porter, Marie Robertson, Anatoly Rosinsky, John Wittenberg, Margaret Wooten, Ken Yerke – violin
- Dmitri Boviard, Paul Cohen, Matt Cooker, Brian Dembow, Karen Elaine, Marlow Fisher, Sam Formacola, Keith Grezen, Vicky Miskolczy, Simon Oswell, Karen van Sant, David Walther – viola
- Bob Adcock, Larry Corbett, Steve Erdody, Suzie Katayama, Armen Ksadjikian, Tim Landauer, David Low, Cecilia Tsan – cello
- Nico Abandolo, Trey Henry, Mike Valerio – double bass
- Gayle Levant – harp
- Rose Corrigan, Cindy Ellis, Susan Greenberg, Dan Higgins Template:Small, David Shostac, Sheridon Stokes, Larry Williams – woodwinds
- Emil Richards – vibraphone (11)
- Tommy Morgan – harmonica (11)
- Dan Greco – cymbalon (5)
- Bill Hughes – orchestra contractor
Template:Col-2 Technical personnel
- Vanessa Carlton – arranger, executive producer
- Ron Fair – production, arranger, executive producer, orchestral arrangements and conductor (1–10)
- Randy Kerber – orchestral arrangements and conductor (11)
- Tal Herzberg – engineer, digital editing
- Jack Joseph Puig – mixing (1–3, 5, 6, 8, 9)
- Michael C. Ross – engineer, mixing (7, 10, 11)
- Hugh Padgham – mixing (4)
- Bill Schnee – additional recording
- Erik Reichers, Bryan Cook, Jeff Rothschild, Jim Danis, Chris Wonzer, J.D. Andrew, Frank G, Brian Vibberts, Chris Steffen, Jay Goin – assistant engineers
- Eddy Schreyer – mastering
- Drew FitzGerald – art direction, additional illustration
- Kurt Iswarienko – photography
- Alan Silfen, Jim Wright – additional photography
- Stephanie Woolf – stylist
Charts
Template:Col-begin Template:Col-2
Weekly charts
| Chart (2002) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Japanese Albums (Oricon)<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> | 17 |
| European Albums (Eurotipsheet)<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref> | 12 |
Year-end charts
| Chart (2002) | Position |
|---|---|
| Australian Albums (ARIA)<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> | 81 |
| Canadian Albums (Nielsen SoundScan)<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> | 153 |
| Dutch Albums (Album Top 100)<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> | 98 |
| French Albums (SNEP)<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> | 134 |
| German Albums (Offizielle Top 100)<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> | 78 |
| Swiss Albums (Schweizer Hitparade)<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> | 63 |
| UK Albums (OCC)<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> | 109 |
| US Billboard 200<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> | 76 |
| Chart (2003) | Position |
|---|---|
| US Billboard 200<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> | 188 |
Certifications
Template:Certification Table Top Template:Certification Table Entry Template:Certification Table Entry Template:Certification Table Entry Template:Certification Table Entry Template:Certification Table Entry Template:Certification Table Entry Template:Certification Table Bottom