I Am a Bird Now

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I Am a Bird Now
Studio album by Antony and the Johnsons
Released	February 1, 2005 (2005-02-01)
Genre	Indie pop, baroque pop
Length	35:29
Label	Secretly Canadian
Producer	Antony Hegarty
Professional reviews
All Music Guide link The Guardian 2005 The Observer 2005 Pitchfork Media (8.6/10) 2005 Rolling Stone 2005 Robert Christgau (B-) link Stylus Magazine (A-) link Q April 2005 Drowned In Sound 2005 Tiny Mixed Tapes 2005
Antony and the Johnsons chronology
Antony and the Johnsons (1998) I Am a Bird Now (2005) The Crying Light (2008)

I Am a Bird Now is the critically-acclaimed second album by New York City band Antony and the Johnsons. It was nominated for the Mercury Music Prize on July 19, 2005 and was announced as the eventual winner on September 6, 2005. After winning the prize, the album shot up the UK albums chart from #135 to #16 in one week, the biggest jump in the history of the Mercury Music Prize. A few weeks later, the album went back up the charts at #5.

The album features guest appearances by Rufus Wainwright ("What Can I Do?") and Devendra Banhart, and by lead singer Antony Hegarty's childhood heroes Boy George and Lou Reed. The cover is a photograph by Peter Hujar of Warhol superstar Candy Darling on her deathbed.

[edit] Track listing

All tracks were written and produced by Antony Hegarty.

1. "Hope There's Someone" – 4:21
2. "My Lady Story" – 3:33
3. "For Today I Am a Boy." – 2:36
4. "Man Is the Baby" – 4:09
5. "You Are My Sister" – 3:59
6. "What Can I Do?" – 1:40
7. "Fistful of Love" – 5:52
8. "Spiralling" – 4:25
9. "Free at Last" – 1:36
10. "Bird Gerhl" – 3:14

[edit] Personnel

• Devendra Banhart – guitar (Track 5), vocals (Track 8)
• Steve Bernstein – horn
• Boy George – vocals (Track 5)
• Todd Cohen – drums
• Jason Hart – piano (Track 6)
• Antony Hegarty – organ, piano, vocals
• Julia Kent – cello
• Jeff Longston – bass
• Maxim Moston – violin
• Lou Reed – guitar and vocals (Track 7)
• Paul Shapiro – horn
• Doug Wieselman – saxophone
• Rufus Wainwright – vocals (Track 6)
• Joan Wasser – viola

[edit] External links

• Secretly Canadian press release