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Real is the fifth studio album by American singer Belinda Carlisle, released in the United Kingdom on October 5, 1993 by Virgin Records. The album has a genre of mainly pop songs — written by Charlotte Caffey, Thomas Caffey, Ralph Schuckett and half co-written by Carlisle. It was the first album where Rick Nowels had no writing or producing credits and also was Carlisle's first album to have contributed to the producing. The album cover was designed by Tom Dolan and is a departure for Carlisle, who presented a glamorous look on all her previous covers, choosing a "jeans & t-shirt" look instead this time with little make-up. It features a cover version of The Graces pop rock song "Lay Down Your Arms".
[edit] Reception and chart performance
All Music Guide reviewed the album as suffering from a lack of memorable songs and while the record sounded good, it had nothing to support the state-of-the-art production[1]. It was also a departure from her previous solo albums, it has more in common with Belinda's The Go-Go's sound rather than her own, typical, solo pop themes. Dealing with what Belinda termed the 'dark side of relationships,' the album is mature and intentionally lacks the slick production of her other solo albums. Carlisle won over many critics who had previously reviewed her for her sensed lack of progression and willingness to take a chance with some edgier material[2].
The album made its debut on the charts on October 18, 1993 on the UK Albums Chart at number nine, making Real her fifth consecutive top ten album there. On the second week it dropped down eleven places to number twenty, and then not making a rise in the top seventy-five spending only five weeks in it and being her only charting album not to be certified. In Sweden the album became her fifth top thirty album peaking at number twenty-three spending only two weeks in the top fifty. Australia was the last place the album charted, where it charted at number sixty-one and spent four weeks in the top one hundred.
The singles released from Real were not successful only one of them peaking in the top twenty. Released in September 1993, "Big Scary Animal" reached number twelve on the UK Singles Chart — becoming Carlisle's seventh top twenty single — and a top sixty hit in Australia. "Lay Down Your Arms" was released as the second single in November 1993 and failed to gain much success peaking at number twenty-seven in the UK.
[edit] Track listing
- "Goodbye Day" (Charlotte Caffey, Thomas Caffey, Jeff McDonald, Steve McDonald) - 4:39
- "Big Scary Animal" (Caffey, Carlisle, Ralph Schuckett) - 4:08
- "Too Much Water" (Caffey, Caffey, Richard Caffey, Carlisle) - 5:16
- "Lay Down Your Arms" (Caffey, Schuckett, Ellen Shipley) - 4:38
- "Where Love Hides" (Schuckett) - 4:57
- "One with You" (Caffey, Schuckett, Shipley) - 5:11
- "Wrap My Arms" (Caffey, Caffey, Carlisle) - 4:27
- "Tell Me" (Caffey, Caffey, Carlisle) - 5:32
- "Windows of the World" (Caffey, Caffey, Carlisle) - 3:26
- "Here Comes My Baby" (Greg Alexander, Caffey, Carlisle) - 4:37
[edit] Charts
[edit] Release details
[edit] References
