Back to Basics (Christina Aguilera album)
Back to Basics is the fifth studio album by American singer Christina Aguilera. It was released on August 9, 2006, in the United States by RCA Records as a double album. Serving as executive producer, she enlisted a wide range of producers, including DJ Premier, Rich Harrison, Rob Lewis, Mark Ronson, and Linda Perry. Recording sessions took place between February 2005 and April 2006 at several studios in the United States and the United Kingdom.
Back to Basics
August 9, 2006
February 2005 – April 2006
- Chalice Recording Studios
- Record Plant
(Los Angeles, California) - Allido Sound
(New York City, New York) - Maze Studios
(Atlanta, Georgia) - SARM Studios
(London, England)[1]
78:43
- Ben Allen
- Big Tank
- Charles Martin Roane
- DJ Premier
- Kwamé
- Linda Perry
- Rich Harrison
- Mark Ronson
- Tony Reyes
- Q
Inspired by Aguilera's 1920s–1950s idols, including Billie Holiday, Otis Redding, Etta James, and Ella Fitzgerald, Back to Basics was described by Aguilera herself as a fusion of old-school jazz and soul inspirations with a modernized style. Primarily a pop and R&B record, its first disc juxtaposes rhythm and blues with hip hop and urban elements with most songs employing samples, while the second contains all original tracks with the exception of "Candyman", which samples "Tarzan & Jane Swingin' on a Vine". Lyrically, the album is inspired by Aguilera's previous life events including her marriage with Jordan Bratman in 2005.
To portray a new persona, Aguilera adopted her new alter ego Baby Jane and made several changes to her public appearance, inspired by classic Hollywood actresses. She promoted the album by performing at events like the 2006 MTV Movie Awards, the 2006 MTV Video Music Awards and the 49th Annual Grammy Awards. It was further promoted with Back to Basics Tour, which visited countries in North America, Asia, Europe, Australia and Middle East from late 2006 until late 2008. Back to Basics spawned three international singles: "Ain't No Other Man", "Hurt" and "Candyman"; "Slow Down Baby" was only released as a single in Australia,[2] while "Oh Mother" was only released as a single in several European countries.[3][4]
Back to Basics received favorable reviews from music critics, who complimented its musical diversity from Aguilera's previous albums while there were others who criticized its length. The album received a Grammy Award nomination for Best Pop Vocal Album, and its lead single "Ain't No Other Man" won Best Female Pop Vocal Performance at the 49th Annual Grammy Awards (2007). It debuted at number one on the US Billboard 200 with first-week sales of 346,000 copies. Back to Basics achieved similar success internationally, reaching the top of the charts in over fifteen countries including Australia, Canada, Germany, Ireland, Switzerland and United Kingdom. The album has sold 1.7 million copies in the United States, and over 5 million worldwide, as of November 2013.[5]
Recording and production[edit]
To create a "throwback" with elements of old-school genres combined with "a modern-day twist",[8] Aguilera sent letters to different producers that she hoped could help her with the direction she was taking for the project, encouraging them to experiment, reinvent and create a modern soul feel.[12] She initially planned to condense the album into a single, more "affordable" disc, however, she expanded Back to Basics as a double album.[8] For the first disc, Aguilera collaborated with hip hop producers including DJ Premier, Rich Harrison, Kwamé, and Mark Ronson for the first time.[13] Most songs from the first half incorporate horn samples to create "gritty and old" sounds.[14] DJ Premier questioned if Aguilera was familiar with his work, though she had known of his jazz-influenced work with Gang Starr in the late 1980s and early 1990s.[15] In response, Aguilera wanted her album to draw inspirations from Premier's song "Jazz Thing" and noted that their collaboration became his first time "venturing into the 'pop' world".[15] For the "1920s and 1930s-era vibe"-influenced second disc, Aguilera teamed up with longtime producer Linda Perry, who produced on Aguilera's previous album Stripped.[14] In contrast to the first disc, the second one consists of all live recordings without using samples[8] (with the exception of "Candyman" featuring a sample of "Tarzan & Jane Swingin' on a Vine").[13]
Recording sessions of the project took place between February 2005 and April 2006[16][17][18] at various studios in the United States and the United Kingdom, including the Chalice Recording Studios and The Record Plant in Los Angeles, California.[17] All songs from Back to Basics were recorded using Pro Tools HD3 program and done with a SSL J9000 console with ninety-six inputs.[17] Aguilera's vocals were recorded using a Telefunken ELAM 251 microphone, possibly in conjunction with an Avalon M-5 pre-amp.[17] Producer Scott Storch, who contributed to Aguilera's previous studio album Stripped, was asked to return for the production of Back to Basics.[19] However, he refused the offer when Aguilera declined to pay airfare for him and his entourage to fly out to Los Angeles, which led to a breakdown of their relationship.[19] Subsequently, Aguilera included the song "F.U.S.S." (an abbreviation to "Fuck You Scott Storch") on the album,[20] which Storch viewed as "pathetic".[21]
Aguilera also recorded a song about oral sex titled "Fuck You, Suck You" during a studio session with Linda Perry.[22][23] It was supposedly meant for the Back to Basics album.
Music and lyrics[edit]
According to Aguilera and the production team, Back to Basics draws influences from 1920s–1940s jazz and soul music.[9] However, music critics identified the record as a pop,[26] and R&B[27] album with similarities to 1960s, 1970s and 1980s albums.[28] Dorian Lyskey writing for The Guardian thought that the album's concept "is so wide as to be meaningless",[29] while Serene Dominic from Phoenix New Times compared Back to Basics' musical style to rock band The Beatles' self-titled album (1968).[28]
The first half disc incorporates strong elements from hip hop,[9] urban,[24] blending traditional and contemporary R&B.[30] It features horn samples and gospel choirs, making it sound like "a dusty old vinyl album", according to Jenny Eliscu from Rolling Stone.[31] Most songs from the disc employ samples, with the exception of "Without You", "Still Dirrty" and "F.U.S.S."[13] "Makes Me Wanna Pray" featuring Steve Winwood features a gospel choir in its arrangement,[24] while the pop/R&B[32] and funk[29] number "Ain't No Other Man" features "aerobic oomph" that is similar to Beyoncé's "Crazy in Love".[29] "Understand" is an R&B ballad,[33] featuring soul influences that are similar to ballads done by Gladys Knight,[29] while "Slow Down Baby" blends traditional and contemporary R&B with hip hop and soul elements.[33][34] The three follow-ups "Oh Mother", "On Our Way", and "Without You" are piano ballads.[33] "Still Dirrty" was described as a "filthy... strut" with hip hop elements.[35]
The second disc of Back to Basics opens with "Enter the Circus", described as a "carnival-creepy orchestration that sounds like Danny Elfman soundtracking Cabaret" by Tampa Bay Times,[36] and followed by the soft rock-inspired "Welcome".[35] "Candyman" draws inspirations from jazz, blues[33] and swing,[24] and was musically inspired by The Andrews Sisters' song "Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy" (1941).[31] Similarly, "Nasty Naughty Boy" also contains elements of jazz and blues[33] and features "blaring horn section" in its arrangement.[32] On "I Got Trouble", Aguilera sings over a blues-inspired theme[37] that is reminiscent of songs by Bessie Smith.[25] "Mercy on Me" features gospel elements,[37] while the acoustic track "Save Me from Myself" is inspired by country rock, different from other tracks on Back to Basics.[30]
Most songs from Back to Basics were inspired by real-life events that Aguilera had experienced.[8] The track "Oh Mother" talks about Aguilera's childhood with her abusive father; its lyrical theme was compared to Madonna's "Oh Father" (1989).[38] Her marriage with Jordan Bratman was the main theme of the album, with tracks inspired by the event including "Makes Me Wanna Pray",[25] "Ain't No Other Man",[8] "On Our Way", "Without You",[39] "Mercy on Me",[40] "Save Me from Myself" and "The Right Man".[32] On "The Right Man", Aguilera expresses that she has found "the right man" for her imagined daughter as she hopes that the child would not have to experience an abusive childhood like her, singing: "One day, My little girl will reach out her hand and she'll know I found the right man".
Aguilera expresses excitement toward old-school music on "Back in the Day", where she names classic artists including Etta James, Marvin Gaye, Coltrane and Aretha Franklin.[25] "F.U.S.S." (which stands for "Fuck You Scott Storch"),[20] is directed toward producer Scott Storch, who didn't accept Aguilera's offer to produce Back to Basics, containing lyrics such as: "Looks like I didn't need you / Still got the album out".[40] In the lyrics of "Slow Down Baby", Aguilera tells a "lusty" man to leave her alone as she sings: "If you knew anything you'd realize I'm wearing a ring".[41] "Still Dirrty" was described as a sequel to Aguilera's song "Dirrty" (2002), in which Aguilera sings about her "sexual independence": "Why is a woman's sexuality always under so much scrutiny / Why can't she do exactly as she please"[25] and claims that she's "still got the nasty" in her.[31] "Here to Stay" tells how Aguilera is "not just a flash in the pan pop starlet",[32] while "Thank You (Dedication to Fans...)" features voice mails from Aguilera's fans, such as "You're so amazing" or "You inspired me to carry on living..."[42]
Artwork and release[edit]
For Back to Basics, Aguilera decided to portray her different image and persona from her previous stage name Xtina by adopting a new alter ego called Baby Jane,[43] named after a character of the film What Ever Happened to Baby Jane? (1962).[44] She also changed her public appearance as she removed her piercings,[45] and dyed her hair platinum blonde,[46] inspired by classic Hollywood movie stars such as Marilyn Monroe, Marlene Dietrich, Carole Lombard and Greta Garbo.[47]
The album's cover artwork was taken by German photographer Ellen von Unwerth during three days; on the first and second days, the photos were shot at the Hollywood Dell hotel.[48] Aguilera and von Unwerth moved to Forty Deuce in Hollywood to take images inspired by 1920s burlesque clubs on the last day of the session.[48] The album's cover artwork was revealed in late June 2006, featuring Aguilera with bright red lipstick and curly blonde hair dressed in white and lounging on a bed.[47][48] Greg Kot from The Baltimore Sun labelled the cover artwork as "a classy retro look, a sign that [Aguilera] is ready for her close-up as the leading lady of the teen brat pack that emerged in the late '90s".[49] It also received criticism for being too similar to the artwork of Madonna's sixth studio album, Bedtime Stories (1994).[50]
In mid-2006, Virgin Media reported that Back to Basics would be released on August 14, 2006.[47] TMZ later reported that Back to Basics was planned to be released on August 15, 2006, in the United States.[51] The album was leaked in full on August 3.[51]
Credits adapted from the liner notes of Back to Basics.[13]
Notes
Sampling credits