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Adam Lambert shakes off the shackles of the past by returning to his roots on The Original High. No longer with RCA, the label who signed him in the wake of American Idol, Lambert seizes this freedom by reuniting with producers Max Martin and Shellback, the team who gave him his big 2009 hit "Whataya Want from Me," but this is by no means a throwback. Martin and Shellback remain fixtures at the top of the pop charts -- they were instrumental collaborators on Taylor Swift's 1989, the biggest album of 2014 -- and they're a comfortable, stylish fit for the clever Lambert, a singer as comfortable with a glam-disco past as he is an EDM present. The Original High cannily synthesizes these two sides of Lambert, an intersection made explicit on "Lucy," where Adam sings about "diamond dogs" while his Queen bandmate Brian May lays down lead guitar over a crawling electro-beat. Elsewhere, Lambert ratchets up either the rock or the dance, but usually favors the latter, sometimes sliding into full-bore glitter ball territory -- "The Original High," where the beat slowly modulates from disco into EDM and the bonus "These Boys," which shamelessly appropriates the polyester styles of the '70s -- but usually finding an expert balance between pulsating rhythms and gleaming surfaces, not to mention insidiously ingratiating pop hooks. This emphasis on the hook and tune distinguishes The Original High, a record where Martin and Shellback's production, like Adam's soaring vocals, is in service of the song. Although the album can linger on moody noir a little too long -- the lightest material is squired away on the three bonus tracks, each an effervescent delight -- the individual components work on their own merits, whether it's the steely clatter of the Tove Lo duet "Rumours," the elegantly skeletal cinemascapes of "Ghost Town," or the cleanly constructed lines of "Things I Didn't Say." Here, and throughout The Original High, Adam Lambert demonstrates he's in perfect control of his style and sound and knows how to combine both into a sterling modern pop record.
© Stephen Thomas Erlewine /TiVo
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Max Martin, Producer, Writer - Adam Lambert, Lead Vocals, Writer, MainArtist - Tobias Karlsson, Electric Guitar, Writer, Vocal Recording Engineer - John Hanes, MixingEngineer - Serban Ghenea, MixingEngineer - Tom Coyne, MasteringEngineer - Michael Ilbert, AdditionalEngineer - Ali Payami, Producer, Programmer, Writer, All Additional Instruments - Sterling Fox, Backing Vocals, Writer - Cory Bice, Engineer - Peter Carlsson, VocalProducer - Randy Merrill, Assistant Mastering Engineer
© 2015 Warner Records Inc. ℗ 2015 Warner Records Inc.
Shellback, Producer, Guitar, Keyboards, Programmer, Backing Vocals, Writer - Savan Kotecha, Writer - Adam Lambert, Lead Vocals, Writer, MainArtist - John Hanes, MixingEngineer - Serban Ghenea, MixingEngineer - Tim Roberts, Assistant Mixing Engineer - John West, Writer - Tom Coyne, MasteringEngineer - Mattias Larsson, Writer - Robin Fredriksson, Writer - Axident, Guitar, Percussion - Joe Janiak, Writer - Andreas Schuller, Writer - Peter Carlsson, Engineer - Mattman & Robin, Producer, Bass Guitar, Electric Guitar, Keyboards, Percussion, Programmer - Spyke Lee, AssistantEngineer - Randy Merrill, Assistant Mastering Engineer
© 2015 Warner Records Inc. ℗ 2015 Warner Records Inc.
Max Martin, Producer, Writer - Adam Lambert, Lead Vocals, Writer, MainArtist - John Hanes, MixingEngineer - Serban Ghenea, MixingEngineer - Sam Holland, Engineer - Tom Coyne, MasteringEngineer - Ali Payami, Producer, Drums, Bass Guitar, Keyboards, Percussion, Programmer, Writer - Sterling Fox, Backing Vocals, Writer - Cory Bice, AssistantEngineer - Peter Carlsson, Editor - Randy Merrill, Assistant Mastering Engineer - Jeremy Lertola, AssistantEngineer
© 2015 Warner Records Inc. ℗ 2015 Warner Records Inc.
Max Martin, Backing Vocals - Adam Lambert, Lead Vocals, MainArtist - John Hanes, MixingEngineer - Serban Ghenea, MixingEngineer - Tom Coyne, MasteringEngineer - Ali Payami, Producer, Programmer, Writer, All Instruments - Ilya, Vocal Production - Joe Janiak, Writer - Randy Merrill, Assistant Mastering Engineer
© 2015 Warner Records Inc. ℗ 2015 Warner Records Inc.
Adam Lambert, Lead Vocals, Writer, MainArtist - John Hanes, MixingEngineer - Serban Ghenea, MixingEngineer - Sam Holland, Engineer - Tom Coyne, MasteringEngineer - Ali Payami, Producer, Programmer, Writer, All Instruments - Joe Janiak, Writer - Cory Bice, AssistantEngineer - Peter Carlsson, VocalProducer - Randy Merrill, Assistant Mastering Engineer
© 2015 Warner Records Inc. ℗ 2015 Warner Records Inc.
Shellback, Producer, Keyboards, Programmer, Backing Vocals, Writer - Adam Lambert, Lead Vocals, Writer, MainArtist - John Hanes, MixingEngineer - Serban Ghenea, MixingEngineer - Tim Roberts, Assistant Mixing Engineer - Tom Coyne, MasteringEngineer - Tove Lo, Writer, FeaturedArtist - OZGO, Producer, Guitar, Keyboards, Programmer, Writer - Spyke Lee, AssistantEngineer - Randy Merrill, Assistant Mastering Engineer
© 2015 Warner Records Inc. ℗ 2015 Warner Records Inc.
Shellback, Producer, Bass Guitar, Electric Guitar, Keyboards, Programmer, Backing Vocals, Writer - Savan Kotecha, Writer - Adam Lambert, Lead Vocals, MainArtist - John Hanes, MixingEngineer - Serban Ghenea, MixingEngineer - Tim Roberts, Assistant Mixing Engineer - Tom Coyne, MasteringEngineer - Ali Payami, Producer, Keyboards, Programmer, Writer - Oscar Holter, Producer, Keyboards, Programmer, Writer - Sterling Fox, Writer - Peter Carlsson, Voice Editor - Spyke Lee, AssistantEngineer - Randy Merrill, Assistant Mastering Engineer
© 2015 Warner Records Inc. ℗ 2015 Warner Records Inc.
Max Martin, Producer - Adam Lambert, Lead Vocals, Writer, MainArtist - John Hanes, MixingEngineer - Serban Ghenea, MixingEngineer - Sam Holland, Engineer - Tom Coyne, MasteringEngineer - Brian May, Guitar, FeaturedArtist - Ali Payami, Producer, Programmer, Writer, All Additional Instruments - Fredrik Samsson, Producer, Writer - Cory Bice, AssistantEngineer - Peter Carlsson, VocalProducer - Freja Blomberg, Writer - Randy Merrill, Assistant Mastering Engineer
© 2015 Warner Records Inc. ℗ 2015 Warner Records Inc.
Savan Kotecha, Writer, Background Vocals - Adam Lambert, Lead Vocals, MainArtist - John Hanes, MixingEngineer - Serban Ghenea, MixingEngineer - Tom Coyne, MasteringEngineer - Ilya Salmanzadeh, Writer - Oscar Holter, Bass Guitar, Electric Guitar, Keyboards, Programmer, Writer, Background Vocals, VocalProducer - Ilya, Bass Guitar, Electric Guitar, Keyboards, Programmer, Background Vocals, VocalProducer - James Alan, Writer - Cory Bice, Engineer - Peter Carlsson, Engineer - Randy Merrill, Assistant Mastering Engineer
© 2015 Warner Records Inc. ℗ 2015 Warner Records Inc.
Tiffany Amber, Writer - Adam Lambert, Lead Vocals, MainArtist - John Hanes, MixingEngineer - Sam Holland, Engineer - Tom Coyne, MasteringEngineer - Michael Ilbert, MixingEngineer - Linus Eklöw, Writer - Svidden, Writer - Peter Carlsson, VocalProducer - Randy Merrill, Assistant Mastering Engineer - Lukas Loules, Writer - LULOU, Producer, All Instruments - Nanni Johansson, AssistantEngineer
© 2015 Warner Records Inc. ℗ 2015 Warner Records Inc.
Adam Lambert, Lead Vocals, Writer, MainArtist - John Hanes, MixingEngineer - Serban Ghenea, MixingEngineer - Tom Coyne, MasteringEngineer - Michael Ilbert, MixingEngineer - Elin Blom, Writer - Style Of Eye, Producer, Programmer, All Instruments - Linus Eklöw, Writer - Julia Karlsson, Writer - Svidden, Producer, Programmer, Writer, All Instruments - Joakim Jarl, Writer - Peter Carlsson, Editor - Jarly, Producer, Programmer, All Instruments, Voice Editor - Hampus Norlander, Writer - Anton Rundberg, Writer - Randy Merrill, Assistant Mastering Engineer - Nanni Johansson, AssistantEngineer
© 2015 Warner Records Inc. ℗ 2015 Warner Records Inc.
Adam Lambert, Lead Vocals, Writer, MainArtist - John West, Guitar, Writer - Tom Coyne, MasteringEngineer - Axident, Producer, Engineer, Percussion, Writer, All Instruments, Synthesizer - Randy Merrill, Assistant Mastering Engineer
© 2015 Warner Records Inc. ℗ 2015 Warner Records Inc.
Adam Lambert, Lead Vocals, MainArtist - Tobias Karlsson, Producer, Guitar, Bass Guitar, Electric Guitar, Programmer, Writer, Vocal Recording Engineer - John Hanes, MixingEngineer - Serban Ghenea, MixingEngineer - Tom Coyne, MasteringEngineer - Eric Weaver, Engineer - Michael Ilbert, MixingEngineer - Ali Payami, Percussion, Additional Production, Programmer - Randy Merrill, Assistant Mastering Engineer - Thrice Noble, Additional Guitar, Additional Keyboards, Programmer - James Alan Ghaleb, Writer - Nanni Johansson, AssistantEngineer
© 2015 Warner Records Inc. ℗ 2015 Warner Records Inc.
Adam Lambert, Lead Vocals, MainArtist - Tobias Karlsson, Producer, Engineer, Bass Guitar, Electric Guitar, Keyboards, Programmer, Writer, All Instruments - John Hanes, MixingEngineer - Serban Ghenea, MixingEngineer - Tom Coyne, MasteringEngineer - Eric Weaver, Engineer - Michael Ilbert, MixingEngineer - Randy Merrill, Assistant Mastering Engineer - James Alan Ghaleb, Writer - Nanni Johansson, AssistantEngineer
© 2015 Warner Records Inc. ℗ 2015 Warner Records Inc.
Album review
Adam Lambert shakes off the shackles of the past by returning to his roots on The Original High. No longer with RCA, the label who signed him in the wake of American Idol, Lambert seizes this freedom by reuniting with producers Max Martin and Shellback, the team who gave him his big 2009 hit "Whataya Want from Me," but this is by no means a throwback. Martin and Shellback remain fixtures at the top of the pop charts -- they were instrumental collaborators on Taylor Swift's 1989, the biggest album of 2014 -- and they're a comfortable, stylish fit for the clever Lambert, a singer as comfortable with a glam-disco past as he is an EDM present. The Original High cannily synthesizes these two sides of Lambert, an intersection made explicit on "Lucy," where Adam sings about "diamond dogs" while his Queen bandmate Brian May lays down lead guitar over a crawling electro-beat. Elsewhere, Lambert ratchets up either the rock or the dance, but usually favors the latter, sometimes sliding into full-bore glitter ball territory -- "The Original High," where the beat slowly modulates from disco into EDM and the bonus "These Boys," which shamelessly appropriates the polyester styles of the '70s -- but usually finding an expert balance between pulsating rhythms and gleaming surfaces, not to mention insidiously ingratiating pop hooks. This emphasis on the hook and tune distinguishes The Original High, a record where Martin and Shellback's production, like Adam's soaring vocals, is in service of the song. Although the album can linger on moody noir a little too long -- the lightest material is squired away on the three bonus tracks, each an effervescent delight -- the individual components work on their own merits, whether it's the steely clatter of the Tove Lo duet "Rumours," the elegantly skeletal cinemascapes of "Ghost Town," or the cleanly constructed lines of "Things I Didn't Say." Here, and throughout The Original High, Adam Lambert demonstrates he's in perfect control of his style and sound and knows how to combine both into a sterling modern pop record.
© Stephen Thomas Erlewine /TiVo
About the album
- 1 disc(s) - 14 track(s)
- Total length: 00:50:12
- Main artists: Adam Lambert
- Label: Warner Records
- Genre: Pop/Rock Pop
© 2015 Warner Records Inc. ℗ 2015 Warner Records Inc.
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