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Curtis Stigers began the '90s quite promisingly, as his eponymous debut generated a Top Ten single with "I Wonder Why" and he seemed on the brink of stardom as a classier, substantial alternative to Michael Bolton's ersatz adult contemporary soul man. Then, something happened. His second album didn't make much of an impact and he was caught up in contractual hassles, meaning that he didn't deliver his third album (and first for Columbia), Brighter Days, until the summer of 1999 -- nearly eight years after his first hit. Brighter Days finds Stigers considerably more mature, shooting for the adult alternative market and succeeding, more or less. It helps that he's working with a great list of collaborators, ranging from songwriters Jules Shear and Carole King to supporting musicians Jackson Browne, Benmont Tench and Chuck Leavell. Each track has been carefully constructed and produced, which presents an interesting quandary -- as individual songs, they're all quite good, but taken together, they tend to sound a little too similar. Nevertheless, Stigers has delivered a record that fulfills the promise of his debut. It's a gentle, streamlined blend of Van Morrison's blue-eyed soul (there's even a tribute song, "Van Said (Sha La La)") and such radio-ready Americana bands as the Wallflowers and Hootie & the Blowfish, yet it has a stronger songwriterly bent, which gives it its own identity -- and that's enough to make Brighter Days an enjoyable comeback.
© Stephen Thomas Erlewine /TiVo
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B. Thiele, Jr., Composer - B. Thiele, Jr., Lyricist - Ed Cherney, Producer - Ed Cherney, Recording Engineer - Stuart Brawley, Mixing Engineer - Phil Shenale, Piano - Bob Thiele, Producer - Bob Thiele, Electric Guitar - Bob Thiele, Loops - Mark Johnson, Mixing Engineer - Sabastian Haimerl, 2nd Engineer - Luis Conte, Percussion - Michael Urbano, Drums - Greg Leisz, Electric Guitar - Greg Leisz, Slide Guitar - Doug Sax, Mastering Engineer - C. Stigers, Composer - C. Stigers, Lyricist - Curtis Stigers, Vocal - Curtis Stigers, Performer - Davey Faragher, Bass - Val McCallum, Electric Guitar
(P) 1999 SONY BMG MUSIC ENTERTAINMENT
Ed Cherney, Producer - Ed Cherney, Recording Engineer - Stuart Brawley, Mixing Engineer - Phil Shenale, Arranger - Bob Thiele, Producer - Bob Thiele, Electric Guitar - Bob Thiele, 12 String Guitar - Bob Thiele, Keyboards - Bob Thiele, Loops - Mark Johnson, Mixing Engineer - Sabastian Haimerl, 2nd Engineer - Michael Urbano, Drums - David Immergluck, Slide Guitar - Doug Sax, Mastering Engineer - D. O'Brian, Composer - D. O'Brian, Lyricist - Curtis Stigers, Vocal - Curtis Stigers, Background Vocal - Curtis Stigers, Performer - Davey Faragher, Bass - Dillon O'Brian, Background Vocal
(P) 1999 Columbia Records, a division of Sony Music Entertainment
B. Thiele, Jr., Composer - B. Thiele, Jr., Lyricist - Ed Cherney, Producer - Ed Cherney, Recording Engineer - Stuart Brawley, Mixing Engineer - Phil Shenale, Arranger - Phil Shenale, Loops - Bob Thiele, Producer - Bob Thiele, Electric Guitar - Bob Thiele, Keyboards - Bob Thiele, Harmonica - Mark Johnson, Mixing Engineer - Sabastian Haimerl, 2nd Engineer - Michael Urbano, Drums - Doug Sax, Mastering Engineer - D. O'Brian, Composer - D. O'Brian, Lyricist - C. Stigers, Composer - C. Stigers, Lyricist - Curtis Stigers, Vocal - Curtis Stigers, Performer - Davey Faragher, Bass - Dillon O'Brian, Background Vocal - Dillon O'Brian, Acoustic Baritone Guitar - Dillon O'Brian, Harmonium
(P) 1999 SONY BMG MUSIC ENTERTAINMENT
Ed Cherney, Producer - Ed Cherney, Recording Engineer - Jim Keltner, Percussion - Jim Keltner, Drums - Stuart Brawley, Mixing Engineer - Bob Thiele, Producer - Bob Thiele, Acoustic Baritone Guitar - Bob Thiele, Harmonium - Mark Johnson, Mixing Engineer - Sabastian Haimerl, 2nd Engineer - Doug Sax, Mastering Engineer - C. Stigers, Composer - C. Stigers, Lyricist - Curtis Stigers, Vocal - Curtis Stigers, Background Vocal - Curtis Stigers, Performer - Davey Faragher, Bass - Val McCallum, Electric Guitar - Paul Brady, Background Vocal - P. Brady, Composer - P. Brady, Lyricist
(P) 1999 SONY BMG MUSIC ENTERTAINMENT
Ed Cherney, Producer - Ed Cherney, Recording Engineer - Stuart Brawley, Mixing Engineer - Jim Keltner, Drums - C. King, Composer - C. King, Lyricist - Bob Thiele, Producer - Bob Thiele, Piano - Bob Thiele, Loops - Mark Johnson, Mixing Engineer - Sabastian Haimerl, 2nd Engineer - Luis Conte, Percussion - Greg Leisz, Electric Guitar - Doug Sax, Mastering Engineer - C. Stigers, Composer - C. Stigers, Lyricist - Curtis Stigers, Vocal - Curtis Stigers, Performer - Curtis Stigers, Tenor Saxophone - Davey Faragher, Bass
(P) 1999 SONY BMG MUSIC ENTERTAINMENT
Ed Cherney, Producer - Ed Cherney, Recording Engineer - Stuart Brawley, Mixing Engineer - Bob Thiele, Producer - Mark Johnson, Mixing Engineer - Sabastian Haimerl, 2nd Engineer - L. Goldings, Composer - L. Goldings, Lyricist - THEILE,BOB, Organ - Doug Sax, Mastering Engineer - C. Stigers, Composer - C. Stigers, Lyricist - Curtis Stigers, Vocal - Curtis Stigers, Performer
(P) 1999 SONY BMG MUSIC ENTERTAINMENT
Ed Cherney, Producer - Ed Cherney, Recording Engineer - Stuart Brawley, Mixing Engineer - Bob Thiele, Producer - Bob Thiele, Electric Guitar - Bob Thiele, Harmonium - Mark Johnson, Mixing Engineer - Sabastian Haimerl, 2nd Engineer - Luis Conte, Percussion - Michael Urbano, Drums - Greg Leisz, Mandolin - Greg Leisz, Electric Guitar - Doug Sax, Mastering Engineer - C. Stigers, Composer - C. Stigers, Lyricist - Curtis Stigers, Vocal - Curtis Stigers, Background Vocal - Curtis Stigers, Performer - Curtis Stigers, Tenor Saxophone - Davey Faragher, Bass - MARK GOLDENBERG, 12 String Guitar - B. Henderson, Composer - B. Henderson, Lyricist - Valerie Carter, Background Vocal
(P) 1999 SONY BMG MUSIC ENTERTAINMENT
Ed Cherney, Producer - Ed Cherney, Recording Engineer - Stuart Brawley, Mixing Engineer - Phil Shenale, Arranger - J. SHEAR, Composer - J. SHEAR, Lyricist - Bob Thiele, Producer - Bob Thiele, Acoustic Baritone Guitar - Bob Thiele, Organ - Mark Johnson, Mixing Engineer - Sabastian Haimerl, 2nd Engineer - Luis Conte, Percussion - Michael Urbano, Drums - Greg Leisz, 12 String Guitar - Doug Sax, Mastering Engineer - C. Stigers, Composer - C. Stigers, Lyricist - Curtis Stigers, Vocal - Curtis Stigers, Performer - Davey Faragher, Bass - S. Lerman, Composer - S. Lerman, Lyricist - MARK GOLDENBERG, Electric Guitar
(P) 1999 SONY BMG MUSIC ENTERTAINMENT
B. Thiele, Jr., Composer - B. Thiele, Jr., Lyricist - David Mansfield, Fiddle - Ed Cherney, Producer - Ed Cherney, Recording Engineer - Stuart Brawley, Mixing Engineer - Jim Keltner, Drums - Bob Thiele, Producer - Bob Thiele, Acoustic Baritone Guitar - Bob Thiele, Electric Guitar - Bob Thiele, Loops - Greg Smith, Baritone Saxophone - Mark Johnson, Mixing Engineer - Sabastian Haimerl, 2nd Engineer - Greg Leisz, Mandolin - Greg Leisz, Electric Guitar - Doug Sax, Mastering Engineer - Lee ThornBerg, Trumpet - Davey Faragher, Bass - C. Stigers, Composer - C. Stigers, Lyricist - Curtis Stigers, Vocal - Curtis Stigers, Performer
(P) 1999 SONY BMG MUSIC ENTERTAINMENT
Ed Cherney, Producer - Ed Cherney, Recording Engineer - Stuart Brawley, Mixing Engineer - Phil Shenale, Arranger - Bob Thiele, Producer - Bob Thiele, Piano - Mark Johnson, Mixing Engineer - Sabastian Haimerl, 2nd Engineer - Greg Leisz, Guitar - B. N. Chapman, Composer - B. N. Chapman, Lyricist - Doug Sax, Mastering Engineer - C. Stigers, Composer - C. Stigers, Lyricist - Curtis Stigers, Vocal - Curtis Stigers, Performer
(P) 1999 SONY BMG MUSIC ENTERTAINMENT
B. Thiele, Jr., Composer - B. Thiele, Jr., Lyricist - Ed Cherney, Producer - Ed Cherney, Recording Engineer - Stuart Brawley, Mixing Engineer - Jim Keltner, Drums - Bob Thiele, Producer - Bob Thiele, Acoustic Baritone Guitar - Bob Thiele, Electric Guitar - Mark Johnson, Mixing Engineer - Sabastian Haimerl, 2nd Engineer - Luis Conte, Percussion - Greg Leisz, Slide Guitar - Doug Sax, Mastering Engineer - C. Stigers, Composer - C. Stigers, Lyricist - Curtis Stigers, Vocal - Curtis Stigers, Performer - Davey Faragher, Bass
(P) 1999 SONY BMG MUSIC ENTERTAINMENT
Album review
Curtis Stigers began the '90s quite promisingly, as his eponymous debut generated a Top Ten single with "I Wonder Why" and he seemed on the brink of stardom as a classier, substantial alternative to Michael Bolton's ersatz adult contemporary soul man. Then, something happened. His second album didn't make much of an impact and he was caught up in contractual hassles, meaning that he didn't deliver his third album (and first for Columbia), Brighter Days, until the summer of 1999 -- nearly eight years after his first hit. Brighter Days finds Stigers considerably more mature, shooting for the adult alternative market and succeeding, more or less. It helps that he's working with a great list of collaborators, ranging from songwriters Jules Shear and Carole King to supporting musicians Jackson Browne, Benmont Tench and Chuck Leavell. Each track has been carefully constructed and produced, which presents an interesting quandary -- as individual songs, they're all quite good, but taken together, they tend to sound a little too similar. Nevertheless, Stigers has delivered a record that fulfills the promise of his debut. It's a gentle, streamlined blend of Van Morrison's blue-eyed soul (there's even a tribute song, "Van Said (Sha La La)") and such radio-ready Americana bands as the Wallflowers and Hootie & the Blowfish, yet it has a stronger songwriterly bent, which gives it its own identity -- and that's enough to make Brighter Days an enjoyable comeback.
© Stephen Thomas Erlewine /TiVo
About the album
- 1 disc(s) - 11 track(s)
- Total length: 00:49:15
- Main artists: Curtis Stigers
- Composer: Various Composers
- Label: Columbia
- Genre: Pop/Rock Ambient
(P) 1999 SONY BMG MUSIC ENTERTAINMENT
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