Left of the Middle - Natalie Imbruglia

Classique?

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Halli

Halli

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Probably up there with Christina's 'Stripped' as one of my all time fave pop albums.

Really defined a time for me. I have loved all of her other stuff, mostly. But Has she ever topped this masterpiece of an album? By the album tracks you can really see that Jagged Little Pill was the influence.

I think her outstanding BEAUTY may have held her back a little in the long run - that became quite evident on the second album I remember.

This is my fave cut

 
What a moment in time when the third single really underperformed. 'Wishing I was There' made #18 or #19 or something and then she unleashes this as the 4th single

 
Wishing I Was There was the second single in America, presumably because it sounded the most Alanis-y. Totally doomed her as a one-hit wonder there, sadly.
 
VoR said:
Wishing I Was There was the second single in America, presumably because it sounded the most Alanis-y. Totally doomed her as a one-hit wonder there, sadly.
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I remember 'Wrong Impression' making a small little wave over there.

Has she released anything there since the second ALBAM?
 
Oh, and Hunter by Bjork. No wonder that one missed the top 40 - the gays presumably had no pocket money left over!
 
Halli said:
I remember 'Wrong Impression' making a small little wave over there.

Has she released anything there since the second ALBAM?
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Sadly not. Wrong Impression was a (very) mild radio hit but the album pretty much tanked and she focused on Europe and Australia from then on - in so much as Natalie Imbruglia can be said to focus on any aspect of her career at all.
 
VoR said:
Sadly not. Wrong Impression was a (very) mild radio hit but the album pretty much tanked and she focused on Europe and Australia from then on - in so much as Natalie Imbruglia can be said to focus on any aspect of her career at all.
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Natalie doesn't do promo. Natalie ATTENDS things and we must be grateful.
 
What's up with The Power Of Goodbye as a new entry at #91 that week?
 
lolly said:
What's up with The Power Of Goodbye as a new entry at #91 that week?
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Just looked it up on Wikipedia and consulted with my collection. This version is the cardboard 2-track CD single, whilst the proper UK release was billed as 'POG/'Little Star' (3-track), which debuted & peaked at no. 6.
 
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So the two versions charted separately? Or is that just before the chart run for the 'proper' release?
 
lolly said:
So the two versions charted separately? Or is that just before the chart run for the 'proper' release?
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Yep - it appears they charted separately. My CDs have two completely different catalogue numbers. The cover image is the same but the 2-track cardboard CD single only has 'The Power of Goodbye' on the cover whilst the 3-track release has both 'Power of Goodbye' and 'Little Star' printed on the cover & the spine.

My 2-track CD also has an 'HMV IMPORT' sticker on it from back in the day. LOON UP! :disco:
 
VoR said:
Wishing I Was There was the second single in America, presumably because it sounded the most Alanis-y. Totally doomed her as a one-hit wonder there, sadly.
Click to expand...
I remember "Wishing I Was There" and "Wrong Impression" being moderate (not big) hits here. Radio embraced them, at least. I know "Wishing I Was There" was ineligible to chart (like "Torn" for most of its run) because no CD single was released.
 
I irrationally took against her when she came out thinking it was a cynical record company ploy to twist the Kylie soap star narrative in the guise of Alanis-lite. I thought this album and the Meredith Brooks albums were so blatant. I like this more now than I did at the time, I gave it more of a chance based on what followed.
 
VoR said:
Wishing I Was There was the second single in America, presumably because it sounded the most Alanis-y. Totally doomed her as a one-hit wonder there, sadly.
Click to expand...

I remember how MTV Latin America was a mess when it came to releases like these where different songs were targeted at different countries. Big Mistake received heavy airplay despite not being a "single" over here and it actually made it into their charts like the early version of TRL and such. Same case with Spice Girls 2 Become 1 (we got WDYTYA at the same time) and Hanson, Aqua, BSB.
 
Suedey said:
Yep - it appears they charted separately. My CDs have two completely different catalogue numbers. The cover image is the same but the 2-track cardboard CD single only has 'The Power of Goodbye' on the cover whilst the 3-track release has both 'Power of Goodbye' and 'Little Star' printed on the cover & the spine.

My 2-track CD also has an 'HMV IMPORT' sticker on it from back in the day. LOON UP! :disco:
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How I long for THESE DAYS, going into a Virgin Megastore or HMV straight onto the imports to pick up some Kylieeeee
 
WHAT'S UP WITH DAD?

MUM'S LOOKING SAD

Stark and provocative lyrics aside (Esther Ransen probably had a stroke until she saw Natalie was an adult), it's an amazing song and the Appleton sisters must have been in bits when spying on their fellow combat trouser wearing rival during TOTP filming.
 
I cannot recommend the album though as I've forgotten it entirely. I liked Wishing I Was There, but preferred her singing "ahh" instead of "aye". Big Mistake didnt really work for me, but the comment on her looks is very apt as even then much was made about how much was made to downplay her Carol Vorderman wishes good looks.
 
POP! said:
I remember "Wishing I Was There" and "Wrong Impression" being moderate (not big) hits here.
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I was really annoying back in the '90s. I do get that the record co. would rather have people invest in the album instead of releasing a 2-track cd single, but when WIWT gets a single release along with a Radio Remix (which I loved more than the album version) you should really make it available for the public, instead we were stuck with the album version :( I ended up buying the import I found on a trip once, I think it was the CD 1.
 
The album sold tonnes in America, no? As in I'm sure it went at least 1xP.

'Wishing I Was There' was a big radio hit there too, no?

I'm always amused as to how 'Big Mistake' got to no. 2 here - I mean, it's not that good really. What kept it off no. 1 and was it stiff comp?
 
"My Heart Will Go On" was #1! Just a smidgen of competition then.

And yes "Wishing I Was There" was a proper hit in the States spending nearly five months on the airplay chart. It actually had a higher peak and longevity than "Ray of Light" as insane as that is. Mind I think they pushed the Transistor remix that eliminated the male backing vox and had rockier instrumentation because someone had an iota of common sense.

Was always amazed "Smoke" did fuck all though given American radio was far more ballad friendly at the time.
 
Suedey said:
The album sold tonnes in America, no? As in I'm sure it went at least 1xP.

'Wishing I Was There' was a big radio hit there too, no?

I'm always amused as to how 'Big Mistake' got to no. 2 here - I mean, it's not that good really. What kept it off no. 1 and was it stiff comp?
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"Wishing I Was There" reached #15 on the mainstream/pop radio chart. It was inevitably overshadowed by "Torn" which charted forever, but it definitely wasn't a bomb.

And Let of the Middle is 2xp in America. It was last certified in 1998 so I wouldn't be surprised if it is at or close to 3xp. It spent a full year on the chart. For comparison, WLI sold 171k here and was off the chart in 7 weeks.
 
VoR said:
Oh, and Hunter by Bjork. No wonder that one missed the top 40 - the gays presumably had no pocket money left over!
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I had bought the 'Joga' single but skipped on 'Hunter'. I was a poor uni student and had to make ends meet! :( :disco:
 
01. Torn

Can't forget this one. Capturing break-up energy into something very special and the backing vocals are ghostly memories we won't ever get back.
 
02. One More Addiction

First the good news. The nerve-wracking grunge and enormous musical energy. We're well and truly off the starting blocks and she's going somewhere with this.
Then the bad news: none, it's building a momentum I want to maintain.
 
03. Big Mistake

Already this is starting with much more aplomb than I ever remembered. That pre-chorus is the last few seconds before the explosion. Yes, it was easy to write this off as a derivative of You Oughta Know, but that plunge into the chorus is a gas. Love the production - I must look up who did it.
 
04. Leave Me Alone

Isn't she shape-shifting well? Very sophisticated, creeping into dead spaces and shadows with Portishead no doubt encouraging her. Inspirational quote: "you like me to stroke you / careful I don't choke you".
 
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