Antony and the Johnsons + Charles Atlas "Turning" (2014)

Turning (A film by Charles Atlas)

release date: Nov. 10, 2014

format: cd + dvd

[album rate: 4 / 5] [3,76]

producer: Lucy Sexton, Vibeke Vogel

label: Rough Trade - nationality: USA

Live album and a film by Antony and the Johnsons in collaboration with American video artist Charles Atlas. The music is not a best of release but more of a soundtrack as the release is a combined film by Atlas and a soundtrack by Antony and the Johnsons. Also, the music was recorded on Nov. 4-5, at The Barbican Centre, London.

The film is not a traditional concert film but more of an art film ressembling a performance collage or art installation focussing on 13 women and gender issues. The cd soundtrack contains 17 tracks with tracks taken from various studio releases.

Turning is a most fascinating release, some tracks light up stronger in these live versions, whereas others may have worked better experienced live, but it's nevertheless a strong and vital example of the power of Antony's songs and voice in particular.

[ allmusic.com 4 / 5, Pitchfork 7,1 / 10, Rolling Stone, NME 3,5 / 5 stars ]

Antony and the Johnsons "Cut the World" (2012)

Cut the World (live)

release date: Aug. 7, 2012

format: digital (12 x File, FLAC)

[album rate: 4 / 5] [3,84]

producer: Karl Bjerre Skibsted

label: Rough Trade - nationality: USA

Track highlights: 1. "Cut the World" - 3. "Cripple and the Starfish" - 4. "You Are My Sister" - 6. "Epilepsy Is Dancing" - 8. "Kiss My Name" - 10. "Rapture" - 12. "Twilight"

Live album by Antony and the Johnsons recorded live with the Danish National Chamber Orchestra in recordings made Sep. 2011. The album consists of twelve tracks all but two stemming from the four studio albums and an ep by Antony and the Johnsons.

Three tracks (tracks #3, #10, #12) comes from the debut album Antony and the Johnsons (2000), one song (track #4) is taken from the second album I Am a Bird Now (2005), four tracks (tracks #6, #7, #8, #11) stem from the third album The Crying Light (2009), one song (track #5) is from the fourth album Swanlights (2010), and one track is the title song from the ep I Fell in Love With a Dead Boy (2011) (track #9); and then two tracks are new. Track #1 "Cut the World" is a song made for the play "The Life and Death of Marina Abramović" directed by Robert Wilson (2011), and track #2 ("Future Feminism") is a speech by Antony performed during one of the concerts. And then you could argue that all tracks here are new as they are all in new arrangements made by Antony, Nico Muhly, Rob Moose and Maxim Moston.

The album and the song selection is fine, there's nothing bad about it, it just doesn't entirely sum up the strong energy and the best performances by Antony but there's still something special about the arrangements made for a chamber orchestra, and imho, it doesn't necessarily, in every instance, bring out the best versions of the material. They do, however, present alternate dimensions to his work, and for many reasons, Antony's music is perfect for orchestral arrangements, and The Danish National Orchestra seems made for this kind of music. Antony... well, he naturally sings and performs so elegantly that it alone heightens the whole experience. I for one, now prefer both studio and live versions.

[ allmusic.com 4,5 / 5, 👉Pitchfork 8,1 / 10, NME, Drowned in Sound 4 / 5 stars ]

Antony and the Johnsons "Swanlights" (2010)

Swanlights
release date: Oct. 11, 2010
format: cd
[album rate: 3,5 / 5] [3,36]
producer: Antony Hegarty
label: Rough Trade - nationality: USA

Track highlights: 2. "The Great White Ocean" - 3. "Ghost" - 4. "I'm in Love" - 8. "Thank You for Your Love" - 9. "Flétta" (feat. Björk)

4th studio album by Antony and the Johnsons following nearly two years after The Crying Light (Jan. 2009) - released by Secretly Canadian (Rough Trade for the European market). The style is somewhat unchanged with Antony's melancholic piano-founded mourning stories with less focus on traditional instrumentation in the exchange of orchestral arrangements with an end result that appears both touching on a neo-classical score and a more naked and simple expression. This way it appears as his most quiet and intimate so far. All tracks are (as usual) composed by Antony Hegarty except two written together with classical composer Nico Muhly, and the track "Flétta" co-written by Björk.
The album was generally met by critical acclaim, although, I just don't find that the album reach the height of its two giant predecessors and imho it just sits low in Antony's discography. I'm possibly missing some point here. I find that the stories are intact, Antony's voice also, there's lot's of sincerity and strong emotions but the strong compositions don't escape the surface.
[ allmusic.com, BBC Music, Mojo, Uncut 4 / 5, Pitchfork 7,7 / 10 stars ]

Antony and the Johnsons "The Crying Light" (2009)

The Crying Light
release date: Jan. 20, 2009
format: digital (10 x File, FLAC)
[album rate: 4 / 5] [3,82]
producer: Antony Hegarty
label Secretly Canadian - nationality: USA

Track highlights: 1. "Her Eyes Are Underneath the Ground" (4 / 5) - 2. "Epilepsy Is Dancing" (4 / 5) - 3. "One Dove" - 4. "Kiss My Name" (4 / 5) - 6. "Another World" - 7. "Daylight and the Sun" - 9. "Dust and Water" - 10. "Everglade"

3rd studio album by Antony and the Johnsons is yet another strong release. Stylistically, it's like a new chapter to the brilliant I Am a Bird Now (2005), only, there's a more subtle tone or obscure sentiment giong on here as a turn to a more lyrical content.

The album has been met by positive reviews and it's perhaps seen as the band's peak. I only find that it contains a few fillers without the same high quality, but perhaps I just don't get the intimate message, and then tracks #1, #2, and #4 are still all worth this album.
The front cover features a 1977 photograph by Naoya Ikegami of iconic butoh dancer Kazuo Ohno.
[ allmusic.com 4,5 / 5, Pitchfork 8,6 / 10, Los Angeles Times, Uncut, 👍NME 4 / 5, Spin 3,5 / 5 stars ]

Antony and the Johnsons "I Am a Bird Now" (2005)

I Am a Bird Now
release date: Feb. 1, 2005
format: cd
[album rate: 4 / 5] [4,06]
producer: Antony Hegarty
label: Secretly Canadian - nationality: USA

Track highlights: 1. "Hope There's Someone" (5 / 5) (live) - 2. "My Lady Story" (4,5 / 5) (live) - 3. "For Today I Am a Bouy" (4 / 5) (live) - 4. "Man Is the Baby" (4 / 5) (live) - 5. "You Are My Sister" (4 / 5) - 7. "Fistful of Love" - 8. "Spiralling" - 10. "Bird Gerhl" (4 / 5) (live)

2nd studio album by Antony and the Johnsons follows five whole years after the promissing debut, and like that, this is written, composed and produced by Antony Hegarty.
The style is much stronger and solidified on this compared to the first one out - the end result is a marvellous improvement to a fine debut as the album simply contains a wide range of great compositions. It features several well-renowned artists such as: Rufus Wainwright (track #6), Devandra Banhart (tracks #5 and #8), Boy George (track #5), and Lou Reed (track #7) - the latter has often played at live concerts featuring guest appearance by Antony.
The album release was five years under its way but considering the small attention that was attributed the debut, this album took a remarkable step into the limelight. I Am a Bird Now won the British music award The Mercury Prize ahead of artists such as Bloc Party, Coldplay, Kaiser Chiefs, and M.I.A. to mention but a few, which secured the album the biggest jump ever seen on the British album chart list, going from an initial position as number #135 to number #16 in the period of one week only.
It's a great and modern classic album and in retrospect it's also the best from Antony and the Johnsons. The front cover features an iconic photograph titled "Candy on her deathbed" of [Andy Warhol star] Candy Darling by Peter Hujar.
Highly recommendable.
[ allmusic.com, The Guardian, Rolling Stone, Q Magazine 4 / 5, 👍Pitchfork 8,6 / 10 stars ]

Antony and the Johnsons "Antony and The Johnsons" (2000)

Antony and the Johnsons [debut]
release date: Feb. 8, 2000
format: cd (2004 reissue)
[album rate: 3,5 / 5] [3,62]
producer: Antony Hegarty
label: Secretly Canadian - nationality: USA

Track highlights: 1. "Twilight" - 2. "Cripple and the Starfish" (4 / 5) - 4. "The Atrocities" - 5. "River of Sorrow" - 6. "Rapture" - 8. "Divine" - 9. "Blue Angel"

Studio album debut by Antony and the Johnsons originally released on the small independent label Durtro is an album written, composed and produced by vocalist Antony Hegarty. The band is basically a project centered around (British born) US-resided singer and keyboardist Hegarty, although, his 'collaborators' are a stable unit but also a wide range of musicians of 7-8 persons.
It took me some time to get accustomed with Antony Hegarty's voice but I soon found it surreal, out-of-this-world. Also, I found that he sounded much like Bryan Ferry but he's anything but a clone or a copy, and the music is wonderful theatre-like. This was the first album I listened to by Antony Hegarty though it's not my favourite from this project. Unfortunately, it should take Hegarty another five years before revealing his next full album.
Still, this is a very good place to start.

[ allmusic.com 4 / 5 stars ]