Billy Talent (album)
2003 studio album by Billy Talent
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Billy Talent is the debut album of Canadian rock band Billy Talent, released in 2003. The band's previous album Watoosh! (1999) was released under their old name Pezz.
Metalworks, Mississauga
| Billy Talent | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
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| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | September 16, 2003 | |||
| Recorded | November 2002 – March 2003 | |||
| Studio | The Factory, Vancouver; Metalworks, Mississauga | |||
| Genre | ||||
| Length | 41:04 | |||
| Label | Atlantic | |||
| Producer | Gavin "Golden" Brown | |||
| Billy Talent chronology | ||||
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| Alternative cover | ||||
 Cover of the 10th anniversary edition | ||||
| Singles from Billy Talent | ||||
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| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [1] |
| The Daily Princetonian | (favorable)[2] |
| Decoy Music | [3] |
| Ottawa XPress |  [4] |
| Q Magazine | [5] |
| Rock Hard | 9.5/10[6] |
| Sputnikmusic | [7] |
Commercial performance
Billy Talent debuted at number 6 on the Canadian Albums Chart, selling 7,700 copies in its first week.[8] The album was certified four-time platinum in Canada in January 2021. Between 1996 and 2016, Billy Talent was among the top 15 best-selling albums by Canadian bands in Canada and among the top 40 best-selling albums by Canadian artists overall in Canada.[9]
Reception
Tenth anniversary
In August 2013, Billy Talent announced a Canadian tour for fall of that year entitled "A Return to the Roots", in which they played their entire first self-titled album live to celebrate its 10th anniversary.[11] Soon after the tour, the band announced a 10th anniversary reissue of the album. The reissue was released on November 26, 2013 through Warner Bros. Records; it features a bonus disc of rare demos and live recordings of the album's track list.[12]
Track listing
All tracks are written by Billy Talent.
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "This Is How It Goes" | 3:27 |
| 2. | "Living in the Shadows" | 3:15 |
| 3. | "Try Honesty" | 4:13 |
| 4. | "Line & Sinker" | 3:37 |
| 5. | "Lies" | 2:58 |
| 6. | "The Ex" | 2:40 |
| 7. | "River Below" | 2:59 |
| 8. | "Standing in the Rain" | 3:20 |
| 9. | "Cut the Curtains" | 3:50 |
| 10. | "Prisoners of Today" | 3:53 |
| 11. | "Nothing to Lose" | 3:38 |
| 12. | "Voices of Violence" | 3:10 |
| Total length: | 41:07 | |
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 13. | "When I Was a Little Girl" | 2:10 |
| 14. | "Beach Balls" | 3:48 |
| Total length: | 47:05 | |
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "This Is How It Goes" (Demo Version) | 3:08 |
| 2. | "Living in the Shadows" (Demo Version) | 3:15 |
| 3. | "Try Honesty" (Demo Version) | 4:05 |
| 4. | "Line & Sinker" (Live at Nova Rock Festival) | 4:51 |
| 5. | "Lies" (Live Acoustic at SBN Studios) | 3:05 |
| 6. | "The Ex" (Demo Version) | 2:36 |
| 7. | "River Below" (Live at the Orange Lounge) | 3:00 |
| 8. | "Standing in the Rain" (Live at Metalworks) | 3:34 |
| 9. | "Cut the Curtains" (Demo Version) | 3:38 |
| 10. | "Prisoners of Today" (Demo Version) | 3:43 |
| 11. | "Nothing to Lose" (Live at Phillipshalle) | 3:59 |
| 12. | "Voices of Violence" (Live at Norwegian Wood Festival) | 3:20 |
| Total length: | 42:20 | |
Personnel
Billy Talent
- Benjamin Kowalewicz – lead vocals
- Ian D'Sa – guitar, vocals, art direction, package design
- Jonathan Gallant – bass guitar, vocals
- Aaron Solowoniuk – drums
Additional personnel
- Gavin Brown – production
- Jacquire King – recording
- Paul Silvera – digital editing
- Sheldon Zaharko – assistant engineer, digital editing
- Chris Lord-Alge – mixing
- Kevin Armstrong – assistant mix engineer
- Tom Baker – mastering
- Lawrence Azerrad – art direction, package design
- Dustin Rabin – photographer
- Peter Van Hattem – additional photography
Chart positions
| Chart | Position |
|---|---|
| Austrian Albums (Ö3 Austria)[13] | 38 |
| Canadian Albums (Billboard)[14] | 6 |
| German Albums (Offizielle Top 100)[15] | 97 |
| UK Albums[citation needed] | 124 |
| US Billboard 200[16] | 194 |
| US Heatseekers Albums (Billboard)[17] | 11 |
Certifications
| Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
|---|---|---|
| Canada (Music Canada)[18] | 4× Platinum | 400,000‡ |
| Canada (Music Canada)[19] 10th Anniversary Edition |
Gold | 40,000‡ |
| Germany (BVMI)[20] | Platinum | 200,000^ |
| United Kingdom (BPI)[21] | Silver | 60,000‡ |
|
^ Shipments figures based on certification alone. | ||