Bitter (Meshell Ndegeocello album)
1999 studio album by Meshell Ndegéocello
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Bitter is the third album by Meshell Ndegeocello.[3] It was released on August 24, 1999, on Maverick Records. The album peaked at #105 on the Billboard Top 200 in 1999.[4] The album also peaked at number 13 on Billboard's Top Internet Albums chart and number 40 on Billboard's R&B Albums chart.
- Mad Dog Studios (Burbank, CA)
- Sunset Sound Factory (Los Angeles, CA)
- Sear Sound (New York, NY)
| Bitter | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
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| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | August 24, 1999 | |||
| Studio |
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| Genre | ||||
| Length | 47:36 | |||
| Label | Maverick[1] | |||
| Producer | Craig Street[2] | |||
| Meshell Ndegéocello chronology | ||||
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Critical reception
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [5] |
| Entertainment Weekly | A[6] |
| Pitchfork | 9.2/10[7] |
| Robert Christgau |  [8] |
| Rolling Stone |  [9] |
| Spin | 5/10[10] |
Billboard called the album "a modern masterpiece," writing that it "shines for its sonic presence as well as its inherent musical quality."[2] The New York Times wrote that "its rhythms flow in circulatory patterns guided by Ms. Ndegeocello's bass playing; guitars, strings and her guarded vocals intertwine like brain waves."[11] The Chicago Tribune called it "one long bittersweet downer."[1] Vibe called Bitter the "Album of the Year."[12] The Hartford Courant wrote that "though Bitter attempts to explore ambitious life themes about loyalty, faith, love and beauty, it instead commits the mortal sin of dullness."[13]
Track listing
- "Adam" (Meshell Ndegéocello) – 2:24
- "Fool of Me" (Ndegéocello, Federico González Peña) – 3:30
- "Faithful" (Ndegéocello, David Gamson) – 4:46
- "Satisfy" (Ndegéocello, Peña) – 4:05
- "Bitter" (Ndegéocello) – 4:15
- "May This Be Love" (Jimi Hendrix) – 5:17
- "Sincerity" (Ndegéocello, Doyle Bramhall II) – 5:30
- "Loyalty" (Ndegéocello, Allen Cato) – 4:20
- "Beautiful" (Ndegéocello) – 2:44
- "Eve" (David Torn, Roger Moutenot) – 1:23
- "Wasted Time" (Ndegéocello) – 4:55
- "Grace" (Ndegéocello) – 4:27
Personnel
Musicians
(instruments are not stated in the booklet)
- Meshell Ndegéocello – vocals, electric bass, additional instruments
- Lisa Coleman – piano, keyboards
- Wendy Melvoin – guitar
- Chris Bruce – guitar, bass
- Doyle Bramhall II – guitar
- Ronny Drayton – electric guitar
- Greg Leisz – pedal steel guitar (11)
- David Torn – guitar
- Abraham Laboriel Jr. – drums, percussion
- Daniel Sadownick – percussion
- Biti Straug – background vocals
- Arif St. Michael – background vocals
- Joe Henry – vocals (11)
- Sandra Park – violin
- Sharon Yamada – violin
- Robert Rinehart – viola
- Alan Stepansky – cello
- Steve Barber – string arrangements
Technical
- Craig Street – producer
- Dusty Wakeman – engineer (Mad Dog Studios, Burbank, California)
- S. Husky Höskulds – engineer for additional recordings (Sunset Sound Factory, Los Angeles, California)
- Tom Schick – engineer for additional recordings (Sear Sound, New York)
- Elijah Bradford, Rafael Serrano, Chris Ribando, Joseph Turner – second engineers
- Roger Moutenot – mixing (Sunset Sound Factory, Los Angeles)
- Joseph Turner – mixing assistant
- Greg Calbi – mastering (Sterling Sound, New York)
- Paul Thompson – production assistant
- Kai Morrison – project coordination
- Kevin Reagan – art direction, design
- Gail Swanlund – design
- Sheryl Nields – photography