''Frantic'' is the eleventh studio album by English singer

Bryan Ferry Bryan Ferry (born 26 September 1945) is an English singer and songwriter. He became known as the frontman of the band Roxy Music and also launched a solo career. His voice has been described as an "elegant, seductive croon". He also established ...

, released on 15 April 2002 by

Virgin Records Virgin Records is a British record label owned by Universal Music Group. They were originally founded as a British independent record label in 1972 by entrepreneurs Richard Branson, Simon Draper, Nik Powell, and musician Tom Newman (musician), ...

. The majority of tracks were produced by the team of

Rhett Davies Rhett Davies (born 1949 in London) is an English record producer and engineer. Davies' father was the trumpet player Ray Davies. Davies became a studio engineer at Island Records in the early 1970s. One of his first recording sessions was for B ...

, Colin Good, and Ferry; David A. Stewart and

Robin Trower Robin Leonard Trower (born 9 March 1945) is an English rock guitarist who achieved success with Procol Harum throughout 1967–1971 and then again as the bandleader of his own power trio known as the Robin Trower Band. Biography Robin Trower ...

also co-produced several tracks.

Critical reception

Tim DiGravina of

AllMusic AllMusic (previously known as All-Music Guide and AMG) is an American online database, online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on Musical artist, musicians and Mus ...

wrote of the album, "Some listeners might suggest that an album this varied has an identity crisis, but with hesestandout tracks as glorious as the Dylan covers and the Eno closer, ''Frantic'' is a fascinating addition to Bryan Ferry's accomplished discography." David Medsker of ''

PopMatters ''PopMatters'' is an international online magazine of cultural criticism that covers aspects of popular culture. ''PopMatters'' publishes reviews, interviews, and essays on cultural products and expressions in areas such as music, television, ...

'' stated that "''Frantic'' may play like a greatest hits album, with bits here recalling '' Boys and Girls'' and songs there echoing late Roxy, and it may rank in the middle to upper of the pack of his overall body of work. But it's the most cohesive album he's done in ages. Given how down and out he appeared to be, the fact that Frantic is more than half good is cause for joy."

Track listing

Personnel

Musicians

* Bryan Ferry – vocals (1–6, 8–13),

harmonica The harmonica, also known as a French harp or mouth organ, is a free reed wind instrument used worldwide in many musical genres, notably in blues, American folk music, classical music, jazz, country, and rock. The many types of harmonica incl ...

(1, 3, 5, 8, 13), keyboards (4, 10, 12, 13), arrangements (7) * Colin Good – acoustic piano (1–6, 8, 11), string arrangements (1–3, 6, 11, 13),

Mellotron The Mellotron is an electro-mechanical musical instrument developed in Birmingham, England, in 1963. It is played by pressing its keys, each of which causes a length of magnetic tape to contact a Capstan (tape recorder), capstan, which pulls i ...

(6),

virginal The virginals is a keyboard instrument of the harpsichord family. It was popular in Europe during the late Renaissance and early Baroque periods. Description A virginals is a smaller and simpler, rectangular or polygonal, form of harpsichord. ...

(7), arrangements (7), keyboards (13) * Terry Disley – keyboards (4, 10, 12) *

Brian Eno Brian Peter George Jean-Baptiste de la Salle Eno (, born 15 May 1948), also mononymously known as Eno, is an English musician, songwriter, record producer, visual artist, and activist. He is best known for his pioneering contributions to ambien ...

– keyboards (4, 10, 13), backing vocals (4, 12, 13), guitar (13) * Paul Taylor – keyboards (4, 10, 12), programming (10) * Ben Chapman – programming (4, 10, 13) * Reece Gilmore – programming (4, 12, 13) * James Sanger – programming (4, 13) * Eddie LeJeune –

accordion Accordions (from 19th-century German language, German ', from '—"musical chord, concord of sounds") are a family of box-shaped musical instruments of the bellows-driven free reed aerophone type (producing sound as air flows past a Reed (mou ...

(9), backing vocals (9) *

Pete Glenister Pete Glenister is an English guitarist, songwriter and producer, known for his collaborations with Alison Moyet and Kirsty MacColl. He has also worked with a number of other artists including Anni-Frid Lyngstad, Bruce Foxton, Terence Trent D'Arb ...

– guitar (1, 2, 6, 8, 13) *

Mick Green Michael Robert Green (22 February 1944 – 11 January 2010) was an English rock and roll guitarist who played with Johnny Kidd & the Pirates, The Pirates (with and without Johnny Kidd (singer), Johnny Kidd), Billy J. Kramer The Dakotas (band), ...

– guitar (1–3, 6, 8, 11) *

Chris Spedding Christopher John Spedding (born Peter Robinson, 17 June 1944) is an English guitarist and record producer. In a career spanning more than 50 years, Spedding is best known for his studio session work. By the early 1970s, he had become one of th ...

– guitar (2, 4, 6, 8, 12, 13),

sitar The sitar ( or ; ) is a plucked stringed instrument, originating from the Indian subcontinent, used in Hindustani classical music. The instrument was invented in the 18th century, and arrived at its present form in 19th-century India. Khusrau K ...

(11) * David Williams – guitar (2–4, 6, 12, 13), bass (4) * Adam Lamprell – guitar (4, 10, 13) * David A. Stewart – guitar (4, 10, 12) * Martin Wheatley – guitar (8) * D. L. Menard – guitar (9), backing vocals (9) *

Jonny Greenwood Jonathan Richard Guy Greenwood (born 5 November 1971) is an English musician. He is the lead guitarist and keyboardist of the rock band Radiohead, and has composed numerous film scores. He has been named one of the greatest guitarists by numer ...

– guitar (10) *

– guitar (10) * Zev Katz – bass (1–3, 6, 8, 9, 11, 13) *

Marcus Miller William Henry Marcus Miller Jr. (born June 14, 1959) is an American musician, songwriter, and record producer. He has worked with trumpeter Miles Davis, pianist Herbie Hancock, singer Luther Vandross, and saxophonists Wayne Shorter and David Sa ...

– bass (10, 12) * Bobby Irwin – drums (1–3, 6, 13) *

Andy Newmark Andrew Newmark (born July 14, 1950)

– drums (4, 10, 12), percussion (8, 13) *

Paul Thompson Paul Thompson may refer to: Education *Paul Thompson (professor) (born 1951), British management professor at the University of Strathclyde *Paul B. Thompson (philosopher) (born 1951), American philosopher at Michigan State University *Paul H. Tho ...

– drums (4, 8), percussion (11) * Frank Ricotti – percussion (1, 2, 6–9, 11) * Otis Ferry – whip effects (2) * Rosie Wetters – cello (1–3, 6, 11, 13) * Natalia Bonner – viola (1–3, 6, 11, 13) * Lucy Theo – violin (1–3, 6, 11, 13) * Lucy Wilkins – violin (1–3, 6, 11, 13) * Julia Thornton –

harp The harp is a stringed musical instrument that has individual strings running at an angle to its soundboard; the strings are plucked with the fingers. Harps can be made and played in various ways, standing or sitting, and in orchestras or ...

(7, 8) * Keith Thompson – recorder (7),

crumhorn The crumhorn is a double reed , double reed instrument of the woodwind family, most commonly used during the Renaissance music, Renaissance period. In modern times, particularly since the 1960s, there has been a revival of interest in early mu ...

(7),

curtal The dulcian is a Renaissance woodwind instrument, with a double reed and a folded conical bore. Equivalent terms include , , , , , , and . The predecessor of the modern bassoon, it flourished between 1550 and 1700, but was probably invented ear ...

(7), woodwind (8),

oboe The oboe ( ) is a type of double-reed woodwind instrument. Oboes are usually made of wood, but may also be made of synthetic materials, such as plastic, resin, or hybrid composites. The most common type of oboe, the soprano oboe pitched in C, ...

(11) * Ken Smith –

fiddle A fiddle is a Bow (music), bowed String instrument, string musical instrument, most often a violin or a bass. It is a colloquial term for the violin, used by players in all genres, including European classical music, classical music. Althou ...

(9), backing vocals (9) * Robert Fowler – alto saxophone (11) * Sarah Brown – backing vocals (2, 4, 6, 8, 11, 12) * Kelli Dayton – backing vocals (2, 10, 11) * Alice Retif – backing vocals (2, 10) * Audrey Wheeler – backing vocals (2, 4, 12) * Nicole Blumberg – backing vocals (4) * Stephen Granville – backing vocals (4, 12) * Mary Nelson – soprano vocals (7, 8, 11) *

Alison Goldfrapp Alison Elizabeth Margaret Goldfrapp (born 13 May 1966) is an English musician and record producer, known as the vocalist of English electronic music duo Goldfrapp. Early life and education Alison Elizabeth Margaret Goldfrapp was born on 13 Ma ...

– backing vocals (11) *

Lucy Kaplansky Lucy Kaplansky (born February 16, 1960) is an American folk musician based in New York City. Kaplansky has a PhD in clinical psychology from Yeshiva University and plays guitar, mandolin, and piano. Life and career Kaplansky was originally fro ...

– backing vocals (11) *

Patti Russo Patricia Russo (May 20, 1964) is an American singer and songwriter. She acted as Meat Loaf's female lead vocalist, touring the world with his band Neverland Express between 1993 and 2013. Since then, she has embarked on a solo career. Work wit ...

– backing vocals (11) * Jhelisa Anderson – backing vocals (12)

Technical

* Bryan Ferry – producer * Rhett Davies – producer (1–3, 5–8, 11, 13), additional producer (4, 9, 10, 12) * Colin Good – producer (1–3, 5–8, 11, 13), additional producer (4, 9, 10, 12) * David A. Stewart – producer (4, 12) * Robin Trower – producer (9, 10, 13) * Nick Addison – engineer * Michael Boddy – engineer * Neil Brockbank – engineer, mixing (5) * Ash Howes – engineer, mixing (10) * Richard T. Norris – engineer * Sven Taits – engineer * Mark Tucker – engineer * Dan Grech-Marguerat – assistant engineer * Kevin Harp – assistant engineer *

Bob Clearmountain Bob Clearmountain (born Chiaramonte, January 15, 1953) is an American mixing engineer and record producer, best known for his work with major acts, including Bruce Springsteen, The Rolling Stones, David Bowie, Roxy Music, Pretenders, and Bryan A ...

– mixing (1–4, 6–9, 11–13) *

Bob Ludwig Robert Carl Ludwig (born December 11, 1944), is a retired American mastering engineer. He mastered recordings on all the major recording formats for all the major record labels, and on projects by more than 1,300 artists, including Led Zeppeli ...

– mastering at Gateway Mastering (

Portland, Maine Portland is the List of municipalities in Maine, most populous city in the U.S. state of Maine and the county seat, seat of Cumberland County, Maine, Cumberland County. Portland's population was 68,408 at the 2020 census. The Portland metropolit ...

)

Artwork

* Bogdan Zarkowski – design, photography * Nicholas De Ville – design * Bryan Ferry – design * Eric Boman – photography * Albert Sanchez – photography

Charts

References

{{Authority control 2002 albums Albums produced by Dave Stewart (Eurythmics) Albums produced by Rhett Davies Albums recorded at RAK Studios Bryan Ferry albums Virgin Records albums