ReBoot (Sam Brown album)

ReBoot is the fifth studio album from English female singer-songwriter Sam Brown, which was released in the UK by Mud Hut Records in 2000. It was released in the Netherlands the following year on the label Coast to Coast.[2]

ReBoot
Studio album by
Released25 September 2000[1]
Length58:48
LabelMud Hut Records
Producer
  • Sam Brown
  • Pete Brown
Sam Brown chronology
Box
(1997)
ReBoot
(2000)
Of the Moment
(2007)

Background edit

Speaking of the album, Brown said in 2000, "The first thing I should say is I decided for the first time I would produce at least part of my own album [alone] – although I'd done it for my mum. It's a big step and I didn't really have that much confidence. But my brother Pete was so positive."[3]

A single, "In Light of All That's Gone Before", was released from the album. Brown said of the track in 2000, "When the band first played this song it sounded like Katrina and the Waves. That wasn't the idea at all because I'd got much more into blues and soul having worked with Jools a lot and I wanted a more contemporary vibe so I ended up doing it with samples and vocals."[3] The song features Jools Holland on piano. The single included two exclusive tracks, "Brown Wood, Brown Water" and "Rise Above".[4]

Brown embarked on a British tour to promote ReBoot.[5] Both ReBoot and "In Light of All That's Gone Before" failed to generate commercial success. Brown commented in 2000, "It's bloody hard at the bottom end of the business. Access to radio play can be difficult, but the regionals have been good to me."[5] In 2020, she recalled, "We did all the usual things. We tried to get radio and we plugged [the album]." She added, "I like that album. For me, it was a turning point. It made me a bit more confident in my production ideas."[6]

Critical reception edit

Upon its release, Music Week wrote, "Reboot is her fifth album and continues to show her abilities as a singer, though at times the material does not live up to her voice."[1] The Herald said, "'In Light of All That's Gone Before' is perhaps the most radio-friendly release [from Brown] for a while and while it may not see her on Saturday morning TV with Ant and Dec, it's a good hook into the album."[5] Worcester News described "In Light of All That's Gone Before" as a "cracking" single.[7]

Track listing edit

No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."In Light of All That's Gone Before"Sam Brown5:34
2."Heartbeats"S. Brown4:54
3."Let Go Move On"Richard Newman4:32
4."Timebomb"Phil Saatchi, Ian Sugar5:23
5."Understand the Animal"S. Brown, Pete Brown4:46
6."Breathe in Life"S. Brown4:38
7."The Key"S. Brown, P. Brown4:27
8."Call Me"S. Brown, Margo Buchanan4:50
9."Out of Focus"S. Brown4:25
10."Blood Run Cold"S. Brown5:35
11."Learn to Listen"S. Brown, P. Brown6:13
12."Rainbow"S. Brown3:31

Personnel edit

Credits are adapted from the ReBoot CD album booklet.[8]

  • Sam Brown – vocals (all tracks), Juno synthesiser (track 1), Hammond organ (tracks 1–2, 4, 6–8), percussion (tracks 1–2, 8), keyboards (tracks 2, 10), programming (tracks 2, 4), piano (tracks 5–6, 8–12), Rhodes (track 6), bass (track 11)
  • Pete Brown – guitar (tracks 1–5, 7–9, 11), vocals (tracks 3–4, 11), programming (tracks 3, 5, 7, 9, 11), additional programming (track 4), percussion (track 7), bass (track 11)
  • Jools Holland – piano (track 1)
  • Robin Evans – drum loops (track 1, 8), programming (track 8), drums and percussion programming (track 10)
  • Richard Newman – drums (tracks 2–5, 7–9)
  • Aaron McRobbie – bass (tracks 2, 4–9)
  • Christopher Holland – Hammond organ (tracks 3, 5), piano (tracks 3, 5)
  • Claudia Fontaine, Aitch McRobbie – backing vocals (tracks 3, 5–6, 8)
  • Des Barkus – harmonica (tracks 4, 7)

Production

  • Sam Brown – producer (tracks 1–2, 4, 6, 8, 10, 12)
  • Pete Brown – producer (tracks 3, 5, 7, 9, 11), mixing (tracks 3, 5, 7, 9, 11)
  • Robin Evans – mixing (tracks 1–2, 4, 6, 8, 10, 12), engineer (all tracks)

Other

  • Karen Fuchs – front and back cover photography
  • Soulla Petrou – additional photography

References edit

  1. ^ a b "Reviews - Album Reviews" (PDF). Music Week. 16 September 2000. p. 13. Retrieved 6 February 2022 – via World Radio History.
  2. ^ ReBoot (Netherlands CD album). Sam Brown. Coast to Coast. 2001. CTC 2990182.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  3. ^ a b "Sam Brown Biography". Onecandle.co.uk. 31 August 2000. Retrieved 6 February 2022.
  4. ^ In Light of All That's Gone Before (UK CD single). Sam Brown. Mud Hut Records. 2000. MH004CD.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  5. ^ a b c "Crash then Reboot". The Herald. 3 October 2000. Retrieved 6 February 2022.
  6. ^ Dave Griffiths (9 April 2020). "A Zoom Chat with Sam Brown". Retrieved 6 February 2022 – via YouTube.
  7. ^ "It's soul and sass with Sam Brown". Worcester News. 22 September 2000. Retrieved 6 February 2022.
  8. ^ ReBoot (UK CD album liner notes). Sam Brown. Mud Hut Records. 2000. MHLP005CD.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)