Back to Bedlam

by

James Blunt
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Release type:

studio album

First released:

Oct 11 2004

Overview Edit

Back to Bedlam is the debut album from British singer-songwriter James Blunt, released by Custard Records in 2004. Much of the album is acoustic-tinged rock and folk pop. Tom Rothrock produced and mixed the album, he and Jimmy Hogarth produced the track "Wisemen", and Linda Perry produced the final song, "No Bravery". Blunt had a part in the writing of every song on the album. The album had a slow climb in the UK Albums Chart, but eventually reached #1 in July 2005 and has since become the best-selling album of that year and of the 21st Century in Britain. It has been on the New Zealand album charts for 32 weeks and has gone #1 with a 6× Platinum certification.

The album also reached #1 on the Billboard Heatseekers chart and subsequently broke into the top ten of the American Billboard 200 (its highest position there so far is #2). It has been certified double platinum in the United States. It has also been listed by Soundscan as the 6th best selling album for 2006 with sales of 2.14 million copies.

In Australia, it reached #1 on the ARIA Albums Chart where it's certified 8x Platinum with sales of over 560,000 copies. ARIA also certified it as the best selling album of 2006.

To date the album has sold about 12 million copies worldwide. The album also entered the Guinness Book of World Records, with most albums sold in a year in the UK, when it sold 2,368,000 copies in 2005. However, the album was awarded as a "worst album of the year" by the NME magazine.

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This particular version Edit

Record label:

Atlantic / Wea

Catalog number:

7567-93451-2

Release dates:

Oct 11 2004 in United Kingdom
Oct 4 2005 in United States

2 other versions of this release

Genres

Adult Alternative, Emo, Folk-Rock, Singer-Songwriter, Soft Rock,

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What do Amazon.com customers think?

You've got a friend in James

This album is not something you'd expect from a guy who studied engineering, was a part of the NATO peacekeeping force in Kosovo, rode horseback for the Queen and watched over the Queen Mother as she lay in state. Colorful background aside, it's hard to imagine his reedy falsetto warbling through the streets of Serb villages or recording music in his landlady's bathroom, but that's exactly the way it happened for James Blunt.

His voice takes a little getting used to, but the track "Goodbye My L…

Read the full review

Written by Amanda Richards

Love him or hate him....

This CD is fantastic. One of the best to come around in years! I have a 300+ collection, and since buying this CD, I reach for it most. Every single song is either thought provoking, sad, witty, all these different, strange emotions at once. His show at the Tower Theater in Philadelphia was unforgettable. Don't be put off by the negative reviews. If you want to listen to something unique and beautiful, buy this CD. You will not regret it!

Written by M. E. Morgan

Track listing Edit

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