Coverage (album)

Coverage
Studio album by Mandy Moore
Released October 21, 2003
Recorded 2003
Genre
Length 46:43
Label Epic
EK-90667
Producer
Mandy Moore chronology
Mandy Moore
(2001)		 Coverage
(2003)		 The Best of Mandy Moore
(2004)
Singles from Coverage
  1. "Have a Little Faith in Me"
    Released: July 15, 2003
  2. "Drop the Pilot"
    Released: October 28, 2003
  3. "Senses Working Overtime"
    Released: January 16, 2004

Coverage is the fourth studio album by American singer Mandy Moore. It was released on October 21, 2003 through Epic Records. The album consists of 12 cover versions of songs from the 1970s and 1980s, which Moore worked on with new producer and songwriter John Fields.[1]

Coverage was the first studio album by the singer in two years following Mandy Moore (2001) and was preceded by the lead single, "Have a Little Faith in Me", which reached the Top 40 on the Billboard Pop 100.

Upon release, the album received mixed reviews from music critics. While some praised Moore for being experimental and stepping beyond her previously teen pop-centric material, others felt her selection of songs to cover and her approach to them led to inconsistency and lack of concentration.

Background

In June 2001, Moore released her third album, the self-titled Mandy Moore, which portrayed more adult and provocative themes along with the lead single "In My Pocket". However, Moore began to tire of her teen pop approach and going in the direction of Spears, Aguilera and Simpson. In an interview she expressed that her new album would be more mature than her first three, and that she felt more comfortable. On the red carpet of the 2004 MTV Video Music Awards, she revealed that her fourth studio album consisted of songs from the 1970s and 1980s.

Composition

The opening track, "Senses Working Overtime" is a cover of the English band XTC, released in 1982 and written by Andy Partridge. "The Whole of the Moon" is a cover of the band The Waterboys, originally released in 1985. The subject of the lyrics has inspired speculation, some of which has been rebutted by the writer.[2] "Can We Still Be Friends" is a cover of singer Todd Rundgren. The lyrics describe a relationship to which Rundgren and the woman to whom he is singing have given great effort, but simply cannot work. Rundgren explains this, but wishes to part amicably, asking several times if he and his partner can "still be friends". The song is generally assumed to be about Rundgren's breakup with long-time companion Bebe Buell in 1977.[3] "I Feel the Earth Move" is a song written and recorded by pop singer-songwriter Carole King.[4] "Mona Lisas and Mad Hatters" is a 1972 song from the Elton John album Honky Château. It was written by Bernie Taupin and is his take on New York City after hearing a gun go off near his hotel window during his first visit to the city.[5][6] "Drop the Pilot" is a song written and originally performed by Joan Armatrading. It was the first single to be released from Armatrading's 1983 album The Key. "Moonshadow" is a song from the album Teaser and the Firecat, released by Cat Stevens in 1971. "One Way or Another" is a song by American new wave band Blondie. Written by Debbie Harry and Nigel Harrison for the band's third studio album, Parallel Lines (1978), the song was inspired by one of Harry's ex-boyfriends who stalked her after their break-up.[7] The song was released as a single in the US as the follow-up to "Heart of Glass". "One Way or Another" reached #24 in the Billboard Hot 100. Although never officially released as a single in the United Kingdom and other countries, the song remains one of the group's most popular songs worldwide. Rolling Stone ranked the song #298 on its list of The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time.[8] "Breaking Us in Two" is a cover of singer Joe Jackson, while "Anticipation" is a song by Carly Simon. It was the most famous track from her 1971 album of the same name. The song was used in commercials for Heinz Ketchup through the late 1970s into the 1980s.[9] "Help Me" is a love song written, produced and performed by Joni Mitchell, from her 1974 album Court and Spark. The song was recorded with jazz band Tom Scott's L.A. Express as the backing band.[10] "Have a Little Faith in Me" is a song written and performed by John Hiatt that appears on his 1987 album Bring the Family.

Critical reception

Professional ratings
Aggregate scores
SourceRating
Metacritic64/100[11]
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[12]
Blender[13]
Entertainment WeeklyC[14]
Rolling Stone[15]

Reviews among music critics were generally mixed. Stephen Thomas Erlewine of AllMusic remarked, "With this record, she leaves dance-pop behind and heads toward mature pop ... positioning herself as a pop/rock singer by covering classic singer/songwriters ... [W]hile Coverage isn't always successful, it is always admirable and likeable, and certainly puts Moore on the right path for an interesting, successful career."[12]

Chart performance

After the mild success of her last album, Mandy Moore, Moore began recording the album Coverage, a collection of covers of music from the 1970s and 1980s. The album peaked at #14 on the Billboard 200, her highest peak to date, selling 53,000 copies its first week, her highest to date. In Australia, "Have a Little Faith in Me" has only released to radio. In Australia, Moore has achieved five top 25 hits on the ARIA Singles Chart. With only one single released to radio, Coverage reached only #97 on the Australian albums chart, her lowest studio album to date.

A video for "Drop the Pilot" was made, but was never released in the States. "Senses Working Overtime" (originally a single by XTC released in 1982) was released in March 2004 as the official second single in the States, but failed to make a large impact. According to Nielsen SoundScan, the album has sold 315,000 copies in the United States;[16] this figure was considered disappointing and after the release of a greatest hits album, Moore parted ways with Epic Records.

The album was again not released worldwide, but was released in selected regions like Australia, and in certain Asian and Latin American countries. It achieved Platinum status in the Philippines, where Moore performed on the country's most viewed show Eat Bulaga! and received several certifications from her past albums and a new one including Coverage.

Track listing

All songs produced by John Fields.

No. TitleWriter(s) Length
1. "Senses Working Overtime"  Andy Partridge 4:08
2. "The Whole of the Moon"  Mike Scott 5:01
3. "Can We Still Be Friends"  Todd Rundgren 3:38
4. "I Feel the Earth Move"  Carole King 3:08
5. "Mona Lisas and Mad Hatters"  Bernie Taupin; Elton John 4:49
6. "Drop the Pilot"  Joan Armatrading 3:43
7. "Moonshadow"  Cat Stevens 2:59
8. "One Way or Another"  Debbie Harry; Nigel Harrison 3:31
9. "Breaking Us in Two"  Joe Jackson 4:26
10. "Anticipation"  Carly Simon 3:21
11. "Help Me"  Joni Mitchell 3:29
12. "Have a Little Faith in Me"  John Hiatt 4:02

Personnel

Deluxe edition bonus DVD

Charts

Chart (2003) Peak
position
U.S. Billboard 200[17] 14
U.S. Top Internet Albums[18] 10
Australian ARIA Albums Chart[19] 97

References

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