Sarah McLachlan - Surfacing (2LP, 45 tours)
Sarah McLachlan – lead vocals, background vocals, acoustic guitar, electric guitar, piano [click here to see more vinyl by Sarah McLachlan]
Jim Creeggan – upright bass
Yves Desrosiers – electric guitar, lap steel guitar, slide bass, saw
Pierre Marchand – bass guitar, drum machine, background vocals, keyboards
Brian Minato – bass guitar, electric guitar
Michel Pepin – electric guitar
Ashwin Sood – drums, percussion, piano, background vocals
Written by Sarah McLachlan and Pierre Marchand (A1)
2 LP, Old-style gatefold tip-on jacket by Stoughton Printing
Original analog Master tape : YES
Heavy Press : 180g
Record color : black
Speed : 45 RPM
Size : 12'’
Stereo
Studio
Record Press : Quality Record Pressings
Label : Analogue Productions
Original Label : Nettwerk
Recorded July 1996–1997 at Wild Sky Studios, Morin Heights, Quebec, Canada
Engineered & mixed by Pierre Marchand
Produced by Pierre Marchand
Remastered by Bernie Grundman
Originally released in 1997
Reissued in 2017
Tracks:
Side A:
- Building A Mystery
- I Love You
Side B:
- Sweet Surrender
- Adia
- Do What You Have To Do
Side C:
- Witness
- Angel
Side D:
- Black & White
- Full Of Grace
- Last Dance
Awards:
1998 Grammy Awards :
- Best Female Pop Vocal Performance (for "Building a Mystery")
- Best Pop Instrumental Performance (for "Last Dance")
1988 Juno Awards :
- Best Album
- Best Female Vocalist
- Songwriter of the Year
- Single of the Year ("Building a Mystery")
Reviews:
“Marking the 20th anniversary of this U.S. hit's release (OK, a year-and-a-bit late...), this 45 RPM double LP shows off why it's a hi-fi show standard. Canadian McLachlan's vocals are inviting and intimate, sharing qualities with the likes of Lori Lieberman and Eleanor McEvoy while sounding nothing like them. The recording is sublime too, particularly notable its palpable sense of atmosphere and natural-sounding lower registers. There is a dichotomy in this release, however, which sounds like a pop music version of a Gainsborough Pictures costume drama, but covers much darker topics. That said, if you're a sucker for distaff singer-songwriters, you'll love it." Ken Kessler, HiFi News, January 2019
“Surfacing was released as the first Lilith Fair tour hit the road, and Sarah McLachlan benefited enormously from the timing. As the organizer of Lilith Fair, McLachlan was on the cover of magazines across America and Canada, which helped Surfacing debut at number two on the U.S. charts -- a particularly remarkable feat since its predecessor, Fumbling Towards Ecstasy, peaked at number 50. All the commercial success and media hype disguised the fact that Surfacing not only didn't offer anything new from McLachlan, but it wasn't a particularly strong consolidation of her talents. That it isn't to say it's a bad record, because it certainly isn't -- there are several fine songs on the album, including the single "Building a Mystery" -- but it doesn't offer anything new, and the songs aren't as consistently captivating as they were on Fumbling Towards Ecstasy. And that suggests that even though McLachlan was at the height of her popularity, she may have begun to run out of ideas.” AllMusic Review by Stephen Thomas Erlewine
Ratings :
AllMusic : 3 / 5 , Discogs : 4,29 / 5 , HiFi News : Sound Quality = 90%