Beth Orton - She Cries Your Name [#1]

The first release of Beth Orton's debut single is pretty much for completists -- the title cut and "Tangent" are readily available on the LP Trailer Park, fer Chrissakes. Both work better in the context of the original album; in particular, the soaring, string-enriched "She Cries Your Name" now seems somewhat sterile and manufactured in comparison with the singer's later, more naturalistic work, but it remains a showcase for Orton's potent, heartbreaking vocals. Of the remaining entries, the lovely solo acoustic reading of the Gerry Goffin-penned "It's Not the Spotlight" also appears on a subsequent and superior version of the She Cries Your Name EP. That leaves but one song, "Safety," that's truly exclusive to this release -- and alone worth the price of admission: a chiming, supple acoustic performance, it captures Orton at her most tender and vulnerable. ~ Jason Ankeny, All Music Guide

Name Credits Ali Friend Double Bass Andrew Weatherall Producer, Mixing Beki Doe String Arrangements, Violin Brian O'Shaughnessy Engineer Ellen Nolan Photography Howard Gott Violin Lee Spencer Keyboards Oliver Kraus String Arrangements, Cello Paul Schroeder Producer, Engineer Sean Read Wurlitzer, Piano Ted Barnes Bouzouki, Guitar Tim Holmes Mixing Toby Bush Engineer Will Blanchard Percussion, Drums