Hurricane is the third studio album by American R&B recording artist Eric Benét. It was released on June 21, 2005, on Friday Records, with distributing by Reprise Records. It is the follow-up to his second album A Day in the Life (1999) and follows the shelving of his Better and Better project for Warner Bros. Records. Recorded at various recording studios, the album was written and produced by Benét with several other producers, including Walter Afanasieff, Michael Carney, Hod David, David Foster, George Nash, Jr., and Demonté Posey.
Background In 2001, Benét was expected to release his third studio album Better and Better on Warner Bros. Records but the label rejected the album due to creative differences.Eric Benet – Benet Clashed With Warner Bros Over Genre. Contactmusic.com. Retrieved on May 3, 2012.Artist – Eric Benet – Bio Page. Fridayrecords.com. Retrieved on May 3, 2012. Due to these conflicts, Benét signed to Reprise-distributed label Friday Records and began recording his next album Hurricane. Several songs from Better and Better reappeared on other studio albums by Benét: "I Wanna Be Loved" and "Pretty Baby" were released on Hurricane. The songs "Spanish Fly" and "Sing to Me" would later appear on his 2008 album Love & Life. The title track "Better & Better" would later be re-recorded by Lalah Hathaway for her 2004 album Outrun the Sky, while "Better and Better" and "Trippin" would later be included as an iTunes bonus track on Benét's 2010 album Lost in Time.
Recording Recording sessions for the album took place at various recording locations, including the Hit Factory in New York, New York, Bowery Digital, Chalice Studios, Ocean Way Recording, The Studio, Warner Bros. Sound Stage, and Westlake Audio in Los Angeles, California, Chartmaker Studios, Drew's Groove Studios, Panic Room, and Soundstage Studio in Nashville, Tennessee, Jade Studios and Jupiter Studios in Franklin, Tennessee, and Eastman Scoring Stage in Burbank, California.Product Notes – Hurricane. Muze. Retrieved on 2011-01-16. Production was handled by Benét and several other record producers, including Walter Afanasieff, Michael Carney, Hod David, Dave Foster, George Nash, Jr., and Demonté Posey.Credits: Hurricane. AllMusic. Retrieved on 2011-01-16.
Composition Hurricane incorporates musical elements of gospel and contributions from jazz musicians Roy Hargrove, Chris Botti, and Viktor Krauss. A departure from the jazzy, groove-based urban sound of Benét's previous work, the album features an adult contemporary radio format style, with sweeping strings, layered vocals, and nimble acoustic guitars. Rashod D. Ollison of The Baltimore Sun likened Hurricane to Christopher Cross rather than R. Kelly.
Reception
AllMusic writer Stephen Thomas Erlewine commented that "The quiet storm is well performed but dull, yet the Prince-styled numbers are engaging, melodic, and nimble, strong showcases for Benet's mellow skills".Erlewine, Stephen Thomas (2005). Review: Hurricane. AllMusic. Retrieved on 2011-01-16. Mojo gave the album three out of five stars and called it "a very palatable collection of self-penned confessional songs". Laura Checkoway of Vibe called it "an uneven mix of simplistic sentimentality", stating "Reflective and repentant at times, Hurricane is more likely to sing you to sleep than knock you off your feet". The Washington Post commented favorably on the album's themes of "healing and redemption", and stated "The spiritual tone often brings out the best in [Eric Benet]'s supple tenor on 'In The End' and other tracks".
Track listing
Notes denotes co-producer
Personnel
Performers and musicians
Spanky Alford – guitar, soloist Eric Benét – audio production, vocal bass, percussion, producer, vocals Chris Boardman – string arrangements Chris Botti – soloist, trumpet Randall Bowland – guitar David Campbell – string arrangements Vinnie Colaiuta – drums Larry Corbett – cello Nathan East – bass Larry Gold – string arrangements Anthony Johnson – drums Jef Lee Johnson – guitar Viktor Krauss – bass Frank Lacy – horn Michael Landau – electric guitar Lucia Micarelli – violin Brian Frazier Moore – drums Dan Needham – drums Pino Palladino – bass Dean Parks – guitar Van Dyke Parks – arranger, conductor Tim Pierce – guitar James Poyser – keyboards William Ross – arranger, conductor Jacques Schwarz-Bart – horn Norbert Stachel – alto and tenor saxophones
Technical
Walter Afanasieff – arranger, audio production, keyboards, producer, programming Steve B. – engineer Tim Blixseth – executive producer Lee Bridges – assistant Michael Carney – audio production, producer Hod David – audio production, bass, drums, guitar, mixing, producer Kevin "KD" Davis – mixing Rich Davis – production coordination Neil Devor – engineer Andy Duncan – audio production, engineer, guitar, mixing, producer Danny Duncan – engineer Olivia Fischa – make-up David Foster – arranger, keyboards, producer, string arrangements Humberto Gatica – audio production, engineer, mixing, producer Bernie Grundman – mastering Dawn Haynes – stylist Kaori Kinoshita – assistant engineer Emanuel Kiriakou – digital editing, engineer, programming Manny Marroquin – mixing George Nash, Jr. – audio production, producer Mike O'Connor – engineer Juan Patino – mixing, percussion Csaba Petocz – engineer Kathleen Philpott – design Demonté Posey – audio production, keyboards, organ, producer Drew Ramsey – audio production Alejandro Rodriguez – engineer Alex Rodriguez – assistant engineer Aldo Ruggiero – assistant Jochem van der Saag – programming Shannon Sanders – audio production, organ, piano, producer, programming, synthesizer F. Reid Shippen – mixing John Sneltz – engineer Jorge Vivo – engineer Stephen Walker – art direction, design Shelley Wiseman – production coordination Joe Wohlmuth – engineer Patrick Woodward – engineer, mixing Andrew Wyatt – engineer
Charts Chart (2005) Peak position
Release history + Hurricane release history Region Date Format Label United States June 21, 2005 Friday
References
External links
Hurricane at Discogs