Fumbling Towards Ecstasy [Glass Bottle Clear Vinyl] [Barnes & Noble Exclusive]

by Sarah McLachlan

Overview

Although 1991's Solace made Sarah McLachlan a star in Canada, her international breakthrough arrived two years later with Fumbling Towards Ecstasy, a softly assured album that combined the atmospheric production of Pierre Marchand (a former apprentice -- and evident disciple -- of Daniel Lanois) with some of McLachlan's strongest songwriting to date. At the center of everything was her voice, an ethereal, lilting soprano that helped pave the way for Paula Cole, Lillith Fair, and a decade's worth of successful female songwriters. McLachlan utilized the crack between her chest and head voice, emphasizing the changing tones as her melodies climbed into the vocal stratosphere. She was also comparatively young at the time of Ecstasy's release, and her combination of vocal hooks and commercial appeal wouldn't be fully mastered until 1997's Surfacing. Even so, McLachlan's work was rarely as raw or honest as it is on this record, where tales of sin, lust, and love are delivered alongside piano arpeggios and electronic flourishes. "Possession," the album's lead-off single, is a jarring love ballad with lyrics inspired by a stalker's correspondence. There's a double-edged quality to the song's eerie lines -- "I'll take your breath away," "I won't be denied," "Just close your eyes, dear" -- and Marchand underscores that tension by setting McLachlan's melodies to a nocturnal trip-hop beat. Elsewhere, the two lighten up with "Ice Cream," which likens love's sweetness to decadent deserts, yet Fumbling Towards Ecstasy takes most of its strength from the lush, rhythmic dreamscapes that dominate the album. Alternately dark and shimmering, intimate and ornate, Fumbling Towards Ecstasy launched McLachlan's international star power while setting a high bar for her future albums, many of which approached -- but not never quite eclipsed -- this career highlight. ~ Andrew Leahey

Product Details

Release Date:	02/16/2024
Label:	Barnes & Noble / Legacy
UPC:	0196588012112
Rank:	124

Tracks

1. Possession
2. Wait
3. Plenty
4. Good Enough
5. Mary
6. Elsewhere
7. Circle
8. Ice
9. Hold On
10. Ice Cream
11. Fear
12. Fumbling Towards Ecstasy
13. Blue

Album Credits

Performance Credits

Sarah McLachlan   Primary Artist,Piano,Guitar,Vocals,Guitar (Acoustic)
Guy Nadon   Drums
Lou Shefano   Drums
David Sinclair   Guitar,Vocals,Guitar (Acoustic)
Bill Dillon   Bass,Piano,Guitar,Guitar (Electric)
Vince Jones   Vocals,Keyboards
Dave Kershaw   Bass,Piano,Organ (Hammond)
Luke Doucet   Guitar (Acoustic)
Jerry Marotta   Drums,Percussion
Michel Dubeau   Saxophone
Ashwin Sood   Drums,Vocals,Percussion,Vocals (Background)
Brian Minato   Bass,Guitar (Bass)
Sean Ashby   Guitar,Vocals
Jane Scarpantoni   Cello
Pierre Marchand   Bass,Drums,Organ,Piano,Shaker,Keyboards,Percussion,Drum Machine,Roland TR-808,Percussion Machine
Camille Henderson   Vocals,Vocals (Background)

Technical Credits

Roman Klun   Engineer,Guitar Engineer
Pleasure Palace   Producer
Craig Waddell   Editing
Bill Dillon   Guitorgan
Greg Calbi   Mastering,Mastering Engineer
Dave Kershaw   Engineer,Mixing Engineer
Joni Mitchell   Composer
Nick Keca   Editing,Mastering
Tom Lord-Alge   Mixing Engineer
Tom Waits   Composer,Lyricist
Darren Phillips   Composer
Sarah McLachlan   Composer,Lyricist,Producer,Introduction
Pierre Marchand   Mixing,Composer,Engineer,Lyricist,Producer,Found Sounds,Mixing Engineer,Drum Programming
Tim Oberthier   Engineer