Down to Earth (Jem album) explained

Down to Earth
Type:	studio
Artist:	Jem
Cover:	Jem.jpg
Released:	16 September 2008
Recorded:	2006–2008
Studio:	Detroit and Los Angeles
Genre:	Trip hop
Length:	47:18
Label:	ATO
Producer:	Greg Kurstin Lester Mendez Jeff Bass Mike Bradford
Prev Title:	Finally Woken
Prev Year:	2004
Next Title:	Beachwood Canyon
Next Year:	2016

Down to Earth is the second studio album by Welsh musician Jem, the follow-up to Finally Woken. The first single, "It's Amazing", was featured on the soundtrack to the Sex and the City movie. The album spawned four singles.

The press release states that Jem co-wrote the album with a variety of people including Jeff Bass, Lester Mendez and Greg Kurstin and sings in Japanese on the track, "Aciiid!". The album also includes a collaboration with South African singer-songwriter and poet-activist Vusi Mahlasela on the track "You Will Make It" which was dedicated to the memory of D12 member Proof.^{[1] [2]} Although the collaboration never happened, Jem wanted to work with Eminem for the song, saying "The track is about losing someone and I wrote it the day after his friend Proof was murdered. I was in Detroit with Eminem's friends, who I happened to be recording with, when it happened".^[3]

Critical reception

Down to Earth was met with "mixed or average" reviews from critics. At Metacritic, which assigns a weighted average rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream publications, this release received an average score of 54 based on 7 reviews.

In a review for AllMusic, critic reviewer Andrew Leahey wrote: "Down to Earths title depicts Jem as a grounded musician, but its wide-ranging sound suggests something different, as the singer has yet to find a style that fully suits her capabilities."

Personnel

• Hiroko Aoyagi – vocals
• Jeff Atmajian – piano, string arrangements, piano arrangement
• Jeff Bass – bass, guitar, keyboards, producer, drum programming, tracked by
• Kevin Beber – drum programming
• Brian Berryman – engineer, fader engineer
• Mick Bolger – trombone, trumpet, euphonium, mellophonium, E flat cornet
• Mike Bradford – producer, string arrangements, instrumentation
• Del Casher – sounds
• Bryan Cook – engineer
• Nick Cuchinella – trombone
• Nabil Elderkin – photography
• Johnny Evans – saxophone
• Serban Ghenea – mixing
• Jem Griffiths – vocals, producer, vocal engineer, poetry reading
• Justin Griffiths – acoustic guitar
• John Hanes – mixing
• Mark Aaron James – design
• Ted Jensen – mastering
• Shinobu Lee – vocals
• David Levita – acoustic guitar, guitar
• Lester Mendez – piano, producer, string arrangements, brass arrangement, instrumentation
• Monica Mendez – sound design
• Milan, Derrick & The Krew – chorus
• Eddie Miller – vocal engineer
• Rafael Padilla – percussion
• Phillip Ramos – studio assistant
• Tim Roberts – mixing assistant
• Ken Robinson – trumpet
• Sonus – strings
• Welsh Choir of Southern California – chorus
• Joe Wohlmuth – engineer

Charts

Chart (2008)!scope="col"

Peak position
US Billboard 200	48
Chart (2009)	Peak position
UK Albums Chart^[4]	64

Release history

Release history for Down to Earth^[5] ! Country! Date

United States	16 September 2008
Canada
Japan
Ireland	30 January 2009
United Kingdom	2 February 2009
Europe
Sweden	4 February 2009
Portugal	16 February 2009
Poland
Denmark	23 February 2009
Germany	27 February 2009
Austria
Netherlands
Switzerland
Norway	2 March 2009
France	3 March 2009
Finland	4 March 2009
Greece	6 March 2009
Italy	20 March 2009

Notes and References

1. Web site: Review: Jem's "Down To Earth. ABC News. Raible. Allan. 2016-10-18.
2. Jem - Down To Earth (CD liner notes). ATO Records. 88088-21630-2
3. Web site: Kilkelly. Daniel. Jem hopes to team up with Eminem. digitalspy.com. Hearst Magazines UK. 2016-12-27.
4. Web site: Official UK Albums Chart . Theofficialcharts.com . 18 October 2016.
5. Web site: Jem | The Official Website of Jem . Jem-music.net . 18 October 2016.