Battle Studies (album)
Encyclopedia
Battle Studies is the fourth studio album
by American rock
musician John Mayer
, released November 17, 2009 on Columbia Records
in the United States. Production for the album took place during February to August 2009 at Battle Studies recording studio in Calabasas, California
, Capitol Studios
in Hollywood, California, and The Village
in West Los Angeles, California, and was handled by Mayer and Steve Jordan
.
The album debuted at number one on the US Billboard 200
chart, selling 286,000 copies in its first week. It achieved successful sales in several other countries and produced two singles that attained chart success. Upon its release, Battle Studies received positive reviews from most music critics. The album has been certified platinum
by the Recording Industry Association of America
and has sold 880,000 copies in the United States.
: "Track listing on Battle Studies is complete! Very interesting order... 11 songs. 45 minutes. Hit 'em hard and get out."
The album was leaked just hours before Mayer was scheduled to perform an official "radio leak" on 103.7 Sophie in San Diego. However, Mayer gave his listeners permission to download the leak, as long as they "registered" their copies by ordering the album.
Mayer's 2010 Battle Studies World Tour
began on February 4, 2010 in Sunrise, Florida
at the Bank Atlantic Center and ended on October 1, 2010 in Manila, Philippines, at SM Mall of Asia.
The second single was "Heartbreak Warfare
", which was previewed on October 19, 2009. The first ever augmented reality
video accompanied the second single, which was released on Mayer's website.
The third single was "Half of My Heart
", which was released for radio airplay on June 1, 2010.
The fourth single was "Perfectly Lonely", which was released on November 13, 2010.
chart and sold 286,000 copies in its first week. In its second week, it sold an additional 93,000 copies and fell to number 13 on the Billboard chart., the album has sold 880,000 copies in the United States. On July 29, 2010, Battle Studies was certified platinum
by the Recording Industry Association of America
, for shipments of one million copies in the US.
, which assigns a normalized
rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream critics, the album received an average
score of 64, based on 17 reviews, which indicates "generally favorable reviews". Billboard
magazine called Battle Studies "the best and most adventurous of his four studio albums". Despite stating that "Mayer dips too heavily toward the texture", Allmusic's Stephen Thomas Erlewine gave the album 3½ out of 5 stars and commended Mayer for his musicianship. The Boston Globe
s Sarah Rodman wrote favorably of Mayer's intimate expression on the album and wrote that he "continues to strip away the twinkly radio lacquer of his earlier work without sacrificing his pop sensibilities". Jackie Hayden of Hot Press
gave Battle Studies a rating of 3.5/5 and called it a "classy pop opus for grown-ups". Los Angeles Times
writer Randy Lewis gave it 2½ out of 4 stars and praised its production and Mayer's melodies. However, Lewis viewed its lyrical content as subpar to its music and wrote that "For the most part, he expresses himself more eloquently through his guitar than his lyrics". The Independent
writer Andy Gill gave Battle Studies 3 out of 5 stars and found its lyrical detail "ultimately tiresome".
Sputnikmusic
critic Alex Silveri viewed Mayer's songwriting depth as flawed and called the album "about as scholastically violent as a bunny in a pile of hay". However, Silveri commended Mayer for his "knack for dealing with universal themes in thoroughly down to earth ways, and without the layering of pop cheese that so many of his contemporaries indulge in". Despite writing favorably of the album's craftsmanship, Rolling Stone
s Jody Rosen gave it 3 out of 5 stars and perceived the subject matter's seriousness as a weakness. Entertainment Weekly
critic Leah Greenblatt gave Battle Studies a B- rating and shared a similar sentiment, writing "Mostly, he noodles amiably toward Studies conclusion, apparently content to stay within the confines of the Dave Matthews
/Jason Mraz
(and yes, John Mayer) sensitive-dude rock template. In this Battle, it seems, one side never really stood a chance". The New York Posts Dan Aquilante called it a "gritless record that’s too smooth for its own good" and gave it 2½ stars. USA Today
s Edna Gundersen gave the album 2½ out of 4 stars and wrote "While his guitar chops are impeccable on this well-crafted blues-pop album, the gravity and cautious noodling cry out for some input from that other Mayer: his cunning, irreverent public persona".
Both Slant Magazine
's Jonathan Keefe and The Washington Post
s Allison Stewart gave the album negative reviews and panned Mayer's stylistic choice for Battle Studies. Chicago Sun-Times
critic Jim DeRogatis
gave the album ½ out of 4 stars, stating "Laden with laughable romantic-schlock lyrics and trite, sappy melodies, these songs aim for the pathos of classic Carpenters
but come closer to maudlin Barry Manilow
". Tom Hughes of The Guardian
gave it 2 out of 5 stars and wrote "Mayer's talents are obvious, but there's so much more cheese than charm here that he would seem like a hard sell outside the Billboard heartland". The Village Voice
columnist Zach Baron stated that it "somehow avoids including any of the myriad things that actually make John Mayer interesting". Jon Caramanica of The New York Times
wrote that "the album highlights the extremely blatant chasm between John Mayer the musician and John Mayer the public character, a divide Mr. Mayer said he was eager to maintain".
iTunes
bonus track version
Battle Studies (CD/DVD Expanded Edition)
Battle Studies Expanded Edition adds video of John's recent
VH1 Storytellers broadcast plus two intimate acoustic performances from his personal travels to Japan in May 2010.
DVD tracklisting - Approximate run time 50 minutes:
VH1 Storytellers
Disc: 2 DVD
A Trip to Japan Alone
Additional musicians
Production personnel
Additional personnel
Studio album
A studio album is an album made up of tracks recorded in the controlled environment of a recording studio. A studio album contains newly written and recorded or previously unreleased or remixed material, distinguishing itself from a compilation or reissue album of previously recorded material, or...
by American rock
Rock music
Rock music is a genre of popular music that developed during and after the 1960s, particularly in the United Kingdom and the United States. It has its roots in 1940s and 1950s rock and roll, itself heavily influenced by rhythm and blues and country music...
musician John Mayer
John Mayer
John Clayton Mayer is an American pop rock and blues rock musician, singer-songwriter, recording artist, and music producer. Born in Bridgeport, Connecticut and raised in Fairfield, Connecticut, he attended Berklee College of Music in Boston. He moved to Atlanta in 1997, where he refined his...
, released November 17, 2009 on Columbia Records
Columbia Records
Columbia Records is an American record label, owned by Japan's Sony Music Entertainment, operating under the Columbia Music Group with Aware Records. It was founded in 1888, evolving from an earlier enterprise, the American Graphophone Company — successor to the Volta Graphophone Company...
in the United States. Production for the album took place during February to August 2009 at Battle Studies recording studio in Calabasas, California
Calabasas, California
Calabasas is an affluent city in Los Angeles County, California in the western United States. It is located in the hills in the southwestern San Fernando Valley and the Santa Monica Mountains between Woodland Hills, Agoura Hills, West Hills, and Malibu, California. As of the 2010 census, the city...
, Capitol Studios
Capitol Studios
The Capitol Studios complex opened in the Capitol Records Building, a futuristic new building in the heart of Hollywood, in 1956. It has since hosted some of the most treasured recordings in music history, from Frank Sinatra to the Beastie Boys. It is owned by Capitol Records whose parent company...
in Hollywood, California, and The Village
The Village (studio)
The Village is a famous recording studio in Los Angeles, California.Since the 1960s, The Village has been the home to recordings by artists such as Aerosmith, The Allman Brothers, The Beach Boys, Mariah Carey, Johnny Cash, Ray Charles, Eric Clapton, Alice Cooper, Elvis Costello, The Doors, Bob...
in West Los Angeles, California, and was handled by Mayer and Steve Jordan
Steve Jordan (musician)
Steve Jordan is an American multi-instrumentalist, composer, musical director and Grammy Award-winning artist, who has made a name for himself as a producer from the Bronx in New York City. A graduate of the Fiorello H...
.
The album debuted at number one on the US Billboard 200
Billboard 200
The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists...
chart, selling 286,000 copies in its first week. It achieved successful sales in several other countries and produced two singles that attained chart success. Upon its release, Battle Studies received positive reviews from most music critics. The album has been certified platinum
RIAA certification
In the United States, the Recording Industry Association of America awards certification based on the number of albums and singles sold through retail and other ancillary markets. Other countries have similar awards...
by the Recording Industry Association of America
Recording Industry Association of America
The Recording Industry Association of America is a trade organization that represents the recording industry distributors in the United States...
and has sold 880,000 copies in the United States.
Background
During a live performance in June 2009 Mayer said, "The album is called Battle Studies and that's because it incorporates a lot of the lessons, a lot of the observations, and a little bit of advice. Like a handbook, like a heartbreak handbook." On October 1, 2009, Mayer posted via twitterTwitter
Twitter is an online social networking and microblogging service that enables its users to send and read text-based posts of up to 140 characters, informally known as "tweets".Twitter was created in March 2006 by Jack Dorsey and launched that July...
: "Track listing on Battle Studies is complete! Very interesting order... 11 songs. 45 minutes. Hit 'em hard and get out."
The album was leaked just hours before Mayer was scheduled to perform an official "radio leak" on 103.7 Sophie in San Diego. However, Mayer gave his listeners permission to download the leak, as long as they "registered" their copies by ordering the album.
Mayer's 2010 Battle Studies World Tour
Battle Studies World Tour
Battle Studies World Tour was a worldwide tour by American singer John Mayer. The tour spanned across the United States, Canada, Denmark, Australia, and the Netherlands, promoting his 2009 album Battle Studies.-Background:...
began on February 4, 2010 in Sunrise, Florida
Sunrise, Florida
-Overview:Sunrise is a city in southwestern Broward County, Florida, United States. It was incorporated in 1961 by Norman Johnson – a developer whose World Famous Upside-Down House attracted buyers to what was then a remote area...
at the Bank Atlantic Center and ended on October 1, 2010 in Manila, Philippines, at SM Mall of Asia.
Singles
According to Mayer's official Twitter profile, "Who Says" was the first single from the album and was released for preview on September 25, 2009 at www.johnmayer.com. The official release for the single was on October 13, 2009.The second single was "Heartbreak Warfare
Heartbreak Warfare
"Heartbreak Warfare" is a song by American blues-rock musician John Mayer, featured on his 2009 fourth studio album Battle Studies. Written by Mayer and produced by Mayer and drummer Steve Jordan, the song is the opening track on the album, and was released as the second single from the album on...
", which was previewed on October 19, 2009. The first ever augmented reality
Augmented reality
Augmented reality is a live, direct or indirect, view of a physical, real-world environment whose elements are augmented by computer-generated sensory input such as sound, video, graphics or GPS data. It is related to a more general concept called mediated reality, in which a view of reality is...
video accompanied the second single, which was released on Mayer's website.
The third single was "Half of My Heart
Half of My Heart
"Half of My Heart" is a song by American rock singer John Mayer featuring American country pop singer Taylor Swift. It is the third single from Mayer's 2009 album, Battle Studies.-Music and lyrics:...
", which was released for radio airplay on June 1, 2010.
The fourth single was "Perfectly Lonely", which was released on November 13, 2010.
Commercial performance
The album debuted at number one on the U.S. Billboard 200Billboard 200
The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists...
chart and sold 286,000 copies in its first week. In its second week, it sold an additional 93,000 copies and fell to number 13 on the Billboard chart., the album has sold 880,000 copies in the United States. On July 29, 2010, Battle Studies was certified platinum
RIAA certification
In the United States, the Recording Industry Association of America awards certification based on the number of albums and singles sold through retail and other ancillary markets. Other countries have similar awards...
by the Recording Industry Association of America
Recording Industry Association of America
The Recording Industry Association of America is a trade organization that represents the recording industry distributors in the United States...
, for shipments of one million copies in the US.
Critical response
Battle Studies received generally positive reviews from music critics. At MetacriticMetacritic
Metacritic.com is a website that collates reviews of music albums, games, movies, TV shows and DVDs. For each product, a numerical score from each review is obtained and the total is averaged. An excerpt of each review is provided along with a hyperlink to the source. Three colour codes of Green,...
, which assigns a normalized
Standard score
In statistics, a standard score indicates how many standard deviations an observation or datum is above or below the mean. It is a dimensionless quantity derived by subtracting the population mean from an individual raw score and then dividing the difference by the population standard deviation...
rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream critics, the album received an average
Weighted mean
The weighted mean is similar to an arithmetic mean , where instead of each of the data points contributing equally to the final average, some data points contribute more than others...
score of 64, based on 17 reviews, which indicates "generally favorable reviews". Billboard
Billboard (magazine)
Billboard is a weekly American magazine devoted to the music industry, and is one of the oldest trade magazines in the world. It maintains several internationally recognized music charts that track the most popular songs and albums in various categories on a weekly basis...
magazine called Battle Studies "the best and most adventurous of his four studio albums". Despite stating that "Mayer dips too heavily toward the texture", Allmusic's Stephen Thomas Erlewine gave the album 3½ out of 5 stars and commended Mayer for his musicianship. The Boston Globe
The Boston Globe
The Boston Globe is an American daily newspaper based in Boston, Massachusetts. The Boston Globe has been owned by The New York Times Company since 1993...
s Sarah Rodman wrote favorably of Mayer's intimate expression on the album and wrote that he "continues to strip away the twinkly radio lacquer of his earlier work without sacrificing his pop sensibilities". Jackie Hayden of Hot Press
Hot Press
Hot Press is a fortnightly music and political magazine based in Dublin, Ireland founded in 1977. The magazine has been edited since its inception by Niall Stokes. According to the Audit Bureau of Circulations, it had a circulation of 19,215 during 2007...
gave Battle Studies a rating of 3.5/5 and called it a "classy pop opus for grown-ups". Los Angeles Times
Los Angeles Times
The Los Angeles Times is a daily newspaper published in Los Angeles, California, since 1881. It was the second-largest metropolitan newspaper in circulation in the United States in 2008 and the fourth most widely distributed newspaper in the country....
writer Randy Lewis gave it 2½ out of 4 stars and praised its production and Mayer's melodies. However, Lewis viewed its lyrical content as subpar to its music and wrote that "For the most part, he expresses himself more eloquently through his guitar than his lyrics". The Independent
The Independent
The Independent is a British national morning newspaper published in London by Independent Print Limited, owned by Alexander Lebedev since 2010. It is nicknamed the Indy, while the Sunday edition, The Independent on Sunday, is the Sindy. Launched in 1986, it is one of the youngest UK national daily...
writer Andy Gill gave Battle Studies 3 out of 5 stars and found its lyrical detail "ultimately tiresome".
Sputnikmusic
Sputnikmusic
Sputnikmusic, or simply Sputnik, is a music website offering music criticism and music news alongside features commonly associated with wiki-style websites...
critic Alex Silveri viewed Mayer's songwriting depth as flawed and called the album "about as scholastically violent as a bunny in a pile of hay". However, Silveri commended Mayer for his "knack for dealing with universal themes in thoroughly down to earth ways, and without the layering of pop cheese that so many of his contemporaries indulge in". Despite writing favorably of the album's craftsmanship, Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone is a US-based magazine devoted to music, liberal politics, and popular culture that is published every two weeks. Rolling Stone was founded in San Francisco in 1967 by Jann Wenner and music critic Ralph J...
s Jody Rosen gave it 3 out of 5 stars and perceived the subject matter's seriousness as a weakness. Entertainment Weekly
Entertainment Weekly
Entertainment Weekly is an American magazine, published by the Time division of Time Warner, that covers film, television, music, broadway theatre, books and popular culture...
critic Leah Greenblatt gave Battle Studies a B- rating and shared a similar sentiment, writing "Mostly, he noodles amiably toward Studies conclusion, apparently content to stay within the confines of the Dave Matthews
Dave Matthews
David John "Dave" Matthews is a South African–born American musician and occasional actor, best known as the lead vocalist, songwriter, and guitarist for the Dave Matthews Band...
/Jason Mraz
Jason Mraz
Jason Thomas Mraz , also known as Mr. AZ and Mr. Raz, is an American singer-songwriter. Mraz released his debut album, Waiting for My Rocket to Come, which contained the hit single "The Remedy ", in 2002, but it was not until the release of his second album, "Mr. A-Z", in 2005, that Mraz achieved...
(and yes, John Mayer) sensitive-dude rock template. In this Battle, it seems, one side never really stood a chance". The New York Posts Dan Aquilante called it a "gritless record that’s too smooth for its own good" and gave it 2½ stars. USA Today
USA Today
USA Today is a national American daily newspaper published by the Gannett Company. It was founded by Al Neuharth. The newspaper vies with The Wall Street Journal for the position of having the widest circulation of any newspaper in the United States, something it previously held since 2003...
s Edna Gundersen gave the album 2½ out of 4 stars and wrote "While his guitar chops are impeccable on this well-crafted blues-pop album, the gravity and cautious noodling cry out for some input from that other Mayer: his cunning, irreverent public persona".
Both Slant Magazine
Slant Magazine
Slant Magazine is an online publication that features reviews of movies, music, TV, DVDs, theater, and video games, as well as interviews with actors, directors, and musicians. The site covers various film festivals like the New York Film Festival.- History :...
's Jonathan Keefe and The Washington Post
The Washington Post
The Washington Post is Washington, D.C.'s largest newspaper and its oldest still-existing paper, founded in 1877. Located in the capital of the United States, The Post has a particular emphasis on national politics. D.C., Maryland, and Virginia editions are printed for daily circulation...
s Allison Stewart gave the album negative reviews and panned Mayer's stylistic choice for Battle Studies. Chicago Sun-Times
Chicago Sun-Times
The Chicago Sun-Times is an American daily newspaper published in Chicago, Illinois. It is the flagship paper of the Sun-Times Media Group.-History:The Chicago Sun-Times is the oldest continuously published daily newspaper in the city...
critic Jim DeRogatis
Jim DeRogatis
James "Jim" DeRogatis is an American music critic and co-host of Sound Opinions. DeRogatis has written articles for magazines such as Spin, Guitar World and Modern Drummer, and for fifteen years was the pop music critic for the Chicago Sun-Times.He joined Columbia College Chicago as a full-time...
gave the album ½ out of 4 stars, stating "Laden with laughable romantic-schlock lyrics and trite, sappy melodies, these songs aim for the pathos of classic Carpenters
The Carpenters
Carpenters were an American vocal and instrumental duo, consisting of sister Karen and brother Richard Carpenter. The Carpenters were the #1 selling American music act of the 1970s. Though often referred to by the public as "The Carpenters", the duo's official name on authorized recordings and...
but come closer to maudlin Barry Manilow
Barry Manilow
Barry Manilow is an American singer-songwriter, musician, arranger, producer, conductor, and performer, best known for such recordings as "Could It Be Magic", "Mandy", "Can't Smile Without You", and "Copacabana ."...
". Tom Hughes of The Guardian
The Guardian
The Guardian, formerly known as The Manchester Guardian , is a British national daily newspaper in the Berliner format...
gave it 2 out of 5 stars and wrote "Mayer's talents are obvious, but there's so much more cheese than charm here that he would seem like a hard sell outside the Billboard heartland". The Village Voice
The Village Voice
The Village Voice is a free weekly newspaper and news and features website in New York City that features investigative articles, analysis of current affairs and culture, arts and music coverage, and events listings for New York City...
columnist Zach Baron stated that it "somehow avoids including any of the myriad things that actually make John Mayer interesting". Jon Caramanica of The New York Times
The New York Times
The New York Times is an American daily newspaper founded and continuously published in New York City since 1851. The New York Times has won 106 Pulitzer Prizes, the most of any news organization...
wrote that "the album highlights the extremely blatant chasm between John Mayer the musician and John Mayer the public character, a divide Mr. Mayer said he was eager to maintain".
Track listing
All songs written by John Mayer, except where noted.- "Heartbreak WarfareHeartbreak Warfare"Heartbreak Warfare" is a song by American blues-rock musician John Mayer, featured on his 2009 fourth studio album Battle Studies. Written by Mayer and produced by Mayer and drummer Steve Jordan, the song is the opening track on the album, and was released as the second single from the album on...
" – 4:30 - "All We Ever Do Is Say Goodbye" – 4:35
- "Half of My HeartHalf of My Heart"Half of My Heart" is a song by American rock singer John Mayer featuring American country pop singer Taylor Swift. It is the third single from Mayer's 2009 album, Battle Studies.-Music and lyrics:...
" (with Taylor SwiftTaylor SwiftTaylor Alison Swift is an American country pop singer-songwriter, musician and actress.In 2006, she released her debut single "Tim McGraw", then her self-titled debut album, which was subsequently certified multi-platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America...
) – 4:10 - "Who Says" – 2:56
- "Perfectly Lonely" – 4:28
- "Assassin" – 5:14
- "CrossroadsCross Road Blues"Cross Road Blues" is a song by Delta Blues singer Robert Johnson; released on a 78 rpm record in 1936 by Vocalion Records, catalogue 3519. The original version remained out of print after its initial release until the appearance of The Complete Recordings in 1990...
" (Robert Johnson) – 2:29 - "War of My Life" – 4:15
- "Edge of Desire" – 5:32
- "Do You Know Me" – 2:30
- "Friends, Lovers or Nothing" – 5:59
iTunes
ITunes Store
The iTunes Store is a software-based online digital media store operated by Apple. Opening as the iTunes Music Store on April 28, 2003, with over 200,000 items to purchase, it is, as of April 2008, the number-one music vendor in the United States...
bonus track version
- "I'm on FireI'm on Fire"I'm on Fire" is a song written and performed by American rock singer Bruce Springsteen. In 1985, it became the fourth single released from his massively successful album Born in the U.S.A..-History:...
" (Bruce SpringsteenBruce SpringsteenBruce Frederick Joseph Springsteen , nicknamed "The Boss," is an American singer-songwriter who records and tours with the E Street Band...
) – 2:52
Battle Studies (CD/DVD Expanded Edition)
Battle Studies Expanded Edition adds video of John's recent
VH1 Storytellers broadcast plus two intimate acoustic performances from his personal travels to Japan in May 2010.
DVD tracklisting - Approximate run time 50 minutes:
VH1 Storytellers
Disc: 2 DVD
- 1. No Such Thing
- 2. Daughters
- 3. Heartbreak Warfare
- 4. Your Body Is a Wonderland
- 5. Who Says
- 6. Waiting on the World to Change
A Trip to Japan Alone
- 7. Half of My Heart
- 8. Who Says
Personnel
Primary musicians- John MayerJohn MayerJohn Clayton Mayer is an American pop rock and blues rock musician, singer-songwriter, recording artist, and music producer. Born in Bridgeport, Connecticut and raised in Fairfield, Connecticut, he attended Berklee College of Music in Boston. He moved to Atlanta in 1997, where he refined his...
– vocalsSingingSinging is the act of producing musical sounds with the voice, and augments regular speech by the use of both tonality and rhythm. One who sings is called a singer or vocalist. Singers perform music known as songs that can be sung either with or without accompaniment by musical instruments...
; guitarGuitarThe guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
s; productionRecord producerA record producer is an individual working within the music industry, whose job is to oversee and manage the recording of an artist's music...
; art directionArt directorThe art director is a person who supervise the creative process of a design.The term 'art director' is a blanket title for a variety of similar job functions in advertising, publishing, film and television, the Internet, and video games....
; graphic designGraphic designGraphic design is a creative process – most often involving a client and a designer and usually completed in conjunction with producers of form – undertaken in order to convey a specific message to a targeted audience... - Steve JordanSteve Jordan (musician)Steve Jordan is an American multi-instrumentalist, composer, musical director and Grammy Award-winning artist, who has made a name for himself as a producer from the Bronx in New York City. A graduate of the Fiorello H...
– drumsDrum kitA drum kit is a collection of drums, cymbals and often other percussion instruments, such as cowbells, wood blocks, triangles, chimes, or tambourines, arranged for convenient playing by a single person ....
on all tracks; percussionPercussion instrumentA percussion instrument is any object which produces a sound when hit with an implement or when it is shaken, rubbed, scraped, or otherwise acted upon in a way that sets the object into vibration...
on tracks 5, 6, 8, 10 and 11; production - Pino PalladinoPino PalladinoPino Palladino is a Welsh bass guitarist who gained fame playing primarily rock and roll, blues rock, and rhythm and blues music, although he has been lauded for his ability to play most genres of popular music, including jazz, neo soul, and funk...
– bassBass guitarThe bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
on all tracks except 2, 7 and 8
Additional musicians
- Ian McLaganIan McLaganIan McLagan is an English keyboard instrumentalist, best known as a member of the English rock bands Small Faces and Faces.-Small Faces and Faces:...
– Hammond organHammond organThe Hammond organ is an electric organ invented by Laurens Hammond in 1934 and manufactured by the Hammond Organ Company. While the Hammond organ was originally sold to churches as a lower-cost alternative to the wind-driven pipe organ, in the 1960s and 1970s it became a standard keyboard...
on tracks 5, 9 and 11; Wurlitzer electric pianoWurlitzer electric pianoWurlitzer 200A|250px|thumbThe Wurlitzer electric piano was one of a series of electromechanical stringless pianos manufactured and marketed by the Rudolph Wurlitzer Company, Corinth, Mississippi, U.S. and Tonawanda, New York...
on tracks 5 and 8; pianoPianoThe piano is a musical instrument played by means of a keyboard. It is one of the most popular instruments in the world. Widely used in classical and jazz music for solo performances, ensemble use, chamber music and accompaniment, the piano is also very popular as an aid to composing and rehearsal...
on tracks 10 and 11; pump organReed organA reed organ, also called a parlor organ, pump organ, cabinet organ, cottage organ, is an organ that generates its sounds using free metal reeds...
and celesteCelestaThe celesta or celeste is a struck idiophone operated by a keyboard. Its appearance is similar to that of an upright piano or of a large wooden music box . The keys are connected to hammers which strike a graduated set of metal plates suspended over wooden resonators...
on track 4 - Jamie MuhoberacJamie MuhoberacJamie Muhoberac is a session keyboardist with numerous credits, including The All-American Rejects, Fleetwood Mac, The Rolling Stones , Backstreet Boys, Aly & AJ, Bob Dylan, Goo Goo Dolls, Chris Cornell , My Chemical Romance, Paradise Lost, Girlfriend, Carmen Rizzo and Pet Shop Boys...
– keyboardKeyboard instrumentA keyboard instrument is a musical instrument which is played using a musical keyboard. The most common of these is the piano. Other widely used keyboard instruments include organs of various types as well as other mechanical, electromechanical and electronic instruments...
s on tracks 1 and 9 - Robbie McIntoshRobbie McIntoshRobbie McIntosh is an English guitarist. McIntosh is well known as a session guitarist and member of The Pretenders from 1982 until 1987. In 1988 he began doing session guitar work for Paul McCartney joining his band full time until early 1994...
– guitar on track 2 - Waddy WachtelWaddy WachtelRobert "Waddy" Wachtel is an American musician, composer and record producer, most notable for his guitar work...
– acoustic guitarAcoustic guitarAn acoustic guitar is a guitar that uses only an acoustic sound board. The air in this cavity resonates with the vibrational modes of the string and at low frequencies, which depend on the size of the box, the chamber acts like a Helmholtz resonator, increasing or decreasing the volume of the sound...
s on track 3 - Bob Reynolds – saxophoneSaxophoneThe saxophone is a conical-bore transposing musical instrument that is a member of the woodwind family. Saxophones are usually made of brass and played with a single-reed mouthpiece similar to that of the clarinet. The saxophone was invented by the Belgian instrument maker Adolphe Sax in 1846...
on track 11 - Bryan Lipps – trumpetTrumpetThe trumpet is the musical instrument with the highest register in the brass family. Trumpets are among the oldest musical instruments, dating back to at least 1500 BCE. They are played by blowing air through closed lips, producing a "buzzing" sound which starts a standing wave vibration in the air...
on track 11 - Taylor SwiftTaylor SwiftTaylor Alison Swift is an American country pop singer-songwriter, musician and actress.In 2006, she released her debut single "Tim McGraw", then her self-titled debut album, which was subsequently certified multi-platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America...
– vocals on track 3
Production personnel
- Chad FranscoviakChad FranscoviakChad Franscoviak is a sound engineer and producer based out of Los Angeles, California. He is most well known for his work on John Mayer albums...
– engineeringAudio engineeringAn audio engineer, also called audio technician, audio technologist or sound technician, is a specialist in a skilled trade that deals with the use of machinery and equipment for the recording, mixing and reproduction of sounds. The field draws on many artistic and vocational areas, including... - Charlie Paakari – engineering assistance (Capitol StudiosCapitol StudiosThe Capitol Studios complex opened in the Capitol Records Building, a futuristic new building in the heart of Hollywood, in 1956. It has since hosted some of the most treasured recordings in music history, from Frank Sinatra to the Beastie Boys. It is owned by Capitol Records whose parent company...
) - Justin Gerrish – engineering assistance (Avatar StudiosAvatar StudiosAvatar Studios, formerly known as The Power Station, is a recording studio at 441 West 53rd Street in Manhattan, New York City.The building was originally a Consolidated Edison power plant; but after a period of vacancy, it was used as a sound stage for the television game show Let's Make a Deal...
); mixingAudio mixing (recorded music)In audio recording, audio mixing is the process by which multiple recorded sounds are combined into one or more channels, most commonly two-channel stereo. In the process, the source signals' level, frequency content, dynamics, and panoramic position are manipulated and effects such as reverb may...
assistance on track 10 - Ghian Wright – engineering assistance (The Village Studios)
- Martin Pradler – digital editingDigital mediaDigital media is a form of electronic media where data is stored in digital form. It can refer to the technical aspect of storage and transmission Digital media is a form of electronic media where data is stored in digital (as opposed to analog) form. It can refer to the technical aspect of...
- Michael BrauerMichael BrauerMichael Brauer is a New York-based mix engineer whose credits encompass a wide range of genres, and include The Rolling Stones, Bob Dylan, Paul McCartney, Coldplay, John Mayer, Ash, My Morning Jacket, Ben Folds, Dream Theater, The New Radicals, Change, Fountains of Wayne, David Poe, Wilco, Alpha...
– mixing on tracks 1, 2, 4, 6 and 11 - Ryan Gilligan – mixing assistance on tracks 1, 2, 4, 6 and 11
- Manny MarroquinManny MarroquinManny Marroquin, born 21 September 1971 in Guatemala, is a Grammy winning mixing engineer. His family moved to Los Angeles when he was nine due to the Guatemalan Civil War....
– mixing on tracks 3, 5, 7, 8 and 9 - Erik Madrid – mixing assistance on tracks 3, 5, 7, 8 and 9
- Christian Plata – mixing assistance on tracks 3, 5, 7, 8 and 9
- Joe Ferla – mixing on track 10
- Greg Calbi – masteringAudio masteringMastering, a form of audio post-production, is the process of preparing and transferring recorded audio from a source containing the final mix to a data storage device ; the source from which all copies will be produced...
Additional personnel
- Jeri Heiden – art direction; graphic design
- Albert WatsonAlbert Watson (photographer)Albert Watson is a Scottish photographer well known for his fashion, celebrity and art photography, and whose work is featured in galleries and museums worldwide. He has shot over 200 covers of Vogue around the world and 40 covers of Rolling Stone magazine since the mid-1970s...
– photographyPhotographyPhotography is the art, science and practice of creating durable images by recording light or other electromagnetic radiation, either electronically by means of an image sensor or chemically by means of a light-sensitive material such as photographic film... - Gari Askew – photography
- Carlos Hurtado – tracking
Chart positions and certifications
| Chart (2009) | Providers | Peak position |
Certification | Sales |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Billboard 200 Billboard 200 The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists... |
Billboard | 1 | Platinum | 1,060,000 |
| Australian Albums Chart | ARIA | 3 | Platinum | 70,000+ |
| Canadian Albums Chart Canadian Albums Chart The Canadian Albums Chart is the official album sales chart in Canada. It is compiled every Wednesday by U.S.-based music sales tracking company Nielsen Soundscan, and published every Thursday by Jam! Canoe and Billboard, along with its sister charts the Canadian Singles Chart and the Canadian BDS... |
Nielsen SoundScan | 4 | Platinum | 80,000+ |
| Danish Albums Chart | IFPI Danmark & ACNielsen AIM A/S | 7 | ||
| German Albums Chart | IFPI | 39 | ||
| Irish Albums Chart Irish Albums Chart The Irish Albums Chart is the Irish music industry standard albums popularity chart issued weekly by the Irish Recorded Music Association and compiled on its behalf by Chart-Track. Chart rankings are based on sales, which are compiled through over-the-counter retail data captured electronically... |
IRMA | 48 | ||
| Swedish Albums Chart | Sverigetopplistan Sverigetopplistan Sverigetopplistan, earlier known as Topplistan and Hitlistan and other names, is since October 2007 the Swedish national record chart, based on sales data from Swedish Recording Industry Association .... |
5 | ||
| UK Albums Chart UK Albums Chart The UK Albums Chart is a list of albums ranked by physical and digital sales in the United Kingdom. It is compiled every week by The Official Charts Company and broadcast on a Sunday on BBC Radio 1 , and published in Music Week magazine and on the OCC website .To qualify for the UK albums chart... |
The Official Charts Company | 35 | ||
| New Zealand Albums Chart | RIANZ Recording Industry Association of New Zealand The Recording Industry Association of New Zealand is a non-profit trade association of record producers, distributors and recording artists who sell music in New Zealand... |
11 | Gold | 7,500 |
| Netherlands Top 100 Albums Chart | GfK Mega Charts | 1 | Gold | 25,000 |
Year-end charts
| Chart (2010) | Position |
|---|---|
| US Billboard 200 Billboard 200 The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists... |
19 |
Chart procession and succession
External links
- Official Battle Studies microsite
- Battle Studies at DiscogsDiscogsDiscogs, short for discographies, is a website and database of information about audio recordings, including commercial releases, promotional releases, and bootleg or off-label releases. The Discogs servers, currently hosted under the domain name discogs.com, are owned by Zink Media, Inc., and are...
- Battle Studies at MetacriticMetacriticMetacritic.com is a website that collates reviews of music albums, games, movies, TV shows and DVDs. For each product, a numerical score from each review is obtained and the total is averaged. An excerpt of each review is provided along with a hyperlink to the source. Three colour codes of Green,...