The Other Side of Time
Encyclopedia
The Other Side of Time is the debut solo album from the American singer-songwriter
Mary Fahl
, released on May 27, 2003 by the newly formed Sony Odyssey label. The album reached #22 on the Billboard Heatseekers
chart and #269 on BillboardsTop Internet Albums.
Lenses of Contact in 2001, Fahl was signed with Sony Classical.
Upon finding out Sony Classical would be releasing the soundtrack to the film Gods and Generals
, Fahl researched the story and wrote the song "Going Home" on speculation.
Three of the songs from Lenses of Contact were featured in The Other Side of Time, and two songs would figure prominently on film soundtracks. "Going Home" appeared in the opening of Gods and Generals
; the album's closing track, Fahl's version of the traditional Irish tune "The Dawning of the Day," was featured in The Guys
, along with several reprises of the song.
The Other Side of Time showed some additional sides to Fahl's style, bringing in opera
styles in "Una furtiva lagrima
" and Middle Eastern influences in "Ben Aindi Habibi". These two tracks, which Fahl sang in Italian
and Mozarabic
respectively, were the first non-English language
songs to appear on her records. "Ben Aindi Habibi" was a traditional kharja
written in the 11th or 12th century. Fahl said in an interview that she had discovered "Ben Aindi Habibi" while on tour with the October Project and considered it her favorite song on The Other Side of Time.
In an interview with Liane Hansen
of National Public Radio, Fahl stated that she performed these songs on The Other Side of Time because she was signed to a classical label and a pop label would not have let her make that type of record.
"Paolo" was written in 1997, one of the first songs she'd composed, and is considered by Fahl to be the most autobiographical of her repertoire.
"The Dawning of the Day" was written for the film adaptation of The Guys
in honor of the firefighters who died in the September 11 attacks. The film's director, Jim Simpson, stipulated that the song sound like it was written 300 years ago. Fahl wrote the lyrics within the two day deadline. Fahl admits to being moved to tears while writing the lyrics.
Fahl wrote her lyrics to "The Dawning of the Day" to honor firefighters who died in the September 11, 2001 attacks
. The song would later be performed by Ronan Tynan
at the re-opening dedication for the Seven World Trade Center in 2006.
called her "a brasher, more exciting version of Enya
and Sissel
" and concluded, "Mary Fahl, thankfully, is not your typical pop singer. Somewhat unwieldy, but always interesting. More filmmakers should pay attention to the vocal talent on display in this CD." The All-Music Guide praised her past work with the October Project and her first solo EP but gave her only 2 out of 5 stars for The Other Side of Time, saying, "She still has the big voice, but she's opting for an easier course of being eclectic by tossing faint nods at different styles while trying to hew firmly to the center of the road.... This just ends up being a bland waste of a mighty talent."
After listening to the first four tracks of the album, MusicTap's Matt Rowe described himself as "mesmerized," comparing Fahl's "entrancing voice" to that of Lisa Gerrard
's of Dead Can Dance
fame. He found the majority of the album rich with "philosophical lyrics" and "spiritual airing," calling Fahl a "unique talent" on a "quest for answers that emulate the basic need of man to know things usually beyond our understanding."
Production
Orchestra
Singer-songwriter
Singer-songwriters are musicians who write, compose and sing their own musical material including lyrics and melodies. As opposed to contemporary popular music singers who write their own songs, the term singer-songwriter describes a distinct form of artistry, closely associated with the...
Mary Fahl
Mary Fahl
Mary Fahl is an American singer, songwriter and actress known for her work with October Project in the mid-1990s. More recently she is known for her solo singing and acting career. She released an EP Lenses of Contact in 2001, and a full album The Other Side of Time in 2003 on Sony Classical...
, released on May 27, 2003 by the newly formed Sony Odyssey label. The album reached #22 on the Billboard Heatseekers
Top Heatseekers
Top Heatseekers refers to either of two separate "Breaking and Entering" music charts issued weekly by Billboard Magazine: the Heatseekers Albums chart or the Heatseekers Songs chart. They were introduced by Billboard in 1993 with the purpose of highlighting the sales by new and developing musical...
chart and #269 on BillboardsTop Internet Albums.
History
After performing as a solo artist in the late 90s and releasing the EPExtended play
An EP is a musical recording which contains more music than a single, but is too short to qualify as a full album or LP. The term EP originally referred only to specific types of vinyl records other than 78 rpm standard play records and LP records, but it is now applied to mid-length Compact...
Lenses of Contact in 2001, Fahl was signed with Sony Classical.
Upon finding out Sony Classical would be releasing the soundtrack to the film Gods and Generals
Gods and Generals (film)
Gods and Generals is a 2003 American film based on the novel Gods and Generals by Jeffrey Shaara. It depicts events that take place prior to those shown in the 1993 film Gettysburg, which was based on The Killer Angels, a novel by Shaara's father, Michael...
, Fahl researched the story and wrote the song "Going Home" on speculation.
Three of the songs from Lenses of Contact were featured in The Other Side of Time, and two songs would figure prominently on film soundtracks. "Going Home" appeared in the opening of Gods and Generals
Gods and Generals (film)
Gods and Generals is a 2003 American film based on the novel Gods and Generals by Jeffrey Shaara. It depicts events that take place prior to those shown in the 1993 film Gettysburg, which was based on The Killer Angels, a novel by Shaara's father, Michael...
; the album's closing track, Fahl's version of the traditional Irish tune "The Dawning of the Day," was featured in The Guys
The Guys
The Guys is a play by Anne Nelson about the aftereffects of the collapse of the World Trade Center. In the play, Joan, an editor, helps Nick, an FDNY captain, prepare the eulogies for an unprecedented number of firefighters who died under his command that day...
, along with several reprises of the song.
The Other Side of Time showed some additional sides to Fahl's style, bringing in opera
Opera
Opera is an art form in which singers and musicians perform a dramatic work combining text and musical score, usually in a theatrical setting. Opera incorporates many of the elements of spoken theatre, such as acting, scenery, and costumes and sometimes includes dance...
styles in "Una furtiva lagrima
Una furtiva lagrima
Una furtiva lagrima is the romanza taken from Act II, Scene VIII of the Italian opera, L'elisir d'amore by Gaetano Donizetti. It is sung by Nemorino when he finds that the love potion he bought to win his dream lady’s heart, Adina, works.Nemorino is in love with Adina, but she isn't interested in...
" and Middle Eastern influences in "Ben Aindi Habibi". These two tracks, which Fahl sang in Italian
Italian language
Italian is a Romance language spoken mainly in Europe: Italy, Switzerland, San Marino, Vatican City, by minorities in Malta, Monaco, Croatia, Slovenia, France, Libya, Eritrea, and Somalia, and by immigrant communities in the Americas and Australia...
and Mozarabic
Mozarabic language
Mozarabic was a continuum of closely related Romance dialects spoken in Muslim-dominated areas of the Iberian Peninsula during the early stages of the Romance languages' development in Iberia. Mozarabic descends from Late Latin and early Romance dialects spoken in the Iberian Peninsula from the 5th...
respectively, were the first non-English language
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
songs to appear on her records. "Ben Aindi Habibi" was a traditional kharja
Kharja
The kharja , also known as jarcha in Spanish, is the final refrain of a muwashshah, a lyric genre of Al-Andalus written in Classical Arabic or Hebrew....
written in the 11th or 12th century. Fahl said in an interview that she had discovered "Ben Aindi Habibi" while on tour with the October Project and considered it her favorite song on The Other Side of Time.
In an interview with Liane Hansen
Liane Hansen
Liane Hansen is an American journalist and radio personality who was senior host of the National Public Radio newsmagazine Weekend Edition Sunday until her retirement in May 2011...
of National Public Radio, Fahl stated that she performed these songs on The Other Side of Time because she was signed to a classical label and a pop label would not have let her make that type of record.
"Paolo" was written in 1997, one of the first songs she'd composed, and is considered by Fahl to be the most autobiographical of her repertoire.
"The Dawning of the Day" was written for the film adaptation of The Guys
The Guys
The Guys is a play by Anne Nelson about the aftereffects of the collapse of the World Trade Center. In the play, Joan, an editor, helps Nick, an FDNY captain, prepare the eulogies for an unprecedented number of firefighters who died under his command that day...
in honor of the firefighters who died in the September 11 attacks. The film's director, Jim Simpson, stipulated that the song sound like it was written 300 years ago. Fahl wrote the lyrics within the two day deadline. Fahl admits to being moved to tears while writing the lyrics.
Fahl wrote her lyrics to "The Dawning of the Day" to honor firefighters who died in the September 11, 2001 attacks
September 11, 2001 attacks
The September 11 attacks The September 11 attacks The September 11 attacks (also referred to as September 11, September 11th or 9/119/11 is pronounced "nine eleven". The slash is not part of the pronunciation...
. The song would later be performed by Ronan Tynan
Ronan Tynan
Ronan Tynan is a singer in the classical Irish style. He is most famous for his renditions of "God Bless America" at Yankee Stadium during important New York Yankees games, such as Opening Day, nationally-televised games, the last game at the old Yankee Stadium, and playoff games...
at the re-opening dedication for the Seven World Trade Center in 2006.
Reception
Overall, The Other Side of Time met with mixed reviews. Film Score MonthlyFilm Score Monthly
Film Score Monthly is an online magazine founded by editor-in-chief and executive producer Lukas Kendall in June 1990 as The Soundtrack Correspondence List...
called her "a brasher, more exciting version of Enya
Enya
Enya is an Irish singer, instrumentalist and songwriter. Enya is an approximate transliteration of how Eithne is pronounced in the Donegal dialect of the Irish language, her native tongue.She began her musical career in 1980, when she briefly joined her family band Clannad before leaving to...
and Sissel
Sissel Kyrkjebø
Sissel Kyrkjebø , also simply known as Sissel, is a Norwegian soprano.Sissel is considered one of the world's top crossover sopranos. Sissel's musical style runs the gamut from pop recordings and folk songs, to classical vocals and operatic arias...
" and concluded, "Mary Fahl, thankfully, is not your typical pop singer. Somewhat unwieldy, but always interesting. More filmmakers should pay attention to the vocal talent on display in this CD." The All-Music Guide praised her past work with the October Project and her first solo EP but gave her only 2 out of 5 stars for The Other Side of Time, saying, "She still has the big voice, but she's opting for an easier course of being eclectic by tossing faint nods at different styles while trying to hew firmly to the center of the road.... This just ends up being a bland waste of a mighty talent."
After listening to the first four tracks of the album, MusicTap's Matt Rowe described himself as "mesmerized," comparing Fahl's "entrancing voice" to that of Lisa Gerrard
Lisa Gerrard
Lisa Gerrard is an Australian musician, singer, and composer who rose to prominence as part of the music group Dead Can Dance with former music partner Brendan Perry....
's of Dead Can Dance
Dead Can Dance
Dead Can Dance are an ethereal neoclassical duo formed in Melbourne, Australia, in August 1981, by Lisa Gerrard and Brendan Perry. The band relocated to London in May 1982 and disbanded in 1998. Their 1996 album Spiritchaser reached No. 1 on the Billboard Top World Music Albums Chart...
fame. He found the majority of the album rich with "philosophical lyrics" and "spiritual airing," calling Fahl a "unique talent" on a "quest for answers that emulate the basic need of man to know things usually beyond our understanding."
Tracklist
Personnel
Musicians and vocalists- Rob MathesRob MathesRob Mathes is an American record producer, music arranger, composer, songwriter, and performer. He also writes bluesy spiritual-pop music.-Background:Born in Old Greenwich, Connecticut, Mathes showed interest and skill in music at a very early age...
– 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...
, electric guitarElectric guitarAn electric guitar is a guitar that uses the principle of direct electromagnetic induction to convert vibrations of its metal strings into electric audio signals. The signal generated by an electric guitar is too weak to drive a loudspeaker, so it is amplified before sending it to a loudspeaker...
, keyboardsKeyboard 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... - Dennis McDermott – 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 ....
- Mark O'ConnorMark O'ConnorMark O'Connor is an American bluegrass, jazz, country and classical violinist fiddler, composer and music teacher. O'Connor's music is wide-ranging, critically acclaimed, and he has received numerous awards for both his playing and his composition...
– violinViolinThe violin is a string instrument, usually with four strings tuned in perfect fifths. It is the smallest, highest-pitched member of the violin family of string instruments, which includes the viola and cello....
, soloistSolo (music)In music, a solo is a piece or a section of a piece played or sung by a single performer... - Shawn PeltonShawn PeltonShawn Pelton is a New York City-based studio and session drummer. Pelton has worked with the Backstreet Boys, Sheryl Crow, Shawn Colvin, Bruce Springsteen, Celine Dion and Billy Joel...
– drums, drum LoopMusic loopIn electroacoustic music, a loop is a repeating section of sound material. Short sections of material can be repeated to create ostinato patterns... - Larry Saltzman – electric guitar
- Jimi Zhivago – electric guitar
- James McCollum – 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...
- Paul Intson – bass (upright)Double bassThe double bass, also called the string bass, upright bass, standup bass or contrabass, is the largest and lowest-pitched bowed string instrument in the modern symphony orchestra, with strings usually tuned to E1, A1, D2 and G2...
- Alan Hewitt (musician) – 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...
, keyboards - Glenn Patscha – piano, background vocals, keyboards
- Alvin Young – bass
- Henry Aronson – piano
- David Berger – drums
- Byron Isaacs – bass, bowed bass, background vocals, guitar
- Fiona McBain – background vocals
- Pamelia Kurstin – thereminThereminThe theremin , originally known as the aetherphone/etherophone, thereminophone or termenvox/thereminvox is an early electronic musical instrument controlled without discernible physical contact from the player. It is named after its Russian inventor, Professor Léon Theremin, who patented the device...
, soloist - Mary Fahl – vocals
- Iki Levy – percussion, drum loop
- Tony Garnier – bass
- Kevin Kuhn – guitar
- John Lissauer – bass, guitar, conductor, keyboards, choirChoirA choir, chorale or chorus is a musical ensemble of singers. Choral music, in turn, is the music written specifically for such an ensemble to perform.A body of singers who perform together as a group is called a choir or chorus...
, dholakDholakThe Dholak is a North Indian, Pakistani and Nepalese double-headed hand-drum Madal. The name dholki may also refer to a slightly different instrument that uses high-pitch tabla style syahi masala on its treble skin. This instrument is also known as Naal or Dholki....
, shruti box, orchestral arrangements, talking drum, shaker, engineer, tambourineTambourineThe tambourine or marine is a musical instrument of the percussion family consisting of a frame, often of wood or plastic, with pairs of small metal jingles, called "zils". Classically the term tambourine denotes an instrument with a drumhead, though some variants may not have a head at all....
, harmoniumHarmoniumA harmonium is a free-standing keyboard instrument similar to a reed organ. Sound is produced by air being blown through sets of free reeds, resulting in a sound similar to that of an accordion...
, percussion - Mark Egan – electric bassBass guitarThe bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
- Glenn Alexander – 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...
, guitar - Ramsey McLean – guitar
- Oren Bloedow – guitar
- Richard Locker – cello, soloist, orchestra
- Scott Healy – piano, keyboards
- Paul Cremo – electric guitar, executive producerExecutive producerAn executive producer is a producer who is not involved in any technical aspects of the film making or music process, but who is still responsible for the overall production...
Production
- Mychael Danna – arrangerArrangementThe American Federation of Musicians defines arranging as "the art of preparing and adapting an already written composition for presentation in other than its original form. An arrangement may include reharmonization, paraphrasing, and/or development of a composition, so that it fully represents...
, producer - Ed Rak – engineerAudio 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...
- David TickleDavid TickleDavid Tickle is a British record producer and engineer. As a producer, he is most noted for his work with Split Enz, and in Canada, for his mid-80s work with Red Rider, Platinum Blonde and Gowan...
– producerRecord 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...
, remixRemixA remix is an alternative version of a recorded song, made from an original version. This term is also used for any alterations of media other than song ....
ing - David Wilkes – artist consultant
- Brad Haehnel – engineer
- Ron Searles – engineer
- Jeffrey Lesser – mixing, engineer, producer, background vocals
- Janush Kawa – 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...
- Nick Vaccaro – photography
- Anthony Ruotolo – associate engineer
- Keith Shortreed – digital editing
- Jan Folkson – engineer, digital editing, metal shaker
- Ian Cuttler – art direction
- Ricardo Fernandez – associate engineer
- Robert Nowak – copyist
- Robin Pitre – copyist
- Dan Abernathy – associate engineer
- Edmund Cionek – copyistCopyistA copyist is a person who makes written copies. In ancient times, a scrivener was also called a calligraphus . The term's modern use is almost entirely confined to music copyists, who are employed by the music industry to produce neat copies from a composer or arranger's manuscript.-Music...
- Ruth DeSarno – A&R assistance
- Nic Hard – engineer
- Erich Trusheim – associate engineer
- Jeremy Welch – associate engineer
- Joshua Benezra – internInternInternship is a system of onthejob training for white-collar jobs, similar to an apprenticeship. Interns are usually college or university students, but they can also be high school students or post graduate adults seeking skills for a new career. They may also be as young as middle school or in...
- Anne Atalla – A&RA&RArtists and repertoire is the division of a record label that is responsible for talent scouting and overseeing the artistic development of recording artists. It also acts as a liaison between artists and the record label.- Finding talent :...
Orchestra
- Karen Milne
- John Moses
- Joe Passaro
- Sue Pray
- Jim Saporito
- Laura Seaton
- Kirk Worthington – celloCelloThe cello is a bowed string instrument with four strings tuned in perfect fifths. It is a member of the violin family of musical instruments, which also includes the violin, viola, and double bass. Old forms of the instrument in the Baroque era are baryton and viol .A person who plays a cello is...
- Dale Stuckenbruck
- Maxine Roach
- Sarah Adams
- Rick Dolan
- Richard Clark
- Caryl Paisner
- Belinda Whitney
- Helen Campo
- Ken Barward Hoy
- Don McGeen
- Xin Zhao
- Adam Grabois
- Laura Oatts
- Stacy Shames
- Larry Di Bello
- David Earl Taylor
- Shelly Holland-Moritz
- Natalie Cenovia Cummins
- Elizabeth Lim Dutton
- Robert Bush
- Leise Paer
- John Miller – conductorConductingConducting is the art of directing a musical performance by way of visible gestures. The primary duties of the conductor are to unify performers, set the tempo, execute clear preparations and beats, and to listen critically and shape the sound of the ensemble...
- Mark Sherman
- Martin Agee
- Dennis Anderson
- Randy Andos
- Joseph Bongiorno
- H. Robert Carlisle
- Barry Finclair
- Joyce Hammann
- Karl Kawahara
- Jeanne LeBlanc
Charts
| Chart (2003) | Peak Position |
|---|---|
| Billboard Heatseekers Top Heatseekers Top Heatseekers refers to either of two separate "Breaking and Entering" music charts issued weekly by Billboard Magazine: the Heatseekers Albums chart or the Heatseekers Songs chart. They were introduced by Billboard in 1993 with the purpose of highlighting the sales by new and developing musical... |
|
| Billboard Top Internet Albums |