The Family Jewels (Marina and the Diamonds album)

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The Family Jewels
File:Marina and the Diamonds - The Family Jewels.png
Studio album by Marina and the Diamonds
Released 15 February 2010
Recorded 2008–10
Genre
Length 45:35
Label
Producer
Marina and the Diamonds chronology
The Family Jewels
(2010)		 Electra Heart
(2012)Electra Heart2012
Singles from The Family Jewels
  1. "Obsessions"
    Released: 14 February 2009
  2. "Mowgli's Road"
    Released: 13 November 2009
  3. "Hollywood"
    Released: 1 February 2010
  4. "I Am Not a Robot"
    Released: 26 April 2010
  5. "Oh No!"
    Released: 2 August 2010
  6. "Shampain"
    Released: 11 October 2010

The Family Jewels is the debut studio album by Welsh singer Marina Diamandis, professionally known as Marina and the Diamonds. It was released on 15 February 2010 by 679 Recordings and Atlantic Records. Diamandis collaborated with producers including Pascal Gabriel, Liam Howe, Greg Kurstin, Richard "Biff" Stannard, and Starsmith during its recording. Their efforts resulted in a primarily indie pop and new wave record, with lyrical themes that Diamandis identifies as "the seduction of commercialism, modern social values, family and female sexuality."[1]

Contemporary music critics spoke favourably of The Family Jewels, and welcomed its diverse production. The record debuted at number five on the UK Albums Chart with first-week sales of 27,618 copies. The album was eventually certified gold by the British Phonographic Industry and has sold 195,358 units in the United Kingdom. The Family Jewels performed moderately on international record charts; it peaked at number 138 on the Billboard 200 in the United States.

The Family Jewels was supported by five singles, all of which were supplemented by accompanying music videos. "Mowgli's Road" was released as the lead single from the record on 13 November 2009, although "Hollywood" became its first charting track after reaching number 12 on the UK Singles Chart. Follow-up singles "I Am Not a Robot", "Oh No!", and "Shampain" respectively peaked at numbers 26, 38, and 141 in the United Kingdom. The record was additionally promoted by Diamandis' headlining The Family Jewels Tour, which visited Australia, Europe and North America from January 2010 through December 2011.

Background

Diamandis explained that the album is "a body of work largely inspired by the seduction of commercialism, modern social values, family and female sexuality".[1] She also describes it as "a really diverse album stylistically speaking because I'm such a flexible writer, so there's a lot of pop on it, but there's kind of a lot of leftfield experimental stuff as well. It's basically an album about what not to be."[2]

Singles

"Mowgli's Road" was released as the album's lead single on 13 November 2009.[3] "Hollywood" was released as the album's second single and Diamandis's first major release on 1 February 2010.[1] It reached number twelve on the UK Singles Chart.[4] "I Am Not a Robot" was released as the album's third single on 26 April 2010.[5] The song reached number twenty-six on the UK Singles Chart.[4] "Oh No!" was released as the album's fourth single on 2 August 2010 only in the UK and Ireland.[6] It peaked at number thirty-eight on the UK Singles Chart.[4] "Shampain" was released as the album's fifth and final single on 11 October 2010 only in the UK and Ireland.[7] It reached number 141 on the UK Singles Chart.[8]

Critical reception

Professional ratings
Aggregate scores
Source Rating
Metacritic 68/100[9]
Review scores
Source Rating
AllMusic 4/5 stars[10]
BBC Music fairly positive[11]
Clash 6/10[12]
The Daily Telegraph 4/5 stars[13]
The Guardian 3/5 stars[14]
musicOMH 3.5/5 stars[15]
NME 9/10[16]
Q 4/5 stars[17]
Spin 7/10[18]
The Sunday Times 3/5 stars[19]

The Family Jewels received mostly positive reviews. At Metacritic, which assigns a normalised rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream critics, the album received an average score of 68, based on 21 reviews, which indicates "generally favorable reviews".[9]

Hugh Montgomery of Q magazine noted that the album presented a range of different styles, skipping "from glam-disco ('Shampain') and bubblegum punk ('Girls') to quavering piano laments ('Obsessions') and cabaret ditties ('Hermit The Frog')", adding that the singer's "imaginative reach" was "complemented by a winning pop savviness."[17] However, The Independent's Andy Gill gave the album a negative review saying it "demonstrates the inevitable workings of entropy on pop methodology" and describes "Shampain" and "Hermit the Frog" as "every bit as annoying as their punning titles, with queasy, prancing piano and synth figures labouring away methodically, Mika-fashion, while she searches unsuccessfully for worthwhile lyrical routes".[20]

Luke O'Neil from The Phoenix stated that "[t]he likes of Kate Nash and company have flitted through this piano siren/exuberant dance-diva territory, but never mind, because this gorgeous genre starts now."[21] Lou Thomas from BBC Music commented that "[t]he consistently diverting changes in style across the album are fine—the wonky 80s shoulder-pad pop of 'The Outsider' is nothing like anything else here, for example. But over 13 songs of Sparks-voice and many similar staccato piano riffs listeners may feel bludgeoned by Marina and her slightly overbearing presence."[11] Leonie Cooper from NME rated the album nine out of ten stars and wrote, "An album with a distinct dual personality, Marina's dazzling The Family Jewels pitches the confident, MTV Awards-headlining superstar of our dreams against a more self-deprecating girl-next-door Marina who's dead set on Supertramping and vamping her way out of her fug."[16]

The NME placed the album at number 33 on its list of the Top 75 Albums of 2010.[22]

Commercial performance

The Family Jewels debuted at number five on the UK Albums Chart with first-week sales of 27,618 copies.[23] It remains Diamandis' best-selling debut week, after her second studio album Electra Heart entered the chart at number one with first-week sales of 21,358 units.[24] The Family Jewels was later certified gold by the British Phonographic Industry,[25] and had sold 195,358 copies in the United Kingdom as of April 2015.[26] The record debuted at number seven in Greece and number nine in Ireland;[27][28] it was eventually certified gold by the Irish Recorded Music Association.[29]

The Family Jewels performed moderately on several international record charts. The record reached number 12 on the German Media Control Charts,[30] and entered the Ö3 Austria Top 40 at number 18.[31] It peaked at number 88 on the Dutch MegaCharts,[32] number 100 on the Swiss Hitparade,[33] and number 132 in France.[34] In Oceania, the album reached number 79 on the Australian ARIA Charts.[35] With first-week sales of 4,000 copies in the United States,[36] The Family Jewels entered the Billboard 200 at number 138;[37] furthermore, it respectively charted at numbers 2 and 49 on the Billboard Top Heatseekers and Top Rock Albums charts.[38][39]

Track listing

Credits adapted from the liner notes of The Family Jewels.[40]

The Family Jewels – Standard version
No. Title Writer(s) Producer(s) Length
1. "Are You Satisfied?"   Marina Diamandis
3:21
2. "Shampain"  
  • Gabriel
  • Howe
  • Stannard[a]
 3:11
3. "I Am Not a Robot"   Diamandis Howe 3:35
4. "Girls"  
  • Diamandis
  • Howe
  • Gabriel
  • Gabriel
  • Howe
 3:28
5. "Mowgli's Road"  
  • Diamandis
  • Howe
 Howe 3:12
6. "Obsessions"   Diamandis Howe 3:38
7. "Hollywood"   Diamandis
3:50
8. "The Outsider"   Diamandis
  • Howe
  • Diamandis
 3:17
9. "Hermit the Frog"   Diamandis
  • Howe
  • Diamandis[a]
 3:35
10. "Oh No!"  
Kurstin 3:02
11. "Rootless"  
  • Diamandis
  • Howe
  • Gabriel
  • Gabriel
  • Howe
 3:28
12. "Numb"   Diamandis Howe 4:16
13. "Guilty"  
  • Diamandis
  • Stannard
  • Howes
  • Stannard
  • Howes
 3:40
The Crown Jewels - EP
No. Title Writer(s) Producer(s) Length
1. "I Am Not a Robot"   Diamandis Howe 3:35
2. "Seventeen"   Diamandis Howe 3:05
3. "Simplify"   Diamandis Martin Craft 2:26
The American Jewels - EP
No. Title Writer(s) Producer(s) Length
1. "I Am Not a Robot"   Diamandis Howe 3:35
2. "Seventeen"   Diamandis Howe 3:05
3. "Simplify"   Diamandis Craft 2:26
4. "I Am Not a Robot" (Starsmith 24 Carat Remix) Diamandis
  • Howe
  • Starsmith
 5:18
Notes
  • ^a signifies an additional producer
  • ^b signifies an original producer
  • ^c signifies a remixer

Credits and personnel

Credits adapted from the liner notes of The Family Jewels.[40]

<templatestyles src="Div col/styles.css"/>
  • Marina Diamandis – vocals (all tracks); piano (tracks 1–3, 6, 8, 12), glockenspiel (track 3); mixing (tracks 4, 11); casio VL-tone, production (track 8); additional production (track 9); organ (track 12)
  • Chris Allan – cello (tracks 1, 3)
  • Rebekah Allan – violin (tracks 9, 12)
  • Niel Catchpole – violin (tracks 7, 13)
  • Guy Davie – mastering (tracks 1–9, 11–13)
  • Alison Dods – violin (tracks 1, 3, 7, 13)
  • Steve Durham – drums (tracks 1–3)
  • Pascal Gabriel – production, programming (tracks 2, 4, 11); synths (track 2); all instruments, engineering, mixing (tracks 4, 11)
  • Liam Howe – production (tracks 1–3, 5, 6, 8, 9, 11, 12); programming (tracks 1–3, 5, 6, 8, 9, 12); bass (tracks 1, 2, 5, 6); mellotron (tracks 1, 3, 6, 9, 12); synths (tracks 1–3, 6, 8); additional piano, electric guitar (track 2); mixing, Philicorda (track 3, 5, 6, 8, 9, 12); all instruments (tracks 4, 11); acoustic guitar, glockenspiel, spoons, whistle (track 5); engineering (tracks 5, 6, 8); Jew's harp, santoor (track 8); mandolin, recorder (tracks 9, 12)
  • Ash Howes – mixing, production (tracks 1, 7, 13); keyboards (track 1); programming (tracks 1, 2, 7, 13); additional keyboards (track 2); all instruments (tracks 7, 13)
  • Greg Kurstin – keyboards, engineering, guitar, mixing, production, programming (track 10)
  • Oli Langford – viola (tracks 7, 9, 12, 13); violin (tracks 7, 13)
  • Stephen Large – string arrangements (tracks 7, 13); piano (tracks 9, 12); Hammond organ (track 12)
  • Dougal Lott – assistant engineering (tracks 1–3, 9, 12); Pro Tools (track 5)
  • Alex Mackenzie – drums, harpsichord (tracks 5, 6); additional piano, mandolin (track 6)
  • Mat Maitland – sleeve art
  • Calina de la Mere – violin (tracks 1, 3)
  • Anna Mowat – cello (tracks 7, 13)
  • Anna Phoebe – violin (tracks 9, 12)
  • Luke Potashnick – guitar (track 1)
  • Rankin – portraits
  • Raymond67 (Freesound Project) – mechanical monkey (track 5)
  • Rachel Robson – viola (tracks 1, 3)
  • Sandyrb (Freesound Project) – human monkey (track 5)
  • Lucy Shaw – double bass, string arrangements (tracks 1, 3, 7, 9, 12, 13)
  • Richard "Biff" Stannard – production (tracks 1, 7, 13); keyboards (track 1); programming (tracks 1, 2, 7, 13); additional keyboards, additional production (track 2); mixing (tracks 2, 7, 13); drums (track 7); all instruments (tracks 7, 13)
  • Starsmith – original production (track 7)
  • Dave Turner – mastering (track 10)
  • David Westlake – drums (track 9)
  • Richard Wilkinson – engineering (tracks 1–3, 9, 12)
  • Chris Worsey – cello (tracks 9, 12)

Charts

Certifications

Region Certification Sales/shipments
Ireland (IRMA)[29] Gold 7,500
United Kingdom (BPI)[25] Gold 195,358[26]

xunspecified figures based on certification alone

Release history

Region Date Format Label Ref.
Ireland 15 February 2010
[48]
United Kingdom 22 February 2010 [49]
Scandinavia 24 February 2010 Warner [50]
Australia 26 February 2010 [51]
France 1 March 2010 [52]
Netherlands 19 March 2010 [53]
Japan 21 April 2010 [42]
Germany 14 May 2010 [54]
Canada 25 May 2010 [55]
United States
[43]
15 June 2010 LP [56]

References

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  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  2. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  3. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  5. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  6. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  7. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  8. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  9. ↑ 9.0 9.1 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  10. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  11. ↑ 11.0 11.1 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  12. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  13. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  14. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  15. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  16. ↑ 16.0 16.1 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  17. ↑ 17.0 17.1 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  18. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  19. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  20. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  21. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  22. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  23. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  24. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  25. ↑ 25.0 25.1 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found. Enter The Family Jewels in the field Keywords. Select Title in the field Search by. Select album in the field By Format. Select Gold in the field By Award. Click Search
  26. ↑ 26.0 26.1 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found. (subscription required)
  27. ↑ 27.0 27.1 "Greekcharts.com – Marina & The Diamonds – The Family Jewels". Hung Medien. Retrieved 9 May 2014.
  28. ↑ 28.0 28.1 "GFK Chart-Track Albums: Week 8, 2010". Chart-Track. IRMA. Retrieved 9 May 2014.
  29. ↑ 29.0 29.1 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  30. ↑ 30.0 30.1 "Officialcharts.de – Marina & The Diamonds – The Family Jewels". GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved 9 May 2014.
  31. ↑ 31.0 31.1 "Austriancharts.at – Marina & The Diamonds – The Family Jewels" (in German). Hung Medien. Retrieved 9 May 2014.
  32. ↑ 32.0 32.1 "Dutchcharts.nl – Marina & The Diamonds – The Family Jewels" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved 9 May 2014.
  33. ↑ 33.0 33.1 "Swisscharts.com – Marina & The Diamonds – The Family Jewels". Hung Medien. Retrieved 9 May 2014.
  34. ↑ 34.0 34.1 "Lescharts.com – Marina & The Diamonds – The Family Jewels". Hung Medien. Retrieved 9 May 2014.
  35. ↑ 35.0 35.1 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  36. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  37. ↑ 37.0 37.1 "Marina and the Diamonds – Chart history" Billboard 200 for Marina and the Diamonds. Retrieved 9 May 2014.
  38. ↑ 38.0 38.1 "Marina and the Diamonds – Chart history" Billboard Top Heatseekers Albums for Marina and the Diamonds. Retrieved 9 May 2014.
  39. ↑ 39.0 39.1 "Marina and the Diamonds – Chart history" Billboard Top Rock Albums for Marina and the Diamonds. Retrieved 9 May 2014.
  40. ↑ 40.0 40.1 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  41. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  42. ↑ 42.0 42.1 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  43. ↑ 43.0 43.1 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
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  46. ↑ "Official Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 9 May 2014.
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  55. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  56. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
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