Haunted (Poe album)

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Haunted
Studio album by
ReleasedOctober 31, 2000
Recorded1999 and 2000
Genre
Length68:47
LabelAtlantic
Producer
Poe chronology
Hello
(1995)
Haunted
(2000)

Haunted is the second studio album by American singer-songwriter Poe, released in 2000 after a five-year hiatus from her debut album Hello in 1995. The self-produced album was created as a tribute to her father, and counterpart to her brother Mark Z. Danielewski's novel House of Leaves.

In April 2019, eOne Music released Haunted on vinyl for the first time as an exclusive through Books-A-Million.[1]

History[edit]

Haunted found Poe combining traditional pop notions with electronic, dance and hard rock music. The album was a critical success.[2] The song "Hey Pretty" was released as a promo single, but Poe's vocals had been replaced with a chapter reading from her brother .[3] It reached No. 13 on Billboard's US Modern Rock chart. "Wild" was planned as a third single, garnering some radio play in the Chicago area after a promotional edit was released. The single was never released commercially, but featured a shorter radio mix in addition to an acoustic/rock version of the song. The title track was used as the first song for ending credits to the film Book of Shadows: Blair Witch 2.

An early version of "Control" was featured in the 1998 PlayStation third-person shooter video game Apocalypse.

Haunted was also referred to in the 2002 film Panic Room. In a conversation between Jodie Foster's character and the agent selling the home containing the panic room, Sarah Altman asks "Ever read any Poe?", to which the response given is "No, but I loved her last album!".

The song "Haunted" was also featured at the end of the second episode of the video game Alan Wake for Xbox 360, as well as the Tai Chi Warmup in the Les Mills BodyBalance/BodyFlow program release number 54.

The album also featured samples of audio recordings made by Poe's father, film director Tad Danielewski. The cassettes were found by Poe and Mark after their father had died and were literally audio-letters to the two of them that spanned back as far as their birth. Thus, the album is usually interpreted as a real woman (Poe) singing tributes to her deceased father (who sings back) even while telling the story of a group of fictional characters (from House of Leaves).

Reception[edit]

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[4]
Entertainment WeeklyB[5]
LA WeeklyPositive[6]
PopMattersPositive[7]
Q[8]
Rolling Stone[9]

Haunted received generally positive reviews. On Metacritic, the album has a score of 76 out of 100, indicating "generally favorable reviews".[10]

MacKenzie Wilson of AllMusic gave the album a positive review, writing "Haunted is in its own class of twisted intelligence and beauty."[4] In another positive review, PopMatters's Eden Miller wrote "Few musicians are on the same level as Poe in terms of her bravery exposing and expressing her own personal fears. While it's a bit obvious to say it, Haunted will haunt you."[7] In another positive review, Jason Mandell of LA Weekly wrote "Those without patience for such abstractions (brief though they may be) may find Haunted tiresome. The rest of us can rejoice in its originality and thank our lucky stars that Poe had the confidence and imagination to make it."[6]

In a mixed review, Rolling Stone's Neva Chonin wrote "Unfortunately, Haunted reverberates with tired samples, rehashed echo effects and beats so plodding they could stop a metronome."[9] Q also gave the album a mixed review, writing "The mood is too heavy for far too long, but some good songs and more cohesive, melodic structures augur well for this damaged daughter's future."[8]

Track listing[edit]

No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Exploration B"Poe1:10
2."Haunted"Mike Elizondo, John O'Brien, Poe5:20
3."Control"Daris Adkins, Poe, Toby Skard6:03
4."Terrible Thought"Elizondo, O'Brien, Poe4:41
5."Walk the Walk"O'Brien, Poe4:50
6."Terrified Heart"Poe0:52
7."Wild"Elizondo, O'Brien, Poe9:00
8."5&12 Minute Hallway"Josh Clayton-Felt, Poe3:33
9."Not a Virgin"Elizondo, Poe, Matt Wilder3:42
10."Hey Pretty"Kenneth Burgomaster, Poe3:45
11."Dear Johnny"Poe0:50
12."Could've Gone Mad"Adkins, Poe5:21
13."Lemon Meringue"O'Brien, Poe, Wilder3:22
14."Spanish Doll"Adkins, Poe4:52
15."House of Leaves"Poe1:48
16."Amazed"O'Brien, Poe6:23
17."If You Were Here"Heitor Pereira3:15
Total length:68:47
Haunted – 2001 reissue (bonus track)
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
18."Hey Pretty (Drive-By 2001 Mix)"Kenneth Burgomaster, Mark Z. Danielewski, Poe3:47
Total length:72:34

Personnel[edit]

  • Poe – vocals
  • Daris Adkins – guitar
  • Charlie Bisharat – violin
  • Kenneth Burgomaster – keyboards
  • David Campbellviola
  • Larry Corbett – cello
  • Mark Z. Danielewski – vocals
  • Mike Elizondo – bass guitar
  • Brandon Fields – saxophone
  • Josh Freese – drums
  • Gary Grant – trumpet
  • Jerry Hey – trumpet
  • Trevor Lawrence Jr. – drums
  • Priscilla Loeb – vocals
  • Jamie Muhoberac – keyboards
  • John O'Brien – fiddle
  • Melissa Rogers – vocals
  • Samantha Rogers – vocals
  • Madison Rubeli – vocals
  • Bill Reichenbach – trombone
  • Michael Urbano – drums
  • Joey Waronker – drums

Production[edit]

  • Producers: Poe, Olle Romo, Matt Wilder, Matt Wallace, Mike Urban
  • Engineers: Kirk Fyvie, Phil Kaffel, Chad Bamford, Danger Jay
  • Mixing: Paul Leary, Olle Romo, David Thoener, Danger Jay
  • Programming: Poe, John O'Brien, Olle Romo, Danger Jay
  • Arranger: David Campbell

Charts[edit]

AlbumBillboard (US)

Year Chart Peak position
2000 The Billboard 200 115

SinglesBillboard (US)

Year Single Chart Peak position
2001 "Hey Pretty" Adult Top 40 30
2001 "Hey Pretty" Modern Rock Tracks 13

References[edit]

  1. ^ "BAM! Exclusive Vinyl Haunted". booksamillion.com. Books-A-Million, Inc. Retrieved May 9, 2019.
  2. ^ "Haunted Reviews, Ratings, Credits, and More". Metacritic. October 3, 2000. Retrieved August 22, 2012.
  3. ^ "Poe'S End Run 'Round Radio". NYDailyNews.com. Archived from the original on November 26, 2009. Retrieved August 22, 2012.
  4. ^ a b MacKenzie Wilson (October 3, 2000). "Allmusic review". Allmusic.com. Retrieved August 22, 2012.
  5. ^ Bautz, Mark. Haunted Review. Entertainment Weekly. November 3, 2000. Retrieved November 25, 2014.
  6. ^ a b Mandell, Jason. Ghosts Poe holds a séance. LA Weekly. Retrieved November 25, 2014.
  7. ^ a b Miller, Eden. Poe: Haunted. Popmatters. Retrieved November 25, 2014.
  8. ^ a b Q Magazine. September 2001, p. 115.
  9. ^ a b "Rolling Stone review". RollingStone.com. April 1, 2009. Archived from the original on April 18, 2009. Retrieved August 22, 2012.
  10. ^ Critic Reviews for Haunted. Metacritic. Retrieved November 21, 2014.