Paper Monsters
All bonus tracks and footage appear on the United Kingdom and North American edition of Paper Monsters.
- A Short Film
- "Dirty Sticky Floors" music video
- Exclusive b-roll footage from the "Dirty Sticky Floors" video shoot
- "Hold On" (exclusive New York acoustic performance)
- "A Little Piece" (exclusive New York acoustic performance)
- Exclusive b-roll footage from the New York acoustic performance
- Photo Gallery
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Critical response
Upon release, the album received mixed responses from international music-critics. In a review for the BBC, Kate Lawrence called Paper Monsters "an assured debut" with "surprising depth". She was impressed by Gahan's vocals on the track "Hidden Houses", which she called "deliciously devilish and angelic in equal measure" and said that it "demonstrates a vocal range rarely seen in the Mode back catalogue".[1] Slant Magazine echoed Lawrence's review for the BBC, calling the album a "competent solo debut" with "with murky rock grooves and throaty vocals".[2] However, Pitchfork Media reviewer Michael Idov was less impressed with the album and wrote that its personal subject matter made for a "faintly embarrassing listen". Idov criticised Gahan's lyrics stating that his "vocal can still elevate the dumbest lyric to the level of a cathartic mantra, a skill that comes handy in the absence of Martin Gore".[3] All Music Guide reviewer Don Kline called Paper Monsters "a mix of swampy blues-injected rock, slick urban electronica, and atmospheric balladry" and gave it three out of five stars. He also stated that "although it doesn't stray too far from the Depeche mould, Gahan does manage to put his own stamp on the songs".[4]
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Singles
"Dirty Sticky Floors", the lead single from the album, became Gahan's most successful solo release, where it reached #18 on the UK Singles Chart (and the Top 10 in Germany and Italy). Its remixes were also promoted in U.S. dance clubs, and peaked within the top five of the Billboard Dance Chart. This first single had two b-sides: "Stand Up" and "Maybe".
The second single "I Need You" was a ballad based around a synth and drum arrangement, which reached #27 in the UK and #5 on the U.S. Dance Chart. The second single also had two b-sides, "Closer" and "Breathe".
The third and final single was "Bottle Living" / "Hold On", a double A-side. meaning that two songs were released on the same single. The single also contained a remix of another album track, "Hidden Houses", as a B-side. The single continued the album's string of top-forty singles reaching #36 in the UK.
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Release details
- All editions released by Mute and Reprise Records.
| Release format | Country | Cat. No. | Release date |
|---|---|---|---|
| Regular album | United Kingdom | STUMM 216 | June 2, 2003 |
| Regular album | North America | 48471 | June 3, 2003 |
| Special edition CD/DVD album | United Kingdom | LCDSTUMM 216 | June 2, 2003 |
| Special edition CD/DVD album | North America | 48492 | June 3, 2003 |
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Charts
| Chart (2003) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| German Albums chart | 5 |
| Swedish albums chart | 5 |
| Swiss albums chart | 10 |
| Italy albums chart | 10 |
| UK albums chart | 36 |
| Austrian albums chart | 43 |
| U.S. Billboard Top 200 albums chart | 127 |
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Credits and personnel
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Notes
- ^ Lawrence, Kate. BBC. Dave Gahan – Paper Monsters. 2003. Retrieved May 22, 2006.
- ^ Blanford, Roxanne. Slant Magazine. Dave Gahan – Paper Monsters. 2003. Retrieved May 22, 2006.
- ^ Idov, Michael. Pitchfork Media. Dave Gahan – Paper Monsters. July 25, 2003. Retrieved February 13, 2007.
- ^ Kline, Don. All Music Guide. Dave Gahan – Paper Monsters. 2003. Retrieved May 22, 2006.
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References
- DaveGahan.com. Track listings and formats. Retrieved on May 22, 2006.
- Billboard.com. U.S. Billboard charts. Retrieved on May 22, 2006.
- EveryHit.com. UK singles chart positions. Retrieved on May 22, 2006.
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External links
- DaveGahan.com — official website.
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