| Dive Deep | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | 4 February 2008 | |||
| Recorded | 2007 | |||
| Genre | Trip hop, downtempo,[1] adult contemporary music | |||
| Length | 40:27 | |||
| Label | Echo, Ultra | |||
| Producer | Paul Godfrey | |||
| Morcheeba chronology | ||||
| ||||
| Singles from Dive Deep | ||||
| ||||
Dive Deep is the sixth studio album by the British band Morcheeba, released on 4 February 2008 in the United Kingdom. It is also the second studio album recorded without the former lead singer Skye Edwards. It has a number of vocalists, and several songs can be heard on the band's MySpace page.[2] The first single released was "Enjoy the Ride" which features Judie Tzuke. The second single, "Gained the World", featuring Manda Zamolo, was released on 28 April 2008.[3]
The group embarked on a North American tour to promote the album on 24 March that started in Washington DC and ended on 13 April 2008 in Los Angeles.[4]
Production
Ross Godfrey discussed the making of album in an interview:
We used an incredible amount of new technology for this album, but it's all new-old stuff – ancient keyboards, like claviolines. It's all very organic. The technology came into play in the way that we edited it and put it together.[5]
Morcheeba is dedicated to the preservation of the marine environment and is using the release of Dive Deep as an opportunity to raise awareness.
Critical reception
| Aggregate scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| Metacritic | 63/100[6] |
| Review scores | |
| Source | Rating |
| Allmusic |   [1] |
| BBC Music | (positive)[7] |
| Billboard | (positive)[8] |
| Daily Express | [9] |
| The Independent | [10] |
| Okayplayer | [11] |
| PopMatters | [12] |
| The Times | [13] |
| Virgin Media | [14] |
| Q | [15] |
Professional reviews were mainly favorable and positive to mixed. At Metacritic, which assigns a normalized rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream critics, the album has an average score of 63, based on 10 reviews, indicating "positive".[6] Billboard described the album as a "gorgeous collection of folk- and blues-inflected electro-pop ballads". The Independent gave the album five stars, describing it as "A stirring return to form."
Guests
Dive Deep includes many guest vocalists, such as the acclaimed singer-songwriter Judie Tzuke and relative newcomers Thomas Dybdahl from Norway, the rapper Cool Calm Pete and Manda Zamolo, a French singer. Reviewing the album, BBC Music noted that guests "appear chosen less for who they are than what they can bring, sweet and soulful voices that supply an emotional backbone to the Godfreys' languid, slo-mo funk grooves."
Track listing
US Release
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Vocals | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Enjoy the Ride" | P. Godfrey, R. Godfrey, Tzuke | Judie Tzuke | 4:04 |
| 2. | "Riverbed" | P. Godfrey, R. Godfrey, Dybdahl | Thomas Dybdahl | 5:24 |
| 3. | "Thumbnails" | P. Godfrey, R. Godfrey | instrumental | 2:35 |
| 4. | "Run Honey Run" | John Martyn | Bradley Burgess | 3:44 |
| 5. | "Gained the World" | P. Godfrey, R. Godfrey | Manda Zamolo | 2:56 |
| 6. | "One Love Karma" | P. Godfrey, R. Godfrey, Goldman, Pete Chung | Cool Calm Pete | 3:32 |
| 7. | "Au-delà" | P. Godfrey, R. Godfrey, Zamolo | Manda Zamolo | 2:15 |
| 8. | "Blue Chair" | P. Godfrey, R. Godfrey, Goldman, Tzuke | Judie Tzuke | 4:07 |
| 9. | "Sleep on It" | P. Godfrey, R. Godfrey, Dybdahl | Thomas Dybdahl | 5:34 |
| 10. | "The Ledge Beyond the Edge" | P. Godfrey, R. Godfrey | 2:03 | |
| 11. | "Washed Away" | P. Godfrey, R. Godfrey, Dybdahl | Thomas Dybdahl | 4:23 |
Alternative Promo Release
- Disc I - Dive Deep
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Vocals | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Enjoy the Ride" | P. Godfrey, R. Godfrey, Tzuke | Judie Tzuke | 4:04 |
| 2. | "Riverbed" | P. Godfrey, R. Godfrey, Dybdahl | Thomas Dybdahl | 5:24 |
| 3. | "Thumbnails" | P. Godfrey, R. Godfrey | instrumental | 2:35 |
| 4. | "Run Honey Run" | John Martyn | Bradley Burgess | 3:44 |
| 5. | "Gained the World" | P. Godfrey, R. Godfrey | Manda Zamolo | 2:56 |
| 6. | "One Love Karma" | P. Godfrey, R. Godfrey, Goldman, Pete Chung | Cool Calm Pete | 3:32 |
| 7. | "Au-delà" | P. Godfrey, R. Godfrey, Zamolo | Manda Zamolo | 2:15 |
| 8. | "Blue Chair" | P. Godfrey, R. Godfrey, Goldman, Tzuke | Judie Tzuke | 4:07 |
| 9. | "Sleep on It" | P. Godfrey, R. Godfrey, Dybdahl | Thomas Dybdahl | 5:34 |
| 10. | "Hemphasis" | P. Godfrey, R. Godfrey | 2:05 | |
| 11. | "Flowers" | P. Godfrey, R. Godfrey | Manda Zamolo | 4:06 |
| 12. | "Washed Away" | P. Godfrey, R. Godfrey, Dybdahl | Thomas Dybdahl | 4:23 |
| 13. | "The Ledge Beyond the Edge" | P. Godfrey, R. Godfrey | 5:27 |
- Disc II - Instrumental Versions
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Enjoy the Ride (Instrumental Version)" | 4:11 |
| 2. | "Riverbed (Instrumental Version)" | 5:44 |
| 3. | "Thumbnails (Instrumental Version)" | 2:35 |
| 4. | "Run Honey Run (Instrumental Version)" | 3:44 |
| 5. | "Gained the World (Instrumental Version)" | 3:04 |
| 6. | "One Love Karma (Instrumental Version)" | 3:31 |
| 7. | "Au-delà (Instrumental Version)" | 2:17 |
| 8. | "Blue Chair (Instrumental Version)" | 4:28 |
| 9. | "Sleep on It (Instrumental Version)" | 6:36 |
| 10. | "Hemphasis (Instrumental Version)" | 2:08 |
| 11. | "Flowers (Instrumental Version)" | 4:10 |
| 12. | "Washed Away (Instrumental Version)" | 4:23 |
| 13. | "The Ledge Beyond the Edge (Instrumental Version)" | 6:21 |
Charts
Dive Deep entered the UK Albums Chart in the second week of February at position 59, the band's lowest charting album in the United Kingdom. It was more successful on the Swiss Album Charts which it entered at number 8 a week later. On 9 February, Dive Deep entered the French Albums Chart at number 15.[16] Since its release on iTunes, the album has had a big success throughout Europe, with many entries under Top 10.
| Chart (2008) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Austrian Album Chart[17] | 42 |
| Dutch Album Chart[17] | 82 |
| French Album Chart[17] | 15 |
| German Album Chart[17][18] | 39 |
| Italian Album Chart[17] | 50 |
| Swiss Album Chart[17][19] | 8 |
| UK Albums Chart[17] | 59 |
It was awarded a gold certification from the Independent Music Companies Association which indicated sales of at least 100,000 copies throughout Europe.[20]
Personnel
- Ross Godfrey (acoustic guitar, electric guitar, lap steel guitar, banjo, piano, Fender Rhodes, clavinet, Hammond B-3 organ, Wurlitzer organ, synthesizer, bass guitar)
- Paul Godfrey (drums, drum machine, sound effects, scratches)
- Thomas Dybdahl (vocals, acoustic guitar, piano, bass guitar)
- Bradley Burgess (vocals, guitars, bass guitar)
- Judie Tzuke, Cool Calm Pete (vocals)
- The Mak of All Trades (flute)
- Dan Goldman (Fender Rhodes piano, synthesizer, bass guitar)
- Martin Carling (drums)
- Amanda Zamolo (vocals, background vocals)
Release history
| Region | Date | Label | Catalog |
|---|---|---|---|
| France | 3 February 2008 | PIAS France | |
| United Kingdom | 4 February 2008 | Echo | ECHCD77 |
| United States | 19 February 2008 | Ultra | |
| Canada | 4 March 2008 | Ultra |
Enjoy the Ride
| "Enjoy the Ride" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Single by Morcheeba | ||||
| from the album Dive Deep | ||||
| Released |  28 January 2008 (digital)[21]  24 March 2008 (EP)[22] | |||
| Recorded | 2007 | |||
| Genre | Electronic, trip hop | |||
| Length | 4:02 | |||
| Label | Echo, Ultra | |||
| Songwriter(s) | Judie Tzuke, Ross Godfrey | |||
| Producer(s) | Paul Godfrey | |||
| Morcheeba singles chronology | ||||
| ||||
| Music video | ||||
| "Enjoy the Ride" on YouTube | ||||
"Enjoy the Ride" is the first single from the album. It was produced by Paul Godfrey and features vocals from Judie Tzuke who also co-wrote the song. Godfrey said, "It's a beautiful song, one of our very best, and it's about accepting who you are in the moment and not trying to distract yourself with everything else – gaining a new understanding of yourself and life." When reviewing track-by-track for Ultra records, Paul Godfrey described the song: "This song came about after a long conversation about Los Angeles. Both Ross and Judie (Tzuke) had just come back from there and when the chat ended we wrote it in about 20 minutes. It was perfect, one of our very best and the lead single. It sounds like Fleetwood Mac in their prime."[23]
Critical reception
Professional reviews were mainly positive. The BBC website gave a positive review for the song, saying it is "...a melancholy, slightly bluesy Tzuke-sung number accompanied by weaving guitar and haunting strings".[24] The Daily Mirror rated the song four stars out of five. "It's a brooding brew that captures the mood of dark LA paranoia conjured up by The Eagles and Fleetwood Mac, putting it in a 21st century context".[25] Allmusic described "Enjoy the Ride", along with the "Blue Chair" as "the mellow highlight to curl up with."[26]
ZME Music claimed the song as "...a beautiful, soothing synth pop ballad, in which Judie Tzuke's R&B vocals resemble those of Beth Ross, to a extended; it feels however as the track is over-produced and over-polished."[27] However, Orange UK gave a negative review and rated "Enjoy the Ride" only one star out of five saying "It is no sort of ride at all, all tasteful styling and a rhythm so mid-paced you barely notice it's moving."[28]
Music video
The music video for "Enjoy the Ride" was produced by the cartoon animator Joel Trussell and is an animated tale of bringing the dead back to life.
References
- 1 2 Allmusic review
- ↑ "Morcheeba myspace". Archived from the original on 23 February 2014. Retrieved 16 February 2014.
- ↑ PIAS B2B Archived 8 March 2008 at the Wayback Machine
- ↑ "Morcheeba announce North American dates | News | NME.COM". NME. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 21 April 2020.
- ↑ "Morcheeba discuss the journey to Dive Deep" Archived 7 February 2008 at the Wayback Machine, IndieLondon
- 1 2 "Dive Deep by Morcheeba Reviews and Tracks". Metacritic.
- ↑ "BBC Music review". Archived from the original on 8 January 2018. Retrieved 16 June 2019.
- ↑ "Billboard review". Billboard. Archived from the original on 14 April 2009. Retrieved 21 April 2020.
- ↑ "Daily Express review". February 2008. Archived from the original on 12 March 2008. Retrieved 5 February 2008.
- ↑ The Independent review Archived 15 April 2009 at the Wayback Machine
- ↑ Okayplayer review Archived 19 March 2008 at the Wayback Machine
- ↑ "PopMatters review". Archived from the original on 4 April 2008. Retrieved 21 April 2020.
- ↑ "The Times review". Archived from the original on 17 May 2011. Retrieved 5 February 2008.
- ↑ "Virgin Media review". Archived from the original on 5 March 2008. Retrieved 5 February 2008.
- ↑ Aizlewood, John (March 2008). "Morcheeba – Dive Deep". Q (260): 107.
- ↑ Classement officiel des meilleures ventes de disques Albums en France
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 "Morcheeba – Dive Deep worldwide chart positions and trajectories" Archived 7 May 2008 at the Wayback Machine. aCharts.us. Retrieved 11 February 2008.
- ↑ laut.de | WOM Album Top 50 (KW 8/2008) Archived 7 March 2008 at the Wayback Machine
- ↑ Morcheeba – Dive Deep – swisscharts.com Archived 18 March 2008 at the Wayback Machine
- ↑ "Over 60 independent artists win new IMPALA Awards, with European Platinum for Adele, Pink Martini and Scooter" (Press Release). IMPALA. 9 October 2008. Archived from the original on 5 March 2016. Retrieved 13 August 2017.
- ↑ "Morcheeba – Enjoy The Ride – 7digital". Archived from the original on 3 March 2008. Retrieved 2 April 2008.
- ↑ "Morcheeba on Ultra Records". Archived from the original on 26 April 2008. Retrieved 14 May 2008.
- ↑ "Ultra Artist. Morcheeba". Archived from the original on 26 April 2008. Retrieved 27 April 2022.
- ↑ "BBC – Dance Review – Morcheeba, Dive Deep". Archived from the original on 29 January 2008. Retrieved 4 February 2008.
- ↑ "Review: Morcheeba – Enjoy The Ride – Mirror.co.uk". Daily Mirror. Archived from the original on 12 April 2009. Retrieved 4 February 2008.
- ↑ "Allmusic – Dive Deep Overview". Retrieved 4 September 2008.
- ↑ "ZME Music Dive Deep Review". 10 February 2008. Archived from the original on 20 February 2008. Retrieved 13 May 2008.
- ↑ "Orange UK Singles Review". Archived from the original on 12 April 2009. Retrieved 5 February 2008.