The Fall
Studio album by
Norah Jones
ReleasedNovember 11, 2009 (2009-11-11)
Recorded2008–2009
Studio
Length45:49
LabelBlue Note
ProducerJacquire King
Norah Jones chronology
Not Too Late
(2007) 		The Fall
(2009) 		... Featuring Norah Jones
(2010)
Singles from The Fall
  1. "Chasing Pirates"
    Released: October 13, 2009
  2. "Young Blood"
    Released: February 16, 2010
  3. "Stuck"
    Released: March 5, 2010 (UK)
  4. "It's Gonna Be"
    Released: April 2010

The Fall is the fourth studio album by American singer-songwriter Norah Jones, released on November 11, 2009, by Blue Note Records. The album debuted at number three on the Billboard 200, selling 180,000 copies in its first week. As of August 2012, the album had sold over three million copies worldwide.[1]

Background and production

Before the album's release, Jones' website stated that she had taken a new direction, with new collaborators and producer Jacquire King. King hired songwriters Ryan Adams and Will Sheff, in addition to drummers Joey Waronker, James Gadson and Marco Giovino, keyboardist James Poyser, and guitarists Marc Ribot, Smokey Hormel, Lyle Workman, and Peter Atanasoff and bassists Frank Howard Swart and Dave Wilder. The album cover was taken by photographer Autumn de Wilde.[2]

Singles and promotion

To promote the release of the album Jones appeared on:

Reception

Professional ratings
Aggregate scores
SourceRating
Metacritic73/100[9]
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[10]
The A.V. ClubB[11]
Chicago Tribune[12]
Entertainment WeeklyB−[13]
PopMatters5/10[14]
Robert Christgau(choice cut)[15]
Rolling Stone[16]
Slant Magazine[17]
USA Today[18]
The Washington PostMixed[19]

The Fall received generally positive reviews from music critics. At Metacritic, which assigns a normalized rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream critics, the album has an average score of 73 out of 100, which indicates "generally favorable reviews" based on 22 reviews.[9]

Billboard gave the album a score of 83 out of 100 and stated that "Jones ditches the gentle piano-playing of her previous work and rises to a new level of creative boldness."[20] The New York Times gave it a favorable review and called it "the sonic and emotional expansion [Jones'] music needed, and it's tied to some of her most unguarded songs."[21] Uncut gave it four stars out of five and said that "The emotional imprint... moves beyond the pining, wistful tones that are [Jones'] trademark in favor of Sex And The City scenarios bursting with heartbreak, regret and emotional devastation."[22] Q also gave it four stars out of five and praised the album for its "copper-bottomed classics".[9] musicOMH likewise gave it four stars out of five and said, "Less predictable was her now clear desire to take risks and step off the all-too-well-forged path of safe, agreeable background music. Instead, on The Fall Norah Jones chooses to defy categorization."[23] Hot Press gave it a score of four out of five with the header: "Easy listening princess goes indie-goth."[24] The Boston Globe gave it a favorable review and stated that Jones "seems liberated from the expectations of what her music is supposed to sound like, and the album is flush with fresh production ideas and a varied sonic palette."[25]

Filter gave the album a score of 78% and stated that "unlike Not Too Late, Jones’ latest decision to ditch her keys for strings is a poor one. In a way, she has indeed found a different beat to groove to, and if anyone can play in a piano bar without a piano, it would certainly be Norah Jones."[26] Paste gave it a score of 7.6 out of 10 and stated that "Jones is clearly comfortable with where she’s arrived, and is ready to throw open the doors for a party."[27] Spin gave it a score of seven out of ten and said that the album "has been billed as Norah Jones' rock album. In fact, it's something even more surprising: a hot-blooded soul record from the queen of the even keel."[9][28]

Other reviews are average or mixed: The Austin Chronicle gave the album three stars out of five and said it "offers many new sides to Jones while remaining comfortably close to the jazz diva many adore."[29] Yahoo! Music UK gave it six stars out of ten and stated that "If the hardcore fanbase feel a blanch coming on, this isn't all wilful eclecticism gone mad. [Jacquire] King's work is The Fall's unifying factor that keeps it cohesive."[30] Mojo gave it three stars out of five and said that "The wrong kind of sonic adventure undermines about half the songs."[9] The Guardian also gave it three stars out of five and stated that "Jones's cashmere voice sounds more polite than ever, creating an overriding impression of a nice girl keeping dirty company."[31] Under the Radar gave it five stars out of ten and called it "intelligent, tasteful, and well-executed music. But it ain't rock 'n' roll, not even a little, and damn Jones for trying to pretend that it is."[9]

Track listing

All tracks are written by Norah Jones, except where noted

No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Chasing Pirates" 2:40
2."Even Though"
3:52
3."Light as a Feather"
3:52
4."Young Blood"
  • Jones
  • Mike Martin
3:38
5."I Wouldn't Need You" 3:30
6."Waiting" 3:31
7."It's Gonna Be" 3:11
8."You've Ruined Me" 2:45
9."Back to Manhattan" 4:09
10."Stuck"
5:15
11."December" 3:05
12."Tell Yer Mama"
  • Jones
  • Harris
  • Richard Julian
3:25
13."Man of the Hour" 2:56
Total length:45:49
Japanese edition bonus tracks
No.TitleLength
14."Her Red Shoes"3:14
15."Can't Stop"4:02
Amazon MP3 bonus track
No.TitleLength
14."Can't Stop"4:02
Target + iTunes/Japan/Brazil deluxe bonus disc (Live at The Living Room)
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."It's Gonna Be" 3:25
2."Waiting" 3:33
3."You've Ruined Me" 2:56
4."Jesus, etc." (Wilco cover)
3:46
5."Cry! Cry! Cry!" (Johnny Cash cover)Johnny Cash3:15
6."Strangers" (The Kinks cover)Dave Davies3:35

Personnel

On Live at The Living Room
Production

Charts

Certifications

Certifications for The Fall
Region Certification Certified units/sales
Argentina (CAPIF)[86] Platinum 40,000^
Australia (ARIA)[87] Gold 35,000^
Austria (IFPI Austria)[88] Gold 10,000*
Belgium (BEA)[89] Platinum 30,000*
Canada (Music Canada)[90] Platinum 80,000^
Denmark (IFPI Danmark)[67] Gold 15,000^
France (SNEP)[91] Platinum 100,000*
Germany (BVMI)[92] Gold 100,000^
Hungary (MAHASZ)[93] Gold 3,000^
Italy (FIMI)[94] Gold 30,000*
Japan (RIAJ)[95] Gold 100,000^
New Zealand (RMNZ)[96] Gold 7,500^
Poland (ZPAV)[97] Platinum 20,000*
United Kingdom (BPI)[98] Gold 100,000^
United States (RIAA)[99] Platinum 1,000,000^

* Sales figures based on certification alone.
^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.

Release history

Release history for The Fall
Region Date Format Label Ref.
Japan November 11, 2009
EMI [100]
Germany November 13, 2009 [101]
Netherlands [102]
United Kingdom November 16, 2009 [103]
France [104]
United States November 17, 2009 Blue Note [105]
Brazil November 30, 2009 EMI [106]

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