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Mamouna

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Mamouna
Studio album by
Released31 August 1994 (1994-08-31)[1]
Recorded1988–1994
GenreSophisti-pop
Length45:04
LabelVirgin
ProducerBryan Ferry, Robin Trower
Bryan Ferry chronology
Taxi
(1993)
Mamouna
(1994)
As Time Goes By
(1999)
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[2]
Entertainment WeeklyB+[3]
NME5/10[4]
Pitchfork8.0/10[5]
Rolling Stone[6]
Stylus Magazine(favorable)[7]

Mamouna is the ninth solo studio album by the English singer Bryan Ferry, released on Virgin Records first on 31 August 1994 in Japan and then on 5 September in the UK. It was Ferry's first album of original material in seven years and he spent six years writing and recording it, under the working title Horoscope. The album peaked at number 11 on the UK Albums Chart.

The album features contributions from former members of Ferry's band Roxy Music, including Brian Eno who left the band in 1973.

Critical reception

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Reviewing for AllMusic, critic Ned Raggett wrote of the album: “There are some songs of note — ‘The 39 Steps’ has a slightly menacing vibe to it, appropriate given the cinematic reference of the title, while the Ferry/Eno collaboration ‘Wildcat Days’ displays some of Eno’s old synth-melting flash. Overall, though, Mamouna is pleasant without being involving.”[2]

Track listing

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All tracks composed by Bryan Ferry, except where noted.

  1. "Don't Want to Know" – 4:07
  2. "N.Y.C." – 4:10
  3. "Your Painted Smile" – 3:14
  4. "Mamouna" – 5:11
  5. "The Only Face" – 4:40
  6. "The 39 Steps" – 5:01
  7. "Which Way to Turn" – 5:44
  8. "Wildcat Days" (Ferry, Brian Eno) – 4:34
  9. "Gemini Moon" – 3:47
  10. "Chain Reaction" – 5:08
  11. "In Every Dream Home a Heartache" (Live) – 7:34 [Japan only bonus track]
  12. "Bête Noire" (Ferry, Patrick Leonard) (Live) – 4:05 [Japan only bonus track]

Personnel

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Production

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  • Bryan Ferry – producer, art direction
  • Robin Trower – producer
  • Johnson Somerset – assistant producer
  • Sven Taits – engineer
  • Richard T. Norris – additional engineer
  • Simon Puxley – engineer consultant
  • Bob Clearmountain – mixing
  • Bob Ludwig – mastering
  • Nick de Ville – art direction, design
  • James Ward – painting
  • Steven Cassidy – photography
  • Andy Gershon – management
  • David Enthoven – management
  • Juliet Mann – management
  • I. E. Management (London) – management company
  • Cohen Brothers Management (Los Angeles) – management company

Studios

  • Recorded at Utopia Studios, Master Rock Studios and Studio One (London, UK).
  • Mixed at MixThis! (Los Angeles, California, USA).
  • Mastered at Gateway Mastering (Portland, Maine, USA).

Charts

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Album

Year Chart Peak
Position
1994 Australia (ARIA Charts)[8] 78
1994 UK Albums Chart 11
1994 Billboard 200 94

References

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  1. ^ "Bryan Ferry - Mamouna". Discogs. Retrieved 14 September 2022.
  2. ^ a b AllMusic review
  3. ^ EW review
  4. ^ Martin, Gavin (10 September 1994). "Long Play". NME. p. 45. Retrieved 25 October 2023.
  5. ^ Soto, Alfred (29 November 2023). "Bryan Ferry: Mamouna (Deluxe) Album Review". Pitchfork.
  6. ^ Rolling Stone review
  7. ^ Stylus Magazine
  8. ^ Ryan, Gavin (2011). Australia's Music Charts 1988–2010 (pdf ed.). Mt. Martha, VIC, Australia: Moonlight Publishing.
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