Twisted Angel

Twisted Angel is the fifth studio album by American country pop artist LeAnn Rimes, released in the United States on October 1, 2002 by Curb Records. After a legal battle with the label and her father regarding money, she re-signed with the label. Rimes began recording of the album in 1999. It is her first album that her father, Wilbur C. Rimes, did not produce; in fact, Rimes herself was an executive producer for the album. Unlike the country albums that made her famous, Twisted Angel is a pop album with influences of hip hop,techno, and rock; it was Rimes' attempt at a pop crossover album in the vain of Faith Hill's Cry (2002). Rimes co-produced the record with Desmond Child, Peter Amato, and Gregg Pagani. She described the album as an exploration of more adult sounds and themes. Rimes co-wrote four of the 13 tracks included.

Three singles were released, none of which were successful in the United States. "Life Goes On" was released on August 5, 2002, as the lead from the album and although it peaked within the top ten in countries like Australia, Canada, the Netherlands, and Sweden, it completely missed the Billboard Hot 100; it did however peak within the top ten on the Adult Contemporary chart. "Tic Toc" was released exclusively to US contemporary hit radio and while it failed to enter the Mainstream Top 40 chart, it was a top ten hit on Dance Club Songs. "Suddenly" was the third and final single; it only entered the top-forty in New Zealand and peaked at number 43 on the Hot Country Songs chart. Although not a single, Rimes did perform the album cut "Love Is an Army" at the 2003 CMA Awards.

Upon release, Twisted Angel received mixed to negative reviews by music critics, with the move to pop and Rimes' more sexualized image being the biggest criticism. Additionally, Rimes' core-country fanbase did not like the album due to its more pop direction. Commercially, it was not successful; it debuted at number 12 on the Billboard 200, becoming her first album to miss the top-ten of that chart. Internationally, it only entered the top ten in New Zealand. As of 2005, the album has been certified Gold by the RIAA for sales of 500,000 copies in the United States, a commercial disappointment compared to Rimes' previous studio albums. Rimes has stated that she does not regret the album and the move to a different genre.

The song "You Made Me Find Myself" was originally written and recorded by Australian artist Tina Arena on her fifth studio album Just Me (2001). "Review My Kisses" was later covered by Belgian/Italian artist Lara Fabian on her second English-language studio album A Wonderful Life (2004); Fabian was originally offered the song before Rimes recorded it but she declined it, but after hearing Rimes' version she decided to record a version of her own.

Background
After re-signing her contract with Curb Records, Rimes began work recording songs for Twisted Angel for three years. It is the first album she would do under her new management, and the first where she assumed a direct role as producer. Before the album came out, Rimes said about the title that, "The 'Angel' is that little girl with the big voice who grew up with everyone watching her. The 'Twisted' part is me growing into my own as a strong woman." When it was released, Twisted Angel 's sales were donated to the Amie Karen Cancer Fund for Children, based at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles.

Singles
Two singles were released from the album. "Life Goes On" was released as the lead single from the album on August 26, 2002. Holly George-Warren of Entertainment Weekly claimed the song would "probably go on to number one on the pop chart." The song peaked at number nine on the Adult Contemporary chart, thirty-five on the Pop Songs chart, twenty-eight on the Adult Pop Songs and sixty on the Country Songs chart in the US.

The second single, "Tic Toc" was released to US pop radio on November 11, 2002. The song peaked at number ten on Billboard's Dance Club Songs chart.

The third and final single, "Suddenly", was released internationally on February 18, 2003. The song peaked at forty-three on the Country song chart in the US.

Critical reception
The album was met with mixed reviews by music critics,being rated by Metacritic a score of 51 out of 100. Stephen Thomas Erlewine of AllMusic gave a mixed review about the album. Though praising Rimes for her conversion to pop by stating that it "isn't a bad career move at all", Erlewine noted that Rimes might not be able to find a audience. "It is so pop it will alienate her older fans...an older audience that may not be taken with her newly sexualized image." He also noted the songwriting was "a little uneven". Erlewine's biggest criticism was the production and attitude of the album. Erlewine concluded with stating that even though Rimes didn't do a bad job trying to get into mainstream pop he did state that the album is a bit "dated" and stated that Rimes would be better off using a different production team than Desmond Child. Jon Caramanica of Entertainment Weekly on the other hand gave the album a C+, stating that Rimes "desperately wants to play with the bad girls" and concluded by writing "Someone unbreak her heart, please." Dave Gil de Rubio of Barnes & Noble.com stated that Rimes is "moving farther from her country music roots with a set of songs closer in spirit to junior divas Britney and Christina." In a review for Rolling Stone, Caramanica gave the album two out of five stars and stated, "Rimes, who got her start aping Patsy Cline, slaps her throaty drawl over hip-hop lite beats Jessica Simpson wouldn't touch, and a succession of mushy love songs don't help. With golden pipes and white-bread good looks, she could succeed Celine Dion as North America's ranking pop balladeer; in the meantime let's hope Nashville will take her back, and quick." The Lakeland Ledger gave a mostly favorable review, saying that Rimes' "balladeering backgrounds and impassioned vocals are intact, just slicker – like Kelly Clarkson with a twang." They ended their review off by saying, "'Angel' may not be Rimes' "Nashville Skyline." But it could be her "Blonde on Blonde." Maybe." R.S. Murthl of New Straits Times gave a mostly unfavorable review, ending it by saying "the by-the-numbers approach to song selection and production diminishes whatever pleasure you may derive from these tunes."

Credits and personnel
Credits for Twisted Angel were adapted from liner notes.


 * A thru K


 * Peter Amato – arrangement, keyboards, producer, programming, recording
 * Stephanie Bennett – harp
 * Charlie Bisharat – violin
 * Gareth Bowser – assistant engineer
 * Chandler Bridges – additional engineering
 * Chris Brooke – recording
 * Denyse Buffum – viola
 * Eve Butler – violin
 * David Campbell – French horn, string quintet arrangement, timpani arrangement, conductor
 * Andreas Carlsson – background vocals
 * Sueann Carwell – background vocals
 * Rob Chairelli – mix, recording
 * Susan Chatman – violin
 * Desmond Child – producer
 * Steve Churchyard – recording
 * Chris Clark – assistant engineer, assistant mix engineer
 * Jon Clarke – alto flute, oboe
 * Peter Cobbin – mixing, piano, programming, recording
 * Brian Coleman – production manager
 * Luis Conte – percussion
 * Larry Corbett – cello
 * Joel Derouin – violin
 * Brad Dutz – timpani
 * Gyan Evans – background vocals * 
 * Charlie Everett – violin
 * DJ Mega Man – scratches
 * Phill Dukes – viola
 * Steve Ferrone – drums
 * Michelle Forbes – assistant mix engineer
 * Sherree Ford – background vocals
 * Matt Funes – viola
 * Humberto Gatica – recording
 * Alex Gibson – assistant engineer
 * Conrad Golding – additional engineering, assistant engineer
 * Jules Gondar – recording
 * Matt Gruber – recording
 * Bernie Grundman – mastering
 * Dino Herrmann – additional engineering
 * Gerry Hilera – violin
 * Brian Humphrey – assistant engineer
 * Eric Jackson – acoustic guitar
 * Corky James – electric guitar
 * Suzi Katayama – orchestra manager
 * Zev Katz – acoustic bass
 * Peter Kent – violin
 * Pat Kiernan – violin

* Note: Gary Evans appears courtesy of Deston Entertainment


 * L thru Z


 * Abe Laboriel Jr. – drums
 * Abraham Laboriel – bass guitar
 * Michael Landau – electric guitar
 * Ana Landauer – violin
 * Greg Landon – assistant engineer
 * Matt Lavalla – recording, assistant engineer
 * Craig Lozowick – additional engineering
 * Darrin McCann – viola
 * Bill Malina – additional engineering
 * Nathan Malki – additional engineering
 * Manny Marroquin – mixing
 * Joe Meyer – French Horn
 * John Morrical – assistant engineer
 * Robbie Nevil – electric guitar
 * Pete Novak – assistant mix engineer
 * Jeanette Olsson – background vocals
 * Simon Oswell – viola
 * Charlie Paakkari – assistant engineer
 * Gregg Paganni – arrangement, keyboard, producer, programming, recording
 * Sid Page – violin
 * Sara Parkins – violin
 * Nora Payne – background vocals
 * Bob Peterson – violin
 * Kazi Pitelka – viola
 * Tony Pleeth – cello
 * Michelle Richards – violin
 * Steve Richards – cello
 * LeAnn Rimes – lead vocals, background vocals, executive producer
 * Anatoly Rosinski – violin
 * Alan Sanderson – assistant engineer
 * Jonathan Schwarts – acoustic bass
 * Mary Scully – bass guitar
 * Leland Sklar – bass guitar
 * Dan Smith – cello
 * Ed Stein – violin
 * Ruby Stein – cello
 * Michael Thompson – electric guitar
 * Rebeka Tuinei – assistant mix engineer
 * John Wittenberg – violin
 * Margaret Wooten – violin
 * Gavyn Writer – violin
 * Jennifer Young – assistant engineer

Charts
Twisted Angel debuted at #12 on Billboard 200 with 61,398 copies sold in its 1st week, it fell by 47% with 32,619 copies sold in its 2nd week. and a 14% decrease in its 3rd with 28,176 copies sold.