The Crying Light

2009 studio album by Antony and the Johnsons
The Crying Light
Studio album by
ReleasedJanuary 19, 2009
GenreBaroque pop
Length39:24
LabelSecretly Canadian
ProducerAntony
Antony and the Johnsons chronology
I Am a Bird Now
(2005) 		The Crying Light
(2009) 		Swanlights
(2010)
Singles from The Crying Light
  1. "Another World"
    Released: October 7, 2008
  2. "Epilepsy Is Dancing"
    Released: April 26, 2009
  3. "Aeon"
    Released: August 3, 2009
Professional ratings
Aggregate scores
SourceRating
AnyDecentMusic?7.1/10[1]
Metacritic80/100[2]
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[3]
The A.V. ClubA[4]
Entertainment WeeklyA−[5]
The Guardian[6]
Los Angeles Times[7]
NME8/10[8]
Pitchfork8.6/10[9]
Q[10]
Rolling Stone[11]
Spin[12]

The Crying Light is Antony and the Johnsons' third studio album and the follow-up to the band's widely acclaimed second LP, I Am a Bird Now.[13][14] The album was released on January 19, 2009, and preceded by lead single, "Another World", released through Secretly Canadian on October 7, 2008. The Crying Light features orchestral arrangements by Anohni and Nico Muhly.[15]

The album was released digitally in advance of the release. Some pre-orders contained an alternate version of "Another World". Pre-orders of the physical album from Antony's official website facilitated a full album download, including bonus track "My Lord My Love", a week prior to the official release.

The album peaked in the Billboard European Top 100 at Number 1.

Antony has described the theme of the album as being "about landscape and the future."[16]

Ann Powers wrote of The Crying Light for the LA Times online, "It's the most personal environmentalist statement possible, making an unforeseen connection between queer culture's identity politics and the green movement. As music, it's simply exquisite – more controlled and considered than anything Antony and the Johnsons have done and sure to linger in the minds of listeners."[17]

Tours

In anticipation of The Crying Light, Antony and the Johnsons scheduled 7 symphony concerts in 2008, including at the Barbican with the London Symphony Orchestra and at Disney Hall with the Los Angeles Philharmonic. These concerts were conducted by Jim Holmes and Rob Moose, with scores arranged by Nico Muhly.

Antony and the Johnsons toured throughout North America and Europe in support of The Crying Light between February and June 2009.

Anohni then went on to present a unique staging of "The Crying Light" in collaboration with the Manchester Camerata (conducted by Rob Moose) at the Manchester Opera House for the 2009 Manchester International Festival. The concert hall was transformed into a crystal cave constructed by Carl Robertshaw and filled with laser effects created by installation artist Chris Levine in collaboration with lighting designer Paul Normandale.

Antony and the Johnsons have gone on to present concerts with symphonies across Europe in Summer 2009, including with the Opera Orchestra of Lyon, the Metropole Orchestra, Roma Sinfonietta and the Montreux Jazz Festival Orchestra.

Artwork

The album's cover artwork features a 1977 photograph of butoh dancer Kazuo Ohno, by Naoya Ikegami. Anohni said of the image: "The Crying Light is dedicated to the great dancer Kazuo Ohno. In performance I watched him cast a circle of light upon the stage, and step into that circle, and reveal the dreams and reveries of his heart. He seemed to dance in the eye of something mysterious and creative; with every gesture he embodied the child and the feminine divine. He's kind of like my art parent."[18]

A music video for the single "Epilepsy Is Dancing" was produced by The Wachowskis and featured Johanna Constantine, SF choreographer Sean Dorsey and the design of painters Tino Rodríguez and Virgo Paraiso.

Track listing

All tracks are written by Anohni, except where noted

The Crying Light track listing
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Her Eyes Are Underneath the Ground"
4:24
2."Epilepsy Is Dancing" 2:42
3."One Dove"5:34
4."Kiss My Name" 2:48
5."The Crying Light" 3:18
6."Another World" 4:00
7."Daylight and the Sun" 6:21
8."Aeon" 4:35
9."Dust and Water" 2:50
10."Everglade" 2:58
Total length:39:24
Secretly Canadian pre-order bonus track
No.TitleLength
1."My Lord My Love"3:17
Total length:42:41

Charts

Weekly charts

Weekly chart performance for The Crying Light
Chart (2009) Peak
position
Australian Albums (ARIA)[19] 33
Austrian Albums (Ö3 Austria)[20] 21
Belgian Albums (Ultratop Flanders)[21] 1
Belgian Albums (Ultratop Wallonia)[22] 22
Danish Albums (Hitlisten)[23] 3
Dutch Albums (Album Top 100)[24] 4
European Albums (Billboard)[25] 1
Finnish Albums (Suomen virallinen lista)[26] 23
French Albums (SNEP)[27] 4
German Albums (Offizielle Top 100)[28] 15
Greek Albums (IFPI)[29] 26
Irish Albums (IRMA)[30] 8
Italian Albums (FIMI)[31] 9
Norwegian Albums (VG-lista)[32] 4
Polish Albums (ZPAV)[33] 38
Scottish Albums (OCC)[34] 23
Spanish Albums (PROMUSICAE)[35] 2
Swedish Albums (Sverigetopplistan)[36] 2
Swiss Albums (Schweizer Hitparade)[37] 7
UK Albums (OCC)[38] 18
UK Independent Albums (OCC)[39] 1
US Billboard 200[40] 65
US Independent Albums (Billboard)[41] 7
US Top Alternative Albums (Billboard)[42] 18
US Top Rock Albums (Billboard)[43] 23

Year-end charts

Year-end chart performance for The Crying Light
Chart (2009) Position
Belgian Albums (Ultratop Flanders)[44] 44
Dutch Albums (Album Top 100)[45] 80
French Albums (SNEP)[46] 130

In 2009, the album was awarded a gold certification from the Independent Music Companies Association, denoting sales in excess of 100,000 copies across Europe.[47]

References

  1. ^ "The Crying Light by Antony And The Johnsons reviews". AnyDecentMusic?. Retrieved January 12, 2020.
  2. ^ "Reviews for The Crying Light by Antony and the Johnsons". Metacritic. Retrieved January 12, 2020.
  3. ^ Jurek, Thom. "The Crying Light – Antony and the Johnsons". AllMusic. Retrieved January 12, 2020.
  4. ^ Battaglia, Andy (January 27, 2009). "Antony & The Johnsons: The Crying Light". The A.V. Club. Retrieved January 12, 2020.
  5. ^ Greenblatt, Leah (January 14, 2009). "The Crying Light". Entertainment Weekly. Archived from the original on January 19, 2019. Retrieved January 12, 2020.
  6. ^ Petridis, Alexis (January 16, 2009). "Antony and the Johnsons: The Crying Light". The Guardian. Retrieved January 12, 2020.
  7. ^ Powers, Ann (January 20, 2009). "Album review: Antony and the Johnsons' 'The Crying Light'". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved January 12, 2020.
  8. ^ Dosanjh, Ash (January 16, 2009). "Antony And The Johnsons: The Crying Light". NME. Archived from the original on December 3, 2013. Retrieved January 12, 2020.
  9. ^ Masters, Marc (January 19, 2009). "Antony and the Johnsons: The Crying Light". Pitchfork. Retrieved January 12, 2020.
  10. ^ "Antony and the Johnsons: The Crying Light". Q (271): 118. February 2009.
  11. ^ Hermes, Will (January 22, 2009). "Antony and the Johnsons: The Crying Light". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on January 20, 2009. Retrieved January 12, 2020.
  12. ^ Kornhaber, Spencer (February 2009). "Unnatural Man". Spin. 25 (2): 81. Retrieved January 12, 2020.
  13. ^ Ayers, Michael D. (January 13, 2009). Antony Hegarty, Transformer. Village Voice. Retrieved on January 17, 2009.
  14. ^ Baltin, Steven (January 15, 2009). Antony Is Drawn Toward the 'Light'. Spinner. Retrieved on January 17, 2009.
  15. ^ Wood, Mikael (January 20, 2009). "Review: Antony and the Johnsons' The Crying Light". Boston Phoenix.
  16. ^ Exclaim! News: New Antony and the Johnsons Album out in September Archived 15 October 2008 at the Wayback Machine
  17. ^ "Pop & Hiss". Los Angeles Times. 20 September 2010. Archived from the original on 21 February 2009.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
  18. ^ Antony and the Johnsons news. Antonyandthejohnsons.com.
  19. ^ "Australiancharts.com – Antony and the Johnsons – The Crying Light". Hung Medien. Retrieved 18 March 2021.
  20. ^ "Austriancharts.at – Antony and the Johnsons – The Crying Light" (in German). Hung Medien. Retrieved 18 March 2021.
  21. ^ "Ultratop.be – Antony and the Johnsons – The Crying Light" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved 18 March 2021.
  22. ^ "Ultratop.be – Antony and the Johnsons – The Crying Light" (in French). Hung Medien. Retrieved 18 March 2021.
  23. ^ "Danishcharts.dk – Antony and the Johnsons – The Crying Light". Hung Medien. Retrieved 18 March 2021.
  24. ^ "Dutchcharts.nl – Antony and the Johnsons – The Crying Light" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved 18 March 2021.
  25. ^ Sexton, Paul (January 29, 2009). "Antony Lights Up Euro Albums Chart". Billboard. Archived from the original on September 13, 2009. Retrieved July 16, 2009.
  26. ^ "Anthony & the Johnsons: The Crying Light" (in Finnish). Musiikkituottajat – IFPI Finland. Retrieved 18 March 2021.
  27. ^ "Lescharts.com – Antony and the Johnsons – The Crying Light". Hung Medien. Retrieved 18 March 2021.
  28. ^ "Offiziellecharts.de – Antony and the Johnsons – The Crying Light" (in German). GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved 18 March 2021.
  29. ^ "Top 50 Ελληνικών και Ξένων Αλμπουμ – Εβδομάδα 6/2009" [Top 50 Greek and Foreign Albums – Week 6/2009] (in Greek). IFPI Greece. Archived from the original on February 26, 2009. Retrieved March 18, 2021.
  30. ^ "Irish-charts.com – Discography Antony and the Johnsons". Hung Medien. Retrieved 18 March 2021.
  31. ^ "Italiancharts.com – Antony and the Johnsons – The Crying Light". Hung Medien. Retrieved 18 March 2021.
  32. ^ "Norwegiancharts.com – Antony and the Johnsons – The Crying Light". Hung Medien. Retrieved 18 March 2021.
  33. ^ "Oficjalna lista sprzedaży :: OLiS - Official Retail Sales Chart". OLiS. Polish Society of the Phonographic Industry. Retrieved 18 March 2021.
  34. ^ "Official Scottish Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 18 March 2021.
  35. ^ "Spanishcharts.com – Antony and the Johnsons – The Crying Light". Hung Medien. Retrieved 18 March 2021.
  36. ^ "Swedishcharts.com – Antony and the Johnsons – The Crying Light". Hung Medien. Retrieved 18 March 2021.
  37. ^ "Swisscharts.com – Antony and the Johnsons – The Crying Light". Hung Medien. Retrieved 18 March 2021.
  38. ^ "Official Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 18 March 2021.
  39. ^ "Official Independent Albums Chart Top 50". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 18 March 2021.
  40. ^ "Antony and the Johnsons Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Archived from the original on January 19, 2019. Retrieved March 18, 2021.
  41. ^ "Antony and the Johnsons Chart History (Independent Albums)". Billboard. Archived from the original on April 26, 2019. Retrieved March 18, 2021.
  42. ^ "Antony and the Johnsons Chart History (Alternative Albums)". Billboard. Archived from the original on April 27, 2019. Retrieved March 18, 2021.
  43. ^ "Antony and the Johnsons Chart History (Top Rock Albums)". Billboard. Archived from the original on April 27, 2019. Retrieved March 18, 2021.
  44. ^ "Jaaroverzichten 2009 – Albums" (in Dutch). Ultratop. Retrieved March 18, 2021.
  45. ^ "Jaaroverzichten – Album 2009" (in Dutch). Dutch Charts. Retrieved March 18, 2021.
  46. ^ "Classement Albums – année 2009" (in French). Syndicat National de l'Édition Phonographique. Archived from the original on September 21, 2013. Retrieved March 18, 2021.
  47. ^ "color". www.impalamusic.org. Archived from the original on August 24, 2017.
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