Here Be Monsters Explained

Here Be Monsters is the debut album by Ed Harcourt, released in 2001. It was nominated for the Mercury Music Prize in 2001. Tim Holmes, one-half of British dance music duo Death In Vegas, co-produced the album. The singles "Something in My Eye" and "Apple of My Eye" charted in the UK.^[1] The album reached 84 in the UK album chart.^[2]

Singles

In the UK, there were four singles released:

• "Something in My Eye" (11 June 2001); CD, 7" vinyl
  • B-sides: "T Bone Tombstone" / "Here Be Monsters"
• "She Fell Into My Arms" (10 September 2001); CD, 7" vinyl
  • B-sides: "I've Become Misguided" (new version) / "When Americans Come to London"
• "Apple of My Eye" (21 January 2002); CD1, CD2, cassette
  • B-sides: "Alligator Boy" / "Weary and Bleary Eyed" / "Last of the Troubadors" / "Little Silver Bullet" / "Apple of My Eye" (video)
• "Shanghai" (8 April 2002) (This single was canceled and released as a promo single only.)

Critical reception

Q listed Here Be Monsters as one of the best 50 albums of 2001.^[3]

Track listing

1. "Something in My Eye" – 3:41
2. "God Protect Your Soul" – 5:27
3. "She Fell into My Arms" – 3:49
4. "Those Crimson Tears" – 5:09
5. "Hanging With the Wrong Crowd" – 3:41
6. "Apple of My Eye" – 4:04
7. "Beneath the Heart of Darkness" – 7:19
8. "Wind Through the Trees" – 6:45
9. "Birds Fly Backwards" – 3:30
10. "Shanghai" – 3:49
11. "Like Only Lovers Can" – 4:54

Personnel

• Ed Harcourt – vocals, piano, pump organ, acoustic guitar, electric guitar, Wurlitzer, vibes, saxophone, harmonica, bass, beatbox, backing vocals, sampling, synthesizer, drums, percussion, string arrangement
• Nick Yeatman – drums, percussion, backing vocals, hand clapping, loops
• Hadrian Garrard – trumpet, trombone, percussion, drums, backing vocals, hand clapping, radio static
• Arnulf Lindner – double bass, electric bass, fretless bass, bowed bass, backing vocals
• Leo Abrahams – electric guitar, 12-string guitar, fretless guitar, baritone guitar, omnichord, glockenspiel, mandolin, backing vocals, string arrangement
• Tim Holmes – loops, sequencing, samples
• Dave Fridmann – backing vocals
• Martin Kelly – backing vocals
• Simon Harris – backing vocals
• Chris Scard – hand clapping
• Gil Norton – hand clapping
• Sophie Sirota – viola, string arrangement
• Max Garrard – French horn
• Howard Gott – string arrangement, violin
• Ruth Gottlieb – violin
• Sarah Willson – cello

Notes and References

1. Web site: ED HARCOURT- singles Chart History. www.officialcharts.com. 2016-08-25.
2. Web site: ED HARCOURT - album Chart History. www.officialcharts.com. 2016-08-25.
3. News: The Best 50 Albums of 2001. Q. December 2001. 60–65.