Sleeping with Ghosts
Studio album by
Placebo
Released24 March 2003
RecordedLate 2002 – early 2003
StudioThe Town House and Sarm West in London, England
GenreAlternative rock
Length46:32
Label
ProducerJim Abbiss
Placebo chronology
Black Market Music
(2000)		 Sleeping with Ghosts
(2003)		 Covers
(2003)
Singles from Sleeping with Ghosts
  1. "The Bitter End"
    Released: 10 March 2003
  2. "This Picture"
    Released: 16 June 2003
  3. "Special Needs"
    Released: 15 September 2003
  4. "English Summer Rain"
    Released: 24 February 2004

Sleeping with Ghosts is the fourth studio album by British alternative rock band Placebo. It was recorded from late 2002 to early 2003 and released on 1 April 2003 by record labels Virgin and Hut.

Sleeping with Ghosts reached number 11 in the UK Albums Chart, and received a generally favourable reaction from music critics.

Content

Frontman Brian Molko, who is known to be a fan of the band Sonic Youth,[1] references lyrics from their album Sister on "Plasticine" ("Beauty lies inside the eye of another youthful dream" directly references "Beauty lies in the eyes of another's dream" from Sonic Youth's "Beauty Lies in the Eye").

The album has several songs based on a theme of relationships, such as relationships that end badly ("The Bitter End"), power struggles in relationships ("Special Needs") or the idea that some are meant to be eternal soulmates (the title track). Brian Molko told Kerrang! magazine: "I'm looking back to what's happened in my past emotional decade, trying to understand it. Trying to exorcise the ghosts and the demons of relationships past. It's the old cliché of it being therapeutic but it does work for me in that way."[2]

Another interview has Molko explaining:

The album title's about carrying the ghosts of your relationships with you, to the point where sometimes a smell or a situation or an item of clothing they bought brings a person back. For me it's about the relationship that you have with your memories. They inhabit your dreams sometimes. There can be a lot in the future that's gonna remind you of the ghost of relationships past. So I see the album as a collection of short stories about a handful of relationships. Most of them mine. In a way writing the songs helps me to get a lot of the nasty feelings off my chest and put them in a box, and therefore have a bit more of an objective discourse with those emotions because you've done something positive with them, you've rid yourself of them.[3]

Release

Sleeping with Ghosts was released on 1 April 2003. The CD came with the Copy Control protection system in some regions. It reached number 11 in the UK Albums Chart.[4]

A Special Edition version of the album was released on 22 September 2003 worldwide, featuring a diverse selection of cover versions that the band had recorded in previous years. This was re-released as a download-only album in 2007 under the name Covers. This is their last album released under Hut.

Reception

Professional ratings
Aggregate scores
SourceRating
Metacritic64/100[5]
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[6]
The A.V. Clubfavourable[7]
Blender[8]
Filter85%[9]
Mojo[10]
Pitchfork6.4/10[11]
PopMattersmixed[12]
Q[13]
Rolling Stone[5]
Uncut4/10[14]

Sleeping with Ghosts received "Generally favorable reviews" from critics, and holds an approval rating of 64 out of 100 on Metacritic.[5]

Michael Idov of Pitchfork wrote "No peaks, no gorges, just a steady oscillation between adequate and inspired. Sleeping with Ghosts is a remarkably level collection of guitar pop, simultaneously less glammy and less pungent than Placebo's earlier stuff."[11] Mojo wrote "There's some terrific and accessible stuff here [...] but the result is still an album that retreads old Placebo themes."[10] Q magazine called it "spikily brilliant".[13]

Track listing

All tracks written and performed by Placebo

No.TitleLength
1."Bulletproof Cupid"2:22
2."English Summer Rain"4:01
3."This Picture"3:34
4."Sleeping with Ghosts"4:38
5."The Bitter End"3:10
6."Something Rotten"5:28
7."Plasticine"3:26
8."Special Needs" (Ends at 4:22, a short instrumental hidden track follows)5:15
9."I'll Be Yours"3:32
10."Second Sight"2:49
11."Protect Me from What I Want"3:15
12."Centrefolds"5:02
Total length:46:32
Japanese edition bonus tracks
No.TitleLength
13."Evalia"4:20
14."Drink You Pretty"3:55
European bonus tracks
No.TitleLength
13."Slackerbitch"3:24
14."Eyesight to the Blind"2:58
15."Miss Moneypenny"2:50
16."Then the Clouds Will Open for Me"4:19
17."Waiting for the Son of Man"4:10
18."Leeloo"4:19
19."ION"4:08
Special Edition bonus track
No.TitleLength
13."Protège-Moi"3:13
Special Edition bonus disc: Covers
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Running Up That Hill" (originally by Kate Bush)Kate Bush4:57
2."Where Is My Mind?" (originally by Pixies)Black Francis3:44
3."Bigmouth Strikes Again" (originally by The Smiths)Johnny Marr, Morrissey3:54
4."Johnny and Mary" (originally by Robert Palmer)Robert Palmer3:25
5."20th Century Boy" (originally by T. Rex)Marc Bolan3:40
6."The Ballad of Melody Nelson" (originally by Serge Gainsbourg)Serge Gainsbourg3:58
7."Holocaust" (originally by Big Star)Alex Chilton4:27
8."I Feel You" (originally by Depeche Mode)Martin Gore6:26
9."Daddy Cool" (originally by Boney M.)Frank Farian, George Reyam3:21
10."Jackie" (originally by Sinéad O'Connor)Sinéad O'Connor2:48

Charts and certifications

Certifications and sales

Region CertificationCertified units/sales
Austria (IFPI Austria)[43] Gold 15,000*
Belgium (BEA)[44] Gold 25,000*
Germany (BVMI)[45] Platinum 200,000^
France (SNEP)[46] 2× Platinum 600,000*
Greece (IFPI Greece)[24] Gold 10,000^
Portugal (AFP)[47] Silver 10,000^
Switzerland (IFPI Switzerland)[48] Gold 20,000^
United Kingdom (BPI)[49] Gold 100,000^
United Kingdom (BPI)[50]
reissue 		Silver 60,000‡
United States — 61,000[51]
Summaries
Europe (IFPI)[52] Platinum 1,000,000*

* Sales figures based on certification alone.
^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.
‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

Personnel

Placebo
  • Brian Molko – vocals, guitar, keyboards, saxophone on "Something Rotten", drums on "English Summer Rain"
  • Steve Hewitt – drums, percussion
  • Stefan Olsdal – bass guitar, guitar, keyboards, piano, backing vocals
Additional personnel
  • Simon Breed – harmonica on "Protect Me from What I Want"
Technical personnel
  • Jim Abbiss – production
  • Jean Baptiste Mondino – sleeve art direction and photography
  • Jim Barny – mixing at Mayfair Studios, recording at Townhouse Studios and Sarm West Studios
  • Andy Davies – engineering assistance at Sarm West Studios
  • Bill Lloyd – additional recording, engineering
  • Sean Magee – mastering at Abbey Road Studios
  • Fergus Peterkin – engineering assistance at Mayfair Studios
  • Danny Porter – engineering assistance at Townhouse Studios
  • See Studio – sleeve design and art direction
  • Tom Stanley – engineering assistance at Townhouse Studios

References

  1. ↑ "The Boy Can't Help It". Guitarist. August 1997. Archived from the original on 8 May 2007. Retrieved 3 July 2013.
  2. ↑ "Natural Born Chillers". Kerrang!. March 2003. Retrieved 3 April 2012.
  3. ↑ "Placebo – Guest Program Rage". Australian Broadcasting Corporation. 9 August 2003. Retrieved 3 July 2013.
  4. ↑ "Placebo | Artist | Official Charts". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 4 July 2013.
  5. 1 2 3 "Critic Reviews for Sleeping with Ghosts – Metacritic". Metacritic. Retrieved 11 January 2015.
  6. ↑ MacKenzie, Wilson. "Sleeping with Ghosts – Placebo | Songs, Reviews, Credits, Awards | AllMusic". AllMusic. Retrieved 3 July 2013.
  7. ↑ Murray, Noel (15 April 2003). "Sleeping with Ghosts | Music | MusicalWork Review | The A.V. Club". The A.V. Club. Retrieved 3 July 2013.
  8. ↑ Cohen, Jason (May 2003). "Placebo Sleeping with Ghosts". Blender: 123. Archived from the original on 17 April 2004.
  9. ↑ "[Sleeping with Ghosts review]". Filter (5): 123.
  10. 1 2 "[Sleeping with Ghosts review]". Mojo: 110. April 2003.
  11. 1 2 Idov, Michael (20 April 2003). "Placebo: Sleeping with Ghosts". Pitchfork. Archived from the original on 24 September 2005. Retrieved 3 July 2013.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
  12. ↑ Antrobus, David (14 May 2003). "Placebo: Sleeping with Ghosts | PopMatters". PopMatters. Retrieved 3 July 2013.
  13. 1 2 "[Sleeping with Ghosts review]". Q: 111. April 2003.
  14. ↑ "[Sleeping with Ghosts review]". Uncut: 90. May 2003.
  15. ↑ "Australiancharts.com – Placebo – Sleeping With Ghosts". Hung Medien. Retrieved 22 October 2020.
  16. ↑ "Austriancharts.at – Placebo – Sleeping With Ghosts" (in German). Hung Medien. Retrieved 22 October 2020.
  17. ↑ "Ultratop.be – Placebo – Sleeping With Ghosts" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved 22 October 2020.
  18. ↑ "Ultratop.be – Placebo – Sleeping With Ghosts" (in French). Hung Medien. Retrieved 22 October 2020.
  19. ↑ "Danishcharts.dk – Placebo – Sleeping With Ghosts". Hung Medien. Retrieved 22 October 2020.
  20. ↑ "Dutchcharts.nl – Placebo – Sleeping With Ghosts" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved 22 October 2020.
  21. ↑ "Placebo: Sleeping With Ghosts" (in Finnish). Musiikkituottajat – IFPI Finland. Retrieved 22 October 2020.
  22. ↑ "Lescharts.com – Placebo – Sleeping With Ghosts". Hung Medien. Retrieved 22 October 2020.
  23. ↑ "Offiziellecharts.de – Placebo – Sleeping With Ghosts" (in German). GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved 22 October 2020.
  24. 1 2 "Ελληνικό Chart – Top 50 Ξένων Aλμπουμ" (in Greek). IFPI Greece.
  25. ↑ "Irish-charts.com – Discography Placebo". Hung Medien. Retrieved 22 October 2020.
  26. ↑ "Italiancharts.com – Placebo – Sleeping With Ghosts". Hung Medien. Retrieved 22 October 2020.
  27. ↑ "Charts.nz – Placebo – Sleeping With Ghosts". Hung Medien. Retrieved 22 October 2020.
  28. ↑ "Norwegiancharts.com – Placebo – Sleeping With Ghosts". Hung Medien. Retrieved 22 October 2020.
  29. ↑ "Oficjalna lista sprzedaży :: OLiS - Official Retail Sales Chart". OLiS. Polish Society of the Phonographic Industry. Retrieved 22 October 2020.
  30. ↑ "Portuguesecharts.com – Placebo – Sleeping With Ghosts". Hung Medien. Retrieved 22 October 2020.
  31. ↑ "Official Scottish Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 22 October 2020.
  32. ↑ "Swedishcharts.com – Placebo – Sleeping With Ghosts". Hung Medien. Retrieved 22 October 2020.
  33. ↑ "Swisscharts.com – Placebo – Sleeping With Ghosts". Hung Medien. Retrieved 22 October 2020.
  34. ↑ "Official Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 22 October 2020.
  35. ↑ "Jahreshitparade Alben 2003". austriancharts.at. Retrieved 22 October 2020.
  36. ↑ "Jaaroverzichten 2003". Ultratop. Retrieved 22 October 2020.
  37. ↑ "Rapports Annuels 2003". Ultratop. Retrieved 22 October 2020.
  38. ↑ "Top de l'année Top Albums 2003" (in French). SNEP. Retrieved 22 October 2020.
  39. ↑ "Top 100 Album-Jahrescharts". GfK Entertainment (in German). offiziellecharts.de. Retrieved 22 October 2020.
  40. ↑ "Schweizer Jahreshitparade 2003". hitparade.ch. Retrieved 22 October 2020.
  41. ↑ "2003 UK Albums Chart" (PDF). ChartsPlus. Retrieved 22 October 2020.
  42. ↑ "Top de l'année Top Albums 2004" (in French). SNEP. Retrieved 22 October 2020.
  43. ↑ "Austrian album certifications – Placebo – Sleeping With Ghosts" (in German). IFPI Austria. Retrieved 3 June 2019.
  44. ↑ "Ultratop − Goud en Platina – albums 2003". Ultratop. Hung Medien. Retrieved 28 July 2014.
  45. ↑ "Gold-/Platin-Datenbank (Placebo; 'Sleeping with Ghosts')" (in German). Bundesverband Musikindustrie.
  46. ↑ "French album certifications – Placebo – Sleeping with Ghost" (in French). Syndicat National de l'Édition Phonographique.
  47. ↑ "Top Oficial da Associação Fonográfica Portuguesa – Top 30 Artistas – Semana 15 de 2003" (in Portuguese). Associação Fonográfica Portuguesa. Archived from the original on 18 March 2012.
  48. ↑ "The Official Swiss Charts and Music Community: Awards ('Sleeping with Ghosts')". IFPI Switzerland. Hung Medien.
  49. ↑ "British album certifications – Placebo – Sleeping with Ghosts". British Phonographic Industry.
  50. ↑ "British album certifications – Placebo – Sleeping with Ghosts". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved 6 February 2022.
  51. ↑ Legrand, Emmauel (15 April 2006). "Placebo gets rockier". Billboard. Retrieved 18 May 2018.
  52. ↑ "IFPI Platinum Europe Awards – 2004". International Federation of the Phonographic Industry.
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