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 Melanie C - 'Beautiful Intentions', 2005 • 3rd Album / 18th Anniversary |
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 Dec 23 2020, 10:07 AM
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#1
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 "Jayrusaleminians" - Umi.
Pronouns: he/him
Joined: 4 April 2007 Posts: 41,410 User: 3,217 
          
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   'Beautiful Intentions' 11th April 2005 1. Beautiful Intentions 2. Next Best Superstar 3. Better Alone 4. Last Night on Earth 5. You Will See 6. Never Say Never 7. Good Girl 8. Don't Need This 9. Little Piece of Me 10. Here and Now 11. Take Your Pleasure 12. You'll Get Yours Bonus Tracks (various different countries) - First Day of My Life - Everything Must Change [also B Side to Next Best Superstar] - Warrior [also B Side to Better Alone] - Runaway [also B Side to First Day of My Life --------------- A thread dedicated to discussion about Melanie C's third album 'Beautiful Intentions'! Melanie C parted ways with the major label Virgin at the end of 2003, mainly due to the label being unhappy with the sales of her second album 'Reason'. Undeterred, Melanie decided to set up her own independent label in early 2004 - Red Girl records. She teased new material in June 2004 at five The Barfly venues in the UK, however she wasn't ready to commercially release the material until 2005. In April of that year, 'Next Best Superstar' served as the first single , and reached #10 in the UK. The album 'Beautiful Intentions' followed a week later and made its debut at #24, a respectable result for an independently released. 'Better Alone' was the follow up single (however, its online only release made it chart ineligible). The era really kicked into gear with 'First Day of My Life', which proved very successful in many European countries - including #1 in Germany, Portugal, Spain and Switzerland. This success led to 'Beautiful Intentions' certifying Platinum in Portugal and Gold in Germany and Switzerland. What are your thoughts and opinions on this album? Which tracks do you like, love, hate? What's your favourite? Were the singles the correct choices? Rate the tracks in order of favourite to least favourite. ---------------     |
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Dec 23 2020, 10:50 AM
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#2
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 BuzzJack Platinum Member
Joined: 7 September 2017
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Awww I adore Beautiful Intentions. As an album, it is a bit of a mess and by the time it was released the whole pop-rock chick stick that she wanted to cultivate was already kind of past it, but it has some great tracks in it and some a bit meh.
Overall I think it works well and it is my third favourite Mel C album - after NS and MC. Stand outs: - Beautiful Intentions, Better Alone, You Will See, Dont Need This, Take Your Pleasure, You'll Get Yours - She did some great live gigs during this era - Great to see her touring internationally with this too - The album itself has got a nice blend of pop with pop-rock which definitely helped in the live setting - Angry Mel C is the best Mel C - I actually really love the first Better Alone video. It is so stylish and simple and I think it works. Just the song shouldnt have been a single, even if it is a stand out in her discography... The bad - The singles. NBS is a crap lead single and she just came across as bitter. Also, a Spice Girl singing about the awful state of the industry, as if the Spice Girls hadnt also opened the doors exactly the type of obsessions she talks about?! Better Alone is an excellent track but not as a single. It is too inwards for people to connect with as she is clearly talking about Virgin. - First Day of My Life is f***ing awful. I dont care how successful it was. It's a terrible, dreadful song. - The promotion. She wasnt happy at the time and you can tell. Some of those interviews were cringe and some of them were outright off putting. - As much as I like the album, the production values are pish here. She clearly wasnt in the mood to spend hard cash on high quality production. As a result, a lot of BI sounds already quite dated by the time it was released. - What the hell was going on with that second Better Alone video?.......  and also... Better Alone? Again?...........  What I would have done - First single: Beautiful Intentions - Second single: Don't Need This - Third single: Here and Now (single mix) |
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Dec 23 2020, 12:31 PM
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BuzzJack Platinum Member
Joined: 31 August 2010
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The pop rock chicks of 2005 were certainly not over. Kelly Clarkson and others were huge!!
I only purchased the album because of the buzz that FDOML created even here without being released. A beautiful uplifing song that got me through a rough time!! The BI project would have been more successful if she chose the best songs for singles. I can forgive her choosing NBS as the lead , it was a top 10 and has one of her best ever videos. I cannot forgive her choosing BA twice!! In the UK and then in the countries after FDOMl was huge!! The song is like marmite and was never going to appeal to a wide audience. Little Piece Of Me / Last Night On Earth / Beautiful Intentions are great pop rock songs i believe could have followed NBS up the charts! Youll Get Yours however is the masterpiece of the album. It is the best song of her career!! I have played it to non fans who immediately downloaded it!! I would rank BI as a better album than Reason This Time Stages Version Of Me This post has been edited by vibe: Dec 23 2020, 12:32 PM |
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Dec 23 2020, 02:14 PM
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 BuzzJack Platinum Member
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I mean, I get that she might've felt like Better Alone was a bit of a statement at the time with the departure from Virgin, but her obsession with trying to make it a hit after the public rejected it the first time around baffles me. She probably could've gotten more shelf life out of the album if she had gone with virtually any other single, at least in Europe. It really did ruin the momentum she had after First Day Of My Life (why she didn't attempt to even release that in the UK is beyond me).
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Dec 23 2020, 02:56 PM
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#5
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BuzzJack Platinum Member
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QUOTE(tommie @ Dec 23 2020, 02:14 PM)  I mean, I get that she might've felt like Better Alone was a bit of a statement at the time with the departure from Virgin, but her obsession with trying to make it a hit after the public rejected it the first time around baffles me. She probably could've gotten more shelf life out of the album if she had gone with virtually any other single, at least in Europe. It really did ruin the momentum she had after First Day Of My Life (why she didn't attempt to even release that in the UK is beyond me). Agree, it really f***ed things up for her. My hunch is that Warner (her EU lable) demanded her to release that song as it was the closest to FDOML on the record and gave her a budget for a new video? And that record company did have the rights to the FDOML song and they didnt think it was worth releasing in the UK?... Who knows.... Better Alone was definitely the nail in the coffin for the album, both in the UK and across the EU, unfortunately... |
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Dec 23 2020, 02:57 PM
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BuzzJack Platinum Member
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It's also very sad because neither Better Alone nor FDOML actually represent the album well. In fact, it was pretty wild that such a rock-heavy album got the most pop ballads as their main focus and barely any attention to its rock content which was 90% of the album....
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Dec 23 2020, 07:04 PM
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BuzzJack Climber
Joined: 7 April 2008
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I used to listen a lot to Beautiful Intentions back in the day.
It just didn't age that well... all that anger and self-pity are really tiring nowadays, but it's not bad when you listen to one or two of its tracks every now and then. "Next Best Superstar" was and still is the best for me. And I always thought "Last Night On Earth" had potential to be big. By the way, wasn't pepople really confident before its release that Better Alone would make the album a success? |
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Dec 23 2020, 09:25 PM
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 BuzzJack Platinum Member
Joined: 6 September 2017
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I think Next best superstar was the clear stand out first single it’s one of the best things Mel has done and it was a chart hit in a few places so clearly was a good choice. Better alone I do really like but was not the right choice for single at all, Beautiful intentions should have been the second single or Last night on earth possibly. Then First day of my life while not being a favourite of mine was clearly a great choice as it helped the album become a hit in a few places as well at going to #1 in Portugal for 9 weeks!! I would have followed that up with You’ll get yours though rather than a rehash of BA. she could then have released and promoted it in the U.K. to try push a few more sales of the album and get it over 30k. All in all it was a good era though giving her the last proper spice related big hit single with FDOML being the most downloaded song of all time in Germany with over 400k downloads alone and the album selling over half a million worldwide. It must be the last spice related era to sell over a million records.
Also special for me as it included Live Hits which was the first concert I saw of Mel’s and I didn’t actually win tickets but posted a nice message on the boards to those who did win saying I was gutted I missed out but I hoped that everyone who won had a wonderful time, and then a rep for Mel got in contact with me saying Mel had seen my response and really liked it so would like to offer me 2 complimentary tickets. 😍. If she wasn’t already uk favourite before she certainly was then 😍😍😍 |
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Dec 23 2020, 10:39 PM
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#9
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BuzzJack Enthusiast
Joined: 6 September 2017
Posts: 927 User: 39,574
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You'll Get Yours
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Dec 23 2020, 11:19 PM
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#10
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BuzzJack Platinum Member
Joined: 7 September 2017
Posts: 5,071 User: 39,587
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QUOTE(spiceboy @ Dec 23 2020, 09:25 PM) I think Next best superstar was the clear stand out first single it’s one of the best things Mel has done and it was a chart hit in a few places so clearly was a good choice. Better alone I do really like but was not the right choice for single at all, Beautiful intentions should have been the second single or Last night on earth possibly. Then First day of my life while not being a favourite of mine was clearly a great choice as it helped the album become a hit in a few places as well at going to #1 in Portugal for 9 weeks!! I would have followed that up with You’ll get yours though rather than a rehash of BA. she could then have released and promoted it in the U.K. to try push a few more sales of the album and get it over 30k. All in all it was a good era though giving her the last proper spice related big hit single with FDOML being the most downloaded song of all time in Germany with over 400k downloads alone and the album selling over half a million worldwide. It must be the last spice related era to sell over a million records. The Spice Girls' Greatest Hits is technically the last  QUOTE(spiceboy @ Dec 23 2020, 09:25 PM) Also special for me as it included Live Hits which was the first concert I saw of Mel’s and I didn’t actually win tickets but posted a nice message on the boards to those who did win saying I was gutted I missed out but I hoped that everyone who won had a wonderful time, and then a rep for Mel got in contact with me saying Mel had seen my response and really liked it so would like to offer me 2 complimentary tickets. 😍. If she wasn’t already uk favourite before she certainly was then 😍😍😍 Lovely story 
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Dec 24 2020, 11:29 AM
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BuzzJack Platinum Member
Joined: 6 September 2017
Posts: 11,799 User: 39,568
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QUOTE(Mr.X @ Dec 23 2020, 11:19 PM) The Spice Girls' Greatest Hits is technically the last Lovely story Oh yeah... really doesn't feel like an era  And thanks
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Dec 24 2020, 11:35 AM
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#12
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BuzzJack Platinum Member
Joined: 6 September 2017
Posts: 11,799 User: 39,568
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I've just realised I didn't actually write my review of the album rather just commented on the era.
I think it's a good album, although I haven't listened to it for a couple of years now so really must stick it on again. I do somewhat agree about production but at the time I liked that about it thought it really fit the roughness of the album and how Mel was feeling at that time. As a body of work it has some really strong tracks and I actually don't think there is a single song on the album I dislike, it all works well as an album too and flows nicely. It is my 4th favourite album by Melanie after Northern Star, Melanie C and The Sea. Next best superstar is my favourite track and one of my favourite Melanie C songs ever (spice related songs ever). 1. Beautiful Intentions 9/10 2. Next best superstar 10/10 3. Better alone 8/10 4. Last night on earth 10/10 5. You will see 9/10 6. Never say never 7/10 7. Good girl 10/10 8. Don't need this 9/10 9. Little piece of me 7/10 10. Here and now 10/10 11. Take your pleasure 9/10 12. You'll get yours 10/10 Actually just having rated it then I've realised how much I like this album, might even put it in second place  Going to go and listen to it now!
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Dec 24 2020, 11:43 AM
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BuzzJack Platinum Member
Joined: 16 November 2009
Posts: 7,587 User: 9,988
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I loved this album upon release but it's aged terribly. The production sounds incredibly dated now and the lyrical content is hard to wade through these days. Next best superstar is still a great song and up there with her best.
I've always hated the front cover, she looks terrible. FDOML you can see why it was a hit, very anthemic and a big sing along chorus. Better alone as a single still baffles me, it's possibly Mel's most boring song ever. This post has been edited by sammy01: Dec 24 2020, 11:44 AM |
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Dec 24 2020, 12:27 PM
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BuzzJack Platinum Member
Joined: 31 August 2010
Posts: 8,788 User: 11,763
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The cover makes complete sense. She wanted to be taken seriously and this did not warrant a glam shoot.
Gives me PJ Harvey / Sharleen Spiteri vibes. |
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Dec 24 2020, 12:28 PM
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BuzzJack Platinum Member
Joined: 6 September 2017
Posts: 11,799 User: 39,568
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Oh I complete agree re the covers. I don't mind the panned out one but the two up close shots are horrendous. By contrast Next best superstar singles had lovely covers!?!?!?
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Dec 24 2020, 03:52 PM
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#16
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BuzzJack Platinum Member
Joined: 16 November 2009
Posts: 7,587 User: 9,988
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QUOTE(spiceboy @ Dec 24 2020, 12:28 PM) Oh I complete agree re the covers. I don't mind the panned out one but the two up close shots are horrendous. By contrast Next best superstar singles had lovely covers!?!?!? She looks so weird on the pics, like she's having a reaction to something and her face has gone puffy. NBS covers as you say we're so much better. |
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Dec 24 2020, 05:35 PM
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#17
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BuzzJack Enthusiast
Joined: 6 September 2017
Posts: 1,044 User: 39,576
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I adore this album so much but the artwork was a mess
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Dec 24 2020, 08:06 PM
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#18
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"Jayrusaleminians" - Umi.
Pronouns: he/him
Joined: 4 April 2007 Posts: 41,410 User: 3,217
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I'm not keen on the artwork either
 Agree that either of the Next Best Superstar covers would have been far better.
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Apr 10 2021, 10:56 PM
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#19
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"Jayrusaleminians" - Umi.
Pronouns: he/him
Joined: 4 April 2007 Posts: 41,410 User: 3,217
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16 years ago...
10th April 2005 - Next Best Superstar reached #10 in the UK! 11th April 2005 - Beautiful Intentions album was released! |
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Apr 10 2021, 11:49 PM
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#20
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BuzzJack Regular
Joined: 8 September 2017
Posts: 362 User: 39,843
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I LOVE rock chick Mel C so this one is a favourite. Haven't gone back to it as a whole for a while but I love every track, and YGY is one of her peaks ever (especially the orchestral version in the BA European single).
Sad that it only got the attention it deserved through a quite mediocre add-on song but glad it reached decent traction. |
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