| Product Summary | | Label: Universal Music Group | | UPC: 00602498628744 | | Release Date: 7/20/2004 | | Buy.com Sku: 61013589 | | Item#: MKXLPT | Format:  CD |
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(P) 2004 Geffen Records
(C) 2004 Geffen Records
| Ashlee's debut album featuring the single "Pieces of Me."
"...tight, glossy arrangements." Austin Chronicle
"Chock-full of catchy songs." Billboard
| | Album Notes and Credits |
Notes & Personnel Info |  | Personnel: Ashlee Simpson (vocals); John Shanks (guitar, keyboards, bass instrument, background vocals); Jamie Muhoberac (piano, organ); Patrick Warren (chamberlin); Abe Laboriel, Jr., Kenny Aronoff, Jeff Rothschild (drums); John Feldmann (programming); Kara DioGuardi (background vocals). | | Give Ashlee Simpson some credit -- she (or her management) knew that the only way to break out of the shadow of her older sister, Jessica, was to be her opposite. So, she dyed her blonde hair jet-black, based her music in rock, not dance-pop, and co-wrote every song on her 2004 debut, Autobiography (Jessica only co-wrote one on her debut, Sweet Kisses). It could be argued that this makeover for the star of the square WB TV series 7th Heaven is a bit too calculated, but regardless of the intent, the end result still works far better than that of her big sister's albums. Where Jessica sounds like a throwback to the late '60s/early '70s, specifically to the variety shows of Andy Williams and Sonny & Cher, Ashlee is modern, using the glossy, punky pop of Pink and Avril Lavigne as the touchstone for her debut. It's heavy on guitars and light on dance beats, although those are bubbling under the layers and layers of six-strings, and Ashlee has adopted a growl that may come out closer to a mousey squeak, but the attitude is appreciated all the same. And that pretty much sums up Autobiography -- it's not perfect, and it's often affected, but it winds up being endearing because of her earnestness. Not only is she trying hard -- and, in the case of "Lala," trying way too hard to be sexy -- but she's succeeding in creating an album that feels like a bubblegum version of Pink's M!ssundaztood, even if it's not quite as catchy. While the album could have used a few more songs with indelible hooks, it nevertheless is an enjoyably slick, widescreen production that's a whole lot more fun than anything her sister has recorded (with the notable exception of "I Think I'm in Love With You"), plus it's varied enough to suggest that Ashlee could make a more interesting record the next time out. All in all, it's an unexpectedly strong debut from an artist who seemed destined to be a footnote to her famous older sister, but just may wind up with a more interesting career. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine | | The younger sister of pop star/reality-TV icon Jessica Simpson, Ashlee Simpson has done nothing to hide her well-documented connection. However, to assume Ashlee is a carbon copy of her superstar sibling or simply trying to ride Jessica's coattails would be plain wrong. While Jessica sings straightforward, gentle pop tunes, Ashlee's music tends towards the angst-ridden and self-analytical, and where Jessica's vocals are light and bouncy, Ashlee explodes with a teen-punk roar. | | With her debut record, AUTOBIOGRAPHY, Ashlee unveils a soul-searching sound that lies somewhere between the precocious explorations of Avril Lavigne and the jaded wanderings of Alanis Morissette. The opening single "Pieces of Me" features an ever-changing musical landscape, with Ashlee's powerful voice fading in and out like the love story of the song itself. The title track boasts a sinister guitar opening and a crunching rock riff offset by a huge melodic hook. AUTOBIOGRAPHY may surprise some people, but it's simply a solid pop-rock debut by a talented artist, regardless of famous family ties. |
| | Artist Overview | | Ashlee Simpson, younger sister of singer Jessica Simpson, is one of the most fascinating pop-culture phenomena of the early 2000s. Following a stint on the squeaky-clean television drama "7th Heaven," the prefabricated sensation's singing career was launched in 2004 with the release of AUTOBIOGRAPHY. Despite an infamous lip-synching debacle on SNL, fans continued to gobble up Ashlee's pop take on alternative rock. Simpson is an intriguing study in insta-fame and, as her 2005 release I AM ME proved, a dependable source for catchy chart toppers. |
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| | Technical Info | | Release Date : 07/20/2004 | | Original Release Date : 2004 | | Catalog ID : 0002913 | | Label : Geffen Records (USA) | | Number of Discs : 1 | | Studio/Live : Studio | | Mono/Stereo : Stereo | | SPAR Code : n/a | | UPC : 00602498628744 |
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| | Professional Reviews | | Entertainment Weekly (p.77)
- "Her AUTOBIOGRAPHY is packed with insidiously catchy songs..." - Grade: B-Village Voice 7 of 10
[Courtney Love's] American Sweetheart is tragic and blasted and pissed-off and pathetic and d
E! Online 7 of 10
Even as she busied herself with chasing boys and whining on her MTV reality show, Ashlee Simpson sti
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