Katy Hudson (album)

Katy Hudson
Studio album by Katy Hudson
Released February 8, 2001 (2001-02-08)
Recorded 2000–2001
Genre Christian rock, CCM
Length 48:11
Label Red Hill
Producer Tommy Collier, Otto Price, David Browning
Katy Hudson chronology
Katy Hudson
(2001)		 One of the Boys
(2008)

Katy Hudson is the eponymous debut studio album by American singer Katy Hudson, who subsequently adopted the stage name Katy Perry. It was released on February 8, 2001 by Red Hill Records. It primarily incorporates Christian rock and contemporary Christian music elements with lyrical themes of childhood, adolescence and Hudson's faith in God. Reviews of the album were mixed and it sold fewer than 200 copies. Later, due to Hudson's increased popularity, demand for the album increased as well.

Composition

Katy Hudson saw Hudson exploring Christian rock and contemporary Christian music (CCM).[1] Amongst what was described as an alternative direction were prominent influences of pop rock. During an interview for her official website at the time, Hudson cited artists Jonatha Brooke, Jennifer Knapp, Diana Krall, and Fiona Apple as her musical influences. "Trust in Me", "Naturally", and "My Own Monster" were said to capture "loneliness, fear and doubt often ascribed to teens".[2]

The first features "haunting" strings with "electronica effects" and "solid rock roots".[3] An aggressive track, "Piercing" depicts the infatuation people have with expendable things. In "Piercing", Hudson sings: "Lord, help me see the reality / That all I'll ever need is You".[2] "Last Call" was written by Hudson while reading the book Last Call for Help: Changing North America One Teen at a Time, written by Dawson McAllister. Musically, it sees Hudson going into a more jazz-oriented sound.[1] Hudson described "Growing Pains" as an anthem for children and adolescents, explaining that society shares a misconstructed image of them, often viewing them as individuals that do not believe in or do not know much about God. Written by Hudson when she was in eighth grade, the song "Spit" addresses the hypocrisy she faced in Christian school.

"Faith Won't Fail" was inspired by faith always sufficing in Bible situations and chapters; and Hudson commented on "Search Me": "I was struggling with the fact that I would have the huge responsibility of how others would be affected through what I was doing or saying on stage. I don't want to put on some kind of front that everything is good when it's not. I wanted to keep it real, but still give people hope." The record closes with "When There's Nothing Left", which has been described as a "crisp and clean 'love note' to God".[4] The album was described as not being in the vein of the bubble gum pop variety rather evoking comparisons to the Christian pop songstresses Rachel Lampa and Jaci Velasquez.[5]

Promotional tour

To promote the album Hudson went on a tour, opening for Phil Joel, Earthsuit, and V*Enna[6] and later a 46-state solo tour.[7]

Reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[1]
BillboardPositive[8]
Christianity TodayPositive[3]
Cross Rhythms[9]
The Phantom Tollbooth[5]

Stephen Thomas Erlewine from AllMusic awarded Katy Hudson three stars out of five, stating that with the album, Hudson had "betray[ed] a heavy, heavy debt to Alanis Morissette". Erlewine also interpreted some of the songs' lyrics as having sexual overtones, and identifying those as "the most interesting things" in the album, describing the record's overall sound as "the kind of assaultive, over-produced Wall of Sound that some CCM rockers do in order to prove they're contemporary".[1]

Christianity Today writer Russ Breimeier was positive about Katy Hudson, highlighting Hudson's songwriting style for being "insightful and well matched to the emotional power" of Hudson's music. He further deemed Hudson a "young talent" and expected to hear more from her in the next year.[3] Similarly, Tony Cummings from Cross Rhythms also considered Hudson to be a "vocal talent", recommending readers to listen to the album.[9] The Phantom Tollbooth's Andy Argyrakis stated that Hudson having been reared in church had "paid off", and noted that "Although a mere pop lightweight, it's hard to ignore Hudson's sincerity and lyrical maturity."[5] DEP from Billboard, also calling Hudson a talent, classified the record as "textured modern-rock collection that is equal parts grit and vulnerability" and "impressive".[8] The album was a commercial failure for Red Hill Records, selling between 100 and 200 copies.[10]

Musical change

Some time after the album's release, the label Red Hill Records went bankrupt.[11] Katy Hudson is the only Christian music-influenced album by Hudson, who subsequently adopted Katy Perry as a stage name.[12] After her popularity increased, copies of Katy Hudson have become a sought-after item amongst her fans.[11]

Track listing

Credits extracted from Katy Hudson liner notes.[13]

No. TitleWriter(s)Producer(s) Length
1. "Trust in Me"  Katy Hudson, Mark DicksonOtto Price 4:46
2. "Piercing"  Hudson, Brian WhiteCollier 4:06
3. "Search Me"  Hudson, Scott FaircloffCollier 5:00
4. "Last Call"  HudsonDavid Browning 3:07
5. "Growing Pains"  Hudson, DicksonBrowning 4:05
6. "My Own Monster"  HudsonBrowning 5:25
7. "Spit"  HudsonPrice 5:10
8. "Faith Won't Fail"  Hudson, DicksonPrice 5:14
9. "Naturally"  Hudson, FaircloffBrowning 4:33
10. "When There's Nothing Left"  HudsonBrowning 6:45
Total length:
 48:11

Credits and personnel

Adapted from Katy Hudson liner notes.[13]

Personnel
  • Katy Hudson – songwriting (1–10), lead vocals (1–10)
  • Mark Stuart – background vocals (1)
  • Mark Dickson – songwriting (1, 5, 8)
  • Otto Price – production (1, 7, 8), synthesizers (1, 7, 8), bass (1, 4–10), programming (1, 7, 8)
  • Tommy Collier – songwriting (2), production (2, 3), acoustic guitar (1), engineering (2, 3)
  • Brian White – songwriting (2)
  • Scott Faircloff – songwriting (2, 9), keyboards (3)
  • David Browning – production (4–6, 9, 10), engineering (4–6, 9), keyboards and programming (4–6, 9, 10), B-3 (7), piano (8)
Recording places
  • The Velvet Elvis-Nashville, Tennessee (2–6, 9, 10)
  • House of Tom-Cool Springs, Tennessee (2, 3)
  • Sound Kitchen-Cool Springs, Tennessee (3–6, 9, 10)
  • Kong's Cage-Franklin, Tennessee (4–6, 9, 10)

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 Erlewine, Stephen Thomas. "Katy Hudson – Katy Hudson". AllMusic. Rovi Corporation. Retrieved December 27, 2013.
  2. 1 2 "Katy's bio". katyhudson.com. Archived from the original on March 12, 2001. Retrieved December 26, 2013.
  3. 1 2 3 Breimeier, Russ (January 1, 2001). "Katy Hudson: Katy Hudson". Christianity Today. Christianity Today International. Retrieved December 27, 2013.
  4. ↑ "Growing Pains lyrics (incorrect title)". katyhudson.com. Archived from the original on March 12, 2001. Retrieved December 26, 2013.
  5. 1 2 3 Argyrakis, Andy (February 6, 2001). "Katy Hudson – a Review of The Phantom Tollbooth". The Phantom Tollbooth. Retrieved December 27, 2013.
  6. ↑ Martin, David (May 6, 2003). "The Strangely Normal Tour – Phil Joel, Earthsuit, V*Enna & Katy Hudson". Epinions.com. Retrieved December 26, 2013.
  7. 1 2 "Katy's tour info". katyhudson.com. Archived from the original on August 16, 2001. Retrieved December 26, 2013.
  8. 1 2 DEP (June 2, 2001). "Katy Hudson – Katy Hudson". Billboard. Nielsen Business Media. Retrieved December 30, 2013.
  9. 1 2 Cummings, Tony (July 26, 2001). "Katy Hudson – Katy Hudson". Cross Rhythms. Cornerstone House. Retrieved December 27, 2013.
  10. ↑ Summers, Kimberly Dillon. Katy Perry. p.10
  11. 1 2 Summers, Kimberly. Katy Perry. p. 10
  12. ↑ Cutforth, Dan; Lipsitz, Jane (directors);Perry, Katy (autobiographer) (July 5, 2012). Katy Perry: Part of Me (Motion picture). United States; filmed in studios:Insurge Pictures, Imagine Entertainment, Perry Productions et la.: Paramount Pictures.
  13. 1 2 Katy Hudson (liner notes). Katy Hudson. Red Hill Records. 2001.
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