Memories of a Beautiful Disaster

The name of the album was announced in late September 2011 by Durbin via a Twitter post,{{cite web|title=Twitter post by @DurbinRocks|url=https://www.twitter.com/DurbinRock/status/118759888179568640|publisher=Twitter|accessdate=October 17, 2011|date=September 27, 2011}} and the cover was revealed on October 7.{{cite web |title='American Idol' Metalhead JAMES DURBIN Unveils Debut Album Cover Artwork |url=http://www.roadrunnerrecords.com/blabbermouth.net/news.aspx?mode=Article&newsitemID=164311 |publisher=Blabbermouth.net |accessdate=October 17, 2011 |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20111013153533/http://www.roadrunnerrecords.com/blabbermouth.net/news.aspx?mode=Article&newsitemID=164311 |archivedate=October 13, 2011 |date=October 7, 2011 |url-status=dead }} The album was released on November 21, 2011 on Wind-up Records. Howard Benson was the producer.{{cite web|title='American Idol' Alum James Durbin Sets Album Release Date, Title |url=http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/idol-worship/american-idol-alum-james-durbin-240851 |publisher=Hollywood Reporter |accessdate=October 17, 2011 |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20111016023530/http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/idol-worship/american-idol-alum-james-durbin-240851 |archivedate=October 16, 2011 |date=September 27, 2011 |url-status=dead }}

Guitarist Mick Mars is a guest on one song from the album.{{cite web |title=MÖTLEY CRÜE Guitarist Laying Down Tracks On JAMES DURBIN Solo Debut (Video) |url=http://www.roadrunnerrecords.com/blabbermouth.net/news.aspx?mode=Article&newsitemID=164562 |publisher=Blabbermouth.net |accessdate=October 17, 2011 |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20111016111152/http://www.roadrunnerrecords.com/blabbermouth.net/news.aspx?mode=Article&newsitemID=164562 |archivedate=October 16, 2011 |date=October 12, 2011 |url-status=dead }} Other musicians involved with the album include songwriter Marti Frederiksen, Swedish band Hardcore Superstar and Sixx:A.M. members James Michael, and DJ Ashba.

Two singles were initially released from the album. "Love Me Bad" was leaked online on October 19, 2011,{{cite web|title=JAMES DURBIN, ‘LOVE ME BAD’ – SONG REVIEW|url=http://popcrush.com/james-durbin-love-me-bad/|publisher=Pop Crush|accessdate=October 20, 2011|date=October 19, 2011}} but was officially released on Ryan Seacrest's radio show on November 2.{{cite web |title='American Idol' Metalhead JAMES DURBIN Releases 'Love Me Bad' Single (Audio) |url=http://www.roadrunnerrecords.com/blabbermouth.net/news.aspx?mode=Article&newsitemID=165555 |publisher=Blabbermouth.net |accessdate=November 4, 2011 |archiveurl=https://archive.today/20120909042141/http://www.roadrunnerrecords.com/blabbermouth.net/news.aspx?mode=Article&newsitemID=165555 |archivedate=September 9, 2012 |date=November 2, 2011 |url-status=dead }} The second single, "Stand Up", was originally written for Official Gameday Music of the NFL Vol. 1 and was released to rock radio stations.{{cite web|title=Two singles coming from James Durbin |url=http://content.usatoday.com/communities/idolchatter/post/2011/10/james-durbin-beautiful-disaster-singles/1 |publisher=USA Today |accessdate=October 17, 2011 |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20111016193750/http://content.usatoday.com/communities/idolchatter/post/2011/10/james-durbin-beautiful-disaster-singles/1 |archivedate=October 16, 2011 |date=October 14, 2011 |url-status=dead }}

The track listing for the album was revealed on October 19, 2011.{{cite web|title=American Idol's James Durbin Attracts an Army of Rock Royalty for Debut Album, Memories Of A Beautiful Disaster |url=http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/44965846 |publisher=MSNBC |accessdate=October 24, 2011 |archiveurl=https://archive.today/20240525133520/https://www.webcitation.org/62f98zpxy?url=http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/44965846 |archivedate=May 25, 2024 |date=October 19, 2011 |url-status=dead }}

{{Track listing

| title1 = Higher Than Heaven

| writer1 = {{hlist|James Durbin|James Michael|Marti Frederiksen}}

| length1 = 2:56

| title2 = All I Want

| writer2 = {{hlist|Jasen Rauch|Zach Webb}}

| length2 = 3:19

| title3 = Love in Ruins

| writer3 = {{hlist|Anna Waronker|Charlotte Caffey|Steven McDonald}}

| length3 = 4:01

| title4 = Right Behind You

| writer4 = Durbin

| length4 = 3:37

| title5 = Love Me Bad

| writer5 = {{hlist|Frederiksen|Mark Holman}}

| length5 = 3:26

| title6 = Deeper

| writer6 = {{hlist|Aidean Abounasseri|Grady Benson|Joe Gunther}}

| length6 = 3:51

| title7 = May

| writer7 = Doug Brown

| length7 = 5:02

| title8 = Screaming

| writer8 = {{hlist|Durbin|David Cook|Bobby Alt|Gregg Wattenberg|Ryan Star}}

| length8 = 3:25

| title9 = Outcast

| note9 = featuring Mick Mars

| writer9 = {{hlist|Durbin|Mars|Magnus Andreasson|Martin Sandvik}}

| length9 = 3:37

| title10 = Everything Burns

| writer10 = Ben Moody

| length10 = 3:38

| title11 = Stand Up

| writer11 = {{hlist|Cliff Newton|Paul Trust}}

| length11 = 3:00

| title12 = Liberate

| note12 = Bonus Track For iTunes & Japan

| writer12 = {{hlist|Blair Daly|Derek Fuhrmann}}

| length12 = 2:45

| title13 = Back For More

| note13 = Bonus Track For iTunes & Japan

| writer13 = Peter Stengaard

| length13 = 4:33

| title14 = Crawling Home

| note14 = Bonus Track For Japan

| writer14 = {{hlist|Durbin|DJ Ashba}}

| length14 = 4:27

}}

{{music ratings

|rev1=Allmusic

|rev1score={{rating|3|5}}

}}

Allmusic gave Memories of a Beautiful Disaster a rating of three out of five stars, and said that while the album was "much more pop than rock," in contrast to Durbin's American Idol performances, it "does deliver the vocal goods here on material that should appeal to his AmIdol fan base."{{allMusic|id=r2320509|first=Matt|last=Collar|accessdate=29 December 2011}}

The album debuted on the Billboard 200 chart at number 36 with first-week sales of 28,000.{{cite web|title=Daughtry's 129,000 sales 'Spell' a top-ten debut |url=http://content.usatoday.com/communities/idolchatter/post/2011/11/daughtrys-129000-sales-spells-a-top-ten-debut/1|last=Mansfield |first=Brian |work=Idol Chatter |publisher=USA Today |date=November 30, 2011|accessdate=November 30, 2011}} The album has sold 123,000 copies in the US as of January 2017.{{cite news|title='American Idol' Finalist JAMES DURBIN's Collaboration With QUIET RIOT Guitarist ALEX GROSSI: 'Roads' Lyric Video |url=http://www.blabbermouth.net/news/american-idol-finalist-james-durbin-collaboration-with-quiet-riot-guitarist-alex-grossi-roads-lyric-video/ |work = BLABBERMOUTH.NET |date=February 2, 2017}}

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Category:2011 albums

Category:James Durbin (singer) albums