Personal Journals
{{Infobox album
| name = Personal Journals
| type = studio
| artist = Sage Francis
| cover = Personal Journals Album Cover.jpg
| alt =
| released = {{Start date|2002|04|16}}
| recorded =
| studio =
| genre = Hip hop
| length = {{Duration|m=59|s=01}}
| label = Anticon
| producer = Sixtoo, DJ Mayonnaise, Jel, Scott Matelic, Reanimator, Alias, Odd Nosdam, Controller 7, Mr. Dibbs, Joe Beats
| prev_title =
| prev_year =
| next_title = A Healthy Distrust
| next_year = 2005
| misc = {{Singles
| name = Personal Journals
| type = studio
| single1 = Climb Trees
| single1date = 2002
}}
}}
Personal Journals is the first solo studio album by American rapper Sage Francis. It was released on Anticon in 2002. It peaked at number 8 on CMJ's Hip-Hop chart.{{cite journal|journal=CMJ New Music Report|title=Hip-Hop (Period Ending 5/28/2002)|date=June 10, 2002|page=21}} As of 2005, it has sold 36,000 units.{{cite magazine|magazine=Billboard|title=Epitaph Enters Rap Game With Francis|first=Todd|last=Martens|date=February 5, 2005|page=20}}
Critical reception
{{Album ratings
| rev1 = AllMusic
| rev1score = {{Rating|4|5}}{{cite web|url=http://www.allmusic.com/album/personal-journals-mw0000659374|title=Personal Journals - Sage Francis|work=AllMusic|first=Stanton|last=Swihart|accessdate=January 27, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180128021315/https://www.allmusic.com/album/personal-journals-mw0000659374|archive-date=January 28, 2018|url-status=live}}
| rev2 = Christgau's Consumer Guide
| rev2score = {{Rating-Christgau|hm1}}{{cite web|url=http://www.robertchristgau.com/get_artist.php?name=Sage+Francis|title=Sage Francis|work=Christgau's Consumer Guide|first=Robert|last=Christgau|author-link=Robert Christgau|accessdate=December 27, 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141228122725/http://www.robertchristgau.com/get_artist.php?name=Sage+Francis|archive-date=December 28, 2014|url-status=live}}
| rev3 = Dusted Magazine
| rev4 = Pitchfork
| rev4score = 8.7/10{{cite web|url=http://pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/3176-personal-journals/|title=Sage Francis: Personal Journals|work=Pitchfork|first=Chris|last=Dahlen|date=April 30, 2002|accessdate=January 27, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180128132641/https://pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/3176-personal-journals/|archive-date=January 28, 2018|url-status=live}}
| rev5 = RapReviews.com
| rev6 = Spin
| rev6score = 7/10{{cite journal|journal=Spin|title=Under Dawgs|first=Chris|last=Ryan|date=July 2002|page=111}}
| rev7 = Stylus Magazine
| rev7score = A−{{cite web|url=http://www.stylusmagazine.com/reviews/sage-francis/personal-journals.htm|title=Sage Francis - Personal Journals|work=Stylus Magazine|first=Clay|last=Jarvis|date=September 1, 2003|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20120509233931/http://www.stylusmagazine.com/reviews/sage-francis/personal-journals.htm|archivedate=May 9, 2012|accessdate=January 27, 2018}}
| rev8 = Vibe
| rev8score = {{Rating|3|5}}{{cite journal|journal=Vibe|title=Revolutions|first=Jon|last=Caramanica|date=July 2002|page=138}}
}}
Chris Dahlen of Pitchfork gave the album an 8.7 out of 10, saying, "Personal Journals is a success because it turns the self-examination into poetry and then, harder still, turns the poems into great rap." Stanton Swihart of AllMusic gave the album 4 stars out of 5, saying, "The soundscapes that his team of producers came up with are every bit as unorthodox and superlative." Clay Jarvis of Stylus Magazine gave the album a grade of "A−," calling it "the finest hip hop album of this year."
Daniel Thomas-Glass of Dusted Magazine said, "The combination of Sage Francis's boldly self-searching poetry with the beats of some of underground hip hop's most talented producers is out-and-out breathtaking, from the opener 'Crack Pipes,' that brilliantly flips Sixtoo's impossible-to-rhyme-over beat from his instrumental opus The Secrets That Houses Keep, to the closing bars of 'Runaways,' the Joey Beats-produced outro that is quite haunting in its beauty."
Track listing
{{Track listing
| extra_column = Producer(s)
| title1 = Crack Pipes
| extra1 = Sixtoo
| length1 = 2:25
| title2 = Different
| extra2 = Sixtoo
| length2 = 3:20
| title3 = Personal Journalist
| extra3 = DJ Mayonnaise
| length3 = 2:53
| title4 = Inherited Scars
| extra4 = DJ Mayonnaise
| length4 = 4:35
| title5 = Climb Trees
| extra5 = Jel
| length5 = 3:57
| title6 = Broken Wings
| extra6 = Scott Matelic
| length6 = 3:59
| title7 = The Strange Famous Mullet Remover
| extra7 = Reanimator
| length7 = 2:39
| title8 = Smoke and Mirrors
| extra8 = Jel
| length8 = 3:13
| title9 = Message Sent
| extra9 = Alias
| length9 = 4:24
| title10 = Eviction Notice
| extra10 = Odd Nosdam
| length10 = 3:31
| title11 = Pitchers of Silence
| extra11 = Sixtoo
| length11 = 2:46
| title12 = Specialist
| extra12 = Controller 7
| length12 = 4:13
| title13 = Hopeless
| length13 = 1:12
| title14 = Kill Ya' Momz
| extra14 = Mr. Dibbs
| length14 = 1:59
| title15 = Black Sweatshirt
| extra15 = Sixtoo
| length15 = 2:08
| title16 = Cup of Tea
| extra16 = Sixtoo
| length16 = 2:14
| title17 = My Name Is Strange
| length17 = 3:21
| title18 = Runaways
| extra18 = Joe Beats
| length18 = 6:07
}}
Personnel
Credits adapted from liner notes.
{{Div col}}
- Sage Francis – vocals, recording, mixing, cover art design
- Sixtoo – production (1, 2, 11, 15, 16), recording, mixing
- DJ Mayonnaise – production (3, 4)
- Jel – production (5, 8)
- Scott Matelic – production (6)
- Reanimator – production (7)
- Alias – production (9)
- Odd Nosdam – production (10), layout
- Controller 7 – production (12)
- Mr. Dibbs – production (14), recording, mixing
- Joe Beats – production (18)
- DJ Mek – turntables (3)
- DJ Signify – turntables (7, 8)
- Mike 2600 – turntables (7)
- Grey Matter – turntables (15)
- Jay Peters – guitar (17)
- Matt Zimmerman – upright bass (17)
- Tara – keyboards (17)
- Matt Coolige – flute (17)
- Scott Begin – drums (17)
- Shalem B – turntables (17)
- Chris Warren – recording, mixing
- Jonathan Wyman – mastering
- Kara Healy – photography
{{Div col end}}
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
- {{Discogs master|55903|Personal Journals}}
- {{MusicBrainz release group|mbid=8540b08e-b174-396f-bc85-f11eaff64cd7|name=Personal Journals}}
{{Sage Francis}}
{{Authority control}}
Category:Albums produced by Alias (musician)