Phantom Center
{{Infobox album
| name = Phantom Center
| type = studio
| artist = Ferron
| cover =Ferron – Phantom Center.jpg
| released = 1990, 1995
| studio = Eldorado Recording Studios, Los Angeles; Knob World Studios, Los Angeles; Purple Dragon Studios, Atlanta; Summa Music Group, Los Angeles
| genre = Folk rock
| length = 49:53
| label = Chameleon Records, EarthBeat! Records
| producer = Joe Chiccarelli, Ferron
| prev_title = Shadows on a Dime
| prev_year = 1984
| next_title = Resting With the Question
| next_year = 1992
}}
Phantom Center is a 1990 studio album by the Canadian female singer-songwriter Ferron.
Background and release
It was Ferron's first album in six years. It was later re-packaged and re-released by Warner Bros. Music in 1995.{{Cite news |last=Walters |first=Barry |title=Ferron entrances with her lyrics |url=https://www.sfgate.com/entertainment/article/ferron-entrances-with-her-lyrics-3122554.php |access-date=2024-01-16 |work=SFGATE |language=en}}
Critical reception
Robert Christgau rated this album "neither", meaning "may impress once or twice with consistent craft or an arresting track or two. Then it won't".{{cite web |last1=Christgau |first1=Robert |title=Robert Christgau: CG: Ferron |url=http://robertchristgau.com/get_artist.php?name=ferron |website=Robert Christgau, Dean of American rock critics |publisher=Robert Christgau |access-date=2 January 2024}}
Stephen Holden in the New York Times called the album 'captivating', noting "its quirky, archetypal imagery, and diction that swings between the conversational and the oracular".{{cite news |last1=Holden |first1=Stephen |title=After Six Years of Silence, Ferron Expresses Herself |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1990/11/02/arts/after-six-years-of-silence-ferron-expresses-herself.html |access-date=2 January 2024 |work=New York Times |issue=November 2, 1990, Section C, Page 8 |publisher=The New York Times Company |date=2 November 1990}} Steven Hochman of the Los Angeles Times wrote that the album "made modern self-analysis seem easy, and even fun."{{Cite web |last=Hochman |first=Steve |date=1990-11-03 |title=POP MUSIC REVIEW : Ferron Turns Self-Analysis Into Fun |url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1990-11-03-ca-3289-story.html |access-date=2024-01-16 |website=Los Angeles Times |language=en-US}}
Track listing
All songs written by Ferron.
- "Stand Up (Love in the Corners)"
- "The Cart"
- "Harmless Love"
- "Indian Dreams"
- "Sunken City"
- "White Wing Mercy"
- "Heart of Destruction"
- "Inside Track" (also known as "My My (Inside Track)")
- "Phantom Center"
- "Higher Wisdom"
Personnel
Adapted from liner notes
= Musicians =
- Ferron - lead vocals, acoustic guitar
- Denny Fongheiser - drums, percussion
- Tim Landers - bass
- Eric Williams - acoustic and electric guitar, ukulele, mandolin, melodica and E-Bow
- Jim Lang - keyboards
- Steve Reid - percussion
- Larry Tuttle - Chapman Stick (2, 9)
- Novi Novog - viola (2, 4, 6, 9)
- Barbara Higbie - violin (4, 6)
- Tori Amos - backing vocals
- Nanci Shanks - backing vocals
- Lauren Wood - backing vocals
= Musicians (track 1, 1995 recording) =
- Ferron - lead vocals, acoustic guitar
- Amy Ray (Indigo Girls) - backing vocals, acoustic guitar
- Emily Saliers (Indigo Girls) - backing vocals, acoustic and electric guitars
- Sara Lee - bass
- Jerry Marotta - drums, percussion
=Others=
- Joe Chiccarelli - producer
- Ferron - producer (track 1 only)
- Susan Becker - assistant engineer
- Linda Cobb - art direction, design
- John Ewing, jr - assistant engineer, mixing assistant
- Chris Furman - engineering
- Brian Gardner - mastering
- Tim Harrigan - engineer
- Dan Marnien - engineering, mixing, remixing
- Raymond Meeks - photography
- David Skernick - photography
- Heidi Wills - hair stylist, make-up