The MARK’S VINTAGE VINYL page features something from Mark’s collection of recordings from over the years. Most of it is on vinyl – hence the name – though there will be a few entries from his CDs (remember those?).
No Angel, by Dido
- Debut studio album by Dido, released in 1999.
- I discovered Dido after hearing Eminem featuring Dido and her song Thank You as part of his mega-hit Stan. The video for Stan is a literal interpretation of the song’s lyrics, with Dido performing the role of Stan’s girlfriend. This compelled me to listen to No Angel, the album that contains Dido’s Thank You. I was immediately hooked – and Dido became one of my favorite female performers (see my post on Dido, from May 10, 2017).
- Dido’s vocals features a technique called a voice break, where she takes a note and breaks it to a falsetto as she holds the note – kinda like a mini-yodel. It’s a similar technique used by Alanis Morissette and Dolores O’Riordan from The Cranberries. It makes her already beautiful voice enchanting.
- All 12 songs on the album are fabulous. Dido co-wrote all of the songs. The music behind the lyrics is expertly produced, and her session musicians make the songs sound great. My faves are the first song – Here With Me – and the last song – Take My Hand. I think this is a key reason why I love the album so much. I can listen to it from beginning to end, with my favorite moments at the start and finish, sandwiching a thoroughly enjoyable music experience.
- The album became a huge success for Dido. It sold more than 22 million copies worldwide, with 4 million sold in the U.S. It peaked at #4 in the U.S. (#1 on the Adult Contemporary chart), and at #1 in 9 countries. The single Thank You reached #3 on the Billboard Hot 100. Here With Me and Hunter also charted in the UK, at #4 and #17 respectively. Here With Me became the theme song to the science fiction TV show Roswell.
- Not familiar with Dido? Want to hear some great music? Go to your steaming service, and listen to this album. Here’s the video to Thank You.