# Awake (John Wesley Harding album)

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***Awake*** is an album by the English musician [John Wesley Harding](/source/John_Wesley_Harding_(singer)), released in 1998.[1][2] Harding deemed the sound "gangsta folk."[3] He supported the album with a North American tour that included shows with [Steve Wynn](/source/Steve_Wynn_(musician)).[4][5]

## Production

The album was produced by Harding and [Chris Von Sneidern](/source/Chris_Von_Sneidern).[6] Harding avoided writing about himself, preferring to tell stories in his songs.[7] He employed tape loops, samples, e-bow, mellotron, and tubular bells on some of the tracks.[8][9] *Awake* is a loose concept album, where the songs occur after an alarm clock has buzzed.[10] [Kurt Bloch](/source/Kurt_Bloch) and [Scott McCaughey](/source/Scott_McCaughey) contributed on guitar.[11][12] [Kelly Hogan](/source/Kelly_Hogan) sang on "It's All My Fault".[6] "Miss Fortune" is about a millionaire who discovers a baby in a trench.[7] "I'm Staying Here (And I'm Not Buying a Gun)" is about resolving differences without firearms.[13] "Your Ghost (Don't Scare Me No More)" is about moving on from an old relationship.[14]

## Critical reception

*[Pitchfork](/source/Pitchfork_(website))* wrote that "too many songs lack any real character and slide slowly into generic lite-rock territory."[15] The *[Times Union](/source/Times_Union_(Albany))* deemed the album "a dazzling, dream-like collection of pop songs culled from Harding's vast and vivid imagination."[16] The *[Chicago Tribune](/source/Chicago_Tribune)* noted that "much of the record retains Harding's typical techno-free pairing of wry lyrics with fetching melodies."[17]

The *[San Antonio Express-News](/source/San_Antonio_Express-News)* called it "a masterful effort, its pointed commentary contrasting with a melodic, folk-rock backing."[18] *[The Plain Dealer](/source/The_Plain_Dealer)* panned the album, writing that "most of the tunes are typical introspective folkie singer-songwriter fare, ranging from the interminable drone of 'Blood Sweat Tears and Come' to the halfhearted country of 'It's All My Fault'."[19] *[The San Diego Union-Tribune](/source/The_San_Diego_Union-Tribune)* considered *Awake* "his strongest effort yet, his sparse folk tunes ... combined with a low-fidelity atmosphere more common to bands like Folk Implosion and Pavement."[20]

[AllMusic](/source/AllMusic) wrote that Harding's "acid-tongued, always-clever phrasing, folky leanings, and strong sense of melody show him to be one of the finest (and unfairly overlooked) songwriters of the '90s."[21]

## References

1. ["John Wesley Harding Biography by Mark Deming"](https://www.allmusic.com/artist/john-wesley-harding-mn0000232435). *AllMusic*. Retrieved 31 October 2023.

1. Newman, Melinda (Feb 7, 1998). "This and That". *Billboard*. Vol. 110, no. 6. p. 14.

1. "Von Sneidern, Harding Team". *San Francisco Chronicle*. 8 Mar 1998. p. 46.

1. "Borders Hosts Singer Harding". *The Commercial Appeal*. 19 Mar 1998. p. NT5.

1. Rowland, Hobart (May 14, 1998). "Average John". *Houston Press*

1. "Awake". *Billboard*. Vol. 110, no. 9. Feb 28, 1998. p. 70.

1. Molenda, Michael (Apr 1998). "Songcraft: John Wesley Harding". *Guitar Player*. Vol. 32, no. 4. p. 27.

1. O'Brien, Kyle (3 Apr 1998). "Awake to Harding's Music". *The Oregonian*. p. 39.

1. Blackstock, Peter (1 May 1998). "Slew of Singer-Songwriters to Strut Their Stuff". *Seattle Post-Intelligencer*. p. 8.

1. Skidmore, Mick (11 Apr 1998). "An impressive, quirky collection". *The Patriot Ledger*. p. 30.

1. Condran, Ed (23 May 1998). "On New Ground". *The Record*. p. 38.

1. Carroll, Tomm (May 8, 1998). "John Wesley Harding, 'Awake'". *Daily Breeze*. p. K17.

1. Okamoto, David (March 19, 1998). "John Wesley Harding, Awake". *The Dallas Morning News*. p. 5C.

1. Iwasaki, Scott (April 24, 1998). "John Wesley Harding's 'Awake' is a cool journey through a day". *Deseret News*. p. W7.

1. Richard-San, Mark. ["John Wesley Harding Awake"](http://www.pitchforkmedia.com:80/record-reviews/h/harding_johnwesley/awake.shtml). *Pitchfork*. [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20010112215600/http://www.pitchforkmedia.com:80/record-reviews/h/harding_johnwesley/awake.shtml) 2001-01-12 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 31 October 2023.

1. "Wesley Harding breaks ground with Gangsta Folk sound". *Times Union*. 16 Apr 1998. p. P27.

1. "John Wesley Harding, Friday and Saturday at Martyrs". *Chicago Tribune*. 24 Apr 1998. p. 45.

1. Johnson, Robert (March 13, 1998). "John Wesley Harding, 'Awake'". *San Antonio Express-News*. p. 21H.

1. Pantsios, Anastasia (March 15, 1998). "John Wesley Harding 'Awake'". *The Plain Dealer*. p. 21.

1. Gillespie, Tarleton (March 19, 1998). "Folk/Pop". *The San Diego Union-Tribune*. p. 15.

1. ["Awake Review by Chris Woodstra"](https://www.allmusic.com/album/awake-mw0000032196). *AllMusic*. Retrieved 31 October 2023.

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Awake (John Wesley Harding album)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Awake_(John_Wesley_Harding_album)) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Awake_(John_Wesley_Harding_album)?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.