# Paper Monsters

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***Paper Monsters*** is the debut solo studio album by English singer [Dave Gahan](/source/Dave_Gahan). It was released on 2 June 2003 in the United Kingdom by [Mute Records](/source/Mute_Records) and the following day in North America by [Reprise Records](/source/Reprise_Records).

## Background and release

The album was produced by [Ken Thomas](/source/Ken_Thomas_(record_producer)), known for his work with Icelandic band [Sigur Rós](/source/Sigur_R%C3%B3s). Upon its debut, critical reception was generally mixed; while many complimented the album's personal subject matter, others described it as lacking depth. *Paper Monsters* debuted at number 36 on the [UK Albums Chart](/source/UK_Albums_Chart), while reaching the top 10 in Germany, Sweden and Switzerland. In North America, the album was released on 3 June 2003. In March 2004, Gahan released the live video album *[Live Monsters](/source/Live_Monsters_(video))*, containing footage from his concert on 5 July 2003 at the [Olympia](/source/Olympia_(Paris)) in Paris.

Gahan first played with the idea of releasing a solo album after the release of [Depeche Mode](/source/Depeche_Mode)'s *[Exciter](/source/Exciter_(Depeche_Mode_album))* in 2001, but approached the project slowly. It was not until he began writing music with friend and musician [Knox Chandler](/source/Knox_Chandler) that he gained the self-confidence he needed to begin to consider working on an album of his own material.

### Singles

The album spawned three singles. "[Dirty Sticky Floors](/source/Dirty_Sticky_Floors)", the lead single from the album, became Gahan's most successful solo release, reaching number 18 on the [UK Singles Chart](/source/UK_Singles_Chart) and the top 10 in Germany and Italy. Its remixes were also promoted in US dance clubs, and peaked within the top five of the *[Billboard](/source/Billboard_(magazine))* [Hot Dance Music/Club Play](/source/Hot_Dance_Music/Club_Play) chart.

The second single, "[I Need You](/source/I_Need_You_(Dave_Gahan_song))", was a ballad based around a synth and drum arrangement, which reached number 27 in the UK and number five on the US dance chart.

The third and final single was ["Bottle Living" / "Hold On"](/source/Bottle_Living_/_Hold_On), a [double A-side](/source/Double_A-side), meaning that two songs were released on the same single. The single continued the album's string of top-40 singles, reaching number 36 in the UK.

## Critical reception

*Paper Monsters* received generally positive reviews from music critics. At [Metacritic](/source/Metacritic), which assigns a [normalised](/source/Standard_score) rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream publications, the album received an [average](/source/Weighted_arithmetic_mean) score of 79, based on nine reviews.[2]

In a review for [BBC Music](/source/BBC_Music), Kate Lawrence called *Paper Monsters* "an assured debut" with "surprising depth". She was impressed by Gahan's vocals on the track "Hidden Houses", which she called "deliciously devilish and angelic in equal measure" and said that it "demonstrates a vocal range rarely seen in the Mode back catalogue".[3] *[Slant Magazine](/source/Slant_Magazine)* echoed Lawrence's review for BBC Music, calling the album a "competent solo debut" with "murky rock grooves and throaty vocals".[4]

However, *[Pitchfork](/source/Pitchfork_(website))* reviewer Michael Idov was less impressed with the album and wrote that its personal subject matter made for a "faintly embarrassing listen". Idov criticised Gahan's lyrics stating that his "vocal can still elevate the dumbest lyric to the level of a cathartic mantra, a skill that comes handy in the absence of [Martin Gore](/source/Martin_Gore)".[5] [AllMusic](/source/AllMusic) reviewer Don Kline called *Paper Monsters* "a mix of swampy blues-injected rock, slick urban electronica, and atmospheric balladry" and gave it three out of five stars. He also stated that "although it doesn't stray too far from the Depeche Mode, Gahan does manage to put his own stamp on the songs".[1]

## Track listing

### Limited edition bonus DVD

1. A Short Film
1. "Dirty Sticky Floors" music video
1. Exclusive B-roll footage from the "Dirty Sticky Floors" video shoot
1. "Hold On" (exclusive New York acoustic performance)
1. "A Little Piece" (exclusive New York acoustic performance)
1. Exclusive B-roll footage from the New York acoustic performance
1. Photo gallery

## Personnel

Credits adapted from the liner notes of *Paper Monsters*.[6]

### Musicians

- [Dave Gahan](/source/Dave_Gahan) – vocals, keyboards, [Fender Rhodes](/source/Fender_Rhodes), harmonica, [glockenspiel](/source/Glockenspiel)
- [Knox Chandler](/source/Knox_Chandler) – guitars, [dulcimer](/source/Dulcimer), cellos, basses, keyboards, [sampler](/source/Sampler_(musical_instrument)), vibraphone, programming, all string arrangements
- [Victor Indrizzo](/source/Victor_Indrizzo) – drums (tracks 3, 5, 9)
- [Paul Garisto](/source/Paul_Garisto) – drums (tracks 4, 9, 10)
- Doug Petty – piano (tracks 3, 6)
- Dee Lewis – backing vocals (track 1)
- [Jane Scarpantoni](/source/Jane_Scarpantoni) – cello
- [Antoine Silverman](/source/Antoine_Silverman), Maxim Moston, [Joan Wasser](/source/Joan_Wasser) – violins (tracks 3, 5)
- David Gold – viola (tracks 3, 5)
- Jolyon Thomas – tambourine, [tom](/source/Tom-tom_drum) (track 6)
- John Collyer – programming

### Technical

- [Ken Thomas](/source/Ken_Thomas_(record_producer)) – production, mixing
- Jonathan Adler – recording engineering
- Jack Clark – mix engineering
- Mike Marsh – mastering

### Artwork

- [Anton Corbijn](/source/Anton_Corbijn) – photography, art direction
- Four5One Creative – design

## Charts

### Weekly charts

Weekly chart performance for Paper Monsters Chart (2003) Peak position Czech Albums (ČNS IFPI)[7] 2 European Albums (Music & Media)[8] 10 Greek International Albums (IFPI)[9] 15 Spanish Albums (AFYVE)[10] 61

### Year-end charts

Year-end chart performance for Paper Monsters Chart (2003) Position German Albums (Offizielle Top 100)[11] 73

## Release history

Release history for Paper Monsters Region Date Edition Label Catalogue United Kingdom 2 June 2003 Standard Mute CDSTUMM216 Limited (CD+DVD) LCDSTUMM 216 North America 3 June 2003 Standard Reprise 48471 Limited (CD+DVD) 48492

## References

1. Kline, Don. ["Paper Monsters – Dave Gahan"](https://www.allmusic.com/album/paper-monsters-mw0000033611). [AllMusic](/source/AllMusic). Retrieved 29 May 2021.

1. ["Paper Monsters by Dave Gahan Reviews and Tracks"](https://www.metacritic.com/music/paper-monsters/dave-gahan). [Metacritic](/source/Metacritic). Retrieved 13 June 2018.

1. Lawrence, Kate (3 June 2003). ["BBC Review of Dave Gahan – Paper Monsters"](https://www.bbc.co.uk/music/release/qmvr/). [BBC Music](/source/BBC_Music). Retrieved 10 May 2012.

1. Blanford, Roxanne (9 August 2003). ["Dave Gahan: Paper Monsters music review"](http://www.slantmagazine.com/music/review/dave-gahan-paper-monsters/301). *[Slant Magazine](/source/Slant_Magazine)*. Retrieved 10 May 2012.

1. Idov, Michael (24 July 2003). ["Dave Gahan: Paper Monsters album review"](https://pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/3623-paper-monsters/). *[Pitchfork](/source/Pitchfork_(website))*. Retrieved 10 May 2003.

1. *Paper Monsters* (liner notes). [Mute Records](/source/Mute_Records). 2003. CDSTUMM216.

1. ["Oficiální česká hitparáda IFPI ČR – 24. týden 2003"](https://mam.cz/zpravy/2003-06/oficialni-ceska-hitparada-ifpi-cr-24-tyden-2003/) (in Czech). *Marketing & Media*. 13 June 2003. Retrieved 19 January 2021.

1. ["European Top 100 Albums"](https://worldradiohistory.com/hd2/IDX-UK/Music/Archive-Music-Media-IDX/IDX/00s/03/MM-2003-06-28-OCR-Page-0013.pdf). *[Music & Media](/source/Music_%26_Media)*. Vol. 21, no. 27. 28 June 2003. p. 13. [OCLC 29800226](https://www.worldcat.org/oclc/29800226). – via World Radio History.

1. ["Top 50 Ξένων Άλμπουμ"](http://www.ifpi.gr/chart01.htm) [Top 50 Foreign Albums] (in Greek). [IFPI Greece](/source/IFPI_Greece). 14–21 July 2003. [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20030806115611/http://www.ifpi.gr/chart01.htm) 6 August 2003 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 19 January 2021.

1. Salaverrie, Fernando (September 2005). *Sólo éxitos: año a año, 1959–2002* (in Spanish). 1st ed. Madrid: [Fundación Autor/SGAE](/source/Sociedad_General_de_Autores_y_Editores). ISBN 84-8048-639-2.

1. ["Top 100 Album-Jahrescharts – 2003"](https://www.offiziellecharts.de/charts/album-jahr/for-date-2003) (in German). Offizielle Deutsche Charts. Retrieved 19 January 2021.

## External links

- [Album information from the official Dave Gahan website](http://papermonsters.davegahan.com/releases/index.html#papermonsters)

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