Safe Trip Home

Dido | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (November 18, 2008)
• Original Release Date: 2008
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Arista
• ASIN: B001EO2UKO
• In-Print Editions: Audio CD  |  MP3 Music
• Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (121 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #9,583 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Track Listings

1. don't believe in love

2. quiet times

3. never want to say it's love

4. grafton street

5. it comes and it goes

6. look no further

7. us 2 little gods

8. the day before the day

9. let's do the things we normally do

10. burnin love

11. northern skies

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com

(Amazon.co.uk Review) Safe Trip Home, the third album from singer-songwriter Dido, sees the chanteuse cook up a slightly different ambience than on previous albums No Angel (1999) and Life for Rent (2003). Though her signature elements remain in place--the limited, slightly cracked falsetto; the dreamy, comforting trip-hop vibe--there seems to be an extra density to Safe Trip Home, doubtless provoked by the loss of her father in 2006. The added weight is predominantly in the lyrics, which tend to focus on loss and heartache, but there's extra detail and depth in the musicianship too, since Dido has been busy honing her skills as a multi-instrumentalist. Despite the denser themes, the music still drifts by in classic Dido style, moving smoothly through the insouciant “Don't Believe in Love", the aptly titled “Quiet Times", and “Never Want to Say It's Love", before arriving at the somber-yet-elegant six-minute standout “Grafton Street", co-written with Brian Eno and featuring Mick Fleetwood on drums. The rest of the album unfurls in similarly sophicticated fashion, featuring the folkish “Look No Further", the upbeat “Us 2 Little Gods", and a nine-minute poetic closer called “Northern Skies". Put simply, Safe Trip Home is Dido in superlative form. --Danny McKenna

Product Description

Dido's Safe Trip Home album was produced by Jon Brion (Kanye West, Fiona Apple), Rollo (Faithless, New Order) and Dido. This album's first single is 'Don't Believe In Love'. Propelled by the massive hit 'White Flag,' Life For Rent sold 8 million units worldwide, 2.1 million in the US. Dido is one of the world's best selling female artists of the new millennium, with only two studio albums and over 20 million in worldwide album sales. Dido's 2000 release No Angel has been certifi ed 4x Platinum in the US alone!

See all Editorial Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

42 of 43 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Different - But Just as Strong. November 26, 2008

By Morten Vindberg

Format:Audio CD

Though Dido still sounds unmistakably like herself on her new album it is still obviously very different from her first two. Though some tunes are actually very melodic and catchy, don't expect to find big radio hits like "White Flag" or "Life for Rent".

The tone is generally darker, and many of the songs lyrically deal with theme of loss. Though some fans may be disappointed with Dido's new direction, I'm sure she will win new fans with this new record, which really shows the versatile artist she really is.

The first track "Don't Believe in Love" which has been chosen for the first single off the album, has been hailed by many as one of the best tracks - I don't agree. It's a funky track with a good beat, but it really doesn't have a very memorable melody.

In my view the next song "Quiet Times" is much stronger. It's an acoustic melodic song and for me one of several highlights on the album; though probably no good choice for a single.

"Never Want to Say it's Love" is a bluesy and cathcy tune, which I would seriosly have considered for a single - brings forward memories of the late Dusty Springfield.

"Grafton Street" is one of the key songs on the album. It's a dark and sad song, with some great Celtic sounds adding a lot of atmosphere to the great tune.

"It Comes and it Goes" is a lighter song and another track that may lead your thoughts towards Dusty Springfield og Burt Bacharach.

"Look No Further" was the first song to be released for download and it stands out as one of greatest tracks on the album. It has some of the beautiful simplicity as some of John Lennon's finest songs ( like "Imagine" or "Jealous Guy" ).

"Us 2 Little Gods" is an acoustic upbeat song, that probably a song that the sounds the most like her earlier songs.

"The Day Before the Day" is another sad quiet song dealing with theme of losing one you love. A very moving song.

"The Things we Normally Do" is a catchy melodic tune. A great original string arrangement - makes think of Suzanne Vega and her "Nine Objects of Desire" album.

"Burning Love" is another nice acoustic song, but probably the least memorable song on the album.

The closing track, the grandiose "Northern Skies" is another key track. Playing for almost 9 minutes it is a logical choice to close the album. A haunting tune that makes me think of the great late Sandy Denny - it really sounds like a song she could have written.

On the Deluxe version of the album there 3 more tracks that all are great additions.

"For One Day" is a funky track that would have fitted nicely into the album - a little in the same vein as "I Don't Believe in Love".

"Summer" is a great acoustic song that for incomprehensively reasons was not selected for the album.

The shorter version of "Northern Skies" is at least as strong as the long version - and nice to have this shorter version too.

A very commendable album.

34 of 35 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Her Best Yet November 24, 2008

By Jon Huff

Format:Audio CD

I purchased No Angel 2 days after it came out in 1999. Back then, no one had heard of Dido. It took about a year before she even had a sizable fan base. And then with a combination of Here With Me's appearance on Roswell and Eminem's sampling of "Thank You" her career exploded.

Since then, being a Dido fan has had it's ups and downs. The downs mostly consist of the long wait between albums. Long waits can be good for artists. It gives them a chance to live a normal life so they don't end up writing songs about things that are boring to most other people (like songs about touring or trying to write songs, for instance.) The down side is that expectations can be raised through the roof.

The problem with the latter, in the instance of Safe Trip Home, is that this album isn't really about first impressions. On a first listen, the album can be listened to without any one thing really striking you. It's pleasant and pretty but it can sort of go in one ear and out the other. Some people may never get past this step. This is usually a problem for me. Not that I want an album full of pop hits, but I do like at least a few songs that hook me right away.

But this isn't that type of album. For one thing, it very much feels like a complete unit. Dido comes back to the same themes again and again. The predominant ones seem to be death and love on this one. Some people might call it repetitive, but she never tackles them in the same way and dealing with the same themes isn't necessarily a bad thing in and of itself, as long as you're saying something new. And in fact many of the songs can be read in a variety of ways if you don't just rely on Dido's bio info.

The thing that might surprise some is how the album works it's way into your brain. It only took a couple repeat listens before I realized I was often humming parts of songs. The album reveals itself as more layered and complex then you might imagine on a first listen. I keep finding little things I missed before. I realize there's a greater emotional and tonal range then I first realized. I do miss having a real roof-raiser like Take My Hand on it, but Northern Skies is a lovely, more measured ending to the album.

Dido's voice is the best it's ever been. It's incredibly confident - at the front of the songs, and relating emotion in a measured way rather then having to shrilly belt it out like some wannabe diva.

As for individual songs, Don't Believe in Love, Grafton Street, It Comes and It Goes, Burnin' Love and The Day Before Today are definite standouts.

I'd definitely recommend spending a little extra on the deluxe version. "For One Day" is an amazing song that is far catchier then it's subject matter might suggest.

So far the critics seem to love this one, and the general public seems to be a little mixed about it. I think, given time, people will see this for the masterpiece it is.

12 of 13 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars I listen to heavy metal... November 18, 2008

By Metal Queen

Format:Audio CD

and the harder the better. So the argument that it is "too" light is not a rating. This is an awesome recording by Dido. She has not done anything in a while and I've been waiting. She is an amazing singer songwriter, and woman. So five stars and no less for this beautiful, haunting, emotional, to the core of our being.. music.