Anomie & Bonhomie

Anomie & Bonhomie is the fourth studio album by the British band Scritti Politti, released on 26 July 1999 by Virgin Records.^[1] The album marks a sharp departure from their previous synth-pop era and features contributions from rappers Mos Def, Me'Shell Ndegeocello, and Lee Majors of Da Bush Babees.

Anomie & Bonhomie was generally well received by critics; however, opinions regarding the reinvention of Scritti Politti's sound through its mixture with contemporary genres and vocal styles such as grunge and hip-hop, respectively, were both praised and denounced by critics.

Allmusic said that of the contemporary "updates" that "rapper cameos, vague house beats, grunge guitars -- sound as if they're pasted over backing tracks from 1986. Not necessarily a bad thing, but disconcerting, since the heart of this album is squarely in Cupid & Psyche 85 territory." Ultimately they conclude: "Anomie & Bonhomie [...] remains faithful to the sophisti-pop aesthetic the band pioneered in the mid-'80s."^[4]

NME stated that Gartside successfully takes influences from contemporary genres such as grunge and hip-hop and "hammers" them into the Scritti aesthetic, concluding, "Gartside has returned with an album as glossy, eccentric and beguiling as he's ever made" ^[5]

The Independent was more critical, claiming that Anomie & Bonhomie has an "uneasy alliance between hard rock, hip-hop and ambient", that the album "comes waving a big sign announcing its sophistication, but, for all the care and polish taken in its execution, it lacks the easy, relaxed air that sustains the truly sophisticated."^[6]

• Green Gartside – vocals, guitars, Ebow, vinylism (scratches), noises, music arrangements, vocal arrangements
• Allen Cato – guitars
• Wendy Melvoin – guitars
• David Dyson – bass
• David Gamson – bass, vocal arrangements
• Vere Isaacs – bass
• Me'Shell NdegéOcello – bass, backing vocals (2, 4, 8), rap (2, 4, 8)
• Abe Laboriel Jr. – drums
• William "Juju" House – drums
• Steve Pigott – string arrangements
• Paul Riser – string arrangements
• Brent Fischer – string contractor
• Patrick "Red Cloud" Mah – backing vocals
• Lee Majors – backing vocals (1, 2, 10), rap (1, 2, 10)
• Mos Def – rap (2, 6)
• Jimahl – backing vocals (4), rap (4)

• David Gamson – producer, mixing (2, 4, 6, 9, 10)
• John Hopkins – recording
• Rail Jon Rogut – recording
• Tim Burrell – compiling engineer
• Bob Power – mixing (1, 5, 8)
• Bob Brockman – mixing (3, 7, 11)
• Michael J. Ade – pre-production recording
• Andy Houston – pre-production recording
• Tom Coyne – mastering
• Ted Jensen – mastering
• Lon Cohen – guitar technician
• Bobby Schneck – guitar technician
• Ian Alexander – A&R coordinator
• Mary Hogan – project coordinator
• Green Gartside – art direction, design
• Paula Benson – art direction, design
• Paul West – art direction, design
• Mark Mattock – photography
• Simon Hicks – management

Studios

• Recorded at The Townhouse (London, UK); Ocean Way Recording (Hollywood, California); Baby Monster Studios (New York City, New York).
• Mixed at The Enterprise (Burbank, California); Room With A View, Sony Music Studios and Battery Studios (New York City, New York).
• Mastered at Sterling Sound (New York City, New York).