Poets and Madmen

2001 studio album by Savatage

Poets and Madmen

Studio album by

Savatage

Released| March 5, 2001
Recorded| 1999-2001
Studio| Soundtrack Studios and Studio 900 (overdubs), New York City
Genre| Heavy metal, progressive metal
Length| 62:36
Label| SPV/Steamhammer
Nuclear Blast America (US only)
Producer| Paul O'Neill, Jon Oliva
Savatage chronology
| The Wake of Magellan
(1998)  | Poets and Madmen
(2001)  | Still the Orchestra Plays
(2010)

|
|

Singles from  Poets and Madmen

1. "Commissar"
Released: February 5, 2001

Professional ratingsReview scores

Source| Rating
AllMusic| [1]
Metal Hammer (GER)| 7/7[2]
Metal Rules| 4.5/5[3]
Rock Hard| 8.0/10[4]

Poets and Madmen is the 11th studio album by American heavy metal band Savatage, released in 2001. It was their last album before their 12-year hiatus, which lasted from 2002 to 2014. The album has a loose concept inspired by the career and death of journalist Kevin Carter, but has much less narrative in the lyrics than the previous two rock operas (Dead Winter Dead and The Wake of Magellan) penned by Paul O'Neill. Everything said in the album is fiction, except with regards to what is sung about Carter.[5] The album is also noted as it is the only Savatage album to not feature a title song from the album, although the title was taken from lyrics to the track "Symmetry" from the band's 1994 album, Handful of Rain.

The album was the first since Streets: A Rock Opera in 1991 to feature the band's original vocalist Jon Oliva on lead vocals for all songs after the amicable departure of Zachary Stevens. It is also the first Savatage album to have guitarist Chris Caffery playing the majority of the guitar solos. This is partly due to the departure of Al Pitrelli, who left to join Megadeth prior to the album's release. However, Pitrelli was credited with the outro of "Stay With Me Awhile," the main solo of "Morphine Child," the main solo of "The Rumor," and the first part of the main solo and the outro of "Commissar".[5] The United States bonus track "Shotgun Innocence" was originally a bonus track on the Japanese release of Edge of Thorns in 1993 and features Zachary Stevens on lead vocals, and the late Criss Oliva on guitar.

The album cover was drawn by Edgar Jerins, who was responsible for the covers of Dead Winter Dead and The Wake of Magellan.[6]

## Track listing

[edit]

All lyrics are written by Paul O'Neill; all music is composed by Chris Caffery, Jon Oliva, O'Neill, except where noted.

No.| Title| Length

|
|

1.| "Stay with Me Awhile"| 5:06
2.| "There in the Silence"| 4:57
3.| "Commissar"| 5:36
4.| "I Seek Power"| 6:03
5.| "Drive"| 3:17
6.| "Morphine Child"| 10:12
7.| "The Rumor"| 5:16
8.| "Man in the Mirror"| 5:56
9.| "Surrender" (J. Oliva, O'Neill)| 6:40
10.| "Awaken"| 3:23
11.| "Back to a Reason" (J. Oliva, O'Neill)| 6:10

Original US edition bonus trackNo.| Title| Writer(s)| Length

|
|
|

12.| "Shotgun Innocence"| Criss Oliva, J. Oliva, O'Neill| 3:31

Limited edition bonus tracksNo.| Title| Writer(s)| Length

|
|
|

12.| "Jesus Saves" (live)| C. Oliva, J. Oliva, O'Neill| 4:28
13.| "Handful of Rain" (music video)| J. Oliva, O'Neill| 4:33

2011 EarMusic reissue bonus tracksNo.| Title| Writer(s)| Length

|
|
|

12.| "Mentally Yours / Tonight He Grins Again" (acoustic version)| C. Oliva, J. Oliva, O'Neill| 4:46
13.| "Sleep" (acoustic version)| C. Oliva, J. Oliva, O'Neill| 3:54

## Personnel

[edit]

Savatage

* Jon Oliva – lead vocals, keyboards, rhythm guitar, co-producer
* Chris Caffery – lead guitar, backing vocals
* Johnny Lee Middleton – bass, backing vocals
* Jeff Plate – drums, backing vocals

Additional musicians

* Bob Kinkel – additional keyboards, backing vocals
* Al Pitrelli – additional guitars on tracks "Stay with Me Awhile", "Commissar", "Morphine Child" and "The Rumor"
* John West – backing vocals
* Zachary Stevens – lead vocals on track 12 of US edition
* Criss Oliva – guitars on track 12 of US edition

Production

* Paul O'Neill – producer
* Dave Wittman – engineer, mixing
* Bob Kinkel – additional engineering
* Darren Rapp, Ed Osbeck – assistant engineers
* Kevin Hodge – mastering at the Master Cutting Room, New York
* Jeff Thompson, Chris Rich, Ken Thornhill – studio managers
* Edgar Jerins – cover art
* Deborah Lauren – design

## Charts

[edit]

### Album

[edit]

| Year  | Chart  | Position

|
|

2001  | German Albums Chart[7] | 7
Billboard Independent Albums (US)[8] | 49
Austrian Top 40 Albums[9] | 70
Dutch MegaCharts[10] | 95
Swiss Albums Top 100[11] | 97

### Singles

[edit]

| Year  | Single  | Chart  | Position

|
|
|

2001  | "Commissar"  | German Singles Chart[12] | 88

## References

[edit]

1. ^ Orens, Geoff. "Savatage - Poets and Madmen review". AllMusic. All Media Network. Retrieved May 6, 2018.
2. ^ Schöwe, Andreas (March 2001). "Savatage – Poets And Madmen". Metal Hammer (in German). Retrieved May 8, 2018.
3. ^ EvilG (April 1, 2001). "Savatage - Poets and Madmen". Metal Rules. Retrieved May 6, 2018.
4. ^ Breusch, Matthias (2001). "Review Album : Savatage - Poets and Madmen". Rock Hard (in German). No. 166. Retrieved May 6, 2018.
5. ^ a b "Savatage FAQ, part 2". Savatage.com. Retrieved February 8, 2007.
6. ^ Roth, Dan (May 28, 2012). "A conversation With Edgar Jerins: the man behind seven classic Savatage and Trans-Siberian Orchestra album covers". Music & Art Interviews.com. Retrieved May 4, 2018.
7. ^ "Album – Savatage, Poets and Madmen". Charts.de (in German). Media Control Charts. Retrieved May 6, 2018.
8. ^ "Savatage Chart History: Independent Albums". Billboard.com. Billboard. Archived from the original on May 25, 2018. Retrieved May 6, 2018.
9. ^ "Savatage - Poets and Madmen". Dutchcharts.nl (in German). Media Control Charts. Retrieved May 6, 2018.
10. ^ "Savatage - Poets and Madmen". Dutchcharts.nl (in Dutch). Media Control Charts. Retrieved May 6, 2018.
11. ^ "Savatage - Poets and Madmen". Dutchcharts.nl (in German). Media Control Charts. Retrieved May 6, 2018.
12. ^ "Single – Savatage, Commissar". Charts.de (in German). Media Control Charts. Retrieved May 6, 2018.

## External links

[edit]

* The Story of Poets and Madmen

* v
* t
* e

Savatage

* Jon Oliva
* Zachary Stevens
* Chris Caffery
* Al Pitrelli
* Johnny Lee Middleton
* Jeff Plate

* Criss Oliva
* Keith Collins
* Steve "Doc" Wacholz
* Damond Jiniya
* Alex Skolnick
* Jack Frost

Studio albums|

* Sirens
* Power of the Night
* Fight for the Rock
* Hall of the Mountain King
* Gutter Ballet
* Streets: A Rock Opera
* Edge of Thorns
* Handful of Rain
* Dead Winter Dead
* The Wake of Magellan
* Poets and Madmen

EPs|

* The Dungeons Are Calling

Live albums|

* Japan Live '94
* Ghost in the Ruins – A Tribute to Criss Oliva

Compilation albums|

* From the Gutter to the Stage
* The Best and the Rest
* Believe
* Still the Orchestra Plays - Greatest Hits, Volume 1 & 2

Singles|

* "Edge of Thorns"
* "Christmas Eve/Sarajevo 12/24"

Related articles|

* Discography
* Band members
* Doctor Butcher
* Testament
* Trans-Siberian Orchestra
* Jon Oliva's Pain
* Circle II Circle
* Machines of Grace

* Category:Savatage

Authority control databases |

* MusicBrainz release group

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