Pretty & Twisted (album)

The album was produced by Johnette Napolitano; it began as a solo project, with Napolitano initially recording in her home.[9][10] "Mother of Pearl" is a cover of the Roxy Music song.[11] "Come Away with Me" incorporates unrecorded lyrics written by Janis Joplin.[12][13] "Singing Is Fire" is a Charles Bukowski poem set to music; "Stranger" was written with Paul Westerberg.[10][14]

Professional ratings

Review scores
Source	Rating
AllMusic	[15]
Calgary Herald	B-[16]
The Indianapolis Star	[17]
Knoxville News Sentinel	[18]
Los Angeles Times	[19]
MusicHound Rock: The Essential Album Guide	[20]

Trouser Press wrote that "while Pretty & Twisted simplifies things and cuts away the artsier pretensions of latter-day Concrete Blonde, it replaces them with dopier ego indulgences."[21] The Los Angeles Times thought that "there's something both Bowie-esque and Cure-like in the band's aggressively ominous atmospherics—a sound with the grit and the grace to make the edge of desperation seem like the only place to be."[19] The Hamilton Spectator declared that "Napolitano's experience certainly gives Pretty & Twisted a decided advantage as one of the better debut albums to come around in a while."[22]

The Knoxville News Sentinel determined that "for all the intrigue of the lyrics and singing, Pretty & Twisted only sporadically gets substantial instrumental support."[18] The Calgary Herald concluded that "many of these songs lay lifelessly in the cauldron, although the ones that do work roar out spitting and smoking."[16] The Indianapolis Star opined that "much of this new disc runs flat, with dark tracks bearing well-worn sentiments."[17]

AllMusic called the album "a wonderful slice of adult alternative rock that is both melodic and intelligent."[15]

Credits are adapted from the Pretty & Twisted CD album booklet.[23]

• Johnette Napolitano – vocals (1–13), bass (1–13), keyboards (1, 5–7, 11, 13), guitars (1, 3, 9–10), beat (1, 9–10, 13), percussion (2–3, 5–6, 8–11, 13)
• Marc Moreland – guitars (1–13), vocals (4, 11), keyboards (8)
• Danny Montgomery – drums (2–8, 11–12)
• Chris Bailey – guitars (5)

Production

• Johnette Napolitano – producer, engineer
• Earle Mankey – engineer (1–13), mixing (1–12)
• Alex Gordon – engineer (1–13), mixing (13)
• Sean Freehill – engineer, sampling, sequencing
• Anne Catalano – assistant engineer
• Danny, Jeff and Susan at Paramount – additional assistants
• Tom Baker – mastering

Other

• Bruce Poulsen – cover photography
• Johnette Napolitano, Marc Moreland – additional photos
• William Herron III – logo
• Brigid Pearson – assemblage