Why Wasn't This a Huge Hit?: Poe's 'Haunted'

Mike B Mon, Jun 2, 2008 at 05:51 PM EST

Dear Lord yes, I'm listening to it right now at work, and sparing my coworkers my off key voice because I want to belt out "Haunted". Then again, that's what the drive home is for.
Is there anyone besides me who thinks it's funny that "5 and a half minute hallway" is only 3:20 longs?

Nick Thu, Mar 27, 2008 at 04:19 PM EST

\m/ rock.

http://thelittlestwinslow.wordpress.com/2008/03/27/slezak-is-a-god/

Nick Thu, Mar 27, 2008 at 04:07 PM EST

SLEZAK IS A GOD.

YES. YEEEEEEEEES. I'm linking this up on my blog. Poe is so. very. extremely. underrated.

www.thelittlestwinslow.wordpress.com

Jessica Tue, Mar 25, 2008 at 07:45 PM EST

God, I love Haunted. Not just the song - the whole album is one of my all time favorites.

Chuck Tue, Mar 25, 2008 at 12:55 PM EST

Oh, amen to that. Poe's "Haunted" -- moreso than her first album, though I love that one, too -- stays in steady rotation. It's a perfect album, and tracks like "Haunted" and "Control" only serve to reinforce the Uniform Awesomeness of the entire piece.

Retroactive71 Tue, Mar 25, 2008 at 11:09 AM EST

Haunted is a *perfect* album and there are so very few of those. And a concept album to boot! I too read her brother's book and found the whole very interesting, though I doubt I'd read the book again. It went on a bit long. Once you get the point, it's done.

Kevin Tue, Mar 25, 2008 at 10:24 AM EST

My problem with both Poe and her brother is that they are too Creative-Writing-Workshop pretentious. You know the ones...they'll drone on and on about why they chose to use a certain image or phrase while name dropping everyone from William Blake to Charles Bukowski (mixed in with ribbings of Chuck Palahniuk and Bret Easton Ellis...ya know, "because they try to hard"--an irony lost on no one). I really hate that! (can you tell that I'm still bitter about my time wasted in Creative Writing classes?).

Nat X Tue, Mar 25, 2008 at 10:21 AM EST

Heard "Angry Johnny" on one of my internet radio stations a few weeks ago. I probably hadn't heard it since 1995. I was wondering whatever happened to Poe cuz I dug her back in the day. Guess I need to check out her later stuff. Thanks!

GingerCat Tue, Mar 25, 2008 at 09:40 AM EST

I think this wasn't a hit because the critics turned up their noses at this CD when it first came out. The reviews were all lukewarm. Of course, we then got assaulted with years of Britneyesque crap, and there was no room for serious female singer-songwriters. Maybe that's changing again.

Angry Psycho Tue, Mar 25, 2008 at 09:10 AM EST

Woo-hoo! I love Poe! I recently converted a friend of mine into an Angry Psycho. Let the movement continue!

denny Tue, Mar 25, 2008 at 09:04 AM EST

Poe is seriously f-ing brilliant, as is her brother, Mark Z. Danielewski. Slezak, if you don't get any bit of the song/album, read House of Leaves. The two siblings were working on both at the same time, and were heavily affected by their father's death, so the two works really influenced each other. House of Leaves is the single most outstanding, mind-blowing piece of literature I have ever read. Weird thing is, Mark used some samples from Haunted to record a kind of soundtrack to the book that floated around the internet when it was first published. He didn't really need to, since Haunted is a perfect soundtrack already.
But anyway, this probably wasn't a hit because people simply didn't know what to make of Poe. I'm pretty sure her first single off the album was Hey Pretty, which I love, but it included Mark reading a passage from the book, and the video was... well... look it up on youtube and see what I mean. I think the whole thing just went over people's heads.

Jason Tue, Mar 25, 2008 at 08:54 AM EST

I love Poe but prefer her first album "Hello". I think the second album was too different from the first and people didnt take to it. "Haunted" was played on GH once and that was kind of a treat b/c it was a few years after its release.

L Pancia Tue, Mar 25, 2008 at 07:39 AM EST

I can't stress enough how much this entire record moves me, and thank you for mentioning it! I think the reason that this never became a billboard hit is mainly due to the record label, not enough promotion. My guess is the label wanted another Brittney or Christina, and Poe decided to hold on to her artistic integrity. Bravo for her, her music is beautiful don't change a thing, but please give us more!

dan Tue, Mar 25, 2008 at 07:21 AM EST

Great track! i've had this on my playlist since the album came out.The album is an accompanyment to her brother, Mark Z. Danielewski's House of Leaves novel. Both are incredible. 5 & 1/2 Minute Hallway is also great and an allusion to a segment in the novel.

Thataboy Tue, Mar 25, 2008 at 12:48 AM EST

Very good album. The song I go back to the most is Walk the Walk -- gets me revved the f up :)

Where has she been?

Shone Mon, Mar 24, 2008 at 10:20 PM EST

Poe is awesome, but too moody and atmospheric for mainstream success. "Angry Johnny" and "Hello", two of her more successful singles had a trip-hop vibe that was in at the time. By the time the second album came out, people really had forgotten about her, only diehard fans were listening.

Dru Mon, Mar 24, 2008 at 09:37 PM EST

Thank you for reminding me how much I love this album! Haunted is beautiful, Hey Pretty is hilarious, and Not A Virgin could be the Britney Spears theme song.

deco72 Mon, Mar 24, 2008 at 08:44 PM EST

I would think if you are aware of this song then you probably have the CD. In the credits it explains exactly what Poe is singing about. The whole album is about her messed up relationship with her father who had recently died before she made the album. And yes it is an awesome song but not commercial enough for most people.

Mon, Mar 24, 2008 at 07:20 PM EST

God, I love Poe. That album was an intense, rollercoaster ride of awesome. Thanks, slezak, for giving a great artist more recognition. I just wish she'd put out a follow up album.

Snsetblaze Mon, Mar 24, 2008 at 04:38 PM EST

I am so glad you brought up this singer. I have and love both her albums.

Raven_Moon Mon, Mar 24, 2008 at 04:32 PM EST

I don't know. It just doesn't do that much for me. It's not bad, but I wouldn't call it amazing.

Erin Mon, Mar 24, 2008 at 04:31 PM EST

Slezak, this is the first one of these posts I've ever agreed with! This song is awesome! My college friends and I spent a spring break in Texas driving around listening to this album (yeah, I know, weird choice of both destination and music for spring break, but we were creative writing majors). Evanescence and Flyleaf could learn a lot from Poe!

dala Mon, Mar 24, 2008 at 04:17 PM EST

I HAVE THIS SONG ON MY PLAYLIST TOO!!! i heard this way beack in like 1999 or 2000 from a mix cd and i was taken back by how spooky this song is !! i love it!!

Bruce in NC Mon, Mar 24, 2008 at 04:16 PM EST

This was a good album (could have done without the answering machine recordings though) but the real winner was the seriously rocking Not A Virgin. That song was the 'hidden track' on a few of our wedding CDs back in 2002.

We made sure my grandmother did not get that version.

Courtney Mon, Mar 24, 2008 at 04:13 PM EST

You are so right. I have been in love with that album and Poe for a very long time. Many of the songs off that album are still in heavy rotation on my iPod. It's true that some of her songs don't make the most sense, but I love everything about them anyway. Finally, a shout out I can get behind!

Vicky Mon, Mar 24, 2008 at 03:38 PM EST

Love this song! I bought this album back in high school and I still break it out every now and then. But I think Haunted is just a beautiful song and Poe is really talented. There's only one thing that might throw people off. At the beginning and ending of some of her songs, she placed old recordings of her father talking. Whenever I hear his voice, it kind of creeps me out.

Lynny Mon, Mar 24, 2008 at 02:52 PM EST

Why wasn't this a hit? Cause it's boring.

Drew Mon, Mar 24, 2008 at 02:47 PM EST

Ew. To me this sounds like Poe is half-asleep, congested, singing over some slowed down carousel bells, with angsty guitars, and the the most emo lyrics ever written. Thank GOODNESS this was not a hit.

Snarf Mon, Mar 24, 2008 at 02:39 PM EST

I like her work with Conjure One. Talk about haunting/haunted.

laura Mon, Mar 24, 2008 at 02:34 PM EST

Thanks so much for writing about Poe and "Haunted" because maybe more people will now search out and buy this album, beyond her die-hard followers. All of her work is incredible, and she is sadly underrated in her field. I have also listened to "Haunted" and "Control" on repeat! That album in particular is a work of art.

Stephanie T. Mon, Mar 24, 2008 at 02:25 PM EST

Btw: I was referring to Poe.

Stephanie T. Mon, Mar 24, 2008 at 02:24 PM EST

Probably because at that time the whole feminist folk alt movement was pretty much reaching its apex with Fiona Apple. Not to mention her brother Daniel, a writer whom she brought along with her during her 2001 tour with Depeche Mode was a bit too intelligent for most people.

Marci Mon, Mar 24, 2008 at 02:02 PM EST

I love Poe and I absolutely adore that album. Haunted is such a wonderful song and it means so much to me (as does the whole album).

jen Mon, Mar 24, 2008 at 02:00 PM EST

My favorite off that album is "control"- love it, love Poe!

jen Mon, Mar 24, 2008 at 01:59 PM EST

My favorite off that album is "control" love it, love Poe!

ben Mon, Mar 24, 2008 at 01:58 PM EST

THANK YOU Michael for drawing more attention to this album. I listened to it for a year straight almost every day. It's one of those albums I buy people as a gift because I think they need to hear it. We're all waiting for her next one. Tick tock tick tock.... Saw Poe live in concert once too - she swam through the audience in NYC. There's a whole community of POE addicts called "Angry Psychos" if you want to join something that scary sounding.... :) BEN

Court Mon, Mar 24, 2008 at 01:42 PM EST

Yay Poe!!! That entire album is like a weird, melancholy, deeply disturbing dream you don't want to wake up from. It's GORGEOUS, and I love every song. It's even more fun if you read her brother Mark Z. Danielewski's 'House of Leaves' while you're listening to it. Both brilliant.