Sleeping with Ghosts

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title: "Sleeping with Ghosts" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["2003-albums", "placebo-(band)-albums", "albums-produced-by-jim-abbiss", "hut-records-albums", "virgin-records-albums"] topic_path: "arts/music" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sleeping_with_Ghosts" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0

::data[format=table title="Infobox album"]

FieldValue
nameSleeping with Ghosts
typestudio
artistPlacebo
coverSleeping with ghosts.jpg
released24 March 2003
recorded2002–2003
studioThe Town House and Sarm West in London, England
genre{{flatlist
length46:32
label{{flatlist
producerJim Abbiss
prev_titleBlack Market Music
prev_year2000
next_titleCovers
next_year2003
misc{{Singles
nameSleeping with Ghosts
typeStudio
single1The Bitter End
single1date10 March 2003
single2This Picture
single2date16 June 2003
single3Special Needs
single3date15 September 2003
single4English Summer Rain
single4date24 February 2004
::

| name = Sleeping with Ghosts | type = studio | artist = Placebo | cover = Sleeping with ghosts.jpg | alt = | released = 24 March 2003 | recorded = 2002–2003 | venue = | studio = The Town House and Sarm West in London, England | genre = {{flatlist|

Sleeping with Ghosts is the fourth studio album by British alternative rock band Placebo. It was recorded from late 2002 to early 2003 and released on 24 March 2003 by record labels Virgin and Hut.

Sleeping with Ghosts reached number 11 in the UK Albums Chart, and received a generally favourable reaction from music critics.

Content

Frontman Brian Molko, who is known to be a fan of the band Sonic Youth, references lyrics from their album Sister on "Plasticine" ("Beauty lies inside the eye of another youthful dream" directly references "Beauty lies in the eyes of another's dream" from Sonic Youth's "Beauty Lies in the Eye").

The album has several songs based on a theme of relationships, such as relationships that end badly ("The Bitter End"), power struggles in relationships ("Special Needs") or the idea that some are meant to be eternal soulmates (the title track). Brian Molko told Kerrang! magazine: "I'm looking back to what's happened in my past emotional decade, trying to understand it. Trying to exorcise the ghosts and the demons of relationships past. It's the old cliché of it being therapeutic but it does work for me in that way."

Another interview has Molko explaining:

::quote The album title's about carrying the ghosts of your relationships with you, to the point where sometimes a smell or a situation or an item of clothing they bought brings a person back. For me it's about the relationship that you have with your memories. They inhabit your dreams sometimes. There can be a lot in the future that's gonna remind you of the ghost of relationships past. So I see the album as a collection of short stories about a handful of relationships. Most of them mine. In a way writing the songs helps me to get a lot of the nasty feelings off my chest and put them in a box, and therefore have a bit more of an objective discourse with those emotions because you've done something positive with them, you've rid yourself of them. ::

Release

Sleeping with Ghosts was released in March 2003. The CD came with the Copy Control protection system in some regions. It reached number 11 in the UK Albums Chart.

A Special Edition version of the album was released on 22 September 2003 worldwide, featuring a diverse selection of cover versions that the band had recorded in previous years. This was re-released as a download-only album in 2007 under the name Covers. This is their last album released under Hut.

Reception

| MC = 64/100 | rev1 = AllMusic | rev1score = | rev2 = The A.V. Club | rev2score = favourable | rev3 = Blender | rev3score = | rev4 = Filter | rev4score = 85% | rev5 = Mojo | rev5score = | rev6 = Pitchfork | rev6score = 6.4/10 | rev7 = PopMatters | rev7score = mixed | rev8 = Q | rev8score = | rev9 = Rolling Stone | rev9score = | rev10 = Uncut | rev10score = 4/10

Sleeping with Ghosts received "Generally favorable reviews" from critics, and holds an approval rating of 64 out of 100 on Metacritic.

Michael Idov of Pitchfork wrote "No peaks, no gorges, just a steady oscillation between adequate and inspired. Sleeping with Ghosts is a remarkably level collection of guitar pop, simultaneously less glammy and less pungent than Placebo's earlier stuff." Mojo wrote "There's some terrific and accessible stuff here [...] but the result is still an album that retreads old Placebo themes." Q magazine called it "spikily brilliant".

Track listing

All tracks written and performed by Placebo {{track listing | title1 = Bulletproof Cupid | length1 = 2:22 | title2 = English Summer Rain | length2 = 4:01 | title3 = This Picture | length3 = 3:34 | title4 = Sleeping with Ghosts | length4 = 4:38 | title5 = The Bitter End | length5 = 3:10 | title6 = Something Rotten | length6 = 5:28 | title7 = Plasticine | length7 = 3:26 | title8 = Special Needs | length8 = 5:15 | title9 = I'll Be Yours | length9 = 3:32 | title10 = Second Sight | length10 = 2:49 | title11 = Protect Me from What I Want | length11 = 3:15 | title12 = Centrefolds | length12 = 5:02 | total_length = 46:32 | headline = Japanese edition bonus tracks | title13 = Evalia | length13 = 4:20 | title14 = Drink You Pretty | length14 = 3:55 | headline = European bonus tracks | title13 = Slackerbitch | length13 = 3:24 | title14 = Eyesight to the Blind | length14 = 2:58 | title15 = Miss Moneypenny | length15 = 2:50 | title16 = Then the Clouds Will Open for Me | length16 = 4:19 | title17 = Waiting for the Son of Man | length17 = 4:10 | title18 = Leeloo | length18 = 4:19 | title19 = ION | length19 = 4:08 | headline = Special Edition bonus track | title13 = Protège-Moi | length13 = 3:13 | headline = Special Edition bonus disc: Covers | title1 = Running Up That Hill | note1 = originally by Kate Bush | writer1 = Kate Bush | length1 = 4:57 | title2 = Where Is My Mind? | note2 = originally by Pixies | writer2 = Black Francis | length2 = 3:44 | title3 = Bigmouth Strikes Again | note3 = originally by The Smiths | writer3 = Johnny Marr, Morrissey | length3 = 3:54 | title4 = Johnny and Mary | note4 = originally by Robert Palmer | writer4 = Robert Palmer | length4 = 3:25 | title5 = 20th Century Boy | note5 = originally by T. Rex | writer5 = Marc Bolan | length5 = 3:40 | title6 = The Ballad of Melody Nelson | note6 = originally by Serge Gainsbourg | writer6 = Serge Gainsbourg | length6 = 3:58 | title7 = Holocaust | note7 = originally by Big Star | writer7 = Alex Chilton | length7 = 4:27 | title8 = I Feel You | note8 = originally by Depeche Mode | writer8 = Martin Gore | length8 = 6:26 | title9 = Daddy Cool | note9 = originally by Boney M. | writer9 = Frank Farian, George Reyam | length9 = 3:21 | title10 = Jackie | note10 = originally by Sinéad O'Connor | writer10 = Sinéad O'Connor | length10 = 2:48

Charts and certifications

Weekly charts

::data[format=table] | Chart (2003) | Peak position | |---|---| | Greek Albums (IFPI) | 4 | ::

Year-end charts

::data[format=table]

Chart (2003)Position
Austrian Albums (Ö3 Austria)41
Belgian Albums (Ultratop Flanders)35
Belgian Albums (Ultratop Wallonia)5
French Albums (SNEP)13
German Albums (Offizielle Top 100)32
Swiss Albums (Schweizer Hitparade)30
UK Albums (OCC)179
::

::data[format=table]

Chart (2004)Position
French Albums (SNEP)17
::

Certifications and sales

Personnel

; Placebo

  • Brian Molko – vocals, guitar, keyboards, saxophone on "Something Rotten", drums on "English Summer Rain"
  • Steve Hewitt – drums, percussion
  • Stefan Olsdal – bass guitar, guitar, keyboards, piano, backing vocals

; Additional personnel

  • Simon Breed – harmonica on "Protect Me from What I Want"

; Technical personnel

  • Jim Abbiss – production
  • Jean Baptiste Mondino – sleeve art direction and photography
  • Jim Barny – mixing at Mayfair Studios, recording at Townhouse Studios and Sarm West Studios
  • Andy Davies – engineering assistance at Sarm West Studios
  • Bill Lloyd – additional recording, engineering
  • Sean Magee – mastering at Abbey Road Studios
  • Fergus Peterkin – engineering assistance at Mayfair Studios
  • Danny Porter – engineering assistance at Townhouse Studios
  • See Studio – sleeve design and art direction
  • Tom Stanley – engineering assistance at Townhouse Studios

References

References

  1. (August 1997). "The Boy Can't Help It". [[Guitarist (magazine).
  2. (March 2003). "Natural Born Chillers". [[Kerrang!]].
  3. (9 August 2003). "Placebo – Guest Program ''Rage''". Australian Broadcasting Corporation.
  4. "Placebo ".
  5. "Critic Reviews for ''Sleeping with Ghosts'' – Metacritic".
  6. MacKenzie, Wilson. "''Sleeping with Ghosts'' – Placebo ".
  7. Murray, Noel. (15 April 2003). "''Sleeping with Ghosts'' ".
  8. Cohen, Jason. (May 2003). "Placebo ''Sleeping with Ghosts''". [[Blender (magazine).
  9. "[''Sleeping with Ghosts'' review]". [[Filter (magazine).
  10. (April 2003). "[''Sleeping with Ghosts'' review]". [[Mojo (magazine).
  11. Idov, Michael. (20 April 2003). "Placebo: ''Sleeping with Ghosts''".
  12. Antrobus, David. (14 May 2003). "Placebo: ''Sleeping with Ghosts'' ".
  13. (April 2003). "[''Sleeping with Ghosts'' review]". [[Q (magazine).
  14. (May 2003). "[''Sleeping with Ghosts'' review]". [[Uncut (magazine).
  15. "Jahreshitparade Alben 2003".
  16. "Jaaroverzichten 2003". Ultratop.
  17. "Rapports Annuels 2003". Ultratop.
  18. "Top de l'année Top Albums 2003". SNEP.
  19. "Top 100 Album-Jahrescharts". offiziellecharts.de.
  20. "Schweizer Jahreshitparade 2003".
  21. "2003 UK Albums Chart". ChartsPlus.
  22. "Top de l'année Top Albums 2004". SNEP.
  23. "Top Oficial da Associação Fonográfica Portuguesa – Top 30 Artistas – Semana 15 de 2003". [[Associação Fonográfica Portuguesa]].
  24. Legrand, Emmauel. (15 April 2006). "Placebo gets rockier".

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