And Then Nothing Turned Itself Inside Out
Encyclopedia
And Then Nothing Turned Itself Inside-Out is the ninth studio album by Yo La Tengo
, an alternative rock
music group from Hoboken, New Jersey
. The album was released in February 2000 by Matador Records
. The title of the album is likely derived from a Sun Ra
quote: "...At first there was nothing...then nothing turned itself inside-out and became something." The album marked yet another creative shift in Yo La Tengo's songwriting with a greatly slower approach. The band continued to expand on their simplistic songwriting; many of the songs are soft ballads with very airy percussion and background noises; however, the guitars and bass provide a strong undertone of reverberation. And Then Nothing Turned Itself Inside-Out features an array of backing instruments such as vibraphone and drum machines, which all lend an expansion of musical textures and differentiation of timbre.
Yo La Tengo deliver more subdued art-pop songs on this album than on any other; however, their noise-rock influence is also most present on And Then Nothing Turned Itself Inside-Out, with songs like "Saturday", "Cherry Chapstick", "Tired Hippo", and the 17-minute epic "Night Falls on Hoboken".
The title "Let's Save Tony Orlando
's House" comes from an episode of The Simpsons
, titled "Marge on the Lam
". It is the name of a telethon that actor Troy McClure
previously hosted. During this period, many of their tracks were given temp-titles based on Troy McClure's filmography
. The title "The Crying of Lot G" is a reference to Thomas Pynchon
's novel The Crying of Lot 49
.
"You Can Have It All" is a cover of the George McCrae
song of the same name, originally written by Harry Wayne Casey
of KC and the Sunshine Band
. Yo La Tengo's take is of a distinctly different style, with a much slower tempo. A techno version of "You Can Have It All" was used as Northwest Airlines
's theme song under the Now You're Flying Smart slogan. The track "Our Way to Fall" appears in an episode of Six Feet Under titled "Driving Mr. Mossback" (season 2, episode 4). Canadian folk-rock group The Olympic Symphonium
covered "Saturday" on their 2007 album Chapter 1.
The album artwork is made up of photographs by surrealist photographer and Yale professor Gregory Crewdson
.
And Then Nothing Turned Itself Inside-Out was well received critically, featuring on a number of best albums of the decade lists including Pitchfork's Top 200 Albums of the 2000s list at #37, Tiny Mix Tapes Favourite 100 Albums of the 2000-2009 at #83 and at #77 on a similar list for Rolling Stone.
Yo La Tengo
Yo La Tengo, sometimes abbreviated as YLT, is an American alternative rock band formed in Hoboken, New Jersey in 1984. Since 1992, the lineup has consisted of Ira Kaplan , Georgia Hubley , and James McNew .Despite achieving limited mainstream success, Yo La Tengo has been called "the quintessential...
, an alternative rock
Alternative rock
Alternative rock is a genre of rock music and a term used to describe a diverse musical movement that emerged from the independent music underground of the 1980s and became widely popular by the 1990s...
music group from Hoboken, New Jersey
Hoboken, New Jersey
Hoboken is a city in Hudson County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the city's population was 50,005. The city is part of the New York metropolitan area and contains Hoboken Terminal, a major transportation hub for the region...
. The album was released in February 2000 by Matador Records
Matador Records
Matador Records is an independent record label, with a roster of indie rock artists and bands.-History:Matador was started by Chris Lombardi in 1989 in his New York City apartment. The following year, Lombardi was joined by former Homestead Records manager Gerard Cosloy, and the two of them have...
. The title of the album is likely derived from a Sun Ra
Sun Ra
Sun Ra was a prolific jazz composer, bandleader, piano and synthesizer player, poet and philosopher known for his "cosmic philosophy," musical compositions and performances. He was born in Birmingham, Alabama...
quote: "...At first there was nothing...then nothing turned itself inside-out and became something." The album marked yet another creative shift in Yo La Tengo's songwriting with a greatly slower approach. The band continued to expand on their simplistic songwriting; many of the songs are soft ballads with very airy percussion and background noises; however, the guitars and bass provide a strong undertone of reverberation. And Then Nothing Turned Itself Inside-Out features an array of backing instruments such as vibraphone and drum machines, which all lend an expansion of musical textures and differentiation of timbre.
Yo La Tengo deliver more subdued art-pop songs on this album than on any other; however, their noise-rock influence is also most present on And Then Nothing Turned Itself Inside-Out, with songs like "Saturday", "Cherry Chapstick", "Tired Hippo", and the 17-minute epic "Night Falls on Hoboken".
The title "Let's Save Tony Orlando
Tony Orlando
Michael Anthony Orlando Cassavitis , better known as Tony Orlando, is an American show business professional, best known as the lead singer of the group Tony Orlando and Dawn in the early 1970s. Discovered by producer Don Kirshner, Orlando had songs on the charts in 1961 when he was 16, "Halfway to...
's House" comes from an episode of The Simpsons
The Simpsons
The Simpsons is an American animated sitcom created by Matt Groening for the Fox Broadcasting Company. The series is a satirical parody of a middle class American lifestyle epitomized by its family of the same name, which consists of Homer, Marge, Bart, Lisa and Maggie...
, titled "Marge on the Lam
Marge on the Lam
"Marge on the Lam" is the sixth episode of The Simpsons fifth season, which originally aired on November 4, 1993 on Fox. When Marge invites her neighbor, Ruth Powers to attend the ballet with her, the two become friends and begin to go out, making Homer jealous as he wants Marge to spend time with...
". It is the name of a telethon that actor Troy McClure
Troy McClure
Troy McClure is a fictional character in the American animated sitcom The Simpsons. He was voiced by Phil Hartman and first appears in the second season episode "Homer vs. Lisa and the 8th Commandment". McClure is a washed-up actor, usually shown doing low-level work, such as hosting infomercials...
previously hosted. During this period, many of their tracks were given temp-titles based on Troy McClure's filmography
Filmography
Filmography is a collective noun for a list of films related by some criterion. For example, an actor's career filmography is the list of films he or she has appeared in; a director's comedy filmography is the list of comedy films directed by a particular director...
. The title "The Crying of Lot G" is a reference to Thomas Pynchon
Thomas Pynchon
Thomas Ruggles Pynchon, Jr. is an American novelist. For his most praised novel, Gravity's Rainbow, Pynchon received the National Book Award, and is regularly cited as a contender for the Nobel Prize in Literature...
's novel The Crying of Lot 49
The Crying of Lot 49
The Crying of Lot 49 is a novel by Thomas Pynchon, first published in 1966. The shortest of Pynchon's novels, it is about a woman, Oedipa Maas, possibly unearthing the centuries-old conflict between two mail distribution companies, Thurn und Taxis and the Trystero...
.
"You Can Have It All" is a cover of the George McCrae
George McCrae
George McCrae is an American soul and disco singer, most famous for his 1974 hit "Rock Your Baby".-Early life and career:...
song of the same name, originally written by Harry Wayne Casey
Harry Wayne Casey
Harry Wayne "K.C." Casey is an American musician, singer, songwriter, and producer. He is most famous for his group, KC and the Sunshine Band, and as a producer of several hits for other artists.-Early years:...
of KC and the Sunshine Band
KC and the Sunshine Band
KC and the Sunshine Band is an American musical group. Founded in 1973 in Miami, Florida, their style has included funk, R&B, and disco. Their most well known songs include the disco hits "That's the Way ", " Shake Your Booty", "I'm Your Boogie Man", "Keep It Comin' Love", "Get Down Tonight", "Give...
. Yo La Tengo's take is of a distinctly different style, with a much slower tempo. A techno version of "You Can Have It All" was used as Northwest Airlines
Northwest Airlines
Northwest Airlines, Inc. was a major United States airline founded in 1926 and absorbed into Delta Air Lines by a merger approved on October 29, 2008, making Delta the largest airline in the world...
's theme song under the Now You're Flying Smart slogan. The track "Our Way to Fall" appears in an episode of Six Feet Under titled "Driving Mr. Mossback" (season 2, episode 4). Canadian folk-rock group The Olympic Symphonium
The Olympic Symphonium
The Olympic Symphonium is a Canadian indie folk trio from Fredericton, New Brunswick. The band consists of Nick Cobham , Kyle Cunjak , and Graeme Walker...
covered "Saturday" on their 2007 album Chapter 1.
The album artwork is made up of photographs by surrealist photographer and Yale professor Gregory Crewdson
Gregory Crewdson
Gregory Crewdson is an American photographer who is best known for elaborately staged scenes of American homes and neighborhoods.-Life and career:Crewdson was born in the Park Slope neighborhood of Brooklyn, NY...
.
And Then Nothing Turned Itself Inside-Out was well received critically, featuring on a number of best albums of the decade lists including Pitchfork's Top 200 Albums of the 2000s list at #37, Tiny Mix Tapes Favourite 100 Albums of the 2000-2009 at #83 and at #77 on a similar list for Rolling Stone.
Track listing
All songs written by Yo La Tengo except where noted.- "Everyday" – 6:31
- "Our Way to Fall" – 4:18
- "Saturday" – 4:18
- "Let's Save Tony Orlando's House" – 4:59
- "Last Days of Disco" – 6:28
- "The Crying of Lot G" – 4:44
- "You Can Have It All" (Harry Wayne CaseyHarry Wayne CaseyHarry Wayne "K.C." Casey is an American musician, singer, songwriter, and producer. He is most famous for his group, KC and the Sunshine Band, and as a producer of several hits for other artists.-Early years:...
) – 4:36 - "Tears Are in Your Eyes" – 4:35
- "Cherry Chapstick" – 6:11
- "From Black to Blue" – 4:47
- "Madeline" – 3:36
- "Tired Hippo" – 4:45
- "Night Falls on Hoboken" – 17:42