Be Human (Fightstar Album)
Encyclopedia
Be Human is the third studio album
by British alternative rock
band Fightstar
, released on April 20, 2009 through independent label Search and Destroy Records, itself distributed by PIAS Recordings
. The album was recorded between August and December 2008 in Chesterfield
and London
, with the band co-producing alongside Laruso
guitarist Carl Bown. Additional recording took place Air Studios with string composer Audrey Riley
. Unlike their first two studio releases, Daniel Conway did not contribute to the albums artwork
, instead the band approached Ryohei Hase who digitally painted
the cover art
.
Four singles
were released from Be Human, including "The English Way
" and "Mercury Summer
" prior to the albums release. Drawing praise from many critics, the album entered the UK Albums Chart
at number 20, making it their highest charting album to date. The iTunes
digital download
includes a bonus track
which is an acoustic
version of "Unfamiliar Ceilings", the final track on the band's previous studio album
, performed with former XFM
presenter Katie P. A deluxe edition was later re-released on March 1, 2010, including four newly recorded tracks, a DVD
of the band's live unplugged
performance at the Picturedrome Theatre in Northampton
, new cover art and also a revised track listing.
, the personal studio of co-producer and friend, Carl Bown. Drum tracks for the album were recorded at Steelworks Studios in Sheffield, and split between Omar and Charlie due to Omar suffering from a broken wrist. Recording sessions began in August 2008, and were due to finish in November. The band's vocalist, guitarist and songwriter Charlie Simpson
confirmed tentative working titles as "War Machine", "English Way" and "Mercury Summer". He mentioned the former would have a distinct "rock opera
" feel to it with heavy string sections.
After the bulk of recording had been completed, the band went to Air Studios (where film scores for Pirates of the Caribbean
and Batman Begins
had been composed) to record the string sections with Audrey Riley
. Simpson later commented that "it was great to bring that element, that classical side, into it. It adds so much." Leading up to the album's release, the band indicated that the sound would be "quite different" to their earlier material with the inclusion of orchestral and choral parts. Despite this, it was noted that it would still remain "Fightstar", with their trademark dark and heavy elements. The band also regarded the lyrical content as their "most postitive" to date and were pleased that the finished product was "everything we wanted".
from the album was "The English Way
", released along with a music video
on 3 November 2008. It marked a degree of experimentation for the band, with the addition of choir vocals for the first time. The CD single had a demo titled "Colours Bleed", which had its name changed to "Colours Bleed to Red" for the release of the album.
The video for the second single, "Mercury Summer
", premiered on 25 February 2009, whilst the physical CD single release was on 6 April. The song further showcased a more experimental direction, with a more upbeat and melodic sound than found in older material.
In a live web chat with fans on the official Fightstar forum on 9 April 2009, the band confirmed that the next single is expected to be "Never Change
". They shot the video for it on 3 May, as the band confirmed at their gig in Exeter Lemon Grove on 4 May. It was released on 20 July 2009, with the band working alongside the same directors for the video as they did with "Mercury Summer".
' "Battlefield
", which the band performed informally earlier in the year in the BBC Radio 1
Live Lounge
. The cover was met with great approval and Sparks herself said on radio that she was a fan of Fightstar and believed they should cover the song.
On the 12th October the band posted pictures on their Myspace
site from their latest music video shoot for new song "A City on Fire
". The song subsequently was played for the first time during Fearne Cotton
's show on Radio 1 on October 19 and the official video premiered on the bands MySpace on October 24, which was directed by the team at Sitcom Soldiers. The single was released as a digital download
on December 20, while the band have since confirmed the deluxe re-release of Be Human will be available in February 2010.
On January 13, guitarist Alex Westaway posted an update on the band's official website. He confirmed that the deluxe re-release is scheduled for release on or around 1 March 2010. He also confirmed he had personally designed new artwork for the repackaging and that a live DVD
would also be included. The band's unplugged
performance was shot in December 2009 at the Picturedome in Northampton
(Westaway's home town). The DVD also includes the music videos for "The English Way", "Mercury Summer", "Never Change" and "A City on Fire. The four newly recorded tracks were confirmed as, "A City on Fire", "It's Blood is Black", "28k Resolution" and "Mvua Nyeusi", with the whole tracklisting re-organised.
Anton Djamoos of AbsolutePunk rated the album 84% and stated that it's time for the US to "finally take notice of Fightstar". Commenting on the bands progression, he stated; "Be Human is a departure from the general body of work we've seen in the past from the band. They break from their own norm with several orchestral elements to make the album sound more full and let the music hit even harder; they're pushing their creative boundaries and it works for the most part". He also added that Fightstar "is poised to finally see some long-overdue respect". In the News
writer Lewis Bazley was highly favourable in his review and awarded a score of 9/10. He described the album as, "Bold, grandiose - a career high". He also stated the album would have huge reply value and summarised his review by adding; "With Fightstar having released this LP themselves and the aforementioned orchestra appearing on almost every track, it's a 50-minute statement of intent, a dozen songs in which the four-piece declare 'this is the band we've always wanted to be'. From the opening, orchestral burst of 'Calling On All Stations', the Death Cab
-meets-Cure
emotional theatrics of 'Give Me the Sky' and the mournful movie script ending of 'Follow Me Into the Darkness', immersing yourself in the bipolar world of Be Human is an exhilarating, sometimes heartstopping journey to revisit for years to come".
Emma Johnston, a critic for British rock magazine Kerrang!
, awarded the album an "excellent" four K rating and commented the band had "created a huge-hearted, earnest, wonderfully over the top album". She was particularly impressed with the variety offered on the record; "Be Human is a record glorying in its own bombast, as Fightstar throw as many orchestral and choral flourishes as their muscular, solemnly heavy rock as it could take without drowning". Victoria Durham of Rock Sound
stated, "By now, we know that Fightstar are capable of great things and they're back in business, with nothing less than Hollywood movie scores in their sights". Awarding the album 8/10, she made comparisons with Biffy Clyro
and Silverchair
whilst complimenting the broad range found among the songs; "If ‘Chemical Blood’ and ‘Damocles’ are the pummelling rock epics, then ‘Tonight We Burn’ and ‘Give Me The Sky’ are the experimental, pop-fuelled gems. Fightstar have always been ambitious; now they’re on their way to becoming truly brilliant". Matt Mason of Q magazine, while awarding the album an "excellent" four star review, wrote, "be human reveals itself to be a more complex – and captivating – creature. Bold juxtapositioning of operatic arrangements, electronic interludes and juddering hardcore riffs." Shaun-James Brown of tabloid paper The Sun
was equally favourable, also awarding a four star rating; "Strings and a choir make an unexpected but sublime addition to their rich sound on "Calling On All Stations". "Mercury Summer" is a radio-friendly anthem guaranteed a lot of airplay - a memorable, guitar-driven melody offset by an uplifting chorus. And they can still produce some pummellingly heavy moments such as "Damocles". Be Human shows a new credibilty and direction for Charlie Simpson's grown-up band." Craig Broad of God Is In The TV
noted that his first impressions of the album were, "how grandiose it actually is." Awarding four stars, he praised the band for expanding their sound; "Be Human, ultimately, is a band comfortable with their abilities but pushing and evolving to become something more. Let's just hope that they continue to push on and be one of bright stars of British alternative music." Jared Ponton of Sputnikmusic
, writing a review on the deluxe edition, said that the re-release, "actually improves on an already-excellent album." Awarding a "superb" 4.5 out of five rating, he also added, "Unlike many bands that have shot for that sense of cinematic urgency and “epic” undertones for their music in the past, Be Human saw Fightstar largely succeeding, by shining a beam of new light on the premises of the band's unique, post-hardcore sound."
and Alex Westaway
; music composed by Fightstar
.
Fightstar
Additional musicians
± other orchestra members not credited
Choir
Production
Studio album
A studio album is an album made up of tracks recorded in the controlled environment of a recording studio. A studio album contains newly written and recorded or previously unreleased or remixed material, distinguishing itself from a compilation or reissue album of previously recorded material, or...
by British 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...
band Fightstar
Fightstar
Fightstar are an English alternative rock band from London. They formed in 2003 and their lineup comprises lead vocalist, guitarist and keyboardist Charlie Simpson, guitarist and vocalist Alex Westaway, bass guitarist Dan Haigh and drummer Omar Abidi...
, released on April 20, 2009 through independent label Search and Destroy Records, itself distributed by PIAS Recordings
PIAS Recordings
[PIAS] Recordings is the recorded music division of the [PIAS] Entertainment Group, a European independent artist and label services company.The record labels that operate under the [PIAS] Recordings umbrella are: Play It Again Sam, Wall of Sound and Different Recordings.Aside from the three London...
. The album was recorded between August and December 2008 in Chesterfield
Chesterfield
Chesterfield is a market town and a borough of Derbyshire, England. It lies north of Derby, on a confluence of the rivers Rother and Hipper. Its population is 70,260 , making it Derbyshire's largest town...
and London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, with the band co-producing alongside Laruso
Laruso
Laruso are an English rock band formed by Darren Smith in Sheffield in 2003. They released their debut album, Bring It On, in May 2005 on Casket Music. Their second album, A Classic Case of Cause and Effect, was released in May 2009 on Autonomy Recordings...
guitarist Carl Bown. Additional recording took place Air Studios with string composer Audrey Riley
Audrey Riley
Audrey Riley is a cellist and string arranger based in the UK. Riley trained at the Guildhall School of Music with Leonard Stehn and was a cellist for Virginia Astley from 1983 to 1986 and a one-time auxiliary member of The Family Cat. She has been a member of the post-minimalist band Icebreaker...
. Unlike their first two studio releases, Daniel Conway did not contribute to the albums artwork
Cover art
Cover art is the illustration or photograph on the outside of a published product such as a book , magazine, comic book, video game , DVD, CD, videotape, or music album. The art has a primarily commercial function, i.e...
, instead the band approached Ryohei Hase who digitally painted
Digital painting
Digital painting is an emerging art form in which traditional painting techniques such as watercolor, oils, impasto, etc. are applied using digital tools by means of a computer, a digitizing tablet and stylus, and software. Traditional painting is painting with a physical medium as opposed to a...
the cover art
Cover art
Cover art is the illustration or photograph on the outside of a published product such as a book , magazine, comic book, video game , DVD, CD, videotape, or music album. The art has a primarily commercial function, i.e...
.
Four singles
Single (music)
In music, a single or record single is a type of release, typically a recording of fewer tracks than an LP or a CD. This can be released for sale to the public in a variety of different formats. In most cases, the single is a song that is released separately from an album, but it can still appear...
were released from Be Human, including "The English Way
The English Way
"The English Way" was the first single to be taken from Fightstar's third studio album, Be Human. It was released on November 3, 2008 .Frontman, Charlie Simpson, described the songs meaning as wanting England to be more patriotic, as he believes it has lost its pride and traditional values.The song...
" and "Mercury Summer
Mercury Summer
Mercury Summer is the second single from Fightstar's third studio album, Be Human. It was released on April 6, 2009.Frontman Charlie Simpson said that the inspiration for this song came from one of his favourite movies, The Shawshank Redemption, and the dream of the lead character, Andy.Bassist Dan...
" prior to the albums release. Drawing praise from many critics, the album entered the UK Albums Chart
UK Albums Chart
The UK Albums Chart is a list of albums ranked by physical and digital sales in the United Kingdom. It is compiled every week by The Official Charts Company and broadcast on a Sunday on BBC Radio 1 , and published in Music Week magazine and on the OCC website .To qualify for the UK albums chart...
at number 20, making it their highest charting album to date. The iTunes
ITunes
iTunes is a media player computer program, used for playing, downloading, and organizing digital music and video files on desktop computers. It can also manage contents on iPod, iPhone, iPod Touch and iPad....
digital download
Music download
A music download is the transferral of music from an Internet-facing computer or website to a user's local computer. This term encompasses both legal downloads and downloads of copyright material without permission or payment...
includes a bonus track
Bonus track
In terms of recorded music, a bonus track is a piece of music which has been included on specific releases or reissues of an album. This is most often done as a promotional device, either as an incentive to customers to purchase albums they might otherwise not, or to repurchase albums they already...
which is an acoustic
Acoustic music
Acoustic music comprises music that solely or primarily uses instruments which produce sound through entirely acoustic means, as opposed to electric or electronic means...
version of "Unfamiliar Ceilings", the final track on the band's previous studio album
One Day Son, This Will All Be Yours
One Day Son, This Will All Be Yours is the second studio album by British alternative rock band Fightstar, released on September 24, 2007 through Institute Recordings, itself a subsidiary of independent label Gut Records...
, performed with former XFM
Xfm
Xfm is a brand of two commercial radio stations focused on alternative music, primarily indie pop, and owned by Global Radio.-History:Xfm was created in London in 1992 by Sammy Jacob, who later co-founded NME Radio in 2008. Xfm subsequently expanded to a network of four stations; there are...
presenter Katie P. A deluxe edition was later re-released on March 1, 2010, including four newly recorded tracks, a DVD
DVD
A DVD is an optical disc storage media format, invented and developed by Philips, Sony, Toshiba, and Panasonic in 1995. DVDs offer higher storage capacity than Compact Discs while having the same dimensions....
of the band's live unplugged
Acoustic music
Acoustic music comprises music that solely or primarily uses instruments which produce sound through entirely acoustic means, as opposed to electric or electronic means...
performance at the Picturedrome Theatre in Northampton
Northampton
Northampton is a large market town and local government district in the East Midlands region of England. Situated about north-west of London and around south-east of Birmingham, Northampton lies on the River Nene and is the county town of Northamptonshire. The demonym of Northampton is...
, new cover art and also a revised track listing.
Background, writing and recording
The band first mentioned that they were working on new material back in March 2008. They confirmed that after completing their tour with Brigade, they would begin writing during the summer and would be posting updates for fans with video diaries from the studio. Recording took place, for the most part, at Treehouse Studios in ChesterfieldChesterfield
Chesterfield is a market town and a borough of Derbyshire, England. It lies north of Derby, on a confluence of the rivers Rother and Hipper. Its population is 70,260 , making it Derbyshire's largest town...
, the personal studio of co-producer and friend, Carl Bown. Drum tracks for the album were recorded at Steelworks Studios in Sheffield, and split between Omar and Charlie due to Omar suffering from a broken wrist. Recording sessions began in August 2008, and were due to finish in November. The band's vocalist, guitarist and songwriter Charlie Simpson
Charlie Simpson
Charles Robert Simpson , is an English musician, singer and songwriter. He was the youngest member of multi BRIT Award-winning band Busted, and is the lead vocalist, guitarist and co-lyricist in alternative rock band Fightstar...
confirmed tentative working titles as "War Machine", "English Way" and "Mercury Summer". He mentioned the former would have a distinct "rock opera
Rock opera
A rock opera is a work of rock music that presents a storyline told over multiple parts, songs or sections in the manner of opera. A rock opera differs from a conventional rock album, which usually includes songs that are not unified by a common theme or narrative. More recent developments include...
" feel to it with heavy string sections.
After the bulk of recording had been completed, the band went to Air Studios (where film scores for Pirates of the Caribbean
Pirates of the Caribbean (film series)
Pirates of the Caribbean is a series of fantasy-adventure films directed by Gore Verbinski and Rob Marshall , written by Ted Elliott and Terry Rossio and produced by Jerry Bruckheimer...
and Batman Begins
Batman Begins
Batman Begins is a 2005 American superhero action film based on the fictional DC Comics character Batman, directed by Christopher Nolan. It stars Christian Bale as Batman, along with Michael Caine, Gary Oldman, Liam Neeson, Katie Holmes, Cillian Murphy, Morgan Freeman, Ken Watanabe, Tom Wilkinson,...
had been composed) to record the string sections with Audrey Riley
Audrey Riley
Audrey Riley is a cellist and string arranger based in the UK. Riley trained at the Guildhall School of Music with Leonard Stehn and was a cellist for Virginia Astley from 1983 to 1986 and a one-time auxiliary member of The Family Cat. She has been a member of the post-minimalist band Icebreaker...
. Simpson later commented that "it was great to bring that element, that classical side, into it. It adds so much." Leading up to the album's release, the band indicated that the sound would be "quite different" to their earlier material with the inclusion of orchestral and choral parts. Despite this, it was noted that it would still remain "Fightstar", with their trademark dark and heavy elements. The band also regarded the lyrical content as their "most postitive" to date and were pleased that the finished product was "everything we wanted".
Promotion and release
The first singleSingle (music)
In music, a single or record single is a type of release, typically a recording of fewer tracks than an LP or a CD. This can be released for sale to the public in a variety of different formats. In most cases, the single is a song that is released separately from an album, but it can still appear...
from the album was "The English Way
The English Way
"The English Way" was the first single to be taken from Fightstar's third studio album, Be Human. It was released on November 3, 2008 .Frontman, Charlie Simpson, described the songs meaning as wanting England to be more patriotic, as he believes it has lost its pride and traditional values.The song...
", released along with a music video
Music video
A music video or song video is a short film integrating a song and imagery, produced for promotional or artistic purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a marketing device intended to promote the sale of music recordings...
on 3 November 2008. It marked a degree of experimentation for the band, with the addition of choir vocals for the first time. The CD single had a demo titled "Colours Bleed", which had its name changed to "Colours Bleed to Red" for the release of the album.
The video for the second single, "Mercury Summer
Mercury Summer
Mercury Summer is the second single from Fightstar's third studio album, Be Human. It was released on April 6, 2009.Frontman Charlie Simpson said that the inspiration for this song came from one of his favourite movies, The Shawshank Redemption, and the dream of the lead character, Andy.Bassist Dan...
", premiered on 25 February 2009, whilst the physical CD single release was on 6 April. The song further showcased a more experimental direction, with a more upbeat and melodic sound than found in older material.
In a live web chat with fans on the official Fightstar forum on 9 April 2009, the band confirmed that the next single is expected to be "Never Change
Never Change (Fightstar song)
"Never Change" is the third single to be taken from Fightstar's third studio album, Be Human and was released on July 20, 2009.The music video has appeared on Kerrang!, MTV2 and Scuzz.-Track listing:CD:# "Never Change" - 2:58...
". They shot the video for it on 3 May, as the band confirmed at their gig in Exeter Lemon Grove on 4 May. It was released on 20 July 2009, with the band working alongside the same directors for the video as they did with "Mercury Summer".
Deluxe edition
The band confirmed in late 2009 that Be Human would be re-released as a deluxe version containing four or five new songs. One of the new songs could be a cover version of Jordin SparksJordin Sparks
Jordin Brianna Sparks is an American pop / R&B singer-songwriter and actress. She hails from Glendale, Arizona who rose to fame as the winner of the sixth season of American Idol. Sparks won when she was 17 years old, making her the youngest winner in Idol history...
' "Battlefield
Battlefield (song)
"Battlefield" is a song performed by American recording artist Jordin Sparks, taken from her second studio album of the same name. The song was written by Wayne Wilkins, Ryan Tedder, Louis Biancaniello and Sam Watters. It was released as the album's lead single in the United States on May 8, 2009...
", which the band performed informally earlier in the year in the BBC Radio 1
BBC Radio 1
BBC Radio 1 is a British national radio station operated by the British Broadcasting Corporation which also broadcasts internationally, specialising in current popular music and chart hits throughout the day. Radio 1 provides alternative genres after 7:00pm including electronic dance, hip hop, rock...
Live Lounge
Live Lounge
The Live Lounge is a segment on the British radio station BBC Radio 1. Originally hosted by Jo Whiley on her mid-morning radio show and now hosted by Fearne Cotton, it exhibits well-known artists usually performing one song of their own and one by another artist, in an acoustic format...
. The cover was met with great approval and Sparks herself said on radio that she was a fan of Fightstar and believed they should cover the song.
On the 12th October the band posted pictures on their Myspace
Myspace
Myspace is a social networking service owned by Specific Media LLC and pop star Justin Timberlake. Myspace launched in August 2003 and is headquartered in Beverly Hills, California. In August 2011, Myspace had 33.1 million unique U.S. visitors....
site from their latest music video shoot for new song "A City on Fire
A City on Fire
"A City on Fire" is a song by English alternative rock band Fightstar, released December 20, 2009, on Search and Destroy Records as a digital download only....
". The song subsequently was played for the first time during Fearne Cotton
Fearne Cotton
Fearne Cotton is an English television and radio presenter who is known for presenting a number of popular TV programmes such as Top of the Pops and the Red Nose Day telethon. In 2007, she became the first regular female presenter of BBC Radio 1's Chart Show...
's show on Radio 1 on October 19 and the official video premiered on the bands MySpace on October 24, which was directed by the team at Sitcom Soldiers. The single was released as a digital download
Music download
A music download is the transferral of music from an Internet-facing computer or website to a user's local computer. This term encompasses both legal downloads and downloads of copyright material without permission or payment...
on December 20, while the band have since confirmed the deluxe re-release of Be Human will be available in February 2010.
On January 13, guitarist Alex Westaway posted an update on the band's official website. He confirmed that the deluxe re-release is scheduled for release on or around 1 March 2010. He also confirmed he had personally designed new artwork for the repackaging and that a live DVD
DVD
A DVD is an optical disc storage media format, invented and developed by Philips, Sony, Toshiba, and Panasonic in 1995. DVDs offer higher storage capacity than Compact Discs while having the same dimensions....
would also be included. The band's unplugged
Acoustic music
Acoustic music comprises music that solely or primarily uses instruments which produce sound through entirely acoustic means, as opposed to electric or electronic means...
performance was shot in December 2009 at the Picturedome in Northampton
Northampton
Northampton is a large market town and local government district in the East Midlands region of England. Situated about north-west of London and around south-east of Birmingham, Northampton lies on the River Nene and is the county town of Northamptonshire. The demonym of Northampton is...
(Westaway's home town). The DVD also includes the music videos for "The English Way", "Mercury Summer", "Never Change" and "A City on Fire. The four newly recorded tracks were confirmed as, "A City on Fire", "It's Blood is Black", "28k Resolution" and "Mvua Nyeusi", with the whole tracklisting re-organised.
Reception
Critical
The album was met with positive critical response upon its release, with many reviews praising the band for experimenting with the orchestration elements and ultimately, expanding their sound as a whole.Anton Djamoos of AbsolutePunk rated the album 84% and stated that it's time for the US to "finally take notice of Fightstar". Commenting on the bands progression, he stated; "Be Human is a departure from the general body of work we've seen in the past from the band. They break from their own norm with several orchestral elements to make the album sound more full and let the music hit even harder; they're pushing their creative boundaries and it works for the most part". He also added that Fightstar "is poised to finally see some long-overdue respect". In the News
In the News
In the News was a series of two-minute televised video segments that summarized topical news stories for children and pre-teens. The segments were broadcast in the United States on the CBS television network from 1971 until 1986, between Saturday morning animated cartoon programs, as were the...
writer Lewis Bazley was highly favourable in his review and awarded a score of 9/10. He described the album as, "Bold, grandiose - a career high". He also stated the album would have huge reply value and summarised his review by adding; "With Fightstar having released this LP themselves and the aforementioned orchestra appearing on almost every track, it's a 50-minute statement of intent, a dozen songs in which the four-piece declare 'this is the band we've always wanted to be'. From the opening, orchestral burst of 'Calling On All Stations', the Death Cab
Death Cab for Cutie
Death Cab for Cutie is an American alternative rock band formed in Bellingham, Washington in 1997. The band consists of Ben Gibbard , Chris Walla , Nick Harmer and Jason McGerr ....
-meets-Cure
The Cure
The Cure are an English rock band formed in Crawley, West Sussex in 1976. The band has experienced several line-up changes, with frontman, vocalist, guitarist and principal songwriter Robert Smith being the only constant member...
emotional theatrics of 'Give Me the Sky' and the mournful movie script ending of 'Follow Me Into the Darkness', immersing yourself in the bipolar world of Be Human is an exhilarating, sometimes heartstopping journey to revisit for years to come".
Emma Johnston, a critic for British rock magazine Kerrang!
Kerrang!
Kerrang! is a UK-based magazine devoted to rock music published by Bauer Media Group. It was first published on June 6, 1981 as a one-off supplement in the Sounds newspaper...
, awarded the album an "excellent" four K rating and commented the band had "created a huge-hearted, earnest, wonderfully over the top album". She was particularly impressed with the variety offered on the record; "Be Human is a record glorying in its own bombast, as Fightstar throw as many orchestral and choral flourishes as their muscular, solemnly heavy rock as it could take without drowning". Victoria Durham of Rock Sound
Rock Sound
Rock Sound is a British magazine which champions rock music. The magazine aims at being more "underground" and less commercial, whilst also giving coverage to more well known acts.-History:...
stated, "By now, we know that Fightstar are capable of great things and they're back in business, with nothing less than Hollywood movie scores in their sights". Awarding the album 8/10, she made comparisons with Biffy Clyro
Biffy Clyro
Biffy Clyro are a Scottish rock band from Kilmarnock, comprising Simon Neil , James Johnston and Ben Johnston...
and Silverchair
Silverchair
Silverchair were an Australian rock band, which formed in 1992 as Innocent Criminals in Merewether, Newcastle with the line-up of Ben Gillies on drums, Chris Joannou on bass guitar and Daniel Johns on vocals and guitars. The group got their big break in mid-1994 when they won a national demo...
whilst complimenting the broad range found among the songs; "If ‘Chemical Blood’ and ‘Damocles’ are the pummelling rock epics, then ‘Tonight We Burn’ and ‘Give Me The Sky’ are the experimental, pop-fuelled gems. Fightstar have always been ambitious; now they’re on their way to becoming truly brilliant". Matt Mason of Q magazine, while awarding the album an "excellent" four star review, wrote, "be human reveals itself to be a more complex – and captivating – creature. Bold juxtapositioning of operatic arrangements, electronic interludes and juddering hardcore riffs." Shaun-James Brown of tabloid paper The Sun
The Sun (newspaper)
The Sun is a daily national tabloid newspaper published in the United Kingdom and owned by News Corporation. Sister editions are published in Glasgow and Dublin...
was equally favourable, also awarding a four star rating; "Strings and a choir make an unexpected but sublime addition to their rich sound on "Calling On All Stations". "Mercury Summer" is a radio-friendly anthem guaranteed a lot of airplay - a memorable, guitar-driven melody offset by an uplifting chorus. And they can still produce some pummellingly heavy moments such as "Damocles". Be Human shows a new credibilty and direction for Charlie Simpson's grown-up band." Craig Broad of God Is In The TV
God Is in the TV Zine
God is in the TV Zine, or GIITTV, is an independent music and cultural webzine based in the UK. Launched in 2003 by Bill Cummings and Alex Worsnip, it now covers a wide range of music including unsigned, independent and major releases....
noted that his first impressions of the album were, "how grandiose it actually is." Awarding four stars, he praised the band for expanding their sound; "Be Human, ultimately, is a band comfortable with their abilities but pushing and evolving to become something more. Let's just hope that they continue to push on and be one of bright stars of British alternative music." Jared Ponton of Sputnikmusic
Sputnikmusic
Sputnikmusic, or simply Sputnik, is a music website offering music criticism and music news alongside features commonly associated with wiki-style websites...
, writing a review on the deluxe edition, said that the re-release, "actually improves on an already-excellent album." Awarding a "superb" 4.5 out of five rating, he also added, "Unlike many bands that have shot for that sense of cinematic urgency and “epic” undertones for their music in the past, Be Human saw Fightstar largely succeeding, by shining a beam of new light on the premises of the band's unique, post-hardcore sound."
Chart performance
| Chart | Peak position |
|---|---|
| UK Albums Chart UK Albums Chart The UK Albums Chart is a list of albums ranked by physical and digital sales in the United Kingdom. It is compiled every week by The Official Charts Company and broadcast on a Sunday on BBC Radio 1 , and published in Music Week magazine and on the OCC website .To qualify for the UK albums chart... (The Official Charts Company) |
20 |
| UK Rock Albums UK Rock Chart The UK Rock Chart usually refers to the Top 40 Rock Singles and the Top 40 Rock Albums Chart compiled by the Official Charts Company from physical record sales in British retail outlets with larger than average genrespecific sales.... (The Official Charts Company) |
1 |
| UK Independent Albums UK Indie Chart The UK Independent Chart or Indie Chart is a chart of the best-selling independent record releases in the UK.- History :In the wake of punk, small record labels began to spring up, as an outlet for artists that were unwilling to sign contracts with major record companies, or were not considered... (The Official Charts Company) |
1 |
Accolades
| Publication | Country | Accolade | Year | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rock Sound Rock Sound Rock Sound is a British magazine which champions rock music. The magazine aims at being more "underground" and less commercial, whilst also giving coverage to more well known acts.-History:... |
UK | Top Seventy Five Albums of the Year | 2009 | 50 |
Track listing
All lyrics written by Charlie SimpsonCharlie Simpson
Charles Robert Simpson , is an English musician, singer and songwriter. He was the youngest member of multi BRIT Award-winning band Busted, and is the lead vocalist, guitarist and co-lyricist in alternative rock band Fightstar...
and Alex Westaway
Al Westaway
Alexander Derek Westaway is an English musician, singer and songwriter from Northampton. Westaway is the co-founder of British alternative rock band Fightstar, for whom he plays lead guitar and provides vocals. Along with Charlie Simpson, he writes the lyrics for the bands material.Westaway grew...
; music composed by Fightstar
Fightstar
Fightstar are an English alternative rock band from London. They formed in 2003 and their lineup comprises lead vocalist, guitarist and keyboardist Charlie Simpson, guitarist and vocalist Alex Westaway, bass guitarist Dan Haigh and drummer Omar Abidi...
.
B-sides
- "Colours Bleed" (DemoDemo (music)A demo version or demo of a song is one recorded for reference rather than for release. A demo is a way for a musician to approximate their ideas on tape or disc, and provide an example of those ideas to record labels, producers or other artists...
) - "Drown"
- "Hide and SeekHide and Seek (Imogen Heap song)"Hide and Seek" is the first single by Imogen Heap from her album Speak for Yourself. The song is performed with the sole accompaniment being a keyboard synth transformed by a vocoder, creating an altered a cappella sound.-Television:...
" (Imogen HeapImogen HeapImogen Jennifer Jane Heap is a Grammy Award-winning English singer, composer and songwriter from Havering, Essex. She is known for her work as part of the musical duo Frou Frou and her solo albums, which she writes, produces, and mixes...
cover) - "Athea"
- "We Left Tracks of Fire"
- "A Short History of the World“
- "These DaysThese Days (Jackson Browne song)"These Days" is a song written by Jackson Browne and principally recorded by Nico, Gregg Allman, and Browne himself in three distinctly different musical styles...
" (Jackson BrowneJackson BrowneJackson Browne is an American singer-songwriter and musician who has sold over 17 million albums in the United States alone....
cover) - "VincentVincent (song)"Vincent" is a song by Don McLean written as a tribute to Vincent van Gogh. It is also known by its opening line, "Starry Starry Night", a reference to van Gogh's painting The Starry Night. The song also describes different paintings done by the artist.McLean wrote the lyrics in 1971 after reading...
“ (Don McLeanDon McLeanDonald "Don" McLean is an American singer-songwriter. He is most famous for the 1971 album American Pie, containing the renowned songs "American Pie" and "Vincent".-Musical roots:...
cover)
Personnel
The following personnel contributed to Be Human:Fightstar
- Charlie SimpsonCharlie SimpsonCharles Robert Simpson , is an English musician, singer and songwriter. He was the youngest member of multi BRIT Award-winning band Busted, and is the lead vocalist, guitarist and co-lyricist in alternative rock band Fightstar...
— lead vocals, rhythm guitarRhythm guitarRhythm guitar is a technique and rôle that performs a combination of two functions: to provide all or part of the rhythmic pulse in conjunction with singers or other instruments; and to provide all or part of the harmony, ie. the chords, where a chord is a group of notes played together...
, keyboardsKeyboardistA keyboardist is a musician who plays keyboard instruments. Until the early 1960s musicians who played keyboards were generally classified as either pianists or organists. Since the mid-1960s, a plethora of new musical instruments with keyboards have come into common usage, requiring a more...
, drumsDrummerA drummer is a musician who is capable of playing drums, which includes but is not limited to a drum kit and accessory based hardware which includes an assortment of pedals and standing support mechanisms, marching percussion and/or any musical instrument that is struck within the context of a...
, lyricsLyricsLyrics are a set of words that make up a song. The writer of lyrics is a lyricist or lyrist. The meaning of lyrics can either be explicit or implicit. Some lyrics are abstract, almost unintelligible, and, in such cases, their explication emphasizes form, articulation, meter, and symmetry of... - Alex Westaway — lead guitarLead guitarLead guitar is a guitar part which plays melody lines, instrumental fill passages, guitar solos, and occasionally, some riffs within a song structure...
, vocals, lyrics - Dan Haigh — bass guitarBass guitarThe bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
, designDesignDesign as a noun informally refers to a plan or convention for the construction of an object or a system while “to design” refers to making this plan... - Omar Abidi — drums, percussionPercussion instrumentA percussion instrument is any object which produces a sound when hit with an implement or when it is shaken, rubbed, scraped, or otherwise acted upon in a way that sets the object into vibration...
Additional musicians
- Audrey RileyAudrey RileyAudrey Riley is a cellist and string arranger based in the UK. Riley trained at the Guildhall School of Music with Leonard Stehn and was a cellist for Virginia Astley from 1983 to 1986 and a one-time auxiliary member of The Family Cat. She has been a member of the post-minimalist band Icebreaker...
— conductorConductingConducting is the art of directing a musical performance by way of visible gestures. The primary duties of the conductor are to unify performers, set the tempo, execute clear preparations and beats, and to listen critically and shape the sound of the ensemble...
, celloCelloThe cello is a bowed string instrument with four strings tuned in perfect fifths. It is a member of the violin family of musical instruments, which also includes the violin, viola, and double bass. Old forms of the instrument in the Baroque era are baryton and viol .A person who plays a cello is... - Joeri de Vente — french horn
- Rowland Sutherland — fluteFluteThe flute is a musical instrument of the woodwind family. Unlike woodwind instruments with reeds, a flute is an aerophone or reedless wind instrument that produces its sound from the flow of air across an opening...
, alto fluteAlto fluteThe alto flute is a type of Western concert flute, a musical instrument in the woodwind family. It is the next extension downward of the C flute after the flûte d'amour. It is characterized by its distinct, mellow tone in the lower portion of its range... - Christian Forshaw — clarinetClarinetThe clarinet is a musical instrument of woodwind type. The name derives from adding the suffix -et to the Italian word clarino , as the first clarinets had a strident tone similar to that of a trumpet. The instrument has an approximately cylindrical bore, and uses a single reed...
, bass clarinetBass clarinetThe bass clarinet is a musical instrument of the clarinet family. Like the more common soprano B clarinet, it is usually pitched in B , but it plays notes an octave below the soprano B clarinet...
± other orchestra members not credited
Choir
- Caius Fitzgerald
- Luke Bowen
- Andrew Armstrong
- Josh Rees-Jones
- Rugby SchoolRugby SchoolRugby School is a co-educational day and boarding school located in the town of Rugby, Warwickshire, England. It is one of the oldest independent schools in Britain.-History:...
Chamber ChoirChamber choirA chamber choir or group of chamber singers is the choral equivalent of a chamber ensemble, using voices instead of instruments. This prestigious choir will usually consist of 20-40 elite and dedicated singers. Several chamber choir formats exist, ranging from barbershop groups to exclusively...
Production
- Carl Bown — producerRecord producerA record producer is an individual working within the music industry, whose job is to oversee and manage the recording of an artist's music...
, engineeringAudio engineeringAn audio engineer, also called audio technician, audio technologist or sound technician, is a specialist in a skilled trade that deals with the use of machinery and equipment for the recording, mixing and reproduction of sounds. The field draws on many artistic and vocational areas, including...
, mixingAudio mixing (recorded music)In audio recording, audio mixing is the process by which multiple recorded sounds are combined into one or more channels, most commonly two-channel stereo. In the process, the source signals' level, frequency content, dynamics, and panoramic position are manipulated and effects such as reverb may... - Fightstar — co-production
- Jim Pinder — pro toolsPro ToolsPro Tools is a digital audio workstation platform for Microsoft Windows and Mac OS X operating systems, developed and manufactured by Avid Technology. It is widely used by professionals throughout the audio industries for recording and editing in music production, film scoring, film, and television...
assistance - John Davies — masteringAudio masteringMastering, a form of audio post-production, is the process of preparing and transferring recorded audio from a source containing the final mix to a data storage device ; the source from which all copies will be produced...
- Ryohei Hase — artworkCover artCover art is the illustration or photograph on the outside of a published product such as a book , magazine, comic book, video game , DVD, CD, videotape, or music album. The art has a primarily commercial function, i.e...
- Tristan Lillingston — A&RA&RArtists and repertoire is the division of a record label that is responsible for talent scouting and overseeing the artistic development of recording artists. It also acts as a liaison between artists and the record label.- Finding talent :...
Release history
| Region | Date | Label | Format | Catalogue # | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| United Kingdom United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages... |
April 20, 2009 | Search and Destroy | Digital Download Music download A music download is the transferral of music from an Internet-facing computer or website to a user's local computer. This term encompasses both legal downloads and downloads of copyright material without permission or payment... , Compact Disc Compact Disc The Compact Disc is an optical disc used to store digital data. It was originally developed to store and playback sound recordings exclusively, but later expanded to encompass data storage , write-once audio and data storage , rewritable media , Video Compact Discs , Super Video Compact Discs ,... |
SADCDA002 | |
| March 1, 2010 | Search and Destroy | Compact Disc Compact Disc The Compact Disc is an optical disc used to store digital data. It was originally developed to store and playback sound recordings exclusively, but later expanded to encompass data storage , write-once audio and data storage , rewritable media , Video Compact Discs , Super Video Compact Discs ,... + DVD DVD A DVD is an optical disc storage media format, invented and developed by Philips, Sony, Toshiba, and Panasonic in 1995. DVDs offer higher storage capacity than Compact Discs while having the same dimensions.... |
SADCDX002 | ||
| Australia Australia Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area... |
November 20, 2009 | Shock Shock Records Shock Records is Australia's largest independent record label. It helps distribute records from overseas records labels such as Epitaph Records, and also for small record labels designed specifically for that band such as Cement Records... |
Compact Disc Compact Disc The Compact Disc is an optical disc used to store digital data. It was originally developed to store and playback sound recordings exclusively, but later expanded to encompass data storage , write-once audio and data storage , rewritable media , Video Compact Discs , Super Video Compact Discs ,... |
CTX537CD_1 | |
| World World World is a common name for the whole of human civilization, specifically human experience, history, or the human condition in general, worldwide, i.e. anywhere on Earth.... wide |
October 16, 2009 | Cooking Vinyl Cooking Vinyl Cooking Vinyl is a UK-based independent record company, founded in 1986. Its original orientation was toward contemporary folk music—notably Billy Bragg, and Michelle Shocked's Texas Campfire Tapes, recorded on a Sony Walkman, one of its first releases... |
Compact Disc Compact Disc The Compact Disc is an optical disc used to store digital data. It was originally developed to store and playback sound recordings exclusively, but later expanded to encompass data storage , write-once audio and data storage , rewritable media , Video Compact Discs , Super Video Compact Discs ,... , Digital Download Music download A music download is the transferral of music from an Internet-facing computer or website to a user's local computer. This term encompasses both legal downloads and downloads of copyright material without permission or payment... |
COOKCD504 COOKDL504 |
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