Blackbird (album)
Encyclopedia
Blackbird is the second studio album
by rock band Alter Bridge
, released on October 9, 2007. The first single, "Rise Today
", was released on July 30, 2007. The album peaked at number 13 on the Billboard 200
, selling 47,000 copies in its first week on the charts. As of December 2008, Blackbird has sold 227,000 copies. Despite receiving poor marketing and generally low mainstream success, initial critical reception towards the album was mostly positive.
on www.thealterbridgenation.com), that the recording of the album was complete, the mixing has been finished, and only a few small minor things are still to be done.
On July 23, 2007, there was another official press release containing the official release date of the first single from the album, the track listing for the album and that tour dates will be released at a later date. Three days later, Alter Bridge uploaded two new songs on to their official MySpace page for fans to listen to as a taste of the new album. The songs were "Ties That Bind" and the album's single "Rise Today
."
A UK version of the album was released on October 8 with two special UK bonus track titled "We Don't Care At All," a track also found on the iTunes
version of the album. There is also a version of the album sold exclusively through Best Buy
that contains the two bonus tracks "The Damage Done" and "New Way To Live," and a Walmart version with a bonus DVD containing exclusive interviews and an in-depth look at the making of the album.
Also, prior to the album's official release, Universal Republic Records put up a page of e-cards on their main home page on August 24, 2007, which contained the then-unreleased "Before Tomorrow Comes," "Watch Over You
," "Buried Alive," and "Come to Life." They were then removed on Saturday, August 25, as their discovery resulted in many fans accessing them in a short period of time. Their accessibility online appears to have been a mistake on Universal's part, but it can also have been a unique marketing strategy.
On March 19, 2009, the band released a tabulature book for the album, containing the tabulature sheet music for every song on the album. In addition, "Come to Life" appeared on Guitar Hero: Van Halen
and "Ties That Bind" would later appear on Guitar Hero: Warriors of Rock
.
, the band's 2004 debut album, with the most notable being the full integration of Myles Kennedy
as a guitarist and songwriter. While a large majority of the songs on One Day Remains were written before Kennedy came on board, this time around it was a collaborative effort with Tremonti and Kennedy sharing the songwriting duties, while all four band members worked on the arrangements. All four members have songwriting credits on the album. Mark Tremonti says of Kennedy's full integration into the band:
Blackbird is also heavier than One Day Remains as well and is generally considered by fans to be Alter Bridge's heaviest and best album. Blackbirds title track
is also widely considered to be a fan favorite and the band's best song.
in 2006 due to Wind-Up pressing for a Creed
reunion, which, in fact, actually later happened (all of Alter Bridge's members excluding Kennedy are also members of Creed), and subsequently signed to Universal Republic Records. The band's second label change occurred in 2010; Blackbirds follow-up, AB III, was released on Roadrunner Records
worldwide, with the exception of North America where it was self-released via Capitol Records
. The band dropped their contract with Universal Republic likely due to the way the label handled the release of Alter Bridge's 2009 live album/DVD Live from Amsterdam.
" was the first single from the album. It was officially released on July 30, 2007. The music video of "Rise Today" was released on Yahoo! on October 4, 2007. It was also made available for download on iTunes
on July 31, 2007.
The single has since received a release date within the UK set for October 15, on both CD and 7" Picturedisc.
At their concert on Oct. 30, 2007 in Dallas, Texas, the group recorded a live music video for a future single, "Ties That Bind." It was later announced by Michael Tremonti that "Ties That Bind" will be released as a single in the UK and Europe and that the video will be used to promote that single. On January 2, 2008, it was announced that "Watch Over You
" will be the third single from Blackbird. There is also currently a duet version of "Watch Over You" featuring Cristina Scabbia
of Lacuna Coil
found on the band's MySpace. "Watch Over You" was featured in promos and during the season finale of Celebrity Rehab with Dr. Drew
. The second version of the music video aired on VH1
containing clips from the show. "Before Tomorrow Comes
" was released as the fourth and final single off the album in April 2008, and the third to be released in the United States.
chart and #4 on the Billboard Rock Album chart, selling about 47,000 copies in its first week and 227,000 copies in total.
a "Ties That Bind" was only released as a single in the United Kingdom.
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 rock band Alter Bridge
Alter Bridge
Alter Bridge is an American rock band that was formed in 2004 in Orlando, Florida by lead guitarist Mark Tremonti, bassist Brian Marshall, and drummer Scott Phillips, who are all also members of Creed. Lead vocalist and rhythm guitarist Myles Kennedy, formerly of The Mayfield Four and the frontman...
, released on October 9, 2007. The first single, "Rise Today
Rise Today
"Rise Today" is a song recorded and performed by hard rock band Alter Bridge. The song was released as the first single in promotion of the band's second studio album, Blackbird...
", was released on July 30, 2007. The album peaked at number 13 on the Billboard 200
Billboard 200
The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists...
, selling 47,000 copies in its first week on the charts. As of December 2008, Blackbird has sold 227,000 copies. Despite receiving poor marketing and generally low mainstream success, initial critical reception towards the album was mostly positive.
Background
The band stated in early 2006 that the song writing process was two thirds complete. On February 8, 2007, the band announced that all of the album's songwriting was finished and that they would be entering the studio to begin the recording process for the new record. It was then announced on May 11, 2007 (by guitarist Mark TremontiMark Tremonti
Mark Thomas Tremonti is an American musician and songwriter, best known as the lead guitarist of the American rock bands Creed and Alter Bridge. He is a founding member of both bands...
on www.thealterbridgenation.com), that the recording of the album was complete, the mixing has been finished, and only a few small minor things are still to be done.
On July 23, 2007, there was another official press release containing the official release date of the first single from the album, the track listing for the album and that tour dates will be released at a later date. Three days later, Alter Bridge uploaded two new songs on to their official MySpace page for fans to listen to as a taste of the new album. The songs were "Ties That Bind" and the album's single "Rise Today
Rise Today
"Rise Today" is a song recorded and performed by hard rock band Alter Bridge. The song was released as the first single in promotion of the band's second studio album, Blackbird...
."
A UK version of the album was released on October 8 with two special UK bonus track titled "We Don't Care At All," a track also found on 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....
version of the album. There is also a version of the album sold exclusively through Best Buy
Best Buy
Best Buy Co., Inc. is an American specialty retailer of consumer electronics in the United States, accounting for 19% of the market. It also operates in Mexico, Canada & China. The company's subsidiaries include Geek Squad, CinemaNow, Magnolia Audio Video, Pacific Sales, and, in Canada operates...
that contains the two bonus tracks "The Damage Done" and "New Way To Live," and a Walmart version with a bonus DVD containing exclusive interviews and an in-depth look at the making of the album.
Also, prior to the album's official release, Universal Republic Records put up a page of e-cards on their main home page on August 24, 2007, which contained the then-unreleased "Before Tomorrow Comes," "Watch Over You
Watch Over You
"Watch Over You" is a song by the American rock band Alter Bridge, featured on the band's second album Blackbird in 2007. The ballad is one of Alter Bridge's softer songs and has a much lighter tone than other songs on the album...
," "Buried Alive," and "Come to Life." They were then removed on Saturday, August 25, as their discovery resulted in many fans accessing them in a short period of time. Their accessibility online appears to have been a mistake on Universal's part, but it can also have been a unique marketing strategy.
On March 19, 2009, the band released a tabulature book for the album, containing the tabulature sheet music for every song on the album. In addition, "Come to Life" appeared on Guitar Hero: Van Halen
Guitar Hero: Van Halen
Guitar Hero: Van Halen is the third and final band-specific rhythm video game in the Guitar Hero series. As with the previous games Guitar Hero: Aerosmith and Guitar Hero: Metallica, the game features 25 songs from Van Halen along with 19 additional songs from selected artists that have been...
and "Ties That Bind" would later appear on Guitar Hero: Warriors of Rock
Guitar Hero: Warriors of Rock
Guitar Hero: Warriors of Rock is a music video game and the sixth main entry in the Guitar Hero series for the PlayStation 3, Wii, and Xbox 360 consoles. The game was released September 24, 2010 in Europe, September 28, 2010 in North America and September 29, 2010 in Australia...
.
Differences
There are many differences between Blackbird and One Day RemainsOne Day Remains
One Day Remains is the debut studio album by the American rock band Alter Bridge, released on August 10, 2004 on Wind-up Records. The album was produced by Ben Grosse. It has been certified Gold in the United States with worldwide sales reaching 750,000. It is said the album received its name from...
, the band's 2004 debut album, with the most notable being the full integration of Myles Kennedy
Myles Kennedy
Myles Richard Kennedy is an American musician and singer-songwriter best known as the lead vocalist and rhythm guitarist of the rock band Alter Bridge, and as the lead vocalist in Slash's current solo project...
as a guitarist and songwriter. While a large majority of the songs on One Day Remains were written before Kennedy came on board, this time around it was a collaborative effort with Tremonti and Kennedy sharing the songwriting duties, while all four band members worked on the arrangements. All four members have songwriting credits on the album. Mark Tremonti says of Kennedy's full integration into the band:
Blackbird is also heavier than One Day Remains as well and is generally considered by fans to be Alter Bridge's heaviest and best album. Blackbirds title track
Blackbird (Alter Bridge song)
"Blackbird" is a song by the American rock band Alter Bridge from their album of the same name, which was released on October 8, 2007 by Universal Republic. At nearly eight minutes long, it is the band's longest song to date...
is also widely considered to be a fan favorite and the band's best song.
Label changes
Alter Bridge left Wind-Up RecordsWind-Up Records
Wind-up Entertainment, Inc. is a record label based in New York City. It was formed in 1997 by Alan Meltzer, former owner of CD One Stop, following his 1996 purchase of Grass Records. Wind-up is currently the largest independently-owned record label in the world...
in 2006 due to Wind-Up pressing for a Creed
Creed (band)
Creed is an American rock band formed in 1995 in Tallahassee, Florida. Becoming popular in the late 1990s and early 2000s, the band has released three consecutive multi-platinum albums, one of which has been certified diamond, and has sold over 28 million records in the United States, with an...
reunion, which, in fact, actually later happened (all of Alter Bridge's members excluding Kennedy are also members of Creed), and subsequently signed to Universal Republic Records. The band's second label change occurred in 2010; Blackbirds follow-up, AB III, was released on Roadrunner Records
Roadrunner Records
Roadrunner Records is an American record label that concentrates primarily on heavy metal bands. It is currently a subsidiary of Warner Music Group.-History:...
worldwide, with the exception of North America where it was self-released via Capitol Records
Capitol Records
Capitol Records is a major United States based record label, formerly located in Los Angeles, but operating in New York City as part of Capitol Music Group. Its former headquarters building, the Capitol Tower, is a major landmark near the corner of Hollywood and Vine...
. The band dropped their contract with Universal Republic likely due to the way the label handled the release of Alter Bridge's 2009 live album/DVD Live from Amsterdam.
Singles
"Rise TodayRise Today
"Rise Today" is a song recorded and performed by hard rock band Alter Bridge. The song was released as the first single in promotion of the band's second studio album, Blackbird...
" was the first single from the album. It was officially released on July 30, 2007. The music video of "Rise Today" was released on Yahoo! on October 4, 2007. It was also made available for download on 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....
on July 31, 2007.
The single has since received a release date within the UK set for October 15, on both CD and 7" Picturedisc.
At their concert on Oct. 30, 2007 in Dallas, Texas, the group recorded a live music video for a future single, "Ties That Bind." It was later announced by Michael Tremonti that "Ties That Bind" will be released as a single in the UK and Europe and that the video will be used to promote that single. On January 2, 2008, it was announced that "Watch Over You
Watch Over You
"Watch Over You" is a song by the American rock band Alter Bridge, featured on the band's second album Blackbird in 2007. The ballad is one of Alter Bridge's softer songs and has a much lighter tone than other songs on the album...
" will be the third single from Blackbird. There is also currently a duet version of "Watch Over You" featuring Cristina Scabbia
Cristina Scabbia
Cristina Adriana Chiara Scabbia is an Italian singer, best known as one of the two vocalists in the Italian gothic metal band Lacuna Coil. She also writes an advice column in the popular rock magazine Revolver, alongside musician Vinnie Paul. Scabbia is featured in a Megadeth song, "À Tout le...
of Lacuna Coil
Lacuna Coil
Lacuna Coil is an Italian gothic metal band from Milan. Formed in 1994, the group has had two name changes since being previously known as Sleep of Right and Ethereal and was inspired by the combination of gothic imagery and music...
found on the band's MySpace. "Watch Over You" was featured in promos and during the season finale of Celebrity Rehab with Dr. Drew
Celebrity Rehab with Dr. Drew
Celebrity Rehab with Dr. Drew is a reality television show airing on the cable network VH1 that chronicles a group of celebrities as they are treated for alcohol and drug addiction by Dr. Drew Pinsky and his staff at the Pasadena Recovery Center in Pasadena, California. The first season premiered...
. The second version of the music video aired on VH1
VH1
VH1 or Vh1 is an American cable television network based in New York City. Launched on January 1, 1985 in the old space of Turner Broadcasting's short-lived Cable Music Channel, the original purpose of the channel was to build on the success of MTV by playing music videos, but targeting a slightly...
containing clips from the show. "Before Tomorrow Comes
Before Tomorrow Comes
"Before Tomorrow Comes" is a song by American hard rock band Alter Bridge and the third international, fourth overall, and final single taken from the band's second album Blackbird. On April 3, 2008, the song was announced to be the fourth single in the United Kingdom but will be the third single...
" was released as the fourth and final single off the album in April 2008, and the third to be released in the United States.
Album
Blackbird debuted at #37 on the UK Album Chart, and at #2 on the UK Rock Album Chart. In the US, it debuted at number 13 on the Billboard 200Billboard 200
The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists...
chart and #4 on the Billboard Rock Album chart, selling about 47,000 copies in its first week and 227,000 copies in total.
| Chart (2007) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| US Billboard 200 | 13 |
| US Top Rock Albums | 4 |
| UK Album Chart | 37 |
| UK Rock Album Chart | 2 |
Singles
| Year | |US Main | |UK Rock 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.... |
||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2007 | "Rise Today Rise Today "Rise Today" is a song recorded and performed by hard rock band Alter Bridge. The song was released as the first single in promotion of the band's second studio album, Blackbird... " |
3 | 32 | 3 | ||
| 2008 | "Ties That Bind" | — | — | 3 | ||
| "Watch Over You Watch Over You "Watch Over You" is a song by the American rock band Alter Bridge, featured on the band's second album Blackbird in 2007. The ballad is one of Alter Bridge's softer songs and has a much lighter tone than other songs on the album... " |
19 | — | — | |||
| "Before Tomorrow Comes Before Tomorrow Comes "Before Tomorrow Comes" is a song by American hard rock band Alter Bridge and the third international, fourth overall, and final single taken from the band's second album Blackbird. On April 3, 2008, the song was announced to be the fourth single in the United Kingdom but will be the third single... " |
29 | — | — | |||
| "—" denotes the album failed to chart, was not released, or was not certified. | ||||||
a "Ties That Bind" was only released as a single in the United Kingdom.
Track listing
b The title track in the track listings inside the CD itself is incorrectly written as "The Blackbird," but appears normally on the back of the CD cover.Personnel
Alter Bridge- Myles KennedyMyles KennedyMyles Richard Kennedy is an American musician and singer-songwriter best known as the lead vocalist and rhythm guitarist of the rock band Alter Bridge, and as the lead vocalist in Slash's current solo project...
— lead vocalsLead vocalistThe lead vocalist is the member of a band who sings the main vocal portions of a song. They may also play one or more instruments. Lead vocalists are sometimes referred to as the frontman or frontwoman, and as such, are usually considered to be the "leader" of the groups they perform in, often the...
, 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... - Mark TremontiMark TremontiMark Thomas Tremonti is an American musician and songwriter, best known as the lead guitarist of the American rock bands Creed and Alter Bridge. He is a founding member of both bands...
— 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...
, backing vocalsBacking vocalistA backing vocalist or backing singer is a singer who provides vocal harmony with the lead vocalist or other backing vocalists... - Brian MarshallBrian MarshallBrian Aubrey Marshall is an American musician and songwriter best known as the bassist and co-founder of the rock bands Creed and Alter Bridge. He also co-owns a bed and breakfast called Mango Moon in Costa Rica.-Early life:...
— bassBass guitarThe bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick.... - Scott PhillipsScott Phillips (drummer)Thomas Scott "Flip" Phillips is the drummer and co-founder of the bands Alter Bridge and Creed. Phillips grew up in Madison, Florida. He started out playing in a band called Crosscut at 18. In 2004, he joined Alter Bridge with fellow then-former Creed members bassist Brian Marshall and lead...
— drumsDrum kitA drum kit is a collection of drums, cymbals and often other percussion instruments, such as cowbells, wood blocks, triangles, chimes, or tambourines, arranged for convenient playing by a single person ....
, percussion
Production
- Michael "Elvis" Baskette — producer
- Dave Holdredge — recording engineer
- Jeff Moll — digital engineer
- Brian Sperber — mixing
- Brian "Big Bass" Gardner — mastering
- Daniel Tremonti — art
Release history
| Region | Release date | Label |
|---|---|---|
| United Kingdom | October 8, 2007 | Universal Republic |
| United States | October 9, 2007 | |
| Australia | October 20, 2007 | |
| Japan | December 4, 2007 |