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Glasvegas (album)
Encyclopedia
Glasvegas is the debut studio album by the Scottish Indie rock
band Glasvegas
, first released in the UK on 8 September 2008 by Columbia Records
(see release history). The album was produced by lead singer James Allan and Rich Costey
(Muse
, Franz Ferdinand
). The album sold copies in its first week of release and reached number 2 on the UK Albums Chart
. The album was nominated for Best International Album at the 2008 Swedish Rockbjörnen
awards, Best Album at the 2009 NME Awards and the 2009 Mercury Prize
. On 25 September 2009 the album was certified Platinum by the BPI
for sales of 300,000 copies in the UK.
exclaimed, "So believe it: this is the real thing, no-one's crying wolf, not even Alan McGee
." Rolling Stone
found that on the album "Glasvegas create wall-of-distortion melodrama that draws on The Jesus and Mary Chain
, Sixties girl groups and The Velvet Underground
's rain-dance pulse. It makes for a compelling blend of grays--lit by singer James Allan's high, bright hurrahs." Spin
proclaimed: "Glasgow quartet Glasvegas are a product of this world--frontman James Allan is even a former professional footballer--and their remarkable debut gives voice to its fears, frustrations, and heartaches without succumbing to its clichés." Music critic Robert Christgau
gave the album an A grade in his February 2009 MSN
Consumer Guide column, describing the band as "too good to be true."
In a mixed review, The New York Times
remarked that "Glasvegas is determinedly provincial, insisting there is grandeur in everyday lives. But what sounds rousing in Britain can sound sodden and overwrought to American ears." The Guardian
concluded that "there are definitely failings and shortcomings on display here, but they're substantially outweighed by moments when Glasvegas hit their target with a force that makes you believe they might well survive the more outrageous claims being made on their behalf."
" by Mitchell
/Davis
, and "Stabbed" uses the music of Ludwig van Beethoven
's "Moonlight" Sonata
as a backdrop to spoken word)
US bonus tracks
Japan bonus tracks
in Glasgow on 20 June 2008, as well as a solo acoustic performance of "Flowers & Football Tops," two music videos, and a hidden interview.
The album's cover artwork, designed and illustrated by Village Green, is inspired by Vincent van Gogh
's 1889 painting The Starry Night
. James Allan favored the comparison between the painting and the band's sound, for their "tranquility, but fury as well."
Indie rock
Indie rock is a genre of alternative rock that originated in the United Kingdom and the United States in the 1980s. Indie rock is extremely diverse, with sub-genres that include lo-fi, post-rock, math rock, indie pop, dream pop, noise rock, space rock, sadcore, riot grrrl and emo, among others...
band Glasvegas
Glasvegas
Glasvegas are a Scottish indie rock band from Glasgow. The band consists of James Allan , Rab Allan , Paul Donoghue and Jonna Löfgren . The band received critical acclaim for their debut album Glasvegas which was released in September 2008, reaching No...
, first released in the UK on 8 September 2008 by Columbia Records
Columbia Records
Columbia Records is an American record label, owned by Japan's Sony Music Entertainment, operating under the Columbia Music Group with Aware Records. It was founded in 1888, evolving from an earlier enterprise, the American Graphophone Company — successor to the Volta Graphophone Company...
(see release history). The album was produced by lead singer James Allan and Rich Costey
Rich Costey
Rich Costey is an American record producer, engineer, and mixer who has worked with many bands including Muse, Cave In, Thursday, Franz Ferdinand, Glasvegas, The Mars Volta, Doves, Bloc Party, Ontronik , Jimmy Eat World, My Chemical Romance, Supergrass, Audioslave, Rage Against the Machine, Nine...
(Muse
Muse (band)
Muse are an English alternative rock band from Teignmouth, Devon, formed in 1994. The band consists of school friends Matthew Bellamy , Christopher Wolstenholme and Dominic Howard...
, Franz Ferdinand
Franz Ferdinand (band)
Franz Ferdinand are a Scottish post-punk revival band formed in Glasgow in 2002. The band is composed of Alex Kapranos , Bob Hardy , Nick McCarthy , and Paul Thomson .The band first experienced chart success when their second single, "Take Me Out", reached #3 in...
). The album sold copies in its first week of release and reached number 2 on 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...
. The album was nominated for Best International Album at the 2008 Swedish Rockbjörnen
Rockbjörnen
Rockbjörnen is a Swedish popular music award established by the Stockholm evening newspaper Aftonbladet in 1979. The award, which is awarded annually, is divided into several categories and is mostly concentrated around the genres Pop and Rock. The first award was however given to the Swedish...
awards, Best Album at the 2009 NME Awards and the 2009 Mercury Prize
Mercury Prize
The Mercury Prize, formerly called the Mercury Music Prize and currently known as the Barclaycard Mercury Prize for sponsorship reasons, is an annual music prize awarded for the best album from the United Kingdom and Ireland. It was established by the British Phonographic Industry and British...
. On 25 September 2009 the album was certified Platinum by the BPI
British Phonographic Industry
The British Phonographic Industry is the British record industry's trade association.-Structure:Its membership comprises hundreds of music companies including all four "major" record companies , associate members such as manufacturers and distributors, and hundreds of independent music companies...
for sales of 300,000 copies in the UK.
Reception
The album was released to positive critical acclaim. Observer Music Monthly says that "these hard-nosed softies are unique and this, make no mistake, is their Definitely Maybe, the quintessential noise-pop set of the modern age." Dot Music gave the album a glowing review, calling it "a gut punch of a debut, and one that makes you believe Glasvegas are one of those rare, rare bands who might just have that perfect record in them." Likewise, the NMENME
The New Musical Express is a popular music publication in the United Kingdom, published weekly since March 1952. It started as a music newspaper, and gradually moved toward a magazine format during the 1980s, changing from newsprint in 1998. It was the first British paper to include a singles...
exclaimed, "So believe it: this is the real thing, no-one's crying wolf, not even Alan McGee
Alan McGee
Alan McGee has been a record label owner, musician, manager, and music blogger for The Guardian.McGee is best-known for co-forming and running the independent Creation Records label from 1983–1999, and then Poptones from 1999-2007...
." Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone is a US-based magazine devoted to music, liberal politics, and popular culture that is published every two weeks. Rolling Stone was founded in San Francisco in 1967 by Jann Wenner and music critic Ralph J...
found that on the album "Glasvegas create wall-of-distortion melodrama that draws on The Jesus and Mary Chain
The Jesus and Mary Chain
The Jesus and Mary Chain are a Scottish alternative rock band formed in East Kilbride, Glasgow in 1983. The band revolves around the songwriting partnership of brothers Jim and William Reid...
, Sixties girl groups and The Velvet Underground
The Velvet Underground
The Velvet Underground was an American rock band formed in New York City. First active from 1964 to 1973, their best-known members were Lou Reed and John Cale, who both went on to find success as solo artists. Although experiencing little commercial success while together, the band is often cited...
's rain-dance pulse. It makes for a compelling blend of grays--lit by singer James Allan's high, bright hurrahs." Spin
Spin (magazine)
Spin is a music magazine founded in 1985 by publisher Bob Guccione Jr.-History:In its early years, the magazine was noted for its broad music coverage with an emphasis on college-oriented rock music and on the ongoing emergence of hip-hop. The magazine was eclectic and bold, if sometimes haphazard...
proclaimed: "Glasgow quartet Glasvegas are a product of this world--frontman James Allan is even a former professional footballer--and their remarkable debut gives voice to its fears, frustrations, and heartaches without succumbing to its clichés." Music critic Robert Christgau
Robert Christgau
Robert Christgau is an American essayist, music journalist, and self-proclaimed "Dean of American Rock Critics".One of the earliest professional rock critics, Christgau is known for his terse capsule reviews, published since 1969 in his Consumer Guide columns...
gave the album an A grade in his February 2009 MSN
MSN
MSN is a collection of Internet sites and services provided by Microsoft. The Microsoft Network debuted as an online service and Internet service provider on August 24, 1995, to coincide with the release of the Windows 95 operating system.The range of services offered by MSN has changed since its...
Consumer Guide column, describing the band as "too good to be true."
In a mixed review, The New York Times
The New York Times
The New York Times is an American daily newspaper founded and continuously published in New York City since 1851. The New York Times has won 106 Pulitzer Prizes, the most of any news organization...
remarked that "Glasvegas is determinedly provincial, insisting there is grandeur in everyday lives. But what sounds rousing in Britain can sound sodden and overwrought to American ears." The Guardian
The Guardian
The Guardian, formerly known as The Manchester Guardian , is a British national daily newspaper in the Berliner format...
concluded that "there are definitely failings and shortcomings on display here, but they're substantially outweighed by moments when Glasvegas hit their target with a force that makes you believe they might well survive the more outrageous claims being made on their behalf."
Track listing
All tracks written by James Allan except where noted. ("Flowers & Football Tops" contains elements from the song "You Are My SunshineYou Are My Sunshine
"You Are My Sunshine" is a popular song first recorded in 1939. It has been declared one of the state songs of Louisiana as a result of its association with former state governor and country music singer Jimmie Davis. The song is copyright 1940 Peer International Corporation, words and music by...
" by Mitchell
Charles Mitchell (songwriter)
Charles Mitchell is a songwriter, best known as a collaborator with Jimmie Davis. Davis's best known composition, "You Are My Sunshine", was co-written by Mitchell.- References :...
/Davis
Jimmie Davis
James Houston Davis , better known as Jimmie Davis, was a noted singer of both sacred and popular songs who served two nonconsecutive terms as the 47th Governor of Louisiana...
, and "Stabbed" uses the music of Ludwig van Beethoven
Ludwig van Beethoven
Ludwig van Beethoven was a German composer and pianist. A crucial figure in the transition between the Classical and Romantic eras in Western art music, he remains one of the most famous and influential composers of all time.Born in Bonn, then the capital of the Electorate of Cologne and part of...
's "Moonlight" Sonata
Piano Sonata No. 14 (Beethoven)
The Piano Sonata No. 14 in C minor "Quasi una fantasia", Op. 27, No. 2, by Ludwig van Beethoven, popularly known as the Moonlight Sonata , was completed in 1801...
as a backdrop to spoken word)
- "Flowers & Football TopsFlowers & Football Tops"Flowers & Football Tops" is a song by Scottish Indie rock band Glasvegas, taken from their self-titled debut album. The song was released as a single in the UK on 23 February 2009...
" – 6:57 - "GeraldineGeraldine (song)"Geraldine" is a 2008 single by Scottish Indie rock band Glasvegas. It was released on 23 June 2008 and reached #11 on the UK singles chart, and #1 on the NME chart two weeks later...
" – 3:45 - "It's My Own Cheating Heart That Makes Me CryIt's My Own Cheating Heart That Makes Me Cry"It's My Own Cheating Heart That Makes Me Cry" is a song by Scottish Indie rock band Glasvegas. The song was written and composed by the band's singer and guitarist James Allan....
" – 4:25 - "Lonesome Swan" – 2:43
- "Go Square GoGo Square Go!"Go Square Go!" is a song by Scottish Indie rock band Glasvegas. The song was written by the band's singer and guitarist James Allan. It was released as the band's debut 7" single through WaKS on October 30, 2006, as well as a download....
" – 3:27 - "Polmont on My Mind" – 3:52
- "Daddy's GoneDaddy's Gone"Daddy's Gone" is a song by Scottish Indie rock band Glasvegas. The song was written and composed by the band's singer and guitarist James Allan....
" – 4:24 - "Stabbed" – 2:22
- "S.A.D. Light" – 4:01
- "Ice Cream Van" – 5:56
US bonus tracks
- "The Prettiest Thing on Saltcoats Beach" – 6:24
- "Everybody's Got to Learn Sometime" (The KorgisThe KorgisThe Korgis are a British pop band, originally composed of singer / bassist James Warren and singer / drummer Andy Davis , both former members of 1970s band Stackridge, along with unofficial members violinist Stuart Gordon and keyboardist Phil Harrison.-Career:The Korgis released their first single...
) – 4:53
Japan bonus tracks
- "The Prettiest Thing on Saltcoats Beach" – 6:24
- "A Little Thing Called 'Fear'" – 3:43
Limited edition
The album was also released in the UK as a limited edition CD/DVD set. The DVD features the band performing live at The ABCABC Glasgow
The O2 ABC is a nightclub and music venue on Sauchiehall Street, in the centre of Glasgow, Scotland's largest city. The building was constructed in 1875 but was largely rebuilt in the 1920s. It had been put to a number of uses before being converted for its current purpose between 2002 and 2005. In...
in Glasgow on 20 June 2008, as well as a solo acoustic performance of "Flowers & Football Tops," two music videos, and a hidden interview.
- "Flowers & Football Tops" (live in Glasgow) – 5:55
- "It's My Own Cheating Heart That Makes Me Cry" (live in Glasgow) – 4:11
- "Geraldine" (live in Glasgow) – 3:24
- "Go Square Go" (live in Glasgow) – 3:17
- "Daddy's Gone" (live in Glasgow) – 4:27
- "Flowers & Football Tops" (live acoustic) – 3:51
- "Geraldine" (video) – 4:06
- "Daddy's Gone" (video) – 4:25
- (Hidden interview with James and Caroline) – 6:38
Accolades
| Publication | Country | Accolade | Year | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Guardian The Guardian The Guardian, formerly known as The Manchester Guardian , is a British national daily newspaper in the Berliner format... |
UK | Best Albums of the Year | 2008 | #8 |
| Q | UK | Best Albums of the Year | 2008 | #5 |
| The Observer Music Monthly | UK | Best Albums of the Year | 2008 | #4 |
| NME NME The New Musical Express is a popular music publication in the United Kingdom, published weekly since March 1952. It started as a music newspaper, and gradually moved toward a magazine format during the 1980s, changing from newsprint in 1998. It was the first British paper to include a singles... |
UK | Best Albums of the Year | 2008 | #3 |
| MOJO Mojo (magazine) MOJO is a popular music magazine published initially by Emap, and since January 2008 by Bauer, monthly in the United Kingdom. Following the success of the magazine Q, publishers Emap were looking for a title which would cater for the burgeoning interest in classic rock music... |
UK | Best Albums of the Year | 2008 | #7 |
| The Fly The Fly The Fly may refer to:* The Fly , a 1957 short story by George Langelaan, the basis of The Fly films** The Fly ** Return of the Fly , first sequel to the 1958 film... |
UK | Best Albums of the Year | 2008 | #9 |
Artwork
Vincent van Gogh
Vincent Willem van Gogh , and used Brabant dialect in his writing; it is therefore likely that he himself pronounced his name with a Brabant accent: , with a voiced V and palatalized G and gh. In France, where much of his work was produced, it is...
's 1889 painting The Starry Night
The Starry Night
The Starry Night is a painting by Dutch post-impressionist artist Vincent van Gogh. The painting depicts the view outside his sanitarium room window at night, although it was painted from memory during the day. Since 1941 it has been in the permanent collection of the Museum of Modern Art in New...
. James Allan favored the comparison between the painting and the band's sound, for their "tranquility, but fury as well."
Chart position
| Country | Peak position |
Certification | Sales |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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... |
2 | Platinum | 300,000 |
| Ireland Republic of Ireland Ireland , described as the Republic of Ireland , is a sovereign state in Europe occupying approximately five-sixths of the island of the same name. Its capital is Dublin. Ireland, which had a population of 4.58 million in 2011, is a constitutional republic governed as a parliamentary democracy,... |
2 | ||
| Sweden Sweden Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund.... |
5 | Gold | 20,000 |
| Norway Norway Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million... |
23 | ||
| Denmark Denmark Denmark is a Scandinavian country in Northern Europe. The countries of Denmark and Greenland, as well as the Faroe Islands, constitute the Kingdom of Denmark . It is the southernmost of the Nordic countries, southwest of Sweden and south of Norway, and bordered to the south by Germany. Denmark... |
25 | ||
| Austria Austria Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the... |
50 | ||
| Switzerland Switzerland Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition.... |
52 | ||
| Belgium Belgium Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many... |
62 | ||
| France France The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France... |
106 | ||
| United States United States The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district... |
126 | 50,000 | |
Glasvegas
- James AllanJames Allan (musician)James Allan is the lead singer and guitarist of the Scottish rock band Glasvegas, and a former footballer.-Early and personal life:...
– vocalsSingingSinging is the act of producing musical sounds with the voice, and augments regular speech by the use of both tonality and rhythm. One who sings is called a singer or vocalist. Singers perform music known as songs that can be sung either with or without accompaniment by musical instruments...
, guitarGuitarThe guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
, productionRecord 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... - Rab Allan – vocals, guitar
- Paul Donoghue – bass guitarBass guitarThe bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
- Caroline McKay – drum kitDrum 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 ....
- Beethoven's "Moonlight" SonataPiano Sonata No. 14 (Beethoven)The Piano Sonata No. 14 in C minor "Quasi una fantasia", Op. 27, No. 2, by Ludwig van Beethoven, popularly known as the Moonlight Sonata , was completed in 1801...
on track 8 performed by Paul CantelonPaul CantelonPaul Cantelon Paul Cantelon Paul Cantelon (born December 25, 1959 is an American composer of contemporary classical music, a film score composer and an actor He is also a violinist, pianist, and accordionist, who is also a founding member of American alternative band Wild Colonials....
- Beethoven's "Moonlight" Sonata
Production
- Rich CosteyRich CosteyRich Costey is an American record producer, engineer, and mixer who has worked with many bands including Muse, Cave In, Thursday, Franz Ferdinand, Glasvegas, The Mars Volta, Doves, Bloc Party, Ontronik , Jimmy Eat World, My Chemical Romance, Supergrass, Audioslave, Rage Against the Machine, Nine...
– production, 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...
, 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... - Max Dingle – engineer
- Oliver Palmer - engineer, kazoo supplier
- Justin Jamison – engineer (atmosphere)
- Kevin Burleigh – engineer (audio consigliere)
- Ben Liscio – engineer (The Young Team), mixing (assistant)
- Anthony Palazzole, Charlie Stavish, Lee Slater, Justin Gerrish – mixing (assistant)
- Howie Weinberg – mastering on all tracks; except track 8, mastered by Dick Beetham
- Village Green – design and illustrations
DVD credits
- Craig Hamilton – production, ABC GlasgowABC GlasgowThe O2 ABC is a nightclub and music venue on Sauchiehall Street, in the centre of Glasgow, Scotland's largest city. The building was constructed in 1875 but was largely rebuilt in the 1920s. It had been put to a number of uses before being converted for its current purpose between 2002 and 2005. In...
- Merlin Bonning – sound engineer
- Brett Turnbull – lighting cameraman
- Nick Wheeler – lighting cameraman
- Keith Ingram – camera operator
- Neil Thom – camera operator
- Ashley Cowan – assistant producer
- Simon Fisher – production coordinator
- Rosa Bond – editor
- Jez Breadin – producer
- Andy Derbyshire – producer
- James Russell – director
- Silversea – production company
- Hammerhead TV – camera and audio facilities
- The Joint – edit facility
- "Geraldine" video – directed by Paul Minor
- "Daddy's Gone" video – directed by Jamie ThravesJamie ThravesJamie Thraves is a British film writer and director.Jamie Thraves began making early short experimental films in 1989 at Hull University, having previously studied illustration . His graduation film Scratch and The Take-Out both went on to win numerous awards at short film festivals worldwide...
Release history
| Country | Date | Label | Format | Catalogue # |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| United Kingdom | 8 September 2008 | Columbia Columbia Records Columbia Records is an American record label, owned by Japan's Sony Music Entertainment, operating under the Columbia Music Group with Aware Records. It was founded in 1888, evolving from an earlier enterprise, the American Graphophone Company — successor to the Volta Graphophone Company... |
CD 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 ,... , download |
886973273920 (GOWOW010) |
| Limited edition CD/DVD | 886973738924 (GOWOW011) | |||
| LP LP album The LP, or long-playing microgroove record, is a format for phonograph records, an analog sound storage medium. Introduced by Columbia Records in 1948, it was soon adopted as a new standard by the entire record industry... |
886973273913 (GOWOW012) | |||
| Japan | 12 November 2008 | Sony Music | CD | SICP-2070 |
| United States | 6 January 2009 | Columbia | CD | 886974356523 |