Golden State (album)
Encyclopedia
Golden State is the fourth studio album
by British
post-grunge
band Bush
, released in 2001
. Stylistically, it was seen as a return to the post-grunge
that Bush became famous for in contrast to their more recent experimental work. However, it ended up being their worst-selling album to date, not even reaching the Platinum status their other albums did. This would also prove to be the last album to feature Nigel Pulsford
and Dave Parsons
. Bush would not release another studio album until ten years later with The Sea of Memories. The liner notes of Golden State cite the album in memory of Ian Lowery, founder of The Folk Devils
.
commented, "[The style] is quite rough. It's kind of coming back full circle ... After almost a decade of being a band, I think we passed the stage of having to prove anything." He also described it as "very naked" and "definitely a real rock record." Rossdale added "The album is very empowering and uplifting, though I'm not really sure what its contemporaries are. That's the weird thing about it. It's like the record exists in its own space."
When asked by Rolling Stone
reporter Christina Saraceno what the band was trying to achieve with Golden State, Rossdale replied:
Rossdale also mentioned in an NY Rock
interview that people would often have the clichéd idea that he is a dark, depressed person. To counteract this, he used the name Golden State because it sounded "warm and positive." Regarding the songs' positive theme, Rossdale noted "I'm far more relaxed and I guess that influenced the album quite a bit." The stripped down musical style was a result of the band practicing all the songs five weeks before recording. This voided the use of industrial
elements as heard on The Science of Things
. And as a final test, Rossdale played the songs through a "shitty" car stereo to make sure they recorded well.
Nigel Pulsford later expressed disappointment at the final mix of the album:
. Following the September 11, 2001 attacks
, the band changed the artwork to something more minimal. The album's lead single
, "The People That We Love," was originally titled "Speed Kills" (which appeared on advance promo copies and early radio promos advertising the song), but it was renamed for the same reason, after being listed as an inappropriate song by Clear Channel Communications
. Regarding the name change, the band posted this message on their website:
The song "Headful of Ghosts" also featured a lyric change when performed live, substituting the word terrorist for maverick, for the same reason.
Upon release, "The People That We Love" saw significant radio play as well as heavy rotation
of its music video
on MTV2
. However, compared to earlier Bush hits, it has since been virtually forgotten on radio. A follow up single was not released in the US, making this Bush's final American single for 9 years until reunited in 2010 with the single 'Afterlife'. In the UK, "Inflatable" was released as a single with an accompanying video.
Golden State was released by Atlantic Records
, which originally distributed Sixteen Stone
. Bush co-hosted the October 22, 2001 edition of Channel One News
to promote the album and give away an autographed copy, an act which critics of the educational program derided.
hailed it as "Bush's best album yet." However, Jenny Eliscu of Rolling Stone
commented "Today, the group could be criticized for imitating itself... Gavin Rossdale's delicious rasp is still unequivocally sexy, but his melodies are rote versions of the same old song." She added "Nothing here hits the inevitable, almost scientific heights the band reached with anthems like 'Everything Zen
' or 'Glycerine
.' As it is, Golden State has only a few bright spots."
Stephen Thomas Erlewine of Allmusic gave a slightly more positive review, considering Bush "comfortable and powerful, rocking hard, turning out songs that are not only catchy, but that hold together and cohere over the course of an album." Regarding the album's reverted style, he said "It doesn't sound hip or current in 2001 by any means -- it sounds charmingly retro, as a matter of fact, sorta stuck in 1994 -- but it's better than most records in its vein."
.
soundtrack and was originally to be included in Need For Speed: Carbon
. "Solutions" was used in the soundtrack for Swimfan
" and was played in the background during the party scene. "Inflatable" was used in the first season Smallville
episode "Leech." "Out of This World" was featured in the Buffy the Vampire Slayer episode "Dead Things."
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
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
post-grunge
Post-grunge
Post-grunge is a subgenre of alternative rock that emerged in the mid-1990s as a derivative of grunge, using the sounds and aesthetic of grunge, but with a more commercially acceptable tone...
band Bush
Bush (band)
Bush are an alternative rock band formed in London in 1992 shortly after vocalist/guitarist Gavin Rossdale and guitarist Nigel Pulsford met in a London nightclub. Realising they shared a love for such diverse artists as the Pixies, Bob Marley, The Jesus Lizard, MC5, Nirvana, Hüsker Dü, and Big...
, released in 2001
2001 in music
See also:* 2001 in music Record labels established in 2001-Events:*January 1**Comeback of Guns N' Roses in House of Blues**Hum disbands.*January 17 – Bass player Jason Newsted leaves Metallica after 14 years with the band....
. Stylistically, it was seen as a return to the post-grunge
Post-grunge
Post-grunge is a subgenre of alternative rock that emerged in the mid-1990s as a derivative of grunge, using the sounds and aesthetic of grunge, but with a more commercially acceptable tone...
that Bush became famous for in contrast to their more recent experimental work. However, it ended up being their worst-selling album to date, not even reaching the Platinum status their other albums did. This would also prove to be the last album to feature Nigel Pulsford
Nigel Pulsford
Nigel Pulsford is a British guitarist, best known as the original lead guitarist of the alternative rock band Bush.-Early life:...
and Dave Parsons
Dave Parsons
Dave Parsons is a British bass guitarist, most notable as a member of The Partisans, Bush and Transvision Vamp.-With Transvision Vamp:*Pop Art *Velveteen...
. Bush would not release another studio album until ten years later with The Sea of Memories. The liner notes of Golden State cite the album in memory of Ian Lowery, founder of The Folk Devils
The Folk Devils
The Folk Devils were a 1980s post-punk ensemble born of the Notting Hill, West London music scene.Founding member Ian Lowery had previously been the original singer in late 1970s punk rock band The Wall and then signed to Killing Joke's Malicious Damage label as leader of the group Ski Patrol...
.
Singles
- "The People That We Love", released 18 September 2001
- "Headful of Ghosts", released November 25, 2001 (only USUnited StatesThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
) - "Inflatable", released 17 February 2002
Production
In discussing the album's direction, frontman Gavin RossdaleGavin Rossdale
Gavin McGregor Rossdale is an English musician, known as the lead singer and rhythm guitarist of the rock band Bush as well as an actor. Following Bush's separation in 2002, which lasted for eight years, he was the lead singer and guitarist for Institute, and later began a solo career. He...
commented, "[The style] is quite rough. It's kind of coming back full circle ... After almost a decade of being a band, I think we passed the stage of having to prove anything." He also described it as "very naked" and "definitely a real rock record." Rossdale added "The album is very empowering and uplifting, though I'm not really sure what its contemporaries are. That's the weird thing about it. It's like the record exists in its own space."
When asked by 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...
reporter Christina Saraceno what the band was trying to achieve with Golden State, Rossdale replied:
Rossdale also mentioned in an NY Rock
NY Rock
NY Rock is a music website that covers the New York City music scene. Founded in 1996, it contains music and movie news, interviews, concert reviews, a gig guide, feature articles and blogs....
interview that people would often have the clichéd idea that he is a dark, depressed person. To counteract this, he used the name Golden State because it sounded "warm and positive." Regarding the songs' positive theme, Rossdale noted "I'm far more relaxed and I guess that influenced the album quite a bit." The stripped down musical style was a result of the band practicing all the songs five weeks before recording. This voided the use of industrial
Industrial rock
Industrial rock is a musical genre that fuses industrial music and specific rock subgenres. Industrial rock spawned industrial metal, with which it is often confused...
elements as heard on The Science of Things
The Science of Things
The Science Of Things is the third studio album by British post-grunge band Bush. Released in 1999, it was the last Bush album under Trauma Records...
. And as a final test, Rossdale played the songs through a "shitty" car stereo to make sure they recorded well.
Nigel Pulsford later expressed disappointment at the final mix of the album:
Promotion
The album's original cover featured an outline of a passenger airlinerAirliner
An airliner is a large fixed-wing aircraft for transporting passengers and cargo. Such aircraft are operated by airlines. Although the definition of an airliner can vary from country to country, an airliner is typically defined as an aircraft intended for carrying multiple passengers in commercial...
. Following the September 11, 2001 attacks
September 11, 2001 attacks
The September 11 attacks The September 11 attacks The September 11 attacks (also referred to as September 11, September 11th or 9/119/11 is pronounced "nine eleven". The slash is not part of the pronunciation...
, the band changed the artwork to something more minimal. The album's lead single
Lead single
A lead single is usually the first single released by a musician or a band before the release of its home album.During the era of the grammophone record, all music arrived in the marketplace as what is now termed a single, one potential hit song backed by an additional song of generally less...
, "The People That We Love," was originally titled "Speed Kills" (which appeared on advance promo copies and early radio promos advertising the song), but it was renamed for the same reason, after being listed as an inappropriate song by Clear Channel Communications
Clear Channel Communications
Clear Channel Communications, Inc. is an American media conglomerate company headquartered in San Antonio, Texas. It was founded in 1972 by Lowry Mays and Red McCombs, and was taken private by Bain Capital LLC and Thomas H. Lee Partners LP in a leveraged buyout in 2008...
. Regarding the name change, the band posted this message on their website:
The song "Headful of Ghosts" also featured a lyric change when performed live, substituting the word terrorist for maverick, for the same reason.
Upon release, "The People That We Love" saw significant radio play as well as heavy rotation
Heavy rotation
In broadcasting, rotation is the repeated airing of a limited playlist of songs on a radio station or satellite radio channel, or music videos on a TV network. They are usually in a different order each time, however they are not completely shuffled, so as to avoid playing the same song again too...
of its 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 MTV2
MTV2
MTV2 is a cable network that is widely available in the United States on digital cable and satellite television, and is progressively being added to analogue cable lineups across the nation...
. However, compared to earlier Bush hits, it has since been virtually forgotten on radio. A follow up single was not released in the US, making this Bush's final American single for 9 years until reunited in 2010 with the single 'Afterlife'. In the UK, "Inflatable" was released as a single with an accompanying video.
Golden State was released by Atlantic Records
Atlantic Records
Atlantic Records is an American record label best known for its many recordings of rhythm and blues, rock and roll, and jazz...
, which originally distributed Sixteen Stone
Sixteen Stone
Sixteen Stone is the debut album of British rock band Bush. Released in 1994 through Trauma Records, it boasted numerous successful singles and is widely regarded as the band's most popular album.-Title:...
. Bush co-hosted the October 22, 2001 edition of Channel One News
Channel One News
Channel One News is a 12 minute news program for teens broadcast via satellite to middle schools and high schools across the United States. Channel One is owned by Alloy Media + Marketing and based in New York City.-Program History:...
to promote the album and give away an autographed copy, an act which critics of the educational program derided.
Reception
The fact that Golden State is a return to Bush's earlier style has brought both criticism and praise. 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...
hailed it as "Bush's best album yet." However, Jenny Eliscu of 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...
commented "Today, the group could be criticized for imitating itself... Gavin Rossdale's delicious rasp is still unequivocally sexy, but his melodies are rote versions of the same old song." She added "Nothing here hits the inevitable, almost scientific heights the band reached with anthems like 'Everything Zen
Everything Zen
"Everything Zen" is the debut single released by British alternative rock band Bush in early 1995 from their debut album Sixteen Stone.-Music video:...
' or 'Glycerine
Glycerine (song)
"Glycerine" is the fourth single from British grunge/alternative rock band Bush's debut album Sixteen Stone. The song is notable for not featuring any drums, but instead features cellos .-Music video:The music video for "Glycerine" was notable for being shot in a very short time period when the band...
.' As it is, Golden State has only a few bright spots."
Stephen Thomas Erlewine of Allmusic gave a slightly more positive review, considering Bush "comfortable and powerful, rocking hard, turning out songs that are not only catchy, but that hold together and cohere over the course of an album." Regarding the album's reverted style, he said "It doesn't sound hip or current in 2001 by any means -- it sounds charmingly retro, as a matter of fact, sorta stuck in 1994 -- but it's better than most records in its vein."
Track listing
All songs by Gavin RossdaleGavin Rossdale
Gavin McGregor Rossdale is an English musician, known as the lead singer and rhythm guitarist of the rock band Bush as well as an actor. Following Bush's separation in 2002, which lasted for eight years, he was the lead singer and guitarist for Institute, and later began a solo career. He...
.
B-sides/Unreleased
- "Japanese Freight Train" - B-side (released on official website, bonus track on Australian release)
- "American Eyes" - B-side (The People That We LoveThe People That We Love"The People That We Love" is a song by post-grunge band Bush and the lead single from their fourth album Golden State. "The People That We Love" could not be included on future compilations such as The Best Of: 1994–1999 due to lack of licensing rights....
Single) - "Fireball" - Unreleased
- All roads lead home
Song appearances in other media
"The People That We Love" was included on the Need for Speed: Hot Pursuit 2Need for Speed: Hot Pursuit 2
-Development:Different versions of the game were produced for each game platform; the Xbox, GameCube and PC versions were developed in EA Seattle, a subsidiary of EA Canada, while the PS2 version was developed by EA Black Box in Vancouver, B.C. Canada. Also, it did not feature a career mode...
soundtrack and was originally to be included in Need For Speed: Carbon
Need for Speed: Carbon
Need for Speed: Carbon, also known as NFS Carbon or NFSC, is an Electronic Arts video game belonging to the Need for Speed series. Released in 2006, it is the tenth installment, preceded by Need for Speed: Most Wanted, succeeded by Need for Speed: ProStreet in release order and succeeded by Need...
. "Solutions" was used in the soundtrack for Swimfan
Swimfan
Swimfan, also known as Fanatica, is a 2002 erotic thriller film directed by John Polson and written by Charles Bohl and Phillip Schneider. Considered a Fatal Attraction for a teenage audience, the film stars Jesse Bradford, Erika Christensen, and Shiri Appleby.-Plot:Ben Cronin is a a star swimmer...
" and was played in the background during the party scene. "Inflatable" was used in the first season Smallville
Smallville (TV series)
Smallville is an American television series developed by writers/producers Alfred Gough and Miles Millar based on the DC Comics character Superman, originally created by Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster. The television series was initially broadcast by The WB Television Network , premiering on October...
episode "Leech." "Out of This World" was featured in the Buffy the Vampire Slayer episode "Dead Things."
Album
| Chart | Peak position |
Year |
|---|---|---|
| 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... |
22 | 2001 |
Singles
| Single | Chart | Peak position |
Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| "The People That We Love" | Billboard Mainstream Rock Tracks Mainstream Rock Tracks Hot Mainstream Rock Tracks is a ranking in Billboard magazine of the most-played songs on mainstream rock radio stations, a category that includes stations that play primarily rock music. Modern rock tracks are counted in the Alternative Songs chart.This chart began with the March 21, 1981, issue... |
10 | 2001 |
| "Inflatable" | 2002 | ||