Music For The People
Encyclopedia
Music for the People is the second studio album by Coventry
-based band The Enemy
, which was released 27 April 2009. It entered the UK charts at number two, losing out on the number one spot to Bob Dylan's Together Through Life
.
"We totally took our time," Clarke stated.
In early 2009, The Enemy completed the recording of the album. On their official MySpace
blog, the band described the album as a "big step forward", deciding to "go back to basics with the recording and do it all on tape rather than computers which is how the vast majority of modern records are made, and as a result it sounds huge, like a proper old school rock record". They also described the album as having a more "raw and punkier sound", whilst Clarke noted that, although he was aiming to address various issues with the album's lyrics, the band took a less organised approach in writing them;
The lead single, "No Time For Tears
", was debuted on BBC Radio 1
on February 17, 2009, including an interview with the band discussing tour dates and their "new sound". The single was officially released on April 13, with the album following a fortnight later on April 27. As part of the promotion for the album, the band played a number of gigs in small, intimate venues throughout February 2009, in Lincoln, York, Dundee, Wakefield, Tunbridge Wells and Corby. They were supported by troubador Martin Fell at all dates.
The video for the second single, "Sing When You're In Love", was debuted on T4 on the 9th May 2009, and will be released on June 22.
The third single, "Be Somebody", was used as theme music for the video game FIFA 10
and in ITV's FA Cup
football coverage.
giving the album 5 out of 10 stars in its review, stating that "Tom Clarke's lot aim for the stars but sadly fall painfully short." John Earls of Planet Sound
saw the LP as a progression from the band's debut album, but found fault with the lyrical content. The album was severely criticized by There Goes The Fear who said " ‘Music For The People’ is 43 minutes of bland noise which sounds like the worst 80s punk bootleg you ever heard. Honestly, the band sound like your dad and uncle just set up a (bad) Clash tribute band." Their song 'Nation of Checkout Girls' has also been widely derided for sounded similar to Common People
by Pulp
, while another song on their album "Don't Break The Red Tape" has also been criticized for its similarity to "London Calling" by The Clash.
Bonus Tracks:
iTunes Exclusive tracks:
11. "This Song Is About You (Live At Glasgow Barrowlands Ballroom)" - 5:33
12. "We'll Live And Die In These Towns (Live At Glasgow Barrowlands Ballroom)" - 3:00
Coventry
Coventry is a city and metropolitan borough in the county of West Midlands in England. Coventry is the 9th largest city in England and the 11th largest in the United Kingdom. It is also the second largest city in the English Midlands, after Birmingham, with a population of 300,848, although...
-based band The Enemy
The Enemy (UK band)
The Enemy are an English rock band formed in Coventry in 2006, signed to Warner Music Group . In June 2007, The Enemy played twice at Glastonbury Festival, first in the 'Guardian Lounge' on Saturday and then the much larger 'Other Stage' on Sunday. They also headlined on the Saturday night of T in...
, which was released 27 April 2009. It entered the UK charts at number two, losing out on the number one spot to Bob Dylan's Together Through Life
Together Through Life
Together Through Life is the 33rd studio album by Bob Dylan, released on April 28, 2009, on Columbia Records. The album debuted at number one in several countries, including the U.S. and the UK...
.
Background and recording
Following a short break last summer, the trio spent the majority of autumn 2008 recording in rural Wales at Monrow studios with producer Mike Crossey. Whilst the plan was to capitalise on the buzz from their debut, the band didn't rush the sessions."We totally took our time," Clarke stated.
In early 2009, The Enemy completed the recording of the album. On their official 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....
blog, the band described the album as a "big step forward", deciding to "go back to basics with the recording and do it all on tape rather than computers which is how the vast majority of modern records are made, and as a result it sounds huge, like a proper old school rock record". They also described the album as having a more "raw and punkier sound", whilst Clarke noted that, although he was aiming to address various issues with the album's lyrics, the band took a less organised approach in writing them;
The lead single, "No Time For Tears
No Time For Tears
"No Time for Tears" is a song by The Enemy from their second album Music For The People.The song debuted on Radio 1 at 7pm on the 16/2/09. Following the premier of the song, the band were interviewed to discuss their "New Punk Sound". The song entered the UK Singles Chart at #16 on 19 April 2009,...
", was debuted on 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...
on February 17, 2009, including an interview with the band discussing tour dates and their "new sound". The single was officially released on April 13, with the album following a fortnight later on April 27. As part of the promotion for the album, the band played a number of gigs in small, intimate venues throughout February 2009, in Lincoln, York, Dundee, Wakefield, Tunbridge Wells and Corby. They were supported by troubador Martin Fell at all dates.
The video for the second single, "Sing When You're In Love", was debuted on T4 on the 9th May 2009, and will be released on June 22.
The third single, "Be Somebody", was used as theme music for the video game FIFA 10
FIFA 10
carlos leivaFIFA 10 is the 17th title in Electronic Arts' FIFA series of football video games. Developed by EA Canada, it was published by Electronic Arts worldwide under the EA Sports label. It was released on 2 October 2009 in Europe, 30 September in Australia and 20 October 2009 in North America...
and in ITV's FA Cup
FA Cup
The Football Association Challenge Cup, commonly known as the FA Cup, is a knockout cup competition in English football and is the oldest association football competition in the world. The "FA Cup" is run by and named after The Football Association and usually refers to the English men's...
football coverage.
Critical reception
The album has received average to negative reviews with 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...
giving the album 5 out of 10 stars in its review, stating that "Tom Clarke's lot aim for the stars but sadly fall painfully short." John Earls of Planet Sound
Planet Sound
Planet Sound was a Teletext music page on ITV and Channel 4 in the UK. It was broadcast on analogue Teletext from page 340, and on digital Teletext from page 820. From May 24, 2007, Planet Sound was also available to read online via the Teletext website...
saw the LP as a progression from the band's debut album, but found fault with the lyrical content. The album was severely criticized by There Goes The Fear who said " ‘Music For The People’ is 43 minutes of bland noise which sounds like the worst 80s punk bootleg you ever heard. Honestly, the band sound like your dad and uncle just set up a (bad) Clash tribute band." Their song 'Nation of Checkout Girls' has also been widely derided for sounded similar to Common People
Common People
"Common People" is a song by English alternative rock band Pulp. It was released as a single in 1995, reaching number two on the UK singles chart. It also appears on the band's 1995 album Different Class. The song is about those who were perceived by the songwriter as wanting to be "like common...
by Pulp
Pulp (band)
Pulp are an English alternative rock band formed in Sheffield in 1978. Their lineup consists of Jarvis Cocker , Russell Senior , Candida Doyle , Mark Webber , Steve Mackey and Nick Banks ....
, while another song on their album "Don't Break The Red Tape" has also been criticized for its similarity to "London Calling" by The Clash.
Tracklist
The tracklisting was revealed via e-mail to fans signed up to the band's mailing list.- "Elephant Song" - 4:39
- "No Time For TearsNo Time For Tears"No Time for Tears" is a song by The Enemy from their second album Music For The People.The song debuted on Radio 1 at 7pm on the 16/2/09. Following the premier of the song, the band were interviewed to discuss their "New Punk Sound". The song entered the UK Singles Chart at #16 on 19 April 2009,...
" - 5:15 - "51st State" - 2:30
- "Sing When You're In LoveSing When You're in Love"Sing When You're In Love" is the second single by The Enemy from their second album Music For The People. It was released digitally on June 21, 2009 with a physical release on June 22, 2009.-Track listing:CD single#"Sing When You're In Love"...
" - 3:37 - "Last Goodbye" - 4:52
- "Nation Of Checkout Girls" - 3:14
- "Be Somebody" - 3:04
- "Don't Break the Red Tape" - 3:42
- "Keep Losing" - 4:35
- "Silver Spoon" - 11:17 (Ends at 5:16, hidden track begins at 8:54)
Bonus Tracks:
- "A New England" - 2:51
- "Hey Hey, My My (Into The Black)" - 2:54
- "Keep Losing (Strings Version)" - 4:32
- "Away From Here (Live At Union Chapel)" - 3:28
iTunes Exclusive tracks:
11. "This Song Is About You (Live At Glasgow Barrowlands Ballroom)" - 5:33
12. "We'll Live And Die In These Towns (Live At Glasgow Barrowlands Ballroom)" - 3:00