Riot City Blues
Encyclopedia
Riot City Blues is the eighth studio album by Primal Scream
, released on June 5, 2006. On this album, Primal Scream leaves its electronic element behind and returns to more traditional rock and roll. The album features Will Sergeant
(Echo & the Bunnymen
) on "When The Bomb Drops", Warren Ellis
(Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds
, Dirty Three
) on "Hell's Coming Down" and Alison Mosshart
(The Kills
) performing backing vocals on "Dolls (Sweet Rock and Roll)
".
said "...Primal Scream are the kind of band that would probably snap there's no such thing as a guilty pleasure, only good music and bad music. But their eighth album undermines that claim. On the one hand, it is conservatism dressed up as rebellion, derivative, self-parodic and very, very, stupid. On the other, it boasts an energy and a shamelessness that demands you abandon your vast array of reservations. No mean feat." The debut single, "Country Girl", became the band's highest charting in their career, while the album charted at #5 in the UK. "Dolls (Sweet Rock and Roll)
" and "Sometimes I Feel So Lonely
" were also released as singles in 2006.
Primal Scream
Primal Scream are a Scottish alternative rock band originally formed in 1982 in Glasgow by Bobby Gillespie and Jim Beattie and now based in London. The current lineup consists of Gillespie, Andrew Innes , Martin Duffy , and Darrin Mooney...
, released on June 5, 2006. On this album, Primal Scream leaves its electronic element behind and returns to more traditional rock and roll. The album features Will Sergeant
Will Sergeant
Will Sergeant is an English guitarist, best known for being a member of Echo & the Bunnymen. Born in the centre of Liverpool, he grew up in the suburb of Melling and attended nearby Deyes High School...
(Echo & the Bunnymen
Echo & the Bunnymen
Echo & the Bunnymen are an English post-punk band, formed in Liverpool in 1978. The original line-up consisted of vocalist Ian McCulloch, guitarist Will Sergeant and bass player Les Pattinson, supplemented by a drum machine. By 1980, Pete de Freitas had joined as the band's drummer, and their debut...
) on "When The Bomb Drops", Warren Ellis
Warren Ellis (musician)
Warren Ellis is an Australian multi-instrumentalist and composer, best known for his work with Dirty Three, Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds and Grinderman and his soundtrack scores with Nick Cave. He plays violin, piano, bouzouki, guitar, flute, mandolin, and tenor guitar...
(Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds
Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds
Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds are an Australian alternative rock band, formed in Melbourne in 1983. The band is fronted by Nick Cave and has featured international personnel throughout their career.-Formation and early releases :...
, Dirty Three
Dirty Three
Dirty Three are an instrumental trio consisting of Warren Ellis , Mick Turner and Jim White , originating from Melbourne, Australia. Since the Dirty Three formed in 1992, they have spent a lot of time overseas...
) on "Hell's Coming Down" and Alison Mosshart
Alison Mosshart
Alison Nicole Mosshart is an American singer, songwriter and occasional model best known as the lead vocalist for the indie rock band The Kills and blues rock band The Dead Weather. She started her musical career in 1995 with the Florida punk rock band Discount which disbanded in 2000...
(The Kills
The Kills
The Kills is a rock band formed by American singer Alison Mosshart and British guitarist Jamie Hince . Their first three albums, Keep On Your Mean Side, No Wow, and Midnight Boom, have garnered much critical praise...
) performing backing vocals on "Dolls (Sweet Rock and Roll)
Dolls (Sweet Rock and Roll)
"Dolls " is a song by Scottish band Primal Scream. It was released as the second single from the band's eighth album, Riot City Blues, on 7 August 2006, and reached number forty on the UK Singles Chart...
".
Reception
The album was released to varying reviews. A particularly scathing review by Pitchfork claimed that the album was "...flat and dead. It's as if Primal Scream have run completely out of ideas and so they've reverted to the detestable fallbacks of honking harmonicas and bar-band choogles, acting like college freshmen who just discovered blues." While The GuardianThe Guardian
The Guardian, formerly known as The Manchester Guardian , is a British national daily newspaper in the Berliner format...
said "...Primal Scream are the kind of band that would probably snap there's no such thing as a guilty pleasure, only good music and bad music. But their eighth album undermines that claim. On the one hand, it is conservatism dressed up as rebellion, derivative, self-parodic and very, very, stupid. On the other, it boasts an energy and a shamelessness that demands you abandon your vast array of reservations. No mean feat." The debut single, "Country Girl", became the band's highest charting in their career, while the album charted at #5 in the UK. "Dolls (Sweet Rock and Roll)
Dolls (Sweet Rock and Roll)
"Dolls " is a song by Scottish band Primal Scream. It was released as the second single from the band's eighth album, Riot City Blues, on 7 August 2006, and reached number forty on the UK Singles Chart...
" and "Sometimes I Feel So Lonely
Sometimes I Feel So Lonely
"Sometimes I Feel So Lonely" is the third single from the Riot City Blues album by Scottish rock band Primal Scream. It is the tenth track on Riot City Blues and was released just before Christmas on 18 December 2006 on limited 7" vinyl and download from iTunes UK, although it was actually put onto...
" were also released as singles in 2006.
Track listing
- "Country Girl" (4:31)
- "Nitty GrittyNitty Gritty (song)"The Nitty Gritty" is a 1963 song written by Lincoln Chase and recorded by Shirley Ellis. Released by Congress Records, it reached #8 on the Billboard Hot 100 in early 1964....
" (3:38) - "Suicide Sally & Johnny Guitar" (3:14)
- "When The Bomb Drops" (4:34)
- "Little Death" (6:22)
- "The 99th Floor" (3:50)
- "We're Gonna Boogie" (2:52)
- "Dolls (Sweet Rock and Roll)Dolls (Sweet Rock and Roll)"Dolls " is a song by Scottish band Primal Scream. It was released as the second single from the band's eighth album, Riot City Blues, on 7 August 2006, and reached number forty on the UK Singles Chart...
" (3:58) - "Hell's Comin' Down" (3:27)
- "Sometimes I Feel So LonelySometimes I Feel So Lonely"Sometimes I Feel So Lonely" is the third single from the Riot City Blues album by Scottish rock band Primal Scream. It is the tenth track on Riot City Blues and was released just before Christmas on 18 December 2006 on limited 7" vinyl and download from iTunes UK, although it was actually put onto...
" (5:06) - "Stone Ya to the Bone" (US bonus track)
- "Gimme Some Truth" (US bonus track)
- "Suicide Sally & Johnny Guitar (Live)" (US bonus track)
- "Country Girl" (Non Censored) (CD-ROM Track) (US bonus track)
2009 Japan Reissue
A two-CD edition of Riot City Blues was released as part of a deluxe series consisting of their fourth through eighth albums. The first disc includes original album with six bonus tracks; the second includes an additional seven B-sides and remixes, including "Stone My Soul" and "Carry Me Home", previously released on the Dixie-Narco EP in 1992.Disc 1
- "Country Girl" (4:31)
- "Nitty GrittyNitty Gritty (song)"The Nitty Gritty" is a 1963 song written by Lincoln Chase and recorded by Shirley Ellis. Released by Congress Records, it reached #8 on the Billboard Hot 100 in early 1964....
" (3:38) - "Suicide Sally & Johnny Guitar" (3:14)
- "When The Bomb Drops" (4:34)
- "Little Death" (6:22)
- "The 99th Floor" (3:50)
- "We're Gonna Boogie" (2:52)
- "Dolls (Sweet Rock and Roll)Dolls (Sweet Rock and Roll)"Dolls " is a song by Scottish band Primal Scream. It was released as the second single from the band's eighth album, Riot City Blues, on 7 August 2006, and reached number forty on the UK Singles Chart...
" (3:58) - "Hell's Comin' Down" (3:27)
- "Sometimes I Feel So LonelySometimes I Feel So Lonely"Sometimes I Feel So Lonely" is the third single from the Riot City Blues album by Scottish rock band Primal Scream. It is the tenth track on Riot City Blues and was released just before Christmas on 18 December 2006 on limited 7" vinyl and download from iTunes UK, although it was actually put onto...
" (5:06) - "Stone Ya to the Bone" (2:30)
- "To Live Is to Fly" (Townes Van ZandtTownes Van ZandtJohn Townes Van Zandt , best known as Townes Van Zandt, was an American Texas Country-folk music singer-songwriter, performer, and poet...
cover) (3:41) - "Gimme Some Truth" (2:28)
- "It's Not Enough" (3:33)
- "Zeppelin Blues While Thinking Of Robert Parker" (3:21)
- "Gamblin' Bar Room Blues" (5:17)
Disc 2
- "Country Girl (Beans & Fatback Mix)" (4:28)
- "Suicide Sally & Johnny Guitar (Live)" (3:03)
- "Bloods (Two Lone Swordsmen Mix)" (3:53)
- "Dolls ((Some Spiders White Light Returned With Thanks) Demo Mix)" (4:17)
- "Sometimes I Feel So Lonely (Bomb The Bass Mix)" (4:33)
- "Stone My Soul" (3:01)
- "Carry Me Home" (5:16)
Musicians
- Bobby GillespieBobby GillespieRobert Bernard Andrew "Bobby" Gillespie is a Scottish musician. He is the lead singer and founding member of the alternative rock band, Primal Scream. He was also the drummer for The Jesus and Mary Chain in the mid-1980s.- Early life :Born and raised in the south side district of Mount Florida in...
- 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... - Andrew InnesAndrew InnesAndrew Innes is a London-based musician. He is best known for being the rhythm guitarist in Scottish rock band Primal Scream.-Early years:...
- 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...
s, mandolinMandolinA mandolin is a musical instrument in the lute family . It descends from the mandore, a soprano member of the lute family. The mandolin soundboard comes in many shapes—but generally round or teardrop-shaped, sometimes with scrolls or other projections. A mandolin may have f-holes, or a single...
s, banjoBanjoIn the 1830s Sweeney became the first white man to play the banjo on stage. His version of the instrument replaced the gourd with a drum-like sound box and included four full-length strings alongside a short fifth-string. There is no proof, however, that Sweeney invented either innovation. This new...
, Moog synthesizerMoog synthesizerMoog synthesizer may refer to any number of analog synthesizers designed by Dr. Robert Moog or manufactured by Moog Music, and is commonly used as a generic term for older-generation analog music synthesizers. The Moog company pioneered the commercial manufacture of modular voltage-controlled... - Martin DuffyMartin Duffy (musician)Martin Duffy is an English keyboardist who originally played in Felt and currently plays with Primal Scream.-Career:Duffy was born in Birmingham and grew up in Rednal in the south of the city, attending St. Thomas Aquinas Catholic School in King's Norton, and growing up listening to Two Tone, punk,...
- pianoPianoThe piano is a musical instrument played by means of a keyboard. It is one of the most popular instruments in the world. Widely used in classical and jazz music for solo performances, ensemble use, chamber music and accompaniment, the piano is also very popular as an aid to composing and rehearsal...
, organOrgan (music)The organ , is a keyboard instrument of one or more divisions, each played with its own keyboard operated either with the hands or with the feet. The organ is a relatively old musical instrument in the Western musical tradition, dating from the time of Ctesibius of Alexandria who is credited with...
, harmoniumHarmoniumA harmonium is a free-standing keyboard instrument similar to a reed organ. Sound is produced by air being blown through sets of free reeds, resulting in a sound similar to that of an accordion...
, harmonicaHarmonicaThe harmonica, also called harp, French harp, blues harp, and mouth organ, is a free reed wind instrument used primarily in blues and American folk music, jazz, country, and rock and roll. It is played by blowing air into it or drawing air out by placing lips over individual holes or multiple holes... - Robert Young - guitars, harmonica
- Gary 'Mani' MounfieldGary MounfieldGary Manny "Mani" Mounfield , is an English rock bassist of The Stone Roses and Primal Scream. He has a distinctive playing style that combines a fast moving rock style with a dance rhythm or dub groove...
- bass guitarBass guitarThe bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick.... - Darrin Mooney - 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 - Alison MosshartThe KillsThe Kills is a rock band formed by American singer Alison Mosshart and British guitarist Jamie Hince . Their first three albums, Keep On Your Mean Side, No Wow, and Midnight Boom, have garnered much critical praise...
- additional vocals on tracks 2 and 3 - Will SergeantWill SergeantWill Sergeant is an English guitarist, best known for being a member of Echo & the Bunnymen. Born in the centre of Liverpool, he grew up in the suburb of Melling and attended nearby Deyes High School...
- guitar on tracks 4 and 5 - Chris Allen - hurdy gurdyHurdy gurdyThe hurdy gurdy or hurdy-gurdy is a stringed musical instrument that produces sound by a crank-turned rosined wheel rubbing against the strings. The wheel functions much like a violin bow, and single notes played on the instrument sound similar to a violin...
on track 5 - Warren EllisWarren Ellis (musician)Warren Ellis is an Australian multi-instrumentalist and composer, best known for his work with Dirty Three, Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds and Grinderman and his soundtrack scores with Nick Cave. He plays violin, piano, bouzouki, guitar, flute, mandolin, and tenor guitar...
- violinViolinThe violin is a string instrument, usually with four strings tuned in perfect fifths. It is the smallest, highest-pitched member of the violin family of string instruments, which includes the viola and cello....
on track 9 - Juliet Roberts, Sharlene Hector, Sylvia Mason-James and John Gibbons - backing vocals on tracks 1, 2, 5 and 10
- Richard Beale - French horn on track 10
Singles
- "Country Girl" (May 22, 2006) - #5
- "Dolls (Sweet Rock and Roll)Dolls (Sweet Rock and Roll)"Dolls " is a song by Scottish band Primal Scream. It was released as the second single from the band's eighth album, Riot City Blues, on 7 August 2006, and reached number forty on the UK Singles Chart...
" (August 7, 2006) - #40 - "Sometimes I Feel So LonelySometimes I Feel So Lonely"Sometimes I Feel So Lonely" is the third single from the Riot City Blues album by Scottish rock band Primal Scream. It is the tenth track on Riot City Blues and was released just before Christmas on 18 December 2006 on limited 7" vinyl and download from iTunes UK, although it was actually put onto...
" (December 18, 2006) - did not chart (Due to only 2000 copies being made available)