Rock Action (album)
Encyclopedia
Rock Action is the third full-length studio album by Scottish post-rock
band Mogwai
.
palette.
The single "Dial: Revenge" fills much the same role that "Cody" did on Come on Die Young
, featuring Welsh
vocals from Gruff Rhys
of Super Furry Animals
;. When the inside cover is unfolded, part of the logo for Mwng
, an album by Super Furry Animals
released the previous year, can be seen. Gruff Rhys has said of the song title "I think (Mogwai) were into me writing in Welsh, because they're an instrumental band and they wanted a singer who would be just sounds for most people. Back then, people were still using payphones. When you take a payphone off the hook, on the LCD screen it flashes 'DIAL'. But in Welsh, dial – pronounced 'dee-al' – means revenge. It puts you in a weird place when you're making a phone call. So the song was about that.".
The tone of Rock Action is somewhat less dark than previous works, but maintains Mogwai's cryptic cynicism.
The album's title comes from Iggy Pop
's nickname for his Stooges
bandmate, Scott Asheton
. Pop had at times referred to him as "Rock" Asheton, or "Rock Action". He later changed his name to this nickname.
The album was produced by Dave Fridmann
of Mercury Rev
in New York.
Japanese version Bonus Tracks:
Post-rock
Post-rock is a subgenre of rock music characterized by the influence and use of instruments commonly associated with rock, but using rhythms and "guitars as facilitators of timbre and textures" not traditionally found in rock...
band Mogwai
Mogwai
The word mogwai is the transliteration of the Cantonese word 魔怪 meaning "monster", "evil spirit", "devil" or "demon".-Mogwai/Mogui in Chinese culture:...
.
Overview
Rock Action brought with it some changes to Mogwai's sound that they would continue to develop later, including the use of electronic instruments. While song structures on this album are typical of the band in most cases and respects, some of the contrasting dynamics have been toned down slightly and many of the songs focus more on texture than on structure. For the first time, Mogwai utilised synthesizers, expanding their timbralTimbre
In music, timbre is the quality of a musical note or sound or tone that distinguishes different types of sound production, such as voices and musical instruments, such as string instruments, wind instruments, and percussion instruments. The physical characteristics of sound that determine the...
palette.
The single "Dial: Revenge" fills much the same role that "Cody" did on Come on Die Young
Come On Die Young
Come On Die Young , is the second full-length studio album by the Scottish post-rock band Mogwai, released on 29 March 1999 by Chemikal Underground.-Overview:...
, featuring Welsh
Welsh language
Welsh is a member of the Brythonic branch of the Celtic languages spoken natively in Wales, by some along the Welsh border in England, and in Y Wladfa...
vocals from Gruff Rhys
Gruff Rhys
Gruffydd Maredudd Bowen Rhys is a Welsh musician, performing solo and with several bands, including Super Furry Animals who obtained mainstream success in the 1990s. He also most recently formed the electro-pop outfit Neon Neon with Boom Bip. Their album Stainless Style was nominated for the 2008...
of Super Furry Animals
Super Furry Animals
Super Furry Animals are a Welsh rock band that lean towards psychedelic rock and electronic experimentation. Since their formation in Cardiff, Wales in 1993, the band has consisted of Gruff Rhys , Huw Bunford , Guto Pryce , Cian Ciaran and Dafydd Ieuan Super Furry Animals are a Welsh rock band...
;. When the inside cover is unfolded, part of the logo for Mwng
Mwng
Mwng is the fourth studio album by Welsh rock band the Super Furry Animals, and the first by the group to have lyrics written entirely in the Welsh language. Mwng was released on 15 May 2000 on the band's own record label, Placid Casual, following the demise of their former label Creation...
, an album by Super Furry Animals
Super Furry Animals
Super Furry Animals are a Welsh rock band that lean towards psychedelic rock and electronic experimentation. Since their formation in Cardiff, Wales in 1993, the band has consisted of Gruff Rhys , Huw Bunford , Guto Pryce , Cian Ciaran and Dafydd Ieuan Super Furry Animals are a Welsh rock band...
released the previous year, can be seen. Gruff Rhys has said of the song title "I think (Mogwai) were into me writing in Welsh, because they're an instrumental band and they wanted a singer who would be just sounds for most people. Back then, people were still using payphones. When you take a payphone off the hook, on the LCD screen it flashes 'DIAL'. But in Welsh, dial – pronounced 'dee-al' – means revenge. It puts you in a weird place when you're making a phone call. So the song was about that.".
The tone of Rock Action is somewhat less dark than previous works, but maintains Mogwai's cryptic cynicism.
The album's title comes from Iggy Pop
Iggy Pop
Iggy Pop is an American singer, songwriter, musician, and actor. Though considered an innovator of punk rock, Pop's music has encompassed a number of styles over the years, including pop, metal, jazz and blues...
's nickname for his Stooges
The Stooges
The Stooges are an American rock band from Ann Arbor, Michigan first active from 1967 to 1974, and later reformed in 2003...
bandmate, Scott Asheton
Scott Asheton
Scott "Rock Action" Asheton is an American musician, best known as the drummer for the rock band The Stooges...
. Pop had at times referred to him as "Rock" Asheton, or "Rock Action". He later changed his name to this nickname.
The album was produced by Dave Fridmann
Dave Fridmann
Dave Fridmann is an American record producer and musician. From 1990 onwards he co-produced all releases by Mercury Rev and The Flaming Lips...
of Mercury Rev
Mercury Rev
Mercury Rev is an American alternative rock group, that formed in the late 1980s in Buffalo, New York. Original personnel were David Baker , Jonathan Donahue , Sean Mackowiak, a.k.a...
in New York.
Track listing
- "Sine Wave" – 4:55
- "Take Me Somewhere Nice" – 6:57
- "O I Sleep" – 0:55
- "Dial: Revenge" – 3:28
- "You Don't Know Jesus" – 8:02
- "Robot Chant" – 1:03
- "2 Rights Make 1 Wrong2 Rights Make 1 Wrong"2 Rights Make 1 Wrong" is a song by Scottish post-rock band Mogwai from their 2001 album Rock Action.-Overview:"2 Rights Make 1 Wrong" is a nine minute long instrumental song, featuring a wide range of instrumentation, including guitars, bass, drums, brass, and banjo...
" – 9:31 - "Secret Pint" – 3:37
Japanese version Bonus Tracks:
- "Untitled" - 7:16
- "Close Encounters" – 3:54
Mogwai
- Dominic AitchisonDominic AitchisonDominic Aitchison is a Scottish bassist. He is best known as the bassist and founding member of post-rock band Mogwai. Aside from Mogwai, he also plays bass guitar in Crippled Black Phoenix and Stage Blood....
- bass - Stuart BraithwaiteStuart BraithwaiteStuart Leslie Braithwaite is a Scottish guitarist, bassist, drummer, singer and songwriter. He is best known as the guitarist of post rock band Mogwai, with whom he has recorded seven studio albums.-Early life :...
- guitar, vocals on "Take Me Somewhere Nice" - Martin BullochMartin BullochMartin Bulloch is a Scottish musician, best known for being a member of Mogwai.-Early life:Bulloch was born in Bellshill, South Lanarkshire. He was once a cook at a Chinese Restaurant in Glasgow.-Mogwai:...
- drums - Barry BurnsBarry BurnsBarry Burns is a Scottish musician best known for his work with post-rock band Mogwai.-Early life:Burns went to Cardinal Newman High School in Bellshill before enrolling with the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama in Glasgow, taking up a Bachelor of Education degree in teaching music. He did...
- guitar, keyboard - John CummingsJohn Cummings (musician)John Cummings is a Scottish musician and record producer, best known for being a member of Glaswegian band Mogwai, mostly playing guitar, as well as programming, keyboards and vocals.-Mogwai:...
- guitar, piano
Additional musicians
- David PajoDavid PajoDavid Pajo is an American alternative rock musician. He has played a wide variety of music, loosely fitting into several other genres: hardcore, math-rock, post-rock, electronica, folk and indie-pop...
- backing vocals on "Take Me Somewhere Nice" - Gruff RhysGruff RhysGruffydd Maredudd Bowen Rhys is a Welsh musician, performing solo and with several bands, including Super Furry Animals who obtained mainstream success in the 1990s. He also most recently formed the electro-pop outfit Neon Neon with Boom Bip. Their album Stainless Style was nominated for the 2008...
- vocals on "Dial: Revenge", backing vocals on "2 Rights Make 1 Wrong" - The Remote ViewerThe Remote ViewerThe Remote Viewer was originally released in CD-R format by Coil. The three track album was released in 2002 May in an edition of 500 copies. The initial three copies were signed and numbered, then auctioned off. The album was later re-edited by Peter Christopherson and expanded to include a second...
- programming and banjo on "2 Rights Make 1 Wrong" - Willie CampbellWillie CampbellWilliam R. "Willie" Campbell was a Scottish professional footballer who played for Cowdenbeath, Alloa Athletic, Huddersfield Town & Manchester City. He was born in Dunfermline....
, Charlie Clark, Gary LightbodyGary LightbodyGary Lightbody is an Northern Irish musician and songwriter best known as the lead vocalist and rhythm guitarist of the alternative rock band Snow Patrol.- Early life :...
- backing vocals on "2 Rights Make 1 Wrong" - Michael Brawley - strings and horns on "Take Me Somewhere Nice" and "2 Rights Make 1 Wrong"
- Dave FridmannDave FridmannDave Fridmann is an American record producer and musician. From 1990 onwards he co-produced all releases by Mercury Rev and The Flaming Lips...
- strings and horns on "Dial: Revenge" and "Secret Pint"
Credits
- Produced and mixed by Dave Fridmann
- Recorded by Dave Fridmann and Tony Doogan
- Recorded and mixed at Tarbox Road Studios, Cassadega, NY
- Additional recording at Cava Studios, Glasgow and Sorcerer Sound, NY
- Assistant engineers: Willie Deans at Cava and Bill Racine at Sorcerer Sound
- All songs written by Mogwai except "Dial: Revenge" by Mogwai/Gruff Rhys
- Design and art by Vella Design
- Photography by Steve Gullick