Vulture Street
Encyclopedia
Vulture Street is the fifth studio album by Australian alternative
rock band
Powderfinger
, released by Universal Music on 29 July 2003. Produced
by Nick DiDia
, Vulture Street was certified platinum
, and spent 47 weeks on the ARIA Charts
and peaked at #1. Singles from the album included "(Baby I've Got You) On My Mind
", "Since You've Been Gone
", "Love Your Way
" and "Sunsets
".
The album received nominations for ARIA Awards in five different categories in 2003
, which included "Album of the Year", "Best Group" and "Best Rock Album". Vulture Street also received the award for "Best Cover Art", which featured Czech
supermodel
Eva Herzigová
.
Vulture Street was described by certain critics as "a rawer, louder, but by no means unrefined" album. The title of the album was taken from an iconic street in the inner southern suburbs of Brisbane
, Queensland
, the city in which all Powderfinger members grew up.
, the band agreed that they wanted to continue in their musical careers, but wanted to have more fun with it. They were no longer dole
reliant, as they had been when they made their debut album, Parables for Wooden Ears
. Drummer Jon Coghill
told The Sydney Morning Herald
"we wanted to have more fun and enjoy that we were a band, rather than chase what you're supposed to do", and guitarist Ian Haug
said "We all found that this is really important to us, but we wanted to make it more fun".
Powderfinger did not enter the recording studio with a specific plan on what they wanted Vulture Street to be, but that they "felt that [they] wanted to write a rock album". In the end, the album became "stuff that makes you want to jump around and feel good about yourself"—guitarist Darren Middleton
said this had not been the band's intention. Coghill said the band wanted to make an album that was fun to perform live and listen to—most of the songs on the album were performed and released live on These Days: Live in Concert.
Like Powderfinger's two previous albums, Vulture Street was produced by Nick DiDia
. It was mixed
by Brendan O'Brien
, who had worked with Powderfinger inspiration Neil Young
. The album was recorded over a seven week period in Sydney. Prior to recording, the band had written about 50 songs, which was trimmed to the final 11. A significant number of songs on the album were producing during jam session
s, with DiDia giving the band additional space to move in. Middleton said in an interview that the band "always start things spontaneously, because that's when you're thinking less and just playing."
In producing Vulture Street, Powderfinger moved in a different direction to their previous works, especially Odyssey Number Five
, starting with opening song "Rockin' Rocks", which was written according to Middleton after "a couple of months trying really hard to write this new rock album" but not making anything they really liked. He also said the band could easily have written lots of "The Metre"-like songs, but didn't do that "for our own interest in the band and music".
In an interview with ninemsn
, lead singer Bernard Fanning
said the band "tapped more into that energetic rock thing and made it really different from our other albums" when creating Vulture Street. He also said the band were a lot more serious when making this album, and this was partly due to "the way we've matured as musicians".
, Brisbane
. A special edition DVD
was included with selected early copies of Vulture Street. The DVD included a documentary with all of the albums' songs and several music videos. Vulture Street entered the ARIA Charts
in Australia at #1, and the RIANZ Charts in New Zealand at #17.
Vulture Street's first single, "(Baby I've Got You) On My Mind
", was released on 10 November 2003. It entered the ARIA charts
at #9 on 29 June 2003, and spent 13 weeks in the top 50. The song was nominated for "Song of the Year" and "Best Video" at the 2003
ARIA Awards, but won neither. The second single, "Since You've Been Gone
", was released on 22 March 2004. It wasn't as successful as its predecessors, and failed to make the ARIA top 50. "Since You've Been Gone" was written by Fanning as a tribute to his brother.
"Love Your Way
" was released as the third single on 25 May 2004 from Vulture Street, and spent two weeks on the ARIA charts, entering at #37. The fourth single, "Sunsets
", was released on 4 June 2004. It earned the band a nomination for "Best Group" at the 2004 ARIA Awards
, but again was unsuccessful. "Sunsets" charted better than most of its predecessors, reaching #11 on the ARIA Chart, and entering the RIANZ Chart in New Zealand at #38, the first single from Vulture Street to do so.
orientated than Powderfinger's past work, especially Odyssey Number Five. The opening track, "Rockin' Rocks", was described by Harp
as "far too cheesy to open this record—or any record, for that matter". The song became the band's opening track for live performances, though. The first single, "(Baby I've Got You) On My Mind
", was one of the heavier songs on the album; varying reviewers alikened it to AC/DC
, Bad Company
, and Stereophonics
, and musicOMH called it "an unashamed full-tilt rocker". dB magazine said the title of "Stumblin'
", released as a single from These Days: Live in Concert after appearing on Vulture Street, was representative of the "classic rock clichés" on the album.
Second single "Since You've Been Gone
" contained similar lyrical features to "(Baby I've Got You) On My Mind", but with a more mellow sound. Fanning wrote it following the death of his brother, to help deal with the event. "Sunsets
" also dealt with this theme; Fanning told MTV Scene "we write unashamedly about that emotional attachment". "Love Your Way
" saw an acoustic
opening followed by a loud chorus for which Universal Music Canada
recommended the air guitar
. musicOMH's Simon Evans alikened the song to Roy Harper
, while David Welsh praised the three main aspects of the song—the accoutstic introduction, "affected vocal delivery", and guitar solo
. On live performances, Fanning plays "Love Your Way" with an acoustic guitar to give the loud second phase of the song more "oomph".
" as reminiscent of "Stereophonics
rehashing old-school rock for a contemporary feeling", and said "Since You've Been Gone
" was an "uplifting gospel-tinged effort". MacNeil's main criticism was for "Roll Right By You", a song he described as "run-of-the-mill". However, MacNeil said that overall the album was "an outstanding piece of work".
The Sydney Morning Herald
's Bernard Zuel approved of the album, giving it four stars, and calling Vulture Street a "rawer, louder, but by no means unrefined, album". He said that throughout the album, guitarists Darren Middleton
and Ian Haug
"dominated in a way they haven't since their 1994 debut, Parables for Wooden Ears
". Zuel drew several connections to Powderfinger's early work, but noted "a superior intellect" in this album. Zuel summarised by saying it was easy to "just enjoy Vulture Street's power and passion. And the rock."
Ty Burr of Entertainment Weekly
reviewed the album positively, writing of a return to Powderfinger's "bar-band roots", while still featuring some "sharp pop hooks under the riffs". He drew references to early Radiohead
and Bad Company
, whom he argued Fanning was inspired by on "(Baby I've Got You) On My Mind". The review was summarised by Burr describing Vulture Street as "good company".
MusicOMH reviewer Simon Evans said Powderfinger added "a real punch to songs...far removed from your standard rock and roll fare" in Vulture Street, praising the emotion and seriousness of "Since You've Been Gone" and "How Far Have We Really Come?", and the "fun" in "Don't Panic". Evans praised producer Nick DiDia
for his work on the album, which he summarised as "a quantum leap from its rather passionless predecessor, Odyssey Number Five".
from the Australian Recording Industry Association
(ARIA) in 2003 and 2004. To date, the album has received eight nominations in six categories, four of which they had won the award for.
In December 2003 Triple J listeners voted this as their favourite album for 2003.
In Triple J's Hottest 100 Australian Albums of All Time, 2011. This album was voted #14 Powderfinger's second entry on the list.
Additional players
Production
was included with selected early copies of Vulture Street. The DVD included a documentary with all of the albums' songs, with the song "Sunsets
" featuring twice. The DVD also included the music video
s for "On My Mind
", the acoustic version of "Sunsets" and as hidden bonus features, the videos for the song "Pockets" and the keyboard version of "These Days
".
Alternative rock
Alternative rock is a genre of rock music and a term used to describe a diverse musical movement that emerged from the independent music underground of the 1980s and became widely popular by the 1990s...
rock band
Rock Band
Rock Band is a music video game developed by Harmonix Music Systems, published by MTV Games and Electronic Arts. It is the first title in the Rock Band series. The PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 versions were released in the United States on November 20, 2007, while the PlayStation 2 version was...
Powderfinger
Powderfinger
Powderfinger was an Australian rock band that formed in Brisbane in 1989. From 1992 until their breakup the band lineup consisted of vocalist Bernard Fanning, guitarists Darren Middleton and Ian Haug, bassist John Collins, and drummer Jon Coghill....
, released by Universal Music on 29 July 2003. Produced
Record producer
A record producer is an individual working within the music industry, whose job is to oversee and manage the recording of an artist's music...
by Nick DiDia
Nick DiDia
Nick DiDia is an American record producer mostly known for his work with Australian rock group Powderfinger and American pop-rock group Nine Days...
, Vulture Street was certified platinum
Music recording sales certification
Music recording sales certification is a system of certifying that a music recording has shipped or sold a certain number of copies, where the threshold quantity varies by type and by nation or territory .Almost all countries follow variations of the RIAA certification categories,...
, and spent 47 weeks on the ARIA Charts
ARIA Charts
The ARIA charts are the main Australian music sales charts, issued weekly by the Australian Recording Industry Association. The charts are a record of the highest selling singles and albums in various genres in Australia. ARIA commenced compiling its own charts in-house from the week ending 26 June...
and peaked at #1. Singles from the album included "(Baby I've Got You) On My Mind
(Baby I've Got You) On My Mind
" On My Mind" is a song on Powderfinger's fifth studio album Vulture Street. It was released as a single in 2003 and reached #9 on the Australian music chart, the band's third highest charting single to date.-Background:After two albums of Powderfinger releasing singles that were either acoustic...
", "Since You've Been Gone
Since You've Been Gone (Powderfinger song)
"Since You've Been Gone" is a 2004 single from Powderfinger's fifth studio album Vulture Street. It was the fourth single released from Vulture Street and reached #51 on the Australian music chart. It was a limited edition single, hence no video or puzzle piece on the spine of the single...
", "Love Your Way
Love Your Way
"Love Your Way" is a 2004 single from Powderfinger's fifth studio album Vulture Street. It was the second single released from Vulture Street and reached #37 on the Australian music chart....
" and "Sunsets
Sunsets
"Sunsets" is a song released as the third single from Australian rock band Powderfinger's fifth studio album, Vulture Street. The single was released on 4 January 2004 in Australia and New Zealand....
".
The album received nominations for ARIA Awards in five different categories in 2003
ARIA Music Awards of 2003
The 17th Annual Australian Recording Industry Association Music Awards were held on 21 October 2003 at the Sydney Superdome.-ARIA Awards:*Album of the Year**Powderfinger – Vulture Street...
, which included "Album of the Year", "Best Group" and "Best Rock Album". Vulture Street also received the award for "Best Cover Art", which featured Czech
Czech Republic
The Czech Republic is a landlocked country in Central Europe. The country is bordered by Poland to the northeast, Slovakia to the east, Austria to the south, and Germany to the west and northwest....
supermodel
Supermodel
The term supermodel refers to a highly-paid fashion model who usually has a worldwide reputation and often a background in haute couture and commercial modeling. The term became prominent in the popular culture of the 1980s. Supermodels usually work for top fashion designers and labels...
Eva Herzigová
Eva Herzigová
Eva Herzigová is a Czech model and actress.-Early life and career:Herzigová was born in Litvínov, Czechoslovakia . She began her modeling career after winning a modeling beauty contest in Prague in 1989, at the age of sixteen. After arriving in Paris, her popularity increased...
.
Vulture Street was described by certain critics as "a rawer, louder, but by no means unrefined" album. The title of the album was taken from an iconic street in the inner southern suburbs of Brisbane
Brisbane
Brisbane is the capital and most populous city in the Australian state of Queensland and the third most populous city in Australia. Brisbane's metropolitan area has a population of over 2 million, and the South East Queensland urban conurbation, centred around Brisbane, encompasses a population of...
, Queensland
Queensland
Queensland is a state of Australia, occupying the north-eastern section of the mainland continent. It is bordered by the Northern Territory, South Australia and New South Wales to the west, south-west and south respectively. To the east, Queensland is bordered by the Coral Sea and Pacific Ocean...
, the city in which all Powderfinger members grew up.
Background, recording and production
Following their last record, the highly successful Odyssey Number FiveOdyssey Number Five
Odyssey Number Five is the fourth studio album by Australian rock band Powderfinger, produced by Nick DiDia and released on 4 September 2000. The album was the band's shortest yet, focusing on social, political, and emotional issues that had appeared in prior works, especially Internationalist.The...
, the band agreed that they wanted to continue in their musical careers, but wanted to have more fun with it. They were no longer dole
Work for the dole
Work for the Dole is an Australian federal government program that is a form of workfare, work-based welfare. It was first permanently enacted in 1998, having been trialed in 1997....
reliant, as they had been when they made their debut album, Parables for Wooden Ears
Parables for Wooden Ears
Parables for Wooden Ears was the debut studio album released by the Australian band Powderfinger. It was released on 18 July 1994 by Polydor Records, after recording at Melbourne's Metropolis Studios in February 1994....
. Drummer Jon Coghill
Jon Coghill
Jon Coghill is an Australian drummer best known for his work with Australian rock band, Powderfinger, although he has also toured with Regurgitator. Coghill replaced Powderfinger's original drummer Steven Bishop in 1991 when Bishop wanted to pursue further studies...
told The Sydney Morning Herald
The Sydney Morning Herald
The Sydney Morning Herald is a daily broadsheet newspaper published by Fairfax Media in Sydney, Australia. Founded in 1831 as the Sydney Herald, the SMH is the oldest continuously published newspaper in Australia. The newspaper is published six days a week. The newspaper's Sunday counterpart, The...
"we wanted to have more fun and enjoy that we were a band, rather than chase what you're supposed to do", and guitarist Ian Haug
Ian Haug
Ian David Haug is a lead guitarist and backing vocalist in the Australian rock band Powderfinger. Mainstays Haug and bass guitarist John Collins formed the band in Brisbane in 1989. During a hiatus in Powderfinger's career, Haug worked on a side project, The Predators, with Collins and original...
said "We all found that this is really important to us, but we wanted to make it more fun".
Powderfinger did not enter the recording studio with a specific plan on what they wanted Vulture Street to be, but that they "felt that [they] wanted to write a rock album". In the end, the album became "stuff that makes you want to jump around and feel good about yourself"—guitarist Darren Middleton
Darren Middleton
Darren Stuart Middleton is an Australian lead guitarist for alternative rock band Powderfinger. He is also the lead singer for Drag....
said this had not been the band's intention. Coghill said the band wanted to make an album that was fun to perform live and listen to—most of the songs on the album were performed and released live on These Days: Live in Concert.
Like Powderfinger's two previous albums, Vulture Street was produced by Nick DiDia
Nick DiDia
Nick DiDia is an American record producer mostly known for his work with Australian rock group Powderfinger and American pop-rock group Nine Days...
. It was mixed
Audio 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...
by Brendan O'Brien
Brendan O'Brien (music producer)
Brendan O’Brien is a record producer, mixer, engineer, and musician.At age 14, O'Brien played guitar for the Atlanta-based cover band Pranks. In the late 1970s, he moved on to writing, performing and recording with the Samurai Catfish band...
, who had worked with Powderfinger inspiration Neil Young
Neil Young
Neil Percival Young, OC, OM is a Canadian singer-songwriter who is widely regarded as one of the most influential musicians of his generation...
. The album was recorded over a seven week period in Sydney. Prior to recording, the band had written about 50 songs, which was trimmed to the final 11. A significant number of songs on the album were producing during jam session
Jam session
Jam sessions are often used by musicians to develop new material, find suitable arrangements, or simply as a social gathering and communal practice session. Jam sessions may be based upon existing songs or forms, may be loosely based on an agreed chord progression or chart suggested by one...
s, with DiDia giving the band additional space to move in. Middleton said in an interview that the band "always start things spontaneously, because that's when you're thinking less and just playing."
In producing Vulture Street, Powderfinger moved in a different direction to their previous works, especially Odyssey Number Five
Odyssey Number Five
Odyssey Number Five is the fourth studio album by Australian rock band Powderfinger, produced by Nick DiDia and released on 4 September 2000. The album was the band's shortest yet, focusing on social, political, and emotional issues that had appeared in prior works, especially Internationalist.The...
, starting with opening song "Rockin' Rocks", which was written according to Middleton after "a couple of months trying really hard to write this new rock album" but not making anything they really liked. He also said the band could easily have written lots of "The Metre"-like songs, but didn't do that "for our own interest in the band and music".
In an interview with ninemsn
NineMSN
ninemsn is an Australian 50/50 joint venture between Microsoft and Nine Entertainment Co.. It effectively acts as the website for both the Nine Network and MSN, and is one of Australia's most popular websites...
, lead singer Bernard Fanning
Bernard Fanning
Bernard Joseph Fanning is a musician and singer-songwriter. He is best known as the lead singer and frontman of Australian alternative rock band Powderfinger from its formation in 1989 to its dissolution in 2010....
said the band "tapped more into that energetic rock thing and made it really different from our other albums" when creating Vulture Street. He also said the band were a lot more serious when making this album, and this was partly due to "the way we've matured as musicians".
Album and single releases
Vulture Street was released on 29 July 2003 in Australia, with the band launching the album at the Tivoli nightclub on Vulture StreetWest End, Queensland
West End is an inner-city suburb of southern Brisbane.-History:West End was named by early English settlers who found the area reminiscent of the West End of London....
, Brisbane
Brisbane
Brisbane is the capital and most populous city in the Australian state of Queensland and the third most populous city in Australia. Brisbane's metropolitan area has a population of over 2 million, and the South East Queensland urban conurbation, centred around Brisbane, encompasses a population of...
. A special edition DVD
DVD
A DVD is an optical disc storage media format, invented and developed by Philips, Sony, Toshiba, and Panasonic in 1995. DVDs offer higher storage capacity than Compact Discs while having the same dimensions....
was included with selected early copies of Vulture Street. The DVD included a documentary with all of the albums' songs and several music videos. Vulture Street entered the ARIA Charts
ARIA Charts
The ARIA charts are the main Australian music sales charts, issued weekly by the Australian Recording Industry Association. The charts are a record of the highest selling singles and albums in various genres in Australia. ARIA commenced compiling its own charts in-house from the week ending 26 June...
in Australia at #1, and the RIANZ Charts in New Zealand at #17.
Vulture Street's first single, "(Baby I've Got You) On My Mind
(Baby I've Got You) On My Mind
" On My Mind" is a song on Powderfinger's fifth studio album Vulture Street. It was released as a single in 2003 and reached #9 on the Australian music chart, the band's third highest charting single to date.-Background:After two albums of Powderfinger releasing singles that were either acoustic...
", was released on 10 November 2003. It entered the ARIA charts
ARIA Charts
The ARIA charts are the main Australian music sales charts, issued weekly by the Australian Recording Industry Association. The charts are a record of the highest selling singles and albums in various genres in Australia. ARIA commenced compiling its own charts in-house from the week ending 26 June...
at #9 on 29 June 2003, and spent 13 weeks in the top 50. The song was nominated for "Song of the Year" and "Best Video" at the 2003
ARIA Music Awards of 2003
The 17th Annual Australian Recording Industry Association Music Awards were held on 21 October 2003 at the Sydney Superdome.-ARIA Awards:*Album of the Year**Powderfinger – Vulture Street...
ARIA Awards, but won neither. The second single, "Since You've Been Gone
Since You've Been Gone (Powderfinger song)
"Since You've Been Gone" is a 2004 single from Powderfinger's fifth studio album Vulture Street. It was the fourth single released from Vulture Street and reached #51 on the Australian music chart. It was a limited edition single, hence no video or puzzle piece on the spine of the single...
", was released on 22 March 2004. It wasn't as successful as its predecessors, and failed to make the ARIA top 50. "Since You've Been Gone" was written by Fanning as a tribute to his brother.
"Love Your Way
Love Your Way
"Love Your Way" is a 2004 single from Powderfinger's fifth studio album Vulture Street. It was the second single released from Vulture Street and reached #37 on the Australian music chart....
" was released as the third single on 25 May 2004 from Vulture Street, and spent two weeks on the ARIA charts, entering at #37. The fourth single, "Sunsets
Sunsets
"Sunsets" is a song released as the third single from Australian rock band Powderfinger's fifth studio album, Vulture Street. The single was released on 4 January 2004 in Australia and New Zealand....
", was released on 4 June 2004. It earned the band a nomination for "Best Group" at the 2004 ARIA Awards
ARIA Music Awards of 2004
The 18th Annual Australian Recording Industry Association Music Awards were held on 17 October 2004 at the Sydney Superdome within the Sydney Olympic Complex...
, but again was unsuccessful. "Sunsets" charted better than most of its predecessors, reaching #11 on the ARIA Chart, and entering the RIANZ Chart in New Zealand at #38, the first single from Vulture Street to do so.
Music and lyrics
The music on Vulture Street was more rockRock music
Rock music is a genre of popular music that developed during and after the 1960s, particularly in the United Kingdom and the United States. It has its roots in 1940s and 1950s rock and roll, itself heavily influenced by rhythm and blues and country music...
orientated than Powderfinger's past work, especially Odyssey Number Five. The opening track, "Rockin' Rocks", was described by Harp
HARP (magazine)
Harp was a print and online magazine that provided in-depth information on current music, mainly the adult album alternative genre, which encompasses a large variety of music...
as "far too cheesy to open this record—or any record, for that matter". The song became the band's opening track for live performances, though. The first single, "(Baby I've Got You) On My Mind
(Baby I've Got You) On My Mind
" On My Mind" is a song on Powderfinger's fifth studio album Vulture Street. It was released as a single in 2003 and reached #9 on the Australian music chart, the band's third highest charting single to date.-Background:After two albums of Powderfinger releasing singles that were either acoustic...
", was one of the heavier songs on the album; varying reviewers alikened it to AC/DC
AC/DC
AC/DC are an Australian rock band, formed in 1973 by brothers Malcolm and Angus Young. Commonly classified as hard rock, they are considered pioneers of heavy metal, though they themselves have always classified their music as simply "rock and roll"...
, Bad Company
Bad Company
Bad Company were an English rock supergroup founded in 1973, consisting of two former Free band members — singer Paul Rodgers and drummer Simon Kirke — as well as Mott the Hoople guitarist Mick Ralphs and King Crimson bassist Boz Burrell. Peter Grant, who, in years prior, was a key component of...
, and Stereophonics
Stereophonics
The Stereophonics are a Welsh rock band now living in turners x that formed in 1992 in the village of Cwmaman in Cynon Valley, Wales. The band currently comprises lead vocalist and guitarist Kelly Jones, bassist and backing vocalist Richard Jones, drummer Javier Weyler, guitarist and backing...
, and musicOMH called it "an unashamed full-tilt rocker". dB magazine said the title of "Stumblin'
Stumblin'
"Stumblin" is a song released as a promotional single from Australian rock group Powderfinger's first live album These Days: Live in Concert...
", released as a single from These Days: Live in Concert after appearing on Vulture Street, was representative of the "classic rock clichés" on the album.
Second single "Since You've Been Gone
Since You've Been Gone (Powderfinger song)
"Since You've Been Gone" is a 2004 single from Powderfinger's fifth studio album Vulture Street. It was the fourth single released from Vulture Street and reached #51 on the Australian music chart. It was a limited edition single, hence no video or puzzle piece on the spine of the single...
" contained similar lyrical features to "(Baby I've Got You) On My Mind", but with a more mellow sound. Fanning wrote it following the death of his brother, to help deal with the event. "Sunsets
Sunsets
"Sunsets" is a song released as the third single from Australian rock band Powderfinger's fifth studio album, Vulture Street. The single was released on 4 January 2004 in Australia and New Zealand....
" also dealt with this theme; Fanning told MTV Scene "we write unashamedly about that emotional attachment". "Love Your Way
Love Your Way
"Love Your Way" is a 2004 single from Powderfinger's fifth studio album Vulture Street. It was the second single released from Vulture Street and reached #37 on the Australian music chart....
" saw an acoustic
Acoustic music
Acoustic music comprises music that solely or primarily uses instruments which produce sound through entirely acoustic means, as opposed to electric or electronic means...
opening followed by a loud chorus for which Universal Music Canada
Universal Music Group
Universal Music Group is an American music group, the largest of the "big four" record companies by its commanding market share and its multitude of global operations...
recommended the air guitar
Air guitar
Playing air guitar is a form of dance and movement in which the performer pretends to play rock or heavy metal-style electric guitar, including riffs, solos, etc. Playing an air guitar usually consists of exaggerated strumming and picking motions and is often coupled with loud singing or lip-synching...
. musicOMH's Simon Evans alikened the song to Roy Harper
Roy Harper
Roy Harper is an English folk / rock singer-songwriter and guitarist who has been a professional musician since the mid 1960s...
, while David Welsh praised the three main aspects of the song—the accoutstic introduction, "affected vocal delivery", and guitar solo
Guitar solo
In popular music, a guitar solo is a melodic passage, section, or entire piece of music written for an electric guitar or an acoustic guitar. Guitar solos, which often contain varying degrees of improvisation, are used in many styles of popular music such as blues, jazz, rock and metal styles such...
. On live performances, Fanning plays "Love Your Way" with an acoustic guitar to give the loud second phase of the song more "oomph".
Response
Vulture Street was generally received well by critics. Allmusic's Jason MacNeil gave the album four stars, stating the opening notes of the album had a "great rock flavor to them". He described "(Baby I've Got You) On My Mind(Baby I've Got You) On My Mind
" On My Mind" is a song on Powderfinger's fifth studio album Vulture Street. It was released as a single in 2003 and reached #9 on the Australian music chart, the band's third highest charting single to date.-Background:After two albums of Powderfinger releasing singles that were either acoustic...
" as reminiscent of "Stereophonics
Stereophonics
The Stereophonics are a Welsh rock band now living in turners x that formed in 1992 in the village of Cwmaman in Cynon Valley, Wales. The band currently comprises lead vocalist and guitarist Kelly Jones, bassist and backing vocalist Richard Jones, drummer Javier Weyler, guitarist and backing...
rehashing old-school rock for a contemporary feeling", and said "Since You've Been Gone
Since You've Been Gone (Powderfinger song)
"Since You've Been Gone" is a 2004 single from Powderfinger's fifth studio album Vulture Street. It was the fourth single released from Vulture Street and reached #51 on the Australian music chart. It was a limited edition single, hence no video or puzzle piece on the spine of the single...
" was an "uplifting gospel-tinged effort". MacNeil's main criticism was for "Roll Right By You", a song he described as "run-of-the-mill". However, MacNeil said that overall the album was "an outstanding piece of work".
The Sydney Morning Herald
The Sydney Morning Herald
The Sydney Morning Herald is a daily broadsheet newspaper published by Fairfax Media in Sydney, Australia. Founded in 1831 as the Sydney Herald, the SMH is the oldest continuously published newspaper in Australia. The newspaper is published six days a week. The newspaper's Sunday counterpart, The...
's Bernard Zuel approved of the album, giving it four stars, and calling Vulture Street a "rawer, louder, but by no means unrefined, album". He said that throughout the album, guitarists Darren Middleton
Darren Middleton
Darren Stuart Middleton is an Australian lead guitarist for alternative rock band Powderfinger. He is also the lead singer for Drag....
and Ian Haug
Ian Haug
Ian David Haug is a lead guitarist and backing vocalist in the Australian rock band Powderfinger. Mainstays Haug and bass guitarist John Collins formed the band in Brisbane in 1989. During a hiatus in Powderfinger's career, Haug worked on a side project, The Predators, with Collins and original...
"dominated in a way they haven't since their 1994 debut, Parables for Wooden Ears
Parables for Wooden Ears
Parables for Wooden Ears was the debut studio album released by the Australian band Powderfinger. It was released on 18 July 1994 by Polydor Records, after recording at Melbourne's Metropolis Studios in February 1994....
". Zuel drew several connections to Powderfinger's early work, but noted "a superior intellect" in this album. Zuel summarised by saying it was easy to "just enjoy Vulture Street's power and passion. And the rock."
Ty Burr of Entertainment Weekly
Entertainment Weekly
Entertainment Weekly is an American magazine, published by the Time division of Time Warner, that covers film, television, music, broadway theatre, books and popular culture...
reviewed the album positively, writing of a return to Powderfinger's "bar-band roots", while still featuring some "sharp pop hooks under the riffs". He drew references to early Radiohead
Radiohead
Radiohead are an English rock band from Abingdon, Oxfordshire, formed in 1985. The band consists of Thom Yorke , Jonny Greenwood , Ed O'Brien , Colin Greenwood and Phil Selway .Radiohead released their debut single "Creep" in 1992...
and Bad Company
Bad Company
Bad Company were an English rock supergroup founded in 1973, consisting of two former Free band members — singer Paul Rodgers and drummer Simon Kirke — as well as Mott the Hoople guitarist Mick Ralphs and King Crimson bassist Boz Burrell. Peter Grant, who, in years prior, was a key component of...
, whom he argued Fanning was inspired by on "(Baby I've Got You) On My Mind". The review was summarised by Burr describing Vulture Street as "good company".
MusicOMH reviewer Simon Evans said Powderfinger added "a real punch to songs...far removed from your standard rock and roll fare" in Vulture Street, praising the emotion and seriousness of "Since You've Been Gone" and "How Far Have We Really Come?", and the "fun" in "Don't Panic". Evans praised producer Nick DiDia
Nick DiDia
Nick DiDia is an American record producer mostly known for his work with Australian rock group Powderfinger and American pop-rock group Nine Days...
for his work on the album, which he summarised as "a quantum leap from its rather passionless predecessor, Odyssey Number Five".
ARIA Award nominations
Vulture Street received numerous nominations for ARIA Music AwardsARIA Music Awards
The Australian Recording Industry Association Music Awards is an annual series of awards nights celebrating the Australian music industry, put on by the Australian Recording Industry Association...
from the Australian Recording Industry Association
Australian Recording Industry Association
The Australian Recording Industry Association is a trade group representing the Australian recording industry which was established in 1983 by six major record companies, EMI, Festival, CBS, RCA, WEA and Universal replacing the Association of Australian Record Manufacturers which was formed in 1956...
(ARIA) in 2003 and 2004. To date, the album has received eight nominations in six categories, four of which they had won the award for.
| Year | Award | Work | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2003 | Album of the Year | Vulture Street | Won |
| Best Group | Vulture Street | Won | |
| Best Rock Album | Vulture Street | Won | |
| Best Cover Art | Vulture Street | Won | |
| Highest Selling Album | Vulture Street | Nominated | |
| Song of the Year | "(Baby I've Got You) On My Mind (Baby I've Got You) On My Mind " On My Mind" is a song on Powderfinger's fifth studio album Vulture Street. It was released as a single in 2003 and reached #9 on the Australian music chart, the band's third highest charting single to date.-Background:After two albums of Powderfinger releasing singles that were either acoustic... " |
Nominated | |
| Best Video | "(Baby I've Got You) On My Mind" | Nominated | |
| 2004 | Best Group | "Sunsets Sunsets "Sunsets" is a song released as the third single from Australian rock band Powderfinger's fifth studio album, Vulture Street. The single was released on 4 January 2004 in Australia and New Zealand.... " |
Nominated |
Charts
| Year (2007) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| ARIA Australian Recording Industry Association The Australian Recording Industry Association is a trade group representing the Australian recording industry which was established in 1983 by six major record companies, EMI, Festival, CBS, RCA, WEA and Universal replacing the Association of Australian Record Manufacturers which was formed in 1956... Albums Chart |
1 |
| RIANZ Recording Industry Association of New Zealand The Recording Industry Association of New Zealand is a non-profit trade association of record producers, distributors and recording artists who sell music in New Zealand... Albums Chart |
17 |
In December 2003 Triple J listeners voted this as their favourite album for 2003.
In Triple J's Hottest 100 Australian Albums of All Time, 2011. This album was voted #14 Powderfinger's second entry on the list.
Personnel
Powderfinger- Bernard FanningBernard FanningBernard Joseph Fanning is a musician and singer-songwriter. He is best known as the lead singer and frontman of Australian alternative rock band Powderfinger from its formation in 1989 to its dissolution in 2010....
– 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...
and 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... - Darren MiddletonDarren MiddletonDarren Stuart Middleton is an Australian lead guitarist for alternative rock band Powderfinger. He is also the lead singer for Drag....
– guitar, backing vocalsBacking vocalistA backing vocalist or backing singer is a singer who provides vocal harmony with the lead vocalist or other backing vocalists...
and keyboardKeyboard instrumentA keyboard instrument is a musical instrument which is played using a musical keyboard. The most common of these is the piano. Other widely used keyboard instruments include organs of various types as well as other mechanical, electromechanical and electronic instruments... - Ian HaugIan HaugIan David Haug is a lead guitarist and backing vocalist in the Australian rock band Powderfinger. Mainstays Haug and bass guitarist John Collins formed the band in Brisbane in 1989. During a hiatus in Powderfinger's career, Haug worked on a side project, The Predators, with Collins and original...
– guitar and backing vocals - John CollinsJohn Collins (Australian musician)John Andrew Collins is the mainstay bass guitarst for Australian rock band Powderfinger since 1989. He is one of the founding members of the band, along with guitarist Ian Haug, forming at their high school, Brisbane Grammar School as a three piece. Powderfinger has released seven studio albums, a...
– bass guitarBass guitarThe bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick.... - Jon CoghillJon CoghillJon Coghill is an Australian drummer best known for his work with Australian rock band, Powderfinger, although he has also toured with Regurgitator. Coghill replaced Powderfinger's original drummer Steven Bishop in 1991 when Bishop wanted to pursue further studies...
– 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 ....
and percussionPercussion instrumentA percussion instrument is any object which produces a sound when hit with an implement or when it is shaken, rubbed, scraped, or otherwise acted upon in a way that sets the object into vibration...
Additional players
- Tony Reyes – keyboards, guitar and backing vocals
- Shauna Jensen and Maggie McKinney – backing vocals
- Lachlan Doley – hammond organHammond organThe Hammond organ is an electric organ invented by Laurens Hammond in 1934 and manufactured by the Hammond Organ Company. While the Hammond organ was originally sold to churches as a lower-cost alternative to the wind-driven pipe organ, in the 1960s and 1970s it became a standard keyboard...
and 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... - Nick DiDiaNick DiDiaNick DiDia is an American record producer mostly known for his work with Australian rock group Powderfinger and American pop-rock group Nine Days...
– tambourineTambourineThe tambourine or marine is a musical instrument of the percussion family consisting of a frame, often of wood or plastic, with pairs of small metal jingles, called "zils". Classically the term tambourine denotes an instrument with a drumhead, though some variants may not have a head at all....
and anüsaphone
Production
- Nick DiDia – producerRecord 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...
, engineerAudio 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... - Tony Reyes – producer
- Brendan O'BrienBrendan O'Brien (music producer)Brendan O’Brien is a record producer, mixer, engineer, and musician.At age 14, O'Brien played guitar for the Atlanta-based cover band Pranks. In the late 1970s, he moved on to writing, performing and recording with the Samurai Catfish band...
– mixerMix engineerA mix engineer, also referred to as "mixing engineer", is a person who, once all instruments, voices, and sounds, etc., have been recorded, creates what is called the final version of a song, hence the term "mix engineer"... - Anton Hagop – additional engineer
- Catherine Claire – assistant engineer
- Paul PiticcoPaul PiticcoPaul Piticco is the founder of Secret Service Artist Management, a musician management company and live music organiser, as well as the director of Dew Process, an independent record label...
, Brian Quinn, Annette Perkins, Janne Scott and Jean Reid – managers - Steven Gorrow – art and direction
- Christopher Morris – photographer
CD
- "Rockin' Rocks" – 3:04
- "(Baby I've Got You) On My Mind(Baby I've Got You) On My Mind" On My Mind" is a song on Powderfinger's fifth studio album Vulture Street. It was released as a single in 2003 and reached #9 on the Australian music chart, the band's third highest charting single to date.-Background:After two albums of Powderfinger releasing singles that were either acoustic...
" – 3:20 - "Since You've Been GoneSince You've Been Gone (Powderfinger song)"Since You've Been Gone" is a 2004 single from Powderfinger's fifth studio album Vulture Street. It was the fourth single released from Vulture Street and reached #51 on the Australian music chart. It was a limited edition single, hence no video or puzzle piece on the spine of the single...
" – 4:12 - "Love Your WayLove Your Way"Love Your Way" is a 2004 single from Powderfinger's fifth studio album Vulture Street. It was the second single released from Vulture Street and reached #37 on the Australian music chart....
" – 4:31 - "SunsetsSunsets"Sunsets" is a song released as the third single from Australian rock band Powderfinger's fifth studio album, Vulture Street. The single was released on 4 January 2004 in Australia and New Zealand....
" – 3:49 - "Don't Panic" – 3:09
- "Stumblin'Stumblin'"Stumblin" is a song released as a promotional single from Australian rock group Powderfinger's first live album These Days: Live in Concert...
" – 3:46 - "Roll Right by You" – 4:15
- "How Far Have We Really Come?" – 4:00
- "Pockets" – 5:46
- "A Song Called Everything" – 4:23
Vulture Street Blues
A special edition DVDDVD
A DVD is an optical disc storage media format, invented and developed by Philips, Sony, Toshiba, and Panasonic in 1995. DVDs offer higher storage capacity than Compact Discs while having the same dimensions....
was included with selected early copies of Vulture Street. The DVD included a documentary with all of the albums' songs, with the song "Sunsets
Sunsets
"Sunsets" is a song released as the third single from Australian rock band Powderfinger's fifth studio album, Vulture Street. The single was released on 4 January 2004 in Australia and New Zealand....
" featuring twice. The DVD also included the 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...
s for "On My Mind
(Baby I've Got You) On My Mind
" On My Mind" is a song on Powderfinger's fifth studio album Vulture Street. It was released as a single in 2003 and reached #9 on the Australian music chart, the band's third highest charting single to date.-Background:After two albums of Powderfinger releasing singles that were either acoustic...
", the acoustic version of "Sunsets" and as hidden bonus features, the videos for the song "Pockets" and the keyboard version of "These Days
These Days (Powderfinger song)
"These Days" is an alternative rock song from Powderfinger's fourth studio album, Odyssey Number Five, which was released in 2000. The song was also released on Powderfinger's 2004 compilation album Fingerprints: The Best of Powderfinger, 1994-2000....
".
- Documentary
- "Sunsets"
- "Rockin Rocks"
- "Stumblin'"
- "Pockets"
- "On My Mind"
- "Since You've Been Gone"
- "Sunsets"
- "Love Your Way"
- "Don't Panic"
- "How Far Have We Really Come?"
- "Rita"
- "On My Mind" (video)
- "Sunsets" (acoustic video)
- Hidden extras:
- "Pockets" (video)
- "These DaysThese Days (Powderfinger song)"These Days" is an alternative rock song from Powderfinger's fourth studio album, Odyssey Number Five, which was released in 2000. The song was also released on Powderfinger's 2004 compilation album Fingerprints: The Best of Powderfinger, 1994-2000....
" (keyboard version)