Worlds Apart
Encyclopedia
Worlds Apart is an album by ...And You Will Know Us by the Trail of Dead
. It was released on January 25, 2005 by Interscope Records
and reached #92 on the UK Album Chart.
First single "The Rest Will Follow" was played on college radio and on some alternative stations throughout America. "Caterwaul" also received some airplay. Worlds Apart sold 13,000 albums in its first week of release in America and went on to sell 60,000 albums in total, approximately half of what Source Tags & Codes sold in America.
and Destiny's Child
. In effect, giving a better selling market. Keely commented:
, vocalist Conrad Keely
described the development of the Worlds Apart cover art, stating that while he typically incorporates his free time drawings and paintings into the band's albums, this cover collage was more specifically designed. However, Interscope insisted that he cite and clear all sources of his art, much of which was found in museums around the world. Given the improbability of the task, illustrator Cyril Van Der Haegen was hired to paint Keely's design and tweak various elements. Keely also summarized the theme of the collage:
There are several editions of the album:
† features a violin solo by Hilary Hahn
followed by one bar of 6/4
. It starts at a soft volume with only a piano, builds in volume and intensity, comes to include strings
, and operatic-style singing, and ends with a woman's shrill scream. The melody stays essentially the same throughout the whole song and from bar to bar, the only deviation being the last quarter note of the 6/4
phrases. The song starts with the basic melody played staccato
on the lower end of the piano
's register
. Tom-tom drum
s, a tambourine
, singing and strings
begin quietly at the start of the second melody cycle and steadily grow in intensity and volume throughout the whole song. The muted screams of women can be heard throughout the latter half of the song. At the very end of the song, a woman's voice starts in the left channel and ends in the right as she says the name of the band. Aside from this spoken phrase, the lyrics are:
, who was releasing Smile
at the time, to accompany the song on the CD artwork. However, an art director at Interscope Records
said they couldn't, and so a picture of Bach
appears instead.
, bemoaning the current state of American popular culture and recent United States foreign policy, specifically the War on Terrorism
, also against MTV, soccer mom
s, and the state of parenting in today's society. It makes explicit reference to the September 11, 2001 attacks
with the lyrics "How they laugh as we shovel the ashes / Of the twin towers
. / Blood and death, we will pay back the debt / Of this candy store of ours."
video game MVP Baseball 2005
.
"Will You Smile Again?" was the emotional charge in a scene to end of 7th episode titled "Hurts" of The Shield
in season 4. It also appears in the Codemasters
video game Colin McRae: Dirt 2
and the 2005 movie Goal!
...And You Will Know Us by the Trail of Dead
…And You Will Know Us by the Trail of Dead is an American alternative rock band from Austin, Texas. The chief creative members of the band are Jason Reece and Conrad Keely . The two switch between drumming, guitar and lead vocals, both on recordings and live shows...
. It was released on January 25, 2005 by Interscope Records
Interscope Records
Interscope Records is an American record label owned by Universal Music Group that currently operates as one third of UMG's Interscope-Geffen-A&M label group.-History:...
and reached #92 on the UK Album Chart.
First single "The Rest Will Follow" was played on college radio and on some alternative stations throughout America. "Caterwaul" also received some airplay. Worlds Apart sold 13,000 albums in its first week of release in America and went on to sell 60,000 albums in total, approximately half of what Source Tags & Codes sold in America.
Production
The album release was postponed from winter, 2004 to January, 2005 by Interscope, to protect it from late-year releases by EminemEminem
Marshall Bruce Mathers III , better known by his stage name Eminem or his alter ego Slim Shady, is an American rapper, record producer, songwriter and actor. Eminem's popularity brought his group project, D12, to mainstream recognition...
and Destiny's Child
Destiny's Child
Destiny's Child was an American R&B girl group whose final line-up comprised lead singer Beyoncé Knowles alongside Kelly Rowland and Michelle Williams. Formed in 1997 in Houston, Texas, Destiny's Child members began their musical endeavors in their pre-teens under the name Girl's Tyme...
. In effect, giving a better selling market. Keely commented:
"I have constant anxiety that the record won't sell. We hope we appeal to not just people of this generation, but people of future generations. We're trying to do something that's timeless and timely. Something that's culturally significant. To have it overlooked would be, for me, a nightmare."
Design
In an interview with PopMattersPopMatters
PopMatters is an international webzine of cultural criticism that covers many aspects of popular culture. PopMatters publishes reviews, interviews, and detailed essays on most cultural products and expressions in areas such as music, television, films, books, video games, comics, sports, theater,...
, vocalist Conrad Keely
Conrad Keely
Conrad Keely is a British-born, American musician, known primarily as the lead singer for the rock band ...And You Will Know Us by the Trail of Dead. He is also an artist and writer...
described the development of the Worlds Apart cover art, stating that while he typically incorporates his free time drawings and paintings into the band's albums, this cover collage was more specifically designed. However, Interscope insisted that he cite and clear all sources of his art, much of which was found in museums around the world. Given the improbability of the task, illustrator Cyril Van Der Haegen was hired to paint Keely's design and tweak various elements. Keely also summarized the theme of the collage:
"I wanted an allegory depicting the history of human conflict. I wanted everybody to be fighting, like in Marvel ComicsMarvel ComicsMarvel Worldwide, Inc., commonly referred to as Marvel Comics and formerly Marvel Publishing, Inc. and Marvel Comics Group, is an American company that publishes comic books and related media...
' Secret WarsSecret WarsMarvel Super Heroes Secret Wars is a twelve-issue comic book crossover limited series published from May 1984 to April 1985 by Marvel Comics. The series was written by Jim Shooter with art by Mike Zeck and Bob Layton...
, where all the superheroSuperheroA superhero is a type of stock character, possessing "extraordinary or superhuman powers", dedicated to protecting the public. Since the debut of the prototypical superhero Superman in 1938, stories of superheroes — ranging from brief episodic adventures to continuing years-long sagas —...
es are fighting each other. I actually wanted to sneak in one of the New MutantsNew MutantsThe New Mutants are a group of teenaged mutant superheroes-in-training published by Marvel Comics. They have been the main characters of three successive comic book series, which were spin-offs of the popular X-Men franchise....
."
Track listing
- "Ode to Isis" – 1:16
- "Will You Smile Again?" – 6:50
- "Worlds Apart" – 2:55
- "The Summer of '91" – 3:12
- "The Rest Will Follow" – 3:20
- "Caterwaul" – 4:52
- "A Classic Art Showcase" – 5:47
- "Let it Dive" – 4:45
- "To Russia My Homeland"† – 1:25
- "All White" – 1:49
- "The Best" – 4:47
- "The Lost City of Refuge" – 3:50
There are several editions of the album:
- In the UK, the album was released with two live bonus tracks: "Aged Dolls" and "Richter Scale Madness".
- In Germany and Australia, it featured "Mach Schau" and "All St. Day", two songs which had already appeared on "The Secret of Elena's Tomb" EP.
- In Japan, the album was released with two live bonus tracks: "Aged Dolls" and "Richter Scale Madness", plus "All St. Day" from "The Secret of Elena's Tomb" EP.
- The DVD version contains a documentary, an essay by Conrad Keely, an art gallery, Conrad's sketch book, live performances, home movies, studio footage, and a video for "All St. Day", which is different from the live video from "The Secret of Elena's TombThe Secret of Elena's TombThe Secret of Elena's Tomb is the EP follow up to Source Tags & Codes by Austin, TX band ...And You Will Know Us by the Trail of Dead. The title is inspired by the story of Carl Tanzler.-Track listing:#"Mach Schau" – 3:49#"All St...
".
† features a violin solo by Hilary Hahn
Hilary Hahn
Hilary Hahn is an American violinist.Hahn was born in Lexington, Virginia. Beginning her studies when she was three years old at Baltimore's Peabody Institute, she was admitted to the Curtis Institute of Music in Philadelphia at age ten, and in 1991, made her major orchestral debut with the...
"Ode to Isis"
The whole song follows a pattern of three bars of 5/4Time signature
The time signature is a notational convention used in Western musical notation to specify how many beats are in each measure and which note value constitutes one beat....
followed by one bar of 6/4
Time signature
The time signature is a notational convention used in Western musical notation to specify how many beats are in each measure and which note value constitutes one beat....
. It starts at a soft volume with only a piano, builds in volume and intensity, comes to include strings
String instrument
A string instrument is a musical instrument that produces sound by means of vibrating strings. In the Hornbostel-Sachs scheme of musical instrument classification, used in organology, they are called chordophones...
, and operatic-style singing, and ends with a woman's shrill scream. The melody stays essentially the same throughout the whole song and from bar to bar, the only deviation being the last quarter note of the 6/4
Time signature
The time signature is a notational convention used in Western musical notation to specify how many beats are in each measure and which note value constitutes one beat....
phrases. The song starts with the basic melody played staccato
Staccato
Staccato is a form of musical articulation. In modern notation it signifies a note of shortened duration and separated from the note that may follow by silence...
on the lower end of the piano
Piano
The 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...
's register
Register (music)
In music, a register is the relative "height" or range of a note, set of pitches or pitch classes, melody, part, instrument or group of instruments...
. Tom-tom drum
Tom-tom drum
A tom-tom drum is a cylindrical drum with no snare.Although "tom-tom" is the British term for a child's toy drum, the name came originally from the Anglo-Indian and Sinhala; the tom-tom itself comes from Asian or Native American cultures...
s, a tambourine
Tambourine
The 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....
, singing and strings
String instrument
A string instrument is a musical instrument that produces sound by means of vibrating strings. In the Hornbostel-Sachs scheme of musical instrument classification, used in organology, they are called chordophones...
begin quietly at the start of the second melody cycle and steadily grow in intensity and volume throughout the whole song. The muted screams of women can be heard throughout the latter half of the song. At the very end of the song, a woman's voice starts in the left channel and ends in the right as she says the name of the band. Aside from this spoken phrase, the lyrics are:
- IsisIsisIsis or in original more likely Aset is a goddess in Ancient Egyptian religious beliefs, whose worship spread throughout the Greco-Roman world. She was worshipped as the ideal mother and wife as well as the matron of nature and magic...
, HorusHorusHorus is one of the oldest and most significant deities in the Ancient Egyptian religion, who was worshipped from at least the late Predynastic period through to Greco-Roman times. Different forms of Horus are recorded in history and these are treated as distinct gods by Egyptologists...
, RaRaRa is the ancient Egyptian sun god. By the Fifth Dynasty he had become a major deity in ancient Egyptian religion, identified primarily with the mid-day sun...
, SethSet (mythology)Set was in Ancient Egyptian religion, a god of the desert, storms, and foreigners. In later myths he was also the god of darkness, and chaos... - Isis, Horus, Ra, Seth
- Isis, Horus, Ra, Seth
- Isis, Horus, AnubisAnubisAnubis is the Greek name for a jackal-headed god associated with mummification and the afterlife in ancient Egyptian religion. In the ancient Egyptian language, Anubis is known as Inpu . According to the Akkadian transcription in the Amarna letters, Anubis' name was vocalized as Anapa...
"Will You Smile Again?"
"Will You Smile Again?" is about "the idea of the composer who is unable or unwilling to face the weight of their own genius, and allow their fears to stop them from accomplishing great work." The band wanted a picture of Brian WilsonBrian Wilson
Brian Douglas Wilson is an American musician, best known as the leader and chief songwriter of the group The Beach Boys. Within the band, Wilson played bass and keyboards, also providing part-time lead vocals and, more often, backing vocals, harmonizing in falsetto with the group...
, who was releasing Smile
Smile (Brian Wilson album)
Smile, sometimes typeset with the idiosyncratic partial capitalization SMiLE, or referred to as Brian Wilson Presents Smile is a solo album by Brian Wilson, with lyrics by Van Dyke Parks released on September 28, 2004 on CD and two-disc vinyl LP...
at the time, to accompany the song on the CD artwork. However, an art director at Interscope Records
Interscope Records
Interscope Records is an American record label owned by Universal Music Group that currently operates as one third of UMG's Interscope-Geffen-A&M label group.-History:...
said they couldn't, and so a picture of Bach
Bạch
Bạch is a Vietnamese surname. The name is transliterated as Bai in Chinese and Baek, in Korean.Bach is the anglicized variation of the surname Bạch.-Notable people with the surname Bạch:* Bạch Liêu...
appears instead.
"Worlds Apart"
"Worlds Apart" is a protest songProtest song
A protest song is a song which is associated with a movement for social change and hence part of the broader category of topical songs . It may be folk, classical, or commercial in genre...
, bemoaning the current state of American popular culture and recent United States foreign policy, specifically the War on Terrorism
War on Terrorism
The War on Terror is a term commonly applied to an international military campaign led by the United States and the United Kingdom with the support of other North Atlantic Treaty Organisation as well as non-NATO countries...
, also against MTV, soccer mom
Soccer mom
The phrase soccer mom broadly refers to a middle-class suburban woman who spends a significant amount of her time transporting her school-age children to their sporting events or other activities. Indices of American magazines and newspapers show relatively little usage of the term until a 1995...
s, and the state of parenting in today's society. It makes explicit reference to 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...
with the lyrics "How they laugh as we shovel the ashes / Of the twin towers
World Trade Center
The original World Trade Center was a complex with seven buildings featuring landmark twin towers in Lower Manhattan, New York City, United States. The complex opened on April 4, 1973, and was destroyed in 2001 during the September 11 attacks. The site is currently being rebuilt with five new...
. / Blood and death, we will pay back the debt / Of this candy store of ours."
Track appearances
"Let It Dive" was featured in the EA SportsEA Sports
EA Sports is a brand of Electronic Arts that creates and develops sports video games. Formerly a marketing gimmick of Electronic Arts, in which they tried to mimic real-life sports networks by calling themselves "EA Sports Network" with pictures or endorsements of real commentators such as John...
video game MVP Baseball 2005
MVP Baseball 2005
MVP Baseball 2005 is a baseball video game developed and published by Electronic Arts. It features former Boston Red Sox left fielder Manny Ramirez on its game cover. The game features full Major League Baseball, Minor League Baseball, and Major League Baseball Players Association licenses. It...
.
"Will You Smile Again?" was the emotional charge in a scene to end of 7th episode titled "Hurts" of The Shield
The Shield
The Shield is an American television drama series starring Michael Chiklis which premiered on March 12, 2002 on FX in the United States and concluded on November 25, 2008 after seven seasons...
in season 4. It also appears in the Codemasters
Codemasters
The Codemasters Software Company Limited, or Codemasters is a British video game developer founded by Richard and David Darling in 1986...
video game Colin McRae: Dirt 2
Colin McRae: Dirt 2
Colin McRae: Dirt 2 is a racing game released in September 2009, and is the sequel to Colin McRae: Dirt. This is the first game in the McRae series since McRae's death in 2007. It was announced on 19 November 2008 and features Ken Block, Travis Pastrana, Tanner Foust, and Dave Mirra...
and the 2005 movie Goal!
Goal! (film)
Goal! is a 2005 film directed by Danny Cannon. It is the first installment of a trilogy also named Goal!. This film was made with full cooperation from FIFA, which is one of the reasons actual teams and players are used throughout the film...
Chart history
| Chart (2005) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| US 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... |
81 |