I have presented this assignment by having a text describing the album adding context relating to the overall magazine article prosthetic, having a brief paragraph on the recording process of the album including techniques and instruments used then having a video, track list and evidence of my research through other mediums (in this case books). At the end of the article there is a bibliography with numbers corresponding to where the information was in the text. If clicked the numbers take you to the website in question.
All of the work is my own, only researching the recording processes and audience feedback.
For each article the content goes as follows:
- Title
- Album name
- Producer
- Artist
- Year/Date
- Genre
- Article on my opinions why the record is revolutionary
- Article on the recording processes
- Embedded song from album
- Track list
- Evidence of research from other mediums
Radiohead - KID A
Album Name - KID A
Producer - Nigel Godrich
Artist - Radiohead
Year/Date - October 2nd, 2000
Genre - Alt Rock
I am not old enough to have existed during the time of 'Kid A's' release however I believe to be knowledgeable of the impact it had. Following Radiohead's huge success of 'OK Computer', an album which regularly is featured on 'best ever albums' lists, it was faced with a hungry audience looking to dine on the next 57 minute alternative rock joyride they experienced so clearly with 'OK Computer'. Despite the hype however most fans were confused. As they dropped the needle, pressed play on the CD player or rolled the cassette for the first time they were greeted with the first few notes of the album; the first few notes of 'Everything in its Right Place'.
It must have been strange. Strange for fans of a rock band producing material like 'Creep', 'Just' and 'Paranoid Android' to hear those first few notes. Those electrical, sharp but strangely warm notes. The century changed and music was dignifying it with strange new sounds people had never heard before. What is incredible however is that Radiohead had the nerve to do it first; the risk of losing fans over replacing guitars with ambient synths and hard electric kick drums, 'Kid A' was new.
The 3 opening tracks of the album are the biggest range in musical genres situated throughout the record. The opening track is, in my opinion, one of the best songs ever produced. The opening notes are strange and intriguing. There is no other sound like it. As the notes proceed the rise of Thom's warped wail is introduced accompanied by a steady kick drum. It all fits. Dark atmospheric synth noises rise and fall out of volume and vox vocal samples are thrown in on occasion. Throughout the whole song you feel on edge; almost as if you shouldn't be listening.
It is followed with the track 'Kid A'. This track is so simple yet so diverse. Its almost emotional. The track starts with a steady soft build up followed by warm chords and odd sounds; like the feel of a soft blanket when your really drunk - great metaphor I know. A slow, manipulated voice of Thom is introduced and even though you cannot understand what is being said one easily gains a certain tone. Sharp drums kick in and the soft sounds originating from the vocals and the beginning of the track are pushed to one side but are still the main drive of the track. The drums are constant. They are fast and lack in a certain rhythm or structure making them feel like they don't belong in the piece of music. The track ends with warm synthetic chords over monotonous kick drums sounding soft.
The 3rd track on the record, 'The National Anthem', opens with a sharp, slow and deep bass melody which is present throughout the track. Drums kick in with symbols crashing, strange synth sounds and trumpets echo in the background. For the first minute and a half it sounds like perfected, organised, engineered chaos. Thoms vocals, again, sound alien building the busy, brash tone of the track. The horns kick in at the peak of the song sounding more like Radioheads early grunge records than the previous opening tracks to 'Kid A'. 'The National Anthem' almost as a reminder that everything is not okay as one might have thought; it is a return to reality.
Tracks continue to confuse in the subject of typical genre. 'How to Disappear Completely', 'Treefingers' and 'Motion picture soundtrack' are slow psychedelic features with long synth chords and Thom's soft voice while 'Optimistic', 'In Limbo' and 'Morning Bell' feel hard, sharp and angry receding back to Radioheads previous musical efforts however the track 'Idioteque' is almost techno with a hard kick and a sharp monotonous snare. It is one of the more experimental tracks on the album.
The whole record feels bleak, sharp but strangely warm; there is an element of hope if you dig hard enough. This is reminiscent of the artwork. The jagged mountain tops but the stillness of the sky above. Radiohead are often portrayed to produce dark material however I believe behind the long sharp notes, hard drums and strange vocals there is something else. A saving grace; a warm, fluffy blanket. A perfect metaphor of modern society run, and owned, by the internet and computers. On the other hand this record could just be a record, a 49 minute piece of music devoid of any metaphoric meaning.
16 years later 'Kid A' feels more fresh than ever. It was, and still is, the perfect follow up to 'OK Computer'.
The recording of Kid A was a big difference to Radiohead's normal recording process. Guitarist Ed O'Brein wanted the band to strip back to their roots once again playing guitar pop tunes while lead singer Thom Yorke, wanted different; he believed the band should explore different styles because its 'boring' being the same.
They set to work on their forth album in a series of European studios finally settling for a studio in Oxford. They used a series of software including 'Cubase' for media sequencing and 'Protools' for the editing of tracks. The opening track was recorded using a Fender Rhodes Mk 1 piano bought by Thom Yorke in 1996 mic'ed up with a Shure SM57s however after trying the song again used a Sequential Circuits Prophet 5 they decided to stick with the second attempt. The title track also used a creepy sounding vo-coder for the vocals building on the eerie style of the record. This was all further manipulateed post production. Lead guitarist Johnny Greenwood fell in love with the Ondes Martenot synthesizer using it on tracks 'Kid A' and 'The National Anthem'. He got his hands on a 1 of 50 digital Ondes Martenot by contacting Maurice Martenot's son. This inspired 'Daft Punk' and 'Muse' to also use the synth. He also utilised a Moog Rogue to create the more abstract songs on the piece (1).
The track 'Motion Picture Soundtrack' was recorded using a pedal organ while other band members added sampled harp and double bass sounds. They tried to recreate the feel of an old 1950's Disney soundtrack.
They finished recording in Spring of 2000 with over 30 songs under their belt. They were yet to know how to release the record touching into the idea of a double LP or a set of EPs however they were unable to find a track list they were happy with. This led to the album 'Amnesiac' released the next year. Known to many as the demo tapes from 'KID A'. The final mix was completed by Nigel Godrich, and was then continued to be mastered by Tim Rich in Abbey Road Studios (2)
The recording of Kid A was a big difference to Radiohead's normal recording process. Guitarist Ed O'Brein wanted the band to strip back to their roots once again playing guitar pop tunes while lead singer Thom Yorke, wanted different; he believed the band should explore different styles because its 'boring' being the same.
They set to work on their forth album in a series of European studios finally settling for a studio in Oxford. They used a series of software including 'Cubase' for media sequencing and 'Protools' for the editing of tracks. The opening track was recorded using a Fender Rhodes Mk 1 piano bought by Thom Yorke in 1996 mic'ed up with a Shure SM57s however after trying the song again used a Sequential Circuits Prophet 5 they decided to stick with the second attempt. The title track also used a creepy sounding vo-coder for the vocals building on the eerie style of the record. This was all further manipulateed post production. Lead guitarist Johnny Greenwood fell in love with the Ondes Martenot synthesizer using it on tracks 'Kid A' and 'The National Anthem'. He got his hands on a 1 of 50 digital Ondes Martenot by contacting Maurice Martenot's son. This inspired 'Daft Punk' and 'Muse' to also use the synth. He also utilised a Moog Rogue to create the more abstract songs on the piece (1).
The track 'Motion Picture Soundtrack' was recorded using a pedal organ while other band members added sampled harp and double bass sounds. They tried to recreate the feel of an old 1950's Disney soundtrack.
They finished recording in Spring of 2000 with over 30 songs under their belt. They were yet to know how to release the record touching into the idea of a double LP or a set of EPs however they were unable to find a track list they were happy with. This led to the album 'Amnesiac' released the next year. Known to many as the demo tapes from 'KID A'. The final mix was completed by Nigel Godrich, and was then continued to be mastered by Tim Rich in Abbey Road Studios (2)
1. Everything In Its Right Place
2. Kid A
3. The National Anthem
4. How To Dissapier Completely
5. Treefingers
6. Optimistic
7. In Limbo
8. Idioteque
9. Morning Bell
10. Motion Picture Soundtrack
Arctic Monkeys - Whatever People Say I Am, Thats What Im Not
Album Name - Whatever People Say I Am, Thats What Im Not
Producer - Domino Records
Artist - Arctic Monkeys
Year/Date - January 23rd, 2006
Genre - Rock, Indie Rock, Garage Rock, Post-Punk Revival
Indie rock had stood at a stagnant, dull stand still in Britain. 2005 saw Bloc Party's debut and Gorillaz's second album gain popularity however in 2006, people were grasping onto anything remotely indie rock. The words 'don't believe the hype' left a young, naive Alex Turners mouth and Britain had found the most important band since Brit-pop era Oasis.
Hot off the success of The Strokes's debut in 2001 the Arctic Monkeys continued the post-punk garage rock revival of growing popularity in a dull, pop filled new millennium. The Arctic Monkeys had the most attitude since Liam Gallagher and also had the power of social networking at their disposal. At the mere age of 20 Alex Turner had a lifetime of lyrics to accompany the bands aggressive but gripping tone. The guitar rifts reflected on the drum solos. It all just fit; fit in such a perfect manor it won them a mercury prize. (3)
The opening track, 'The View From The Afternoon' was loud, grabbing you in and forcing you to listen. This was followed by the records most powerful track; the track alone is, by choice, the soundtrack to most peoples youth. Fuelled by the relatable story's of adolescence, growing up in clubs and the antics those nights ensued; 'I Bet That You Look Good On The Dancefloor' is the modern Wonderwall. Proceeding this is the guitar hook heavy 'Fake Tales Of San Francisco'. Each song so different yet so similar delicately weaved together by the pure, not yet corrupt coolness of Alex Turner.
'Whatever People Say I Am, That's Whats I'm Not' is revolutionary due to the fact it is Britain's fastest selling debut album mainly because of the rise in social networking and the power the medium brought to artists and producers trying to get recognised. It inspired, and proceeded to create, the indie kid generation. (6)
The band played live together in one room but with the amps placed in separate rooms and the bass amp in a corridor for separation. Each musician had their own mini mixers to tailor their headphone mix to their own preference. Alex Turner also chose to sing live on a couple of the recordings (4).
The drum recording were achieved using more mikes than the Monkeys original demo recordings. Kick drum and toms were double miked in addition to the overheads and room mikes. The snare was miked top and bottom, with an AKG 451 placed at the side heavily compressed to give the kick a harder sound. Guitar and bass amps were also double miked. Vocals recorded through a Neumann M149 proceeding a Urei 1176 Compressor. (5)
The average number of takes for each song was around 4.
Overdubbing post production was kept to a minimal only overdubbing backing vocals, percussion and organ.
The whole album was recorded in 15 days at Chapel Studios, Lincolnshire in September 2005.
1. The View From The Afternoon
2. I Bet That You Look Good On The Dancefloor
3. Fake Tales Of San Fransisco
4. Dancing Shoes
5. You Probably Couldn't See The Lights But You Were Staring At Me
6. Still Take You Home
7. Riot Van
8. Red Light Indicates Doors Are Secure
9. Mardy Bum
10. Perhaps Vampire Is A Bit Strong But...
11. When The Sun Goes Down
12. From the Ritz To The Rubble
13. A Certain Romance
The Beatles - Abbey Road
Album Name - Abbey Road
Producer - Parlaphone
Artist - The Beatles
Year/Date - September 26th, 1969
Genre - Rock n'Roll
'Abbey Road' is without a doubt the most consistent Beatles record. There were some strange moments featured on 'Sgt Peppers Lonely Hearts Club Band' and 'Revolver' which took you out of the fluency of the record however Abbey Road is the most fluent and consistent Beatles effort since 'Rubber Soul'. Every song is single worthy from the modern sounding 'Come Together' to the more psychedelic 'Octopus's Garden'. It all sounded like it belongs on the same record. The two singles from the album, 'Something' and 'Here Comes The Sun', are certainly highlights of the record; Both written by George Harrison it proved his songwriting credibility (6). 'Something', using a structure defining each set of instruments from strings to drums sounding almost like the tempo changes mid song to 'Here Comes The Sun' so well known even today it is covered and featured regularly in pop culture. It featured George on his acoustic guitar and introduced a 'moog synthesiser' to the album. (7)
While the singles are quite uplifting in the themes and musical tone many of the tracks from 'Abbey Road' are quite dark putting deep slow guitar melodies to good use. For example the track 'Because' has a distorted guitar sounding quite sharp before introducing an opera of voices from 'The Beatles' themselves sounding more like a psychedelic Queen track than a Beatles one. The track 'I Want You (She's So Heavy)' is slow dragging you through making you listen to each drum being hit and each guitar string being played to a point yet again you feel like the tempo of the song changes throughout as the tone drastically shifts from rock to straight psychedelic.
Side two of the record which has eleven song of the seventeen featured on the record feels like one long song rather than eleven shorter features; yet again 'The Beatles' continuing to innovate. 'Abbey Road' is also full of surprises from the brash modern sounding opening of 'Mean Mr. Mustard' to Ringo Stars relentless non stop drum playing on 'The End'.
It is without a doubt the best 'Beatles' album if not the best Rock n'Roll record ever recorded.
The first recording sessions was February 22nd, 1969 only three weeks after the 'Get Back' sessions. The last recording session was August 1st the same year.
'Abbey Road' was the first Beatles album to be recorded with an eight track sequencer allowing them to add 8 tracks of audio on a piece. Their previous efforts had either four or two. Paul McCartney actually said eight was too many.
John Lennon played a 'Moog Synthesiser' white noise effect during the track 'I Want You (She's So Heavy)' to simulate the wind. They recorded two versions of the track, one straight after the 'Get Back' sessions and one during the 'Abbey Road' recording sessions. Both sections ran for around 8 minuets making it 'The Beatles' second longest track. The wind effect created by the 'Moog' was overdubbed on the second half of the track. Paul, during the final edit, quickly halted recording making a jarring stop to the track and side one to the album. This finish fit in with the tone of the track.
This was the first Beatles production not to be produced in mono. Ringo Star said he used the toms a lot more in production than any other Beatles production. He had to be convinced to do a drum solo on 'The End' and only did one because he liked the new heads on his drums.
'Abbey Road' was recorded through a solid state transistor mixing desk, the 'TG12345 MK1'. This let the Beatles take full advantage of the eight track sequencer and overdubbing. The mixing desk had individual compression mesures and limiters per channel. (8)
After doing al the remixing and crossfades Paul accidentally left 'Her Majesty' in the tape. It features at the end of the record now as a homage to the mistake.
The recording clarity for the time was due to there being several microphones throughout the whole recording process. The drums on 'The End were recorded with two microphones to introduce the stereo sound. (9)
1. Come Together
2. Something
3. Maxwell's Silver Hammer
4. Oh! Darling
5. Octopus's Garden
6. I Want You (Shes So High)
7. Here Comes The Sun
8. Because
9. You Never Give Me Your Money
10. Sun King
11. Mean Mr. Mustard
12. Polythene Pam
13. She Came Through The Bathroom Window
14. Golden Slumbers
15. She Carries The Wait
16. The End
17. Her Majesty
14. Golden Slumbers
15. She Carries The Wait
16. The End
17. Her Majesty
Bibliography
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- Quora. 2015. why are arctic monkeys so popular. [ONLINE] Available at: https://www.quora.com/Why-are-the-Arctic-Monkeys-so-popular. [Accessed 22 September 2016].
- NME. 2016. Why 'Whatever People Say I Am, That's What I'm Not' Is Still A Masterpiece - 10 Years . [ONLINE] Available at: http://www.nme.com/blogs/nme-blogs/whatever-people-say-i-am-thats-what-im-not-10-years-on. [Accessed 22 September 2016].
- The Independent . 2016. Arctic Monkeys, 10 years on: How 'Whatever People Say I Am, That's What I'm Not' defined a generation. [ONLINE] Available at: http://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/music/features/arctic-monkeys-10-years-on-how-whatever-people-say-i-am-thats-what-im-not-defined-a-generation-a6823046.html. [Accessed 22 September 2016]
- Dimery et al. RD 2011, 1001 You Must Hear Before You Die. 5th Ed. London, Cassell Illustrated
- pitchfork. 2009. The Beatles - Abbey Road. [ONLINE] Available at: http://pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/13431-abbey-road/. [Accessed 26 September 2016].
- Wikipedia . 2016. Abbey Road. [ONLINE] Available at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abbey_Road. [Accessed 28 September 2016].
- Beatles Bible. 2015. Beatles Bible Abbey Road. [ONLINE] Available at:https://www.beatlesbible.com/albums/abbey-road/3/. [Accessed 28 September 2016]
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