| Grinderman | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | 5 March 2007 | |||
| Recorded | March 2006 | |||
| Studio | RAK Studios andMetropolis Studios inLondon, United Kingdom[1] | |||
| Genre | Alternative rock,garage rock | |||
| Length | 40:03 | |||
| Label | Mute/ANTI- | |||
| Producer | Nick Launay,Grinderman | |||
| Grinderman chronology | ||||
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| Singles from Grinderman | ||||
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Grinderman is the eponymous debut studio album byalternative rock bandGrinderman, a side project of members ofNick Cave and the Bad Seeds, released on 5 March 2007 onMute Records in Europe andANTI- in the United States. Aiming to recreate the more raw, primal sound[2] of all former related projects such asThe Birthday Party,Grinderman's lyrical and musical content diverged significantly fromNick Cave's concurrent work with The Bad Seeds, whose last studio album,Abattoir Blues/The Lyre of Orpheus (2004), was primarilyblues,gospel and alternative-orientated in stark contrast to the raw sound of the early Bad Seeds albums. Incidentally, the musical direction ofGrinderman influenced The Bad Seeds' next studio album,Dig, Lazarus, Dig!!! (2008).
According to producerNick Launay, the recording sessions for the album only lasted four days,[3] during which time the band also recorded a number of extra material. One song "Chain Of Flowers" was later featured as theB-side to the album's "No Pussy Blues" single, however, the other two singles, "Get It On" and "(I Don't Need You To) Set Me Free" were released as single-sided singles. Upon its release,Grinderman received critical acclaim and charted internationally, debuting at number one onBillboard Heatseakers in the United States.[4]
After extensive touring throughout 2005 with The Bad Seeds in support ofAbattoir Blues/The Lyre of Orpheus, frontman Nick Cave began writing songs on guitar, an instrument he would rarely play. His rudimentary playing gave the new material a rawer feel than much of The Bad Seeds' output. After more experimentation, Grinderman formed and soon enteredMetropolis Studios in London to record the original Grinderman demos and it was this material that would eventually become the basis forGrinderman. The album was recorded with long-time friend, producerNick Launay in April at theRAK Studios in London and mixed in October atMetropolis Studios.[5]
Warren Ellis has commented that the album was "meant to be really open liberating thing" and the band decided to experiment during the recording of the album "and push on, relentless." Cave's additional guitar was also noted to have "changed the whole dynamic of the [project]."[citation needed]
| Aggregate scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| Metacritic | 83/100[6] |
| Review scores | |
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [7] |
| The A.V. Club | B[8] |
| Entertainment Weekly | B+[9] |
| The Guardian | [10] |
| Mojo | [11] |
| NME | 7/10[12] |
| Pitchfork | 7.7/10[13] |
| Q | [14] |
| Spin | [15] |
| Uncut | [16] |
Released on 5 March 2007,Grinderman was acclaimed by critics for its raw power, similar to that of Cave's celebrated post-punk projectThe Birthday Party. The album holds a score of 83 out of 100 on review aggregate siteMetacritic based on 33 independent reviews, indicating "universal acclaim".[6]
The band made their live debut at theAll Tomorrow's Parties Festival inSomerset the month following the album's release. This was followed by a one-off show atThe Forum in London on 20 June.[17] Three singles were released from the album, "Get It On" was the first single to be released on 8 January 2007. "No Pussy Blues" was released as a single on 19 February, and on 30 April, the band released the final single from the album, "(I Don't Need You To) Set Me Free".
Grinderman also opened forThe White Stripes at theirMadison Square Garden show on 24 July 2007, followed by a show in Chicago, and two shows in San Francisco.[18] The band then embarked on a theatre tour of Australia, opening for a Nick Cave 'solo' set, which consisted of the same band members.[19] The band also launched the official Grinderman website in March 2007 in promotion of the album. Amongst other things, the website included The Grinderman Podcast featuring a series of fragments of recordings from the band's writing sessions.[20] These were not complete songs but instead were seen to offer a unique insight into the workings of the band. New episodes were said to appear regularly over the following weeks and months, however, only five recordings have been submitted at this time.
On 11 May 2007, the band performed "Honey Bee (Let's Fly to Mars)" and "No Pussy Blues" on the BBC television showLater... with Jools Holland and made their US network television debut on theCBS television show theLate Show with David Letterman performing "Honey Bee (Let's Fly to Mars)" on 23 July 2007. Grinderman were one of the headliners atRoskilde Festival 2008 in July, one of the biggest festivals in northern Europe. They joined names such asRadiohead,Neil Young andJay-Z at the top of the bill.
In 2014, the song "Honey Bee (Let's Fly to Mars)" appeared in the HBO showTrue Detective where it was played at the end of the episode "Who Goes There?".
All lyrics are written byNick Cave; all music is composed byGrinderman.
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Get It On" | 3:07 |
| 2. | "No Pussy Blues" | 4:20 |
| 3. | "Electric Alice" | 3:15 |
| 4. | "Grinderman" | 4:33 |
| 5. | "Depth Charge Ethel" | 3:47 |
| 6. | "Go Tell the Women" | 3:24 |
| 7. | "(I Don't Need You To) Set Me Free" | 4:06 |
| 8. | "Honey Bee (Let's Fly to Mars)" | 3:18 |
| 9. | "Man in the Moon" | 2:10 |
| 10. | "When My Love Comes Down" | 3:32 |
| 11. | "Love Bomb" | 4:26 |
| Total length: | 40:03 | |
| Country | Certification |
|---|---|
| Greece | Gold[25] |
"Honey Bee (Let's Fly to Mars)" also reached #97 onRolling Stone's list of the "100 Best Songs of 2007".[31]
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