A Kiss Before You Go

A Kiss Before You Go is the second studio album by Norwegian band Katzenjammer. It was released on September 9, 2011 by Propeller Recordings.[3]

A Kiss Before You Go
Studio album by Katzenjammer
Released	September 7, 2011 (2011-09-07)
Recorded	2011
Genre	Pop rock, dark cabaret, alternative
Label	Propeller, Universal Music Group
Producer	Kåre Chr. Vestrheim, Mike Hartung
Katzenjammer chronology
Le Pop (2008) A Kiss Before You Go (2011) A Kiss Before You Go: Live in Hamburg (2012)
Singles from A Kiss Before You Go
"I Will Dance (When I Walk Away)" Released: June 17, 2011[1] "Rock-Paper-Scissors" Released: May 7, 2012[2]

Reception

Critical reception

Professional ratings

Aggregate scores
Source	Rating
Metacritic	66/100[4]
Review scores
Source	Rating
Allmusic	[5]
BBC Music	(favorable)[6]
The Independent	[7]
MusicOHM	[8]

A Kiss Before You Go received generally positive reviews from music critics. At Metacritic, which assigns a normalised rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream critics, the album received an average score of 66, based on four reviews, which indicates "generally favorable reviews".[4] Jon O'Brien of Allmusic wrote "it's difficult not to be enamored by [the album's] inventiveness and inherent avant-garde charm."[5] BBC Music's Mischa Pearlman called the album "peculiar and unconventional" because it "constantly shape-shifts and surprises, but does so with a graceful, effortless ease that feels incredibly natural and utterly delightful".[6] In a review for The Independent, Hugh Montgomery said its "oompah brass [and] jaunty jigs" were "best in small doses." He also described A Kiss Before You Go as "exhilarating and nauseous".[7] MusicOHM reviewer Ben Weisz wrote that Katzenjammer's "latest effort is often raucous, occasionally majestic and close to brilliance."[8]

Chart performance

In Norway, A Kiss Before You Go debuted at number eight on the albums chart. The following week it reached its peak position of number six.[9] The album reached number seven in Germany,[10] where it sold 100,000 copies and was certified gold.[11][12]

A Kiss Before You Go debuted at number thirty-three in Switzerland. It remained on the chart for three weeks.[13] The album also charted in the top fifty in Austria and the Netherlands.[14][15] In Belgium, it peaked at number one hundred and thirty-one.[16]

Track listing

Songs written and composed by Mats Rybø, except where noted.

No.	Title	Length
1.	"A Kiss Before You Go" (Rybø, Anne Marit Bergheim)	1:16
2.	"I Will Dance (When I Walk Away)"	3:50
3.	"Cherry Pie" (Marianne Sveen, Mike Hartung)	3:01
4.	"Land of Confusion" (Mike Rutherford, Tony Banks, Phil Collins)	3:35
5.	"Lady Marlene" (Solveig Heilo)	4:35
6.	"Rock-Paper-Scissors" (Katzenjammer, Robert Ellis Orral)	3:28
7.	"Cocktails and Ruby Slippers"	3:59
8.	"Soviet Trumpeter" (Rybø, Bergheim)	4:12
9.	"Loathsome M"	2:41
10.	"Shepherd's Song" (Marianne Sveen)	3:06
11.	"Gypsy Flee" (Sveen)	2:44
12.	"God's Great Dust Storm"	4:06

Personnel

Credits adapted from A Kiss Before You Go liner notes.[17]

• Anne Marit Bergheim – instruments, vocals
• Mathias Fossum – photography
• Mike Hartung – arrangement, production , recording
• Solveig Heilo – arrangement, instruments, vocals
• Heydays – design
• Daniel Herskedal – sousaphone
• Hans Andreas Horntveth – recording assistant
• Turid Jørgensen – arrangement, instruments, vocals
• Gunnhild Mathea Olaussen – violin
• Mr. Orkester – percussion
• Chris Sansom – mastering
• Marianne Sveen – arrangement, instruments, vocals
• Kåre Chr. Vestrheim – arrangement, instruments, production, recording
• Dweezil Zappa – electric guitar

Charts

Chart (2011)	Peak position
Austrian Albums Chart[14]	36
Belgian Albums Chart (Flanders)[16]	131
Dutch Albums Chart[15]	41
German Albums Chart[10]	7
Norwegian Albums Chart[9]	6
Swiss Albums Chart[13]	33

Release history

Region(s)	Date[2][3][18]	Format(s)	Label
Austria, Germany, Switzerland	September 9, 2011	CD, digital download, LP	Propeller
Norway	October 7, 2011
United Kingdom	May 7, 2012

References

1. "When the Laughter's Gone - Single". iTunes. Retrieved 2013-02-16.
2. "Rock-Paper-Scissors Update" (PDF). benallenmedia.com. Retrieved 2013-02-16.
3. "A Kiss Before You Go (Special Version)". iTunes. Retrieved 2011-09-11.
4. "A Kiss Before You Go Reviews". Metacritic. CBS Interactive. Retrieved 2013-02-22.
5. O'Brien, Jon. "Katzenjammer: A Kiss Before You Go Review". AllMusic. Retrieved 2013-02-22.
6. Pearlman, Mischa (2012-05-11). "Katzenjammer: A Kiss Before You Go Review". BBC Music. BBC Online. Retrieved 2013-02-22.
7. Montgomery, Hugh (2010-07-09). "Album: Katzenjammer, A Kiss Before You Go (Propeller)". The Independent. Independent Print Limited. Retrieved 2012-05-06.
8. Weisz, Ben (2012-05-07). "Album Reviews: Katzenjammer – A Kiss Before You Go". MusicOHM.com. Retrieved 2013-02-22.
9. "Katzenjammer: A Kiss Before You Go (Album)". norwegiancharts.com. Hung Medien. Retrieved 2013-02-20.
10. "Erweiterte Suche: Katzenjammer Album". Charts.de (in German). Media Control. Retrieved 2013-02-15.
11. Johansen, Øystein David (2012-05-16). "Fleiper om "truseglippen" på scenen". Verdens Gang (in Norwegian). Schibsted. Retrieved 2013-02-15.
12. "Gold-/Platin-Datenbank: Katzenjammer" (in German). Bundesverband Musikindustrie. Retrieved 2013-02-15.
13. "Katzenjammer: A Kiss Before You Go (Album)". hitparade.ch (in German). Hung Medien. Retrieved 2013-02-20.
14. "Discographie Katzenjammer". austriancharts.at (in German). Hung Medien. Retrieved 2013-02-15.
15. "Discografie Katzenjammer". dutchcharts.nl (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved 2013-02-15.
16. "Katzenjammer: A Kiss Before You Go". ultratop.be (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved 2013-02-20.
17. A Kiss Before You Go (liner notes). Katzenjammer. Propeller Records. 2011.CS1 maint: others (link)
18. "Vinyl Out Today!". katzenjammer.no. 2011-09-20. Archived from the original on 2014-01-11. Retrieved 2013-02-26.