Kasabian (album)
Kasabian is the debut studio album by British rock[1] band Kasabian, released on 6 September 2004. Four singles were released from the album; the highest chart position on the UK Album Chart was number 4.
Kasabian | ||||
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Studio album by | ||||
Released | 6 September 2004 | |||
Recorded | 2004 | |||
Genre | ||||
Length | 53:16 | |||
Label | Paradise, RCA | |||
Producer | Kasabian, Jim Abbiss | |||
Kasabian chronology | ||||
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Singles from Kasabian | ||||
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Different geographical regions had different colours for their album cover. The British version is black and white, the European import is black and red, and the American version is black and blue. The Japanese "Ultimate Version" is silver and white. The UK limited edition version is a double-sided DualDisc and has a glow-in-the-dark cover. The DVD element contains a making-of documentary and several music videos.
This album has been released with the Copy Control protection system in some regions. In the United States and Canada it uses the MediaMax CD-3 system.
The Canadian version of the album does not contain the songs "Orange", "Pinch Roller" and "Ovary Stripe", with the exception of digital releases.
This is the only full album to feature the lead guitarist and lead songwriter Christopher Karloff, who left the band during the recording sessions of their next album, Empire.
Critical reception
Aggregate scores | |
---|---|
Source | Rating |
Metacritic | 65/100[2] |
Review scores | |
Source | Rating |
AllMusic | |
Entertainment Weekly | C+[4] |
The Guardian | |
The Irish Times | |
Mojo | |
NME | 7/10[8] |
Pitchfork | 5.2/10[9] |
Q | |
Rolling Stone | |
Uncut |
Kasabian received generally favourable reviews but music critics were mixed on the band's mixture of alternative rock and electronica. At Metacritic, which assigns a normalized rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream critics, the album received an average score of 65, based on 21 reviews.[2]
AllMusic's David Jeffries praised the album for its take on different rock genres and compared them favourably to The Stone Roses and Tangerine Dream, saying that "Painting them as rock's saviors just makes the overly ambitious moments of the album look all that much bigger."[3] Paul Moody of NME praised the album for its aggressive instrumentals and space rock sound resembling that of The Libertines. He singled out "Test Transmission" as the standout track, calling it "an indication that once they've purged the violent tendencies, a future as space-rockers in the Spiritualized mould awaits."[8] Betty Clarke of The Guardian praised the album's overall sound for resembling baggy music, saying that it "sums up Kasabian's affection for experimentation of every description."[5]
Johnny Loftus, writing for Pitchfork, commended the album's high-energy tracks for containing production that will grab listeners' attention but felt that it loses steam in places and will send said listeners away to better records that inspired it, concluding that "Kasabian is brash, loutish, and seems liable at times to cut you; the consistent kick drum beat throughout it is like a great party's heartbeat. But like the roustabout in the corner, drinking all the lager and scratching up your old records, it can be more loudmouthed than substantial."[9] Tom Edwards of Drowned in Sound criticized the album's songs for lacking any hooks and nuances to grab the listener's attention concluding with, "Sure this album may well sound awesome if you’ve just snorted a metre of charlie or recently breakfasted from a menu of 'shrooms and LSD, but for sober ears it’s enough to drive anyone to drugs."[13] Barry Walters of Rolling Stone criticized the band for filling the album with half-baked ideas based on influences from Happy Mondays and Primal Scream, saying that "Kasabian make the mistake of trying to be revolutionary by quoting revolutionaries."[11]
Track listing
All tracks are written by Sergio Pizzorno and Christopher Karloff.
No. | Title | Length |
---|---|---|
1. | "Club Foot" | 3:34 |
2. | "Processed Beats" | 3:08 |
3. | "Reason Is Treason" | 4:35 |
4. | "I.D." | 4:47 |
5. | "Orange" | 0:46 |
6. | "L.S.F. (Lost Souls Forever)" | 3:17 |
7. | "Running Battle" | 4:15 |
8. | "Test Transmission" | 3:55 |
9. | "Pinch Roller" | 1:13 |
10. | "Cutt Off" | 4:38 |
11. | "Butcher Blues" | 4:28 |
12. | "Ovary Stripe" | 3:50 |
13. | "U Boat" ("U Boat" ends at 04:07, continues with hidden track "Reason Is Treason (Jacknife Lee Version)", which begins at 07:07) | 10:51 |
No. | Title | Length |
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1. | "Reason Is Treason" (Video) | |
2. | "Club Foot" (Video) | |
3. | "L.S.F. (Lost Souls Forever)" (Video) | |
4. | "Club Foot" (Making of) | |
5. | "L.S.F. (Lost Souls Forever)" (Making of) | |
6. | "Field of Dreams" (Documentary) |
No. | Title | Length |
---|---|---|
14. | "Club Foot" (Jagz Kooner Vocal Mix) | 3:19 |
15. | "Sand Clit" | 3:57 |
16. | "55" (Live from Brixton Academy) | 4:26 |
17. | "Out of Space" (The Prodigy cover) (Live Lounge Version) | 2:28 |
18. | "The Duke" | 3:37 |
19. | "Bang" | 9:49 |
No. | Title | Length |
---|---|---|
1. | "Club Foot" (Live from Brixton Academy) | |
2. | "2004 Tour Documentary" |
No. | Title | Length |
---|---|---|
1. | "L.S.F. (Lost Souls Forever)" | 3:17 |
2. | "Lab Twat" | 3:20 |
3. | "Doctor Zapp" | 3:34 |
4. | "L.S.F. (Lost Souls Forever)" (Jagz Kooner Mix Edit) | 3:13 |
5. | "L.S.F. (Lost Souls Forever)" (Music Video) | 3:50 |
Personnel
Adapted from the Kasabian liner notes.[14]
- Tom Meighan – lead vocals (except "Test Transmission" and "U Boat"), backing vocals on “Test Transmission” and “U Boat”
- Sergio Pizzorno – rhythm guitar, backing vocals, synths, lead vocals on "Test Transmission" and "U Boat", piano on "Ovary Stripe"
- Christopher Karloff – lead guitar, synths, omnichord, bass on "Club Foot", "Reason Is Treason" and "Test Transmission", keyboards on "Orange" and "Pinch Roller", effects on "Pinch Roller", organ on "Ovary Stripe", drum machine on "Club Foot"
- Chris Edwards – bass (all tracks except "Club Foot", "Reason Is Treason" and "Test Transmission")
- Ian Matthews – drums (on "Processed Beats", "Butcher Blues", "Orange" and "Ovary Stripe")
- Ryan Glover – drums (on "Reason Is Treason" and "Test Transmission")
- Daniel Ralph Martin – drums (on "L.S.F. (Lost Souls Forever)" and "Cutt Off")
Charts and certifications
Weekly charts
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Year-end charts
Certifications
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References
- "Kasabian's Serge: I'm no indie boy". BelfastTelegraph.co.uk.
- "Reviews for Kasabian by Kasabian". Metacritic. CBS Interactive. Retrieved 28 April 2015.
- Jeffries, David. "Kasabian – Kasabian". AllMusic. Retrieved 16 June 2011.
- Divola, Barry (11 March 2005). "Kasabian: Kasabian". Entertainment Weekly: 104.
- Clarke, Betty (3 September 2004). "Kasabian, Kasabian". The Guardian. London. Retrieved 16 June 2011.
- Carroll, Jim (3 September 2004). "Kasabian: Kasabian (RCA)". The Irish Times. Retrieved 14 April 2018.
- "Kasabian: Kasabian". Mojo (131): 97. October 2004.
- Moody, Paul (4 October 2004). "Kasabian : Kasabian". NME. Archived from the original on 15 October 2012. Retrieved 16 June 2011.
- Loftus, Johnny (23 November 2004). "Kasabian: Kasabian". Pitchfork. Retrieved 16 June 2011.
- "Kasabian: Kasabian". Q (218): 111. September 2004.
- Walters, Barry (10 March 2005). "Kasabian: Kasabian". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on 29 May 2009. Retrieved 16 June 2011.
- "Kasabian – Kasabian". Uncut (89). October 2004. Archived from the original on 20 December 2005. Retrieved 14 April 2018.
- Edwards, Tom (10 September 2004). "Kasabian – Kasabian". Drowned in Sound. Retrieved 16 June 2011.
- Kasabian (liner notes). Kasabian. Arista. 2005.CS1 maint: others (link)
- "Dutchcharts.nl – Kasabian – Kasabian" (in Dutch). Hung Medien.
- "Lescharts.com – Kasabian – Kasabian". Hung Medien.
- "GFK Chart-Track Albums: Week 4, 2005". Chart-Track. IRMA.
- "Kasabian | Artist | Official Charts". UK Albums Chart.
- "Kasabian Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved 26 April 2015.
- "End of Year Album Chart Top 100 - 2004". officialcharts.com.
- "End of Year Album Chart Top 100 - 2005". officialcharts.com.
- "British album certifications – Kasabian – Kasabian". British Phonographic Industry. Select albums in the Format field. Select Platinum in the Certification field. Type Kasabian in the "Search BPI Awards" field and then press Enter.
- Hanley, James (17 March 2017). "Kasabian announce new album and UK tour". Music Week. Intent Media. Retrieved 19 March 2017.