23 (Blonde Redhead album)

23 is the seventh studio album by American alternative rock band Blonde Redhead. The album was released on April 10, 2007 through 4AD.

23
Studio album by
Blonde Redhead
ReleasedApril 10, 2007 (2007-04-10)
Recorded2006
Studio
  • The Magic Shop (New York, New York)
  • Stay Gold Studio (New York, New York)
Genre
Length43:23
Label4AD
ProducerBlonde Redhead
Blonde Redhead chronology
The Secret Society of Butterflies
(2005)		 23
(2007)		 Penny Sparkle
(2010)
Blonde Redhead studio album chronology
Misery Is a Butterfly
(2004)		 23
(2007)		 Penny Sparkle
(2010)
Singles from 23
  1. "23"
    Released: April 2, 2007
  2. "Silently"
    Released: May 28, 2007
"Dr. Strangeluv" redirects here. It is not to be confused with Dr. Strangelove.

Background

Blonde Redhead primarily self-produced 23, a first for the band.[1] Additional assistant production was provided by Mitchell Froom on two tracks, "Silently" and "Top Ranking".[1] In an interview regarding the album, Blonde Redhead acknowledged their goals to be more spontaneous in their songwriting, to aim for simplicity and clarity, and to create additional tensions.[1] Drummer Simone Pace said he found it nerve-wracking to enter the studio with only loose ideas for songs, while singer Kazu Makino admitted it "wasn't an entirely enjoyable experience. Without a producer, a referee, we could really get on each other's cases. It got intense."[1]

Guitarist Amedeo Pace admitted that the band were unsure what direction the album was taking until they reached the mixing stage.[1] Simone Pace said the album "sounds fresh because we are exploring new things. We get tired of doing the same thing all the time, so we search for other things to do."[1]

Artist Alex Gross created the album's cover art, "The Tragedy".

Release

23 was released through 4AD on April 10, 2007 in the United States.[2] It debuted on the Billboard 200 chart at number 63, selling roughly 11,000 copies in its first week.[3] The album was released on April 16, 2007 in the United Kingdom.[2]

"23" was released on April 2, 2007 as a one-track light blue-colored 7" vinyl single.[4] "Silently" was released on May 28, 2007 as a digital EP featuring the additional tracks "(We Are a Real Team) Harry and I" and "Signs Along the Path",[5] and as a 7" vinyl single backed with an edit of "(We Are a Real Team) Harry and I".[6]

Melodie McDaniel directed the first official music video for "23".[7] Mike Mills directed videos for five of the album's tracks: "23", "My Impure Hair", "Silently", "The Dress", and "Top Ranking".[8] The "Top Ranking" video stars actress Miranda July.[9]

Critical reception
Professional ratings
Aggregate scores
SourceRating
Metacritic83/100[10]
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[11]
The A.V. ClubA−[12]
Entertainment WeeklyA−[13]
The Guardian[14]
Mojo[15]
Pitchfork7.0/10[16]
Q[17]
Spin[18]
Uncut8/10[19]
URB[20]

Heather Phares of AllMusic wrote that on 23, Blonde Redhead "trades the cloistered chamber rock of Butterfly for tone-bending dream pop and subtle electronics; while the wide open spaces sound a little bare at first, this streamlined approach ends up making this Blonde Redhead's loveliest and most accessible work yet."[11]

In 2016, Pitchfork ranked 23 at number 30 on its list of "The 50 Best Shoegaze Albums of All Time".[21]

Track listing

All tracks are written by Blonde Redhead (Kazu Makino, Amedeo Pace and Simone Pace).

No.TitleLength
1."23"5:18
2."Dr. Strangeluv"4:47
3."The Dress"4:00
4."SW"4:35
5."Spring and by Summer Fall"4:15
6."Silently"3:57
7."Publisher"4:01
8."Heroine"4:11
9."Top Ranking"3:27
10."My Impure Hair"4:52
Total length:43:23
Japanese edition bonus tracks
No.TitleLength
11."Signs Along the Path"3:44
12."(We Are a Real Team) Harry and I"8:02
Total length:55:09
iTunes Store bonus track
No.TitleLength
11."(We Are a Real Team) Harry and I"8:02
Total length:51:25
Spotify bonus tracks
No.TitleLength
11."(We Are a Real Team) Harry and I"8:04
12."Signs Along the Path"3:46
Total length:55:13

Personnel

Credits for 23 adapted from album liner notes.[22]

Charts
Chart (2007) Peak
position
Belgian Albums (Ultratop Flanders)[23] 52
Belgian Alternative Albums (Ultratop Flanders)[23] 34
French Albums (SNEP)[24] 77
Italian Albums (FIMI)[25] 38
Japanese Albums (Oricon)[26] 196
Swiss Albums (Schweizer Hitparade)[27] 100
UK Albums (OCC)[28] 152
UK Independent Albums (OCC)[29] 13
US Billboard 200[30] 63
US Independent Albums (Billboard)[31] 4
US Top Rock Albums (Billboard)[32] 20
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References
  1. Chick, Stevie. "Blonde Redhead Biography". BlondeRedhead23.com. Retrieved May 14, 2018.
  2. "Blonde Redhead: About 23". BlondeRedhead23.com. Retrieved May 14, 2018.
  3. Hasty, Katie (April 18, 2007). "'NOW' Remains No. 1 As Bright Eyes Debuts High". Billboard. Retrieved July 1, 2014.
  4. "Blonde Redhead: '23'". 4AD. Retrieved May 15, 2018.
  5. "Silently – EP by Blonde Redhead". United States: iTunes Store. Retrieved May 14, 2018.
  6. "Blonde Redhead: 'Silently'". 4AD. Retrieved May 15, 2018.
  7. Gottlieb, Steven (May 1, 2007). "New Release: Blonde Redhead '23'". VideoStatic. Retrieved May 15, 2018.
  8. Perez, Rodrigo (May 21, 2007). "Miranda July Stars In The New Mike Mills-Lensed Blonde Redhead Video; 4 More Clips Revealed". The Playlist. Retrieved May 15, 2018.
  9. "Blonde Redhead and Miranda July". Paper. July 17, 2007. Retrieved May 15, 2018.
  10. "Reviews for 23 by Blonde Redhead". Metacritic. Retrieved June 1, 2016.
  11. Phares, Heather. "23 – Blonde Redhead". AllMusic. Retrieved June 1, 2016.
  12. Matos, Michaelangelo (April 24, 2007). "Blonde Redhead: 23". The A.V. Club. Retrieved June 1, 2016.
  13. Vozick-Levinson, Simon (April 9, 2007). "23". Entertainment Weekly. Archived from the original on January 18, 2018. Retrieved June 1, 2016.
  14. Simpson, Dave (April 13, 2007). "Blonde Redhead, 23". The Guardian. Retrieved June 1, 2016.
  15. "Blonde Redhead: 23". Mojo (162): 110. May 2007.
  16. Bosler, D. Shawn (April 11, 2007). "Blonde Redhead: 23". Pitchfork. Retrieved June 1, 2016.
  17. "Blonde Redhead: 23". Q (250): 123. May 2007.
  18. Gross, Joe (April 2007). "Blonde Redhead: 23". Spin. 23 (4): 86. Retrieved May 23, 2016.
  19. Pinnock, Tom (October 2016). "How to Buy: Blonde Redhead". Uncut (233): 49.
  20. Wasfie, Giselle Zado (April 2007). "Blonde Redhead: 23". URB (145): 100.
  21. "The 50 Best Shoegaze Albums of All Time". Pitchfork. October 24, 2016. p. 3. Retrieved May 8, 2018.
  22. 23 (liner notes). Blonde Redhead. 4AD. 2007. CAD 2717CD.CS1 maint: others (link)
  23. "Ultratop.be – Blonde Redhead – 23" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved July 1, 2014.
  24. "Lescharts.com – Blonde Redhead – 23". Hung Medien. Retrieved July 1, 2014.
  25. "Italiancharts.com – Blonde Redhead – 23". Hung Medien. Retrieved May 14, 2018.
  26. "23" (in Japanese). Oricon. Retrieved July 1, 2014.
  27. "Swisscharts.com – Blonde Redhead – 23". Hung Medien. Retrieved July 1, 2014.
  28. "CHART: CLUK Update 28.04.2007 (wk16)". Zobbel.de. Retrieved July 1, 2014.
  29. "Official Independent Albums Chart Top 50". Official Charts Company. Retrieved July 29, 2018.
  30. "Blonde Redhead Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved May 14, 2018.
  31. "Blonde Redhead Chart History (Independent Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved May 14, 2018.
  32. "Blonde Redhead Chart History (Top Rock Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved May 14, 2018.
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