Thought Gang

Thought Gang is a studio album by American composers Angelo Badalamenti and David Lynch created under the joint moniker Thought Gang. Though released on November 2, 2018 through Sacred Bones Records, Thought Gang was originally recorded in the early 1990s. The album was preceded by a Lynch-directed music video for "A Real Indication" on November 1, 2018.[1] The video was created in 1992 in the 8mm video format.[2][3]

For the novel by Tibor Fischer, see The Thought Gang.

Thought Gang
Studio album by Angelo Badalamenti and David Lynch
Released	November 2, 2018
Recorded	1991, May 1992–May 1993
Studio	Cherokee Studios in Los Angeles
Genre	Free jazz experimental spoken word
Length	59:15
Label	Sacred Bones
Producer	Angelo Badalamenti David Lynch

Background

In 1991, Angelo Badalamenti and David Lynch decided to form the jazz project Thought Gang.[4] The short-lived effort lasted through 1993 and led to two tracks included on the soundtrack for Lynch's Twin Peaks: Fire Walk with Me (1992)[5] and a few scattered pieces on other Lynch films, like 2001's Mulholland Drive and 2006's Inland Empire.[6] On September 18, 2018, it was announced that a previously unreleased album under the title Thought Gang would be released on November 2 of that year.[7] Lynch described Thought Gang as "a grand experiment",[8] and Kory Grow of Rolling Stone called the music experimental free jazz with spoken word elements.[9]

Critical reception

Professional ratings

Aggregate scores
Source	Rating
Metacritic	70/100[10]
Review scores
Source	Rating
AllMusic	[11]
Exclaim!	7/10[12]
Pitchfork	6.2/10[13]
Rolling Stone	[14]
Sputnikmusic	3.5/5[15]

Thought Gang was met with mostly positive reception. The album received an average score of 70/100 from 5 reviews on Metacritic, indicating "generally favorable reviews".[10] AllMusic's Bekki Bemrose acknowledged the difficulty and eccentricity of the music but recommended it to hardcore fans of Lynch and Badalamenti.[11] She went on to write that the album's greatest asset is its "sound of two old friends having a great deal of mischievous fun".[11] Andy Beta of Pitchfork expressed mixed feelings on the strangeness of the music (especially Badalamenti's spoken word vocals) and wrote, "As frightful and bewildering as a Dion McGregor nightmare, Thought Gang reveals Lynch and Badalamenti’s shared drive to disrupt any through line or logical outcome, the sounds and words as baffling as dream logic".[13] Kory Grow of Rolling Stone described the album as "unpredictable and uneven but also strangely compelling", echoing the sentiment of other reviewers that the music is at once magnetic and repulsive.[14] Writing for Exclaim!, Jenna McClelland described the album as "for lovers of non-expositional storytelling, crude mystery, lipstick-red esoteric jazz, and noise".[12]

Track listing

All songs written by Angelo Badalamenti and David Lynch.

No.	Title	Length
1.	"Stalin Revisited"	2:02
2.	"Logic and Common Sense"	3:34
3.	"One Dog Bark"	3:07
4.	"Woodcutters from Fiery Ships"	4:35
5.	"A Real Indication"	5:34
6.	"Jack Paints it Red"	3:40
7.	"A Meaningless Conversation"	3:13
8.	"Frank 2000 Prelude"	1:53
9.	"Mult-Tempo Wind Boogie"	4:09
10.	"The Black Dog Runs at Night"	1:45
11.	"Frank 2000"	16:41
12.	"Summer Night Noise"	9:02
Total length:		59:15

Personnel

All credits adapted from Thought Gang liner notes[16]

Thought Gang

• Angelo Badalamenti – vocals, synths, piano, production
• David Lynch – lyrics, percussion, production, vocals, synths, guitar, mixing

Additional musicians

• Reggie Hamilton – acoustic bass, electric bass, guitar
• Gerry Brown – drums, percussion
• Tom Rainer – keyboards, clarinet, saxophone

Technical personnel

• Bruce Robb – engineering, mixing
• John Karpowich – engineering
• Josh Achziger – assistive engineering
• Mike Gibson – assistive engineering
• Mike Bozzi – mastering
• Art Pohlemus – mixing
• Dean Hurley – mixing, sequencing
• John Neff – mixing

References

1. Serota, Maggie. "Watch the 1992 Video David Lynch Shot for His Thought Gang Collaboration with Angelo Badalamenti". Spin. Retrieved November 14, 2018.
2. Strauss, Matthew. "Watch David Lynch's 1992 Video for 'A Real Indication'". Pitchfork. Retrieved November 14, 2018.
3. Eede, Christian. "Watch: Lynch-Directed Thought Gang Video". The Quietus. Retrieved November 14, 2018.
4. Schatz, Lake. "Long-Lost David Lynch and Angelo Badalamenti Album to be Released This Fall". Consequence of Sound. Retrieved November 14, 2018.
5. Blais-Billie, Braudie. "David Lynch and Angelo Badalamenti's Lost '90s Album Is Getting Released". Pitchfork. Retrieved November 14, 2018.
6. Grow, Kory. "13 New Albums to Stream Now: Pistol Annies, Rosalía and More Editors' Picks". Rolling Stone. Retrieved November 14, 2018.
7. Bruce-Jones, Henry. "David Lynch and Angelo Badalamenti Uncover Esoteric Jazz LP Thought Gang". Fact. Retrieved November 14, 2018.
8. Wray, Daniel Dylan. "David Lynch on His Band: 'Sound Like Headless chickens on Speed!'". The Guardian. Retrieved November 14, 2018.
9. Grow, Kory. "David Lynch and Angelo Badalamenti on Their Wild Jazz Experiment". Rolling Stone. Retrieved November 14, 2018.
10. "Thought Gang by Thought Gang: Reviews and Tracks". Metacritic. Retrieved November 15, 2018.
11. Bemrose, Bekki. "Thought Gang – Thought Gang". AllMusic. Retrieved November 13, 2018.
12. McClelland, Jenna. "Thought Gang (David Lynch and Angelo Badalamenti): Thought Gang". Exclaim!. Retrieved November 15, 2018.
13. Beta, Andy. "David Lynch / Angelo Badalamenti: Thought Gang". Pitchfork. Retrieved November 14, 2018.
14. Grow, Kory. "Review: David Lynch and Angelo Badalamenti's 'Thought Gang'". Rolling Stone. Retrieved November 14, 2018.
15. Simon. "Thought Gang – Thought Gang". Sputnikmusic. Retrieved November 14, 2018.
16. Thought Gang (CD liner notes). Angelo Badalamenti and David Lynch. Sacred Bones Records. 2018. SBR-214.CS1 maint: others (link)

External links

• Thought Gang on Bandcamp