B-Sides and Rarities (Beach House album)

Last updated
B-Sides and Rarities
B-Sides and Rarities by Beach House.jpg
Compilation album by
ReleasedJune 30, 2017
Recorded2005–2016
Studio
Genre
Length56:27
Label Sub Pop
Producer
Beach House chronology
Thank Your Lucky Stars
(2015)
B-Sides and Rarities
(2017)
7
(2018)
Singles from B-Sides and Rarities
  1. "Chariot"
    Released: May 17, 2017

B-Sides and Rarities is a compilation album by American dream pop band Beach House, released on June 30, 2017 through Sub Pop in North America, Bella Union in Europe, and Mistletone Records in Australia. The compilation contains B-sides and rare, unreleased cuts along with two new songs, "Chariot" and "Baseball Diamond". It also includes the band's cover of Queen's "Play the Game". [1]

Contents

Background and development

"When we announced that we were releasing a B-sides and rarities album, someone on Twitter asked, "B-sides record? Why would Beach House put out a B-sides record? Their A-sides are like B-sides." This random person has a point. Our goal has never been to make music that is explicitly commercial. Over the years, as we have worked on our 6 LPs, it wasn’t the "best" or most catchy songs that made the records, just the ones that fit together to make a cohesive work. Accordingly, our B-sides are not songs that we didn’t like as much, just ones that didn’t have a place on the records we were making."

—Beach House, regarding the album. [2]

The idea for a B-sides record came when the band realized how many non-album songs had been made over the years, and how hard it was to find and hear many of them. This compilation contains every song the band has ever made that does not exist on one of their records. The oldest song is "Rain in Numbers" which was recorded in 2005 during the summer when the band was formed. "We didn't have a piano, so we asked our friend if we could use his, which was pretty out of tune. We used the mic that was on the four-track machine to record the piano and vocals. It was originally the secret song on our self-titled debut." The next couple of songs are from late 2008. The band said they were "so excited" about "Used to Be" that they recorded it right after writing it so they could have it as a 7" single for their fall tour with the Baltimore Round Robin. They recorded their cover of Queen's "Play the Game" in the same session. It was for a charity compilation benefiting AIDS research, stating that they "will continue to donate all profits from the song to that charity. As fans of Queen, we thought it would be fun and ridiculous to try to adapt their high-powered pop song into our realm. These songs were recorded at the same studio where we made Devotion ." [2]

"Baby" was written and recorded in October 2009 with the band's friend Jason Quever. "10 Mile Stereo" was recorded during the Teen Dream session in July 2009, "since we used tape, we often slowed the tape way down to create effects while recording. When we were doing that for "10 Mile Stereo" we decided we wanted to make an alternate version where the whole song was slowed down, hence the “10 Mile Stereo (Cough Syrup Remix)"". "White Moon" and "The Arrangement" were both songs that the band didn't believe fit on Teen Dream. The former originally appeared on the band's live iTunes Session EP. Since the song was recorded and mixed "very hastily", they have remixed it to better match their "current aesthetics". They have also remixed and included the version of "Norway" they did at that same session, noting: "the main reason we wanted to include "Norway" is that it features a very different bridge from the original version." [2]

"I Do Not Care for the Winter Sun" was written and recorded in 2010 during a break between tours after Beach House felt "incredibly grateful" to their fans, and was released for free on the internet, unmastered. They stated that the song was now mastered for the album. "Wherever You Go" is another song from that era. The band said they "always loved" it, but thought it sounded too much like their old music. They paused writing it and didn't finish it until 2011 during the Bloom recording session, where it appeared as a hidden track on Bloom. "Equal Mind" was also recorded during the Bloom session. They said they "really like this song", but pulled it from the record when they realized it had "the exact same tempo" as "Other People". The Bloom sessions led to "Saturn Song". This song is built on a piano loop the band wrote while recording Bloom. It also contains sounds recorded in deep space. It originally appeared on a compilation of songs incorporating space sounds which was released in 2014. [2]

Content

The compilation contains 14 tracks—twelve of which were previously released, but were "in general, hard to find good versions of." [3] "Chariot" is one of the two new, previously unreleased songs on the album, the other being "Baseball Diamond". Both tracks were recorded during the sessions for the band's 2015 albums Depression Cherry and Thank Your Lucky Stars . [1] "Baby", "The Arrangement" and "10 Mile Stereo" (Cough Syrup remix) were released as B-sides to the band's 2010 single "Zebra", [4] with the first also being included as a B-side for "Norway" and as an iTunes bonus track for the single's parent album, Teen Dream . [5] [6] "Equal Mind" was released as a B-side to "Lazuli", the second single from the band's 2012 album, Bloom. [7] The single version of "Used to Be" was released in 2008. It was later reworked into the version that appears on Teen Dream. "White Moon" is a song released on the band's iTunes Session EP, which also included a version of "Norway". [8] A remix of the two versions appears on the album. [9] "Play the Game" is a Queen cover, which the band had recorded in 2009. It appeared on the compilation album by various artists Dark Was the Night . [10] "Saturn Song" was released on 2014 as the band's contribution to The Space Project, another compilation album by various artists, released through Lefse Records. [11] "Rain in Numbers" and "Wherever You Go" are hidden tracks that appeared at the end of the closing tracks of Beach House and Bloom respectively. "I Do Not Care for the Winter Sun" is a holiday song the band released in 2010. [12]

Beach House stated that a few of the songs on the album were remastered, with some being brought "up to date". [9]

Release

The album was released on June 30, 2017 through Sub Pop worldwide, Bella Union in the UK, and Mistletone in Australia, on CD, LP, cassette and digital download. [13] It was made available for pre-order on May 17, 2017, [14] and was accompanied by the release of "Chariot", [1] which was uploaded to the band's official YouTube channel a day later. [15] On June 14, they released a music video for the song. [16]

Critical reception

Professional ratings
Aggregate scores
SourceRating
Metacritic 75/100 [17]
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg [18]
Daily Express Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg [19]
Drowned in Sound 7/10 [20]
Paste 6.9/10 [21]
Pitchfork 6.9/10 [22]
Pretty Much AmazingB [23]
Under the Radar Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar half.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg [24]

At Metacritic, which assigns a normalized rating out of 100 to reviews from critics, the album received an average score of 75, based on 9 reviews, indicating "generally favorable reviews". [17] AllMusic said "B-Sides and Rarities points out the similarities and differences in Beach House's music over the years, even if its tracks aren't in chronological order," adding that it is "a collection that's lovely in its own right, and in its own way, is just as representative of Beach House's music as a traditional best-of would be." [18] Daily Express called it the best album of the week, while stating that the songs "paint a fascinating picture of a band slowly building from the delicacy of earlier tracks." [19] Drowned in Sound stated that "what the record lacks in atmosphere, it more than makes up for in discrete bursts of quality." [20] Pretty Much Amazing stated that Beach House "might be clearing the deck before a major label deal, or a shift in sound, or a next step in the band, but I have yet to hear a weak Beach House song, here's to hoping for seven more." [23]

Paste said "B-Sides and Rarities is a career-spanning collection, but Beach House's sound has remained so consistent that, without the band's extensive notes, it's nearly impossible to guess which songs stem from which era," further stating that: "There is nothing remotely bad on here, but there is also nothing that finds the duo lightening up or straying too far from the warm glow of their trademark sound. Nothing outlandish or self-indulgent or uncharacteristically loud." [21] Under the Radar wrote: "this is the archetypical B-sides and rarities album. Thankfully, Beach House's B-sides are equivalent to most bands' A-sides, yet we are still left with a mixed bag," concluding that "ultimately, this B-sides and rarities album includes some intriguing material that will keep fans entertained until the next album, but most likely will have them returning to their favorite album tracks for a more satisfying fix." [24] Pitchfork wrote: "It's a testament to the band's consistency that B-Sides and Rarities plays nearly as smoothly as a proper Beach House album, even though one of these tracks—scattered non-chronologically through an hourlong playtime—is more than a decade old." [22]

Track listing

All songs written by Victoria Legrand and Alex Scally, except where noted.

  1. "Chariot" – 5:16
  2. "Baby" – 3:02
  3. "Equal Mind" – 3:43
    • B-side to "Lazuli" (2012)
  4. "Used to Be" (2008 Single Version) – 4:06
  5. "White Moon" (iTunes Session Remix) – 4:07
    • Live recording from iTunes Session EP (2010)
  6. "Baseball Diamond" – 4:36
    • Previously unreleased song from the Depression Cherry and Thank Your Lucky Stars sessions (2015)
  7. "Norway" (iTunes Session Remix) – 3:16
    • Live version from iTunes Session EP of song from Teen Dream (2010)
  8. "Play the Game" (Freddie Mercury) – 4:18
  9. "The Arrangement" – 5:05
    • B-side to "Zebra" (2010)
  10. "Saturn Song" – 4:31
    • From The Space Project (2014)
  11. "Rain in Numbers" – 2:27
  12. "I Do Not Care for the Winter Sun" – 3:11
    • Non-album single from 2010
  13. "10 Mile Stereo" (Cough Syrup Remix) – 5:31
    • Alternate version of the song from Teen Dream (2010), released as a b-side to "Zebra"
  14. "Wherever You Go" – 3:27
    • Hidden track from Bloom (2012)

Personnel

Credits adapted from the album's liner notes. [25]

Charts

Chart (2017)Peak
position
Belgian Albums (Ultratop Flanders) [26] 159
Spanish Albums (PROMUSICAE) [27] 79
UK Independent Albums (OCC) [28] 26
US Billboard 200 [29] 137
US Top Alternative Albums (Billboard) [30] 17
US Independent Albums (Billboard) [31] 5
US Top Rock Albums (Billboard) [32] 27

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Iron & Wine</span> American musician (born 1974)

Samuel Ervin Beam, better known by his stage name Iron & Wine, is an American singer-songwriter. He has released six studio albums, several EPs and singles, as well as a few download-only releases, which include a live album. He occasionally tours with a full band.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Andy White (drummer)</span> Scottish drummer (1930–2015)

Andrew McLuckie White was a Scottish drummer, primarily a session musician. He is best known for temporarily replacing Ringo Starr on drums for the Beatles' first single, "Love Me Do". White was featured on the American 7" single release of the song, which also appeared on the band's debut British album, Please Please Me. He also played on "P.S. I Love You", which was the B-side of "Love Me Do".

<i>With the Lights Out</i> 2004 compilation box set by Nirvana

With the Lights Out is a box set by the American rock band Nirvana, released on November 23, 2004. It contains three CDs and one DVD of previously rare or unreleased material, including B-sides, demos, and rehearsal and live recordings. The title comes from the lyrics of Nirvana's 1991 single "Smells Like Teen Spirit".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">In Bloom</span> 1992 single by Nirvana

"In Bloom" is a song by American rock band Nirvana, written by vocalist and guitarist Kurt Cobain. It appears as the second track on the band's second album, Nevermind, released by DGC Records in September 1991.

<i>Rarities, B-Sides and Slow, Sad Waltzes</i> 1999 compilation album by Cowboy Junkies

Rarities, B-Sides and Slow, Sad Waltzes is an album by the Canadian alt-country band Cowboy Junkies, released in 1999. It was the band's first independent release after the end of their contract with Geffen Records. The album is a compendium of tracks that the band had recorded but not previously released on an album. Two tracks have been released earlier as B-sides on Cowboy Junkies' singles, "If You Gotta Go, Go Now" on "Southern Rain" and "Leaving Normal" on "Anniversary Song". It was released on both True North Records and Latent Recordings in Canada, and on Valley Records in the United States.

<i>B-Sides & Rarities</i> (Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds album) 2005 compilation album by Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds

B-Sides & Rarities is a 3CD compilation by Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds, released in March 2005. It features over 20 years of the band's B-sides and previously unreleased tracks. It is also the first recording to include all members of the Bad Seeds, past and present up to the time of its release: current members Mick Harvey, Blixa Bargeld, Thomas Wydler, Martyn P. Casey, Conway Savage, Jim Sclavunos, and Warren Ellis, and former members Barry Adamson, Hugo Race, Kid Congo Powers, Roland Wolf, and James Johnston. A second volume, B-Sides & Rarities Part II, was released in October 2021.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Motorhead (song)</span> Song by Hawkwind

"Motorhead" is a song written by Ian "Lemmy" Kilmister while he was a member of the English space rock band Hawkwind. It was later recorded by Motörhead, as he called it this instead of Bastard on his then manager's advice.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">(I'm Always Touched by Your) Presence, Dear</span> 1978 single by Blondie

"(I'm Always Touched by Your) Presence, Dear" is a song by the American band Blondie, from their 1978 album Plastic Letters. Written by former Blondie bassist Gary Valentine, the song was based on the telepathic connections that Valentine believed he experienced with his girlfriend, journalist Lisa Jane Persky, while on tour. Though Valentine had recently left the band, drummer Clem Burke convinced the band to record the song for Plastic Letters.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Surfin' Safari (song)</span> 1962 single by the Beach Boys

"Surfin' Safari" is a song by American rock band the Beach Boys, written by Brian Wilson and Mike Love. Released as a single with "409" in June 1962, it peaked at number 14 on the Billboard Hot 100. The song also appeared on the 1962 album of the same name.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">In My Room</span> 1963 song performed by The Beach Boys

"In My Room" is a song written by Brian Wilson and Gary Usher for the American rock band the Beach Boys. It was released on their 1963 album Surfer Girl. It was also released as the B-side of the "Be True to Your School" single. The single peaked at number 23 in the U.S. and was eventually inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame in 1999. "In My Room" was ranked number 212 on Rolling Stone's list of The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wild Honey (The Beach Boys song)</span> 1967 single by the Beach Boys

"Wild Honey" is a song recorded by the American rock band the Beach Boys. Written by Brian Wilson and Mike Love, it was released as the lead single from their 1967 album Wild Honey, with the B-side of the single being "Wind Chimes". The single peaked at number 31 in the U.S. and number 29 in the U.K.

"Can't Wait Too Long" is a song written by Brian Wilson for the American rock band the Beach Boys. The song dates from 1967, and remains unfinished by the group. In 2008, a newly recorded "Can't Wait Too Long" was released for Wilson's solo album That Lucky Old Sun.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Silver Rocket</span> 1988 single by Sonic Youth

"Silver Rocket" is both the second track and second single from Sonic Youth's 1988 album Daydream Nation. Like all the tracks on the album, the Daydream Nation version of “Silver Rocket” was recorded in the studio, whereas all editions of the single featured a live version of the song with alternate lyrics and were pressed in small runs by independent fanzines. The studio album version also appeared on the B-side of the 12” edition of the band's previous single, “Teen Age Riot.” A video was also produced for “Silver Rocket,” featuring a recording of the song different from any of those appearing on any of the band's singles or albums.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Beach House</span> American dream pop duo

Beach House is an American indie band formed in Baltimore in 2004 by current members Victoria Legrand and Alex Scally. Their work is characterized by a hypnotic dream pop style.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Used to Be (Beach House song)</span> 2008 single by Beach House

"Used to Be" is a song by American dream pop band Beach House from their third studio album, Teen Dream. It was written by lead vocalist and keyboardist Victoria Legrand and guitarist Alex Scally and produced by them along with Chris Coady. The song was released on October 21, 2008 as the album's lead single and features a B-side of a different version of "Apple Orchard", a song which featured on their self-titled debut album.

<i>Teen Dream</i> 2010 studio album by Beach House

Teen Dream is the third studio album by American dream pop duo Beach House. It was released on January 26, 2010 as the band's debut album on the record label Sub Pop. Internationally, the album was released by Bella Union in Europe, Mistletone Records in Australia, and Arts & Crafts in Mexico. The album was produced by the band and Chris Coady.

<i>Bloom</i> (Beach House album) 2012 studio album by Beach House

Bloom is the fourth studio album by American dream pop duo Beach House. It was co-produced by the band and Chris Coady, and was released on May 15, 2012, by Sub Pop, in Europe by Bella Union, in Australia by Mistletone Records, and in Mexico by Arts & Crafts. The album was written over two years of touring and was recorded at Sonic Ranch in Tornillo, Texas, over seven weeks. Building on their previous album, Teen Dream (2010), the duo continued to add live drums to their song arrangements for Bloom, supplementing their drum machine rhythms.

<i>6 Songs for Bruce</i> Demo album by Soundgarden

6 Songs for Bruce, also commonly known as the 4-Track Demo, is an early single-sided demo cassette tape by American rock band Soundgarden.

Rarities is the name of two separate and unrelated compilation albums by the English rock band the Beatles. The first was released in the United Kingdom in December 1978, while the second album was issued in the United States in March 1980.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Zebra (Beach House song)</span> 2010 single by Beach House

"Zebra" is a song by American dream pop band Beach House from their third studio album, Teen Dream. It was written by lead vocalist and keyboardist Victoria Legrand and guitarist Alex Scally and produced by them along with Chris Coady. The song was released as the third single off the album on April 17, 2010, with an EP of the same name which features a UK radio edit of the song along with new tracks "The Arrangement", "Baby" and a remix of "10 Mile Stereo".

References

  1. 1 2 3 "Beach House Detail New B-Sides and Rarities Album, Share New Track "Chariot": Listen". Pitchfork . 17 May 2017. Retrieved May 17, 2017.
  2. 1 2 3 4 "Beach House announce new album "B-Sides & Rarities"". bellaunion.com. Archived from the original on May 20, 2017. Retrieved May 17, 2017.
  3. "Beach House on Twitter". Twitter . Retrieved May 17, 2017.
  4. "Zebra – EP by Beach House on Apple Music". iTunes . 17 April 2010. Retrieved May 17, 2017.
  5. "Norway - Single by Beach House on Apple Music". iTunes . 18 January 2010. Retrieved May 17, 2017.
  6. "Teen Dream by Beach House on Apple Music". iTunes . 26 January 2010. Retrieved May 17, 2017.
  7. "Record Store Day: Beach House – Lazuli/Equal Mind 7". bellaunion.com. Retrieved May 17, 2017.
  8. "iTunes Session - EP by Beach House on Apple Music". iTunes . 24 August 2010. Retrieved May 17, 2017.
  9. 1 2 "Beach House on Twitter". Twitter . Retrieved May 17, 2017.
  10. "new beach house :: 'play the game' (queen cover)". Gorilla vs. Bear . 28 February 2009. Retrieved May 17, 2017.
  11. "Listen: Beach House's "Saturn Song", which was made with actual recordings from space". Consequence of Sound . March 4, 2014. Retrieved May 17, 2017.
  12. ""I Do Not Care for the Winter Sun"". Pitchfork . 16 December 2010. Retrieved May 17, 2017.
  13. "Beach House – "Chariot"". Stereogum . May 16, 2017. Retrieved May 17, 2017.
  14. "Beach House - B-Sides and Rarities". Sub Pop . Retrieved May 17, 2017.
  15. BeachHouseVideoZone (May 17, 2017), "Beach House – Chariot", YouTube , retrieved May 17, 2017
  16. BeachHouseVideoZone (June 14, 2017), "Beach House – "Chariot" Video", YouTube , retrieved June 14, 2017
  17. 1 2 "Reviews and Tracks for B-Sides and Rarities by Beach House". Metacritic . Retrieved June 30, 2017.
  18. 1 2 "Beach House - B-Sides and Rarities". AllMusic . Retrieved June 30, 2017.
  19. 1 2 "Beach House's new 'B-Sides & Rarities' is the album of the week". Daily Express . 25 June 2017. Retrieved June 30, 2017.
  20. 1 2 "Album Review: Beach House - B-Sides and Rarities". Drowned in Sound . Archived from the original on July 1, 2017. Retrieved July 2, 2017.
  21. 1 2 "Beach House: B-Sides and Rarities Review". Paste . Retrieved June 30, 2017.
  22. 1 2 Sasha, Geffen. "Beach House: B-Sides and Rarities Album Review". Pitchfork . Retrieved July 7, 2017.
  23. 1 2 "Review: Beach House, B-Sides and Rarities". Pretty Much Amazing. Retrieved June 30, 2017.
  24. 1 2 "Beach House - B-Sides and Rarities (Sub Pop) Review". Under the Radar . Retrieved July 2, 2017.
  25. B-Sides and Rarities (Media notes). Beach House. Sub Pop. 2017.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  26. "Ultratop.be – Beach House – B-Sides and Rarities" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved July 14, 2017.
  27. "Top 100 Albums: Week 6 (2020)". El portal de Música. Productores de Música de España . Retrieved June 3, 2024.
  28. "Official Independent Albums Chart Top 50". Official Charts Company. Retrieved June 20, 2022.
  29. "Beach House Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved July 11, 2017.
  30. "Beach House Chart History (Top Alternative Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved February 28, 2022.
  31. "Beach House Chart History (Independent Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved February 28, 2022.
  32. "Beach House Chart History (Top Rock Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved July 11, 2017.