| Change | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | October 23, 2001 | |||
| Recorded | 2001 | |||
| Studio | Inner Ear Studios | |||
| Genre | ||||
| Length | 47:12 | |||
| Label | DeSoto Records | |||
| Producer | Chad Clark, J. Robbins | |||
| The Dismemberment Plan chronology | ||||
| ||||
Change is the fourth studio album by The Dismemberment Plan. It was released on October 23, 2001 on DeSoto Records. It was recorded by J. Robbins at Inner Ear Studios in Arlington, Virginia and it was mixed by Chad Clark.
Compared to The Dismemberment Plan's previous album Emergency & I , Change is more somber musically, with more introspective lyrics. [1] [2] Lead singer Travis Morrison has called it his "night album," [1] saying in an interview with Stylus Magazine :
[...] I think late-night records tend to [...] have much more carefully modulated dynamics, they tend, whatever the dynamics are they're not trying to beat you over the head with a point. They're trying to provide a space you can kind of enter and roam around a little bit. And, uh, yeah, that's what I think of when I think of late-night records. Like Court and Spark by Joni Mitchell, or any Portishead, or Kid A [...] Or Remain In Light by Talking Heads [...] you can either completely envelop yourself in it, or you can let it kind of burble away in the corner and do your thing—uh, usually I kind of opt for the former, 'cause they're so compelling. But they're challenging records to make, 'cause they may just bore everybody, it's quite possible. [3]
| Aggregate scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| Metacritic | 83/100 [4] |
| Review scores | |
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [1] |
| Alternative Press | 8/10 [5] |
| The Boston Phoenix |  [6] |
| Consequence | A− [7] |
| Entertainment Weekly | B+ [8] |
| NME | 8/10 [9] |
| Paste | 9.0/10 [10] |
| Pitchfork | 8.6/10 [2] |
| The Rolling Stone Album Guide | [11] |
| Stylus Magazine | 8.8/10 [12] |
Change was met with universal critical acclaim. On the review aggregation website Metacritic, the album has an 83 out of 100 based on ten reviews, indicating "universal acclaim". [4] Nick Southall of Stylus Magazine called the album more focused than Emergency & I, writing, "With Change, however, The Dismemberment Plan feel little need to show off with self-conscious musical ostentation and excess, instead choosing to focus themselves on making a fantastic, understated and involving record." [12] Pitchfork 's founder Ryan Schreiber praised the album's more sentimental sound, writing, "But metamorphosis can be a beautiful thing, and like the butterfly retains a part of the caterpillar, Change retains a part of the pre-mutated Dismemberment Plan. You see, they're still the same band they always were. They're just prettier now." [2] Ted Alvarez of AllMusic also commended the album's new sound, writing, "It's difficult to chart the Dismemberment Plan's next move; their boundless creativity is their only fence. They could turn down an entirely new musical path, or they could always revisit their equally brilliant old territory. Either way, listeners are in for an original musical experience." [1]
Michael O'Brien of PopMatters , on the other hand, was less positive about the album's new sound, writing, "For anyone who loved Emergency & I , or any of The Dismemberment Plan's other two records, Change sounds like The Dismemberment Plan on Quaaludes." O'Brien also called the album "an enjoyable record, a necessary record in the evolution of the band, but far from an essential listen." [13] Robert Christgau of The Village Voice gave the album a three-star honorable mention rating, [14] indicating "an enjoyable effort consumers attuned to its overriding aesthetic or individual vision may well treasure." [15]
Change was named the 14th best album of 2001 by Pitchfork. [16] The same website also placed the album at number 97 on its list of the top 200 albums of the 2000s. [17]
Although not released as a single, a music video for "Time Bomb" was released in 2001 and was included the following year in the first Xbox Exhibition demo disk, part of a series released by Microsoft to promote upcoming Xbox titles and featuring music from independent acts. [18] [19] [20]
All music is composed by Travis Morrison, Jason Caddell, Eric Axelson and Joe Easley
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Sentimental Man" | 4:16 |
| 2. | "The Face of the Earth" | 4:46 |
| 3. | "Superpowers" | 4:48 |
| 4. | "Pay for the Piano" | 3:23 |
| 5. | "Come Home" | 5:05 |
| 6. | "Secret Curse" | 2:50 |
| 7. | "Automatic" | 4:16 |
| 8. | "Following Through" | 4:38 |
| 9. | "Time Bomb" | 4:24 |
| 10. | "The Other Side" | 3:45 |
| 11. | "Ellen and Ben" | 5:01 |
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 12. | "B.T.A." (mislabeled as "BTW") | |
| 13. | "Academy Award" (Cex Remix) |
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 12. | "What Do You Want Me to Say?" | 4:18 |
| 13. | "B.T.A." | 0:57 |
| 14. | "Crush" (mislabeled as "The Dismemberment Plan Gets Rich") | 6:15 |
The following people contributed to Change [21]
Kid A is the fourth studio album by the English rock band Radiohead, released on 2 October 2000 by Parlophone. It was recorded with their producer, Nigel Godrich, in Paris, Copenhagen, Gloucestershire and Oxfordshire.
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The Dismemberment Plan is a Washington, D.C. based indie rock band formed on January 1, 1993. Also known as D-Plan or the Plan, the name was derived from an industry phrase used by insurance salesman Ned Ryerson in the 1993 comedy film Groundhog Day. The band members include Eric Axelson (bass), Jason Caddell (guitar), Joe Easley (drums), and Travis Morrison. Axelson, Caddell, Morrison and original drummer Steve Cummings formed the band in college, knowing each other from attending northern Virginia high schools. Cummings left the band after the recording of their debut album ! and was replaced by Easley, cementing the band's lineup.
Emergency & I is the third studio album by American indie rock band the Dismemberment Plan, released in 1999 by DeSoto Records. It was produced by J. Robbins and Chad Clark, and primarily recorded at Water Music Studios in 1998, with additional recordings done at Inner Ear Studios. At its release, the album was met with critical acclaim, receiving praise for its instrumental performances and lyrics.
Maritime is an American indie pop band formed in 2003 after the breakup of The Promise Ring and The Dismemberment Plan.
In a Silent Way is a studio album by the American jazz trumpeter, composer, and bandleader Miles Davis, released on July 30, 1969, on Columbia Records. Produced by Teo Macero, the album was recorded in one session date on February 18, 1969, at CBS 30th Street Studio in New York City. Macero edited and arranged Davis's recordings from the session to produce the album. Marking the beginning of his "electric" period, In a Silent Way has been regarded by music writers as Davis's first fusion recording, following a stylistic shift toward the genre in his previous records and live performances.
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! is the debut studio album by American indie rock band The Dismemberment Plan. It was released on October 3, 1995, on DeSoto Records. The band's original drummer Steve Cummings played on the album but left shortly after its release.
The Dismemberment Plan Is Terrified is the second studio album by American indie rock band The Dismemberment Plan. It was released on March 17, 1997, on DeSoto Records. Musically, the album is "less violent and less extravagant" than its predecessor, !. The album received positive reviews from critics, and got the band to sign with major record label Interscope.
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