| Down Colorful Hill | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | 1992 | |||
| Recorded | 1989–1991 | |||
| Genre | Folk rock [1] | |||
| Length | 43:35 | |||
| Language | English | |||
| Label | 4AD | |||
| Producer | Mark Kozelek | |||
| Red House Painters chronology | ||||
| ||||
Down Colorful Hill is the debut studio album by American band Red House Painters, released in 1992 by 4AD. [1]
As was done with the debuts of previous 4AD artists like Pixies, Lush, and His Name Is Alive, the album is made up of demos that were slightly remixed for general release. In Martin Aston's book Facing the Other Way: The Story of 4AD, Mark Kozelek expressed regret over the reverb- and echo-heavy mixing techniques he employed. The song "Waterkill", which dates from the same sessions but not included here, later appeared on the compilation Retrospective in un-remixed form, giving listeners an idea of the original demos' rawer sound.
A music video was produced for the song "24", directed by Mark Taylor.
The cover artwork for Down Colorful Hill is by Welsh photographer Simon Larbalestier entitled "Bed".
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [2] |
| Entertainment Weekly | B− [3] |
| Pitchfork | 8.2/10 [4] |
| Q |  [5] |
| The Rolling Stone Album Guide | [6] |
| Select | 4/5 [7] |
The Philadelphia Inquirer noted that "as glum and mournful as Kozelek's sentiments may be, there's a still, stark autumnal beauty that emerges over the course of this debut that's the pop equivalent of a chilly, fogbound English morning." [8]
AllMusic wrote that "the group has already reached full maturity; these lengthy, ponderous songs are remarkably evocative portraits of a distinctly tortured psyche – Mark Kozelek forgoes the camouflage of metaphor to lay his soul on the line, and the honesty of his craft is both beautiful and disturbing". [2] Stereogum wrote in a 2012 article that the album "sounds dated and immature; the work of a nascent artist who didn't trust his own voice, didn't know his way around a studio and wasn't entirely confident on the guitar. [...] But good lord, what an album." [9]
All tracks are written by Mark Kozelek
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "24" | 6:47 |
| 2. | "Medicine Bottle" | 9:49 |
| 3. | "Down Colorful Hill" | 10:51 |
| 4. | "Japanese to English" | 4:42 |
| 5. | "Lord Kill the Pain" | 6:03 |
| 6. | "Michael" | 5:23 |
| Country | Date | Label | Format | Catalogue # |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| United Kingdom | 1992 | 4AD | CD (first pressings came in a digipak sleeve) | CAD 2014 CD |
| LP | CAD 2014 | |||
| 1998 | CD (reissue) | GAD 2014 CD | ||
| United States | 1992 | Warner Bros. Records | CD | 9 45062-2 |
| 1999 | 4AD | CD (reissue) | GAD 2014 CD |
The Breeders are an American alternative rock band based in Dayton, Ohio, consisting of members Kim Deal, her twin sister Kelley Deal, Josephine Wiggs and Jim Macpherson (drums).
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Surfer Rosa is the debut studio album by the American alternative rock band Pixies, released in March 1988 on the British label 4AD. It was produced by Steve Albini. Surfer Rosa contains many of the elements of Pixies' earlier output, including Spanish lyrics and references to Puerto Rico. It includes references to mutilation and voyeurism alongside experimental recording techniques and a distinctive drum sound.
His Name Is Alive is an American experimental rock band/project from Livonia, Michigan. After several self-released cassettes, they debuted on 4AD Records in 1990, starting a long run at the label. Throughout the band's long history, leader Warren Defever has been the only constant member, with a variety of musicians and singers contributing over the years.
Come On Pilgrim is the debut mini-album by the American alternative rock band Pixies, released on September 28, 1987, on 4AD. Produced by Gary Smith, the release consists of eight tracks from a seventeen-song recording session that the band had recorded at Fort Apache Studios in March 1987.
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Sun Kil Moon is an American folk rock act from San Francisco, California, founded in 2002. Initially a continuation of the defunct indie rock band Red House Painters, Sun Kil Moon is now the primary recording moniker of vocalist and guitarist Mark Kozelek. The project is named after the Korean super flyweight boxer Sung-Kil Moon.
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Mark Edward Kozelek is an American singer, songwriter, guitarist, record producer and occasional actor. He is known as the vocalist and primary recording artist of the indie folk act Sun Kil Moon and founding member of the indie rock band Red House Painters, with whom he recorded six studio albums from 1988 until 2001.
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Retrospective is a double-disc compilation of Red House Painters' songs from the band's 4AD era. The compilation was released in July 1999. Disc one is a collection of definitive Red House Painters tracks culled from their debut album Down Colorful Hill through 1995's Ocean Beach, as picked by 4AD label owner Ivo Watts-Russell. Disc two, subtitled Demos, Outtakes, Live (1989-1995), is a collection of unreleased demos and live recordings from their 4AD years. The essay inside the booklet was written by Rob O'Connor in April 1999. A working title for this collection was Red Perspective.
Shock Me is an EP by American slowcore band Red House Painters. It was released in the UK only in 1994 on CD and 12" vinyl by record label 4AD.
Red House Painters were an American rock band formed in Atlanta, Georgia in 1988, before relocating to San Francisco, California. They were one of the most prominent acts associated with the slowcore/sadcore subgenre. The band was formed by primary songwriter Mark Kozelek and drummer Anthony Koutsos. Together, the pair moved to San Francisco, California, where they were joined by bassist Jerry Vessel. Guitarists Gorden Mack and Phil Carney both performed with the band during separate six-year tenures.
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Perfect Pussy was an American rock band from Syracuse, New York. The band consisted of vocalist Meredith Graves, guitarist Ray McAndrew, drummer Garrett Koloski, bass guitarist Greg Ambler and keyboardist Shaun Sutkus. The band was known for its "frenetic brand of punk and raucous live shows" and has been described as "the most important punk band to come out of Syracuse since Earth Crisis."
