Felt Mountain | ||||
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Studio album by | ||||
Released | 11 September 2000 | |||
Recorded | 1999–2000 | |||
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Genre | ||||
Length | 39:32 | |||
Label | Mute | |||
Producer | ||||
Goldfrapp chronology | ||||
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Singles from Felt Mountain | ||||
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Felt Mountain is the debut studio album by English electronic music duo Goldfrapp. It was released on 11 September 2000 by Mute Records. The album takes influence from a variety of music styles such as 1960s pop, cabaret, folk and electronica. [5]
Felt Mountain was generally well received by music critics, and was described as "simultaneously smarmy and seductive, yet elegant and graceful". [6] It peaked at number 57 on the UK Albums Chart, and was certified gold by the British Phonographic Industry (BPI) in October 2001. In 2001, the album was shortlisted for the Mercury Prize, an annual music prize awarded for the best British or Irish album from the previous year.
Goldfrapp signed a recording contract with London-based record label Mute Records in August 1999. [7] The pair began recording their debut album over a six-month period, beginning in September 1999, in a rented bungalow in the Wiltshire countryside. [7] The recording process was difficult for Alison Goldfrapp, who was often alone and disturbed by the mice and insects in the bungalow. [7] Gregory described their recording sessions as intense because he was unaccustomed to composing with others. [8] Goldfrapp contributed the album's lyrics, and Gregory and Goldfrapp composed the music together. [8] The lyrics are abstract obsessional tales inspired by science fiction, films, Goldfrapp's childhood, and the loneliness she felt while recording the album. [7] Musically, the album takes influence from a variety of styles including 1960s pop, cabaret, folk, and electronica. [5]
"Lovely Head", Felt Mountain's opening track, features high lonesome whistling and heavily processed vocals. The song was described as influenced by Shirley Bassey and released as the album's lead single. [9] The second track, "Paper Bag", is about being obsessed with someone and not being able to have them. [10] It is followed by the third single "Human", a track with a mambo-style beat. [10] The fourth song, "Pilots", which describes travellers floating in the atmosphere above the earth, was inspired by John Barry's James Bond theme songs. [10] A remixed version of the song was released as a single in the United Kingdom, reaching number 68 on the UK Singles Chart. [11]
The ballad "Deer Stop" features childlike vocals and sexually suggestive lyrics. [6] The title track was influenced by Goldfrapp's "idea of a wolf being whipped in this little Tudor house overlooking a snowy landscape". [10] "Oompa Radar", the seventh track, was inspired by Roman Polanski's 1966 film Cul-de-Sac . [10] The cabaret-influenced song uses a flugelhorn and a cuckoo clock to switch between tempos. [12] [9] "Utopia" was released as the album's second single. The album closes with "Horse Tears", a minimalist piano ballad with filtered vocals. [12]
Review scores | |
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Source | Rating |
AllMusic | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
The Encyclopedia of Popular Music | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
The Guardian | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
Melody Maker | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
Muzik | 5/5 [16] |
NME | 6/10 [17] |
Pitchfork | 8.0/10 [6] |
Q | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
Rolling Stone | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
Uncut | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
The album received critical acclaim. AllMusic reviewer Heather Phares referred to the album as a "strange and beautiful mix of the romantic, eerie, and world-weary" and named it "one of 2000's most impressive debuts". [5] Eric Wittmershaus of Flak Magazine called Felt Mountain "an enchanting, accessible debut", citing "Human" and "Deer Stop" as its best songs. [12] In a review for Pitchfork , Matt LeMay described the album as "elegant and graceful", but felt that the "songs aren't all that different from one another." [6] Sacha Esterson of musicOMH compared Felt Mountain to Portishead and wrote that it could be a "contender for the year's best album". [21] Yahoo! Music's Ken Micallef commented that the duo "make elegiac music as elegant as 'Diamonds Are Forever' and as haunting as Bobbie Gentry's 'Ode to Billie Joe'", concluding that the album's "dark night of the soul is mostly bleak, beautiful, and deliciously bizarre." [22] Andrew Lynch of entertainment.ie noted that "[a]lthough at times it feel[ sic ] a little contrived, for the most part this is stylishly decadent music that should appeal to all fans of film noir." [23] NME viewed the album as "cold, desolate and old-fashioned" and argued that Felt Mountain was not a "bad concept" except that "Portishead got there first, and managed to update the spy-film vibe with a hefty dose of break-driven twilight melancholia." [17]
Q included the album on its list of the top 50 albums of 2000. [24] The following year, Felt Mountain was shortlisted for the Mercury Prize, an annual music prize awarded for the best British or Irish album from the previous year. [25] In 2006, the album was included in Robert Dimery's book 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die . [26] In November 2009, The Times ranked Felt Mountain at number 16 on its list of the 100 best pop albums of the 2000s. [27] The album was placed at number 94 on Slant Magazine 's list of the best albums of the 2000s. [28]
Felt Mountain debuted at number 144 on the UK Albums Chart, selling 914 copies in its first week. [29] In September 2001, the album peaked at number 57, and had sold 177,096 copies by August 2005. [29] Felt Mountain was certified gold by the British Phonographic Industry (BPI) on 12 October 2001. [30] In France, the album reached number 48, and remained on the albums chart for 11 weeks. [31] It reached the top 40 in Germany [32] and the top 50 in Australia [33] and Austria. [34] Despite not appearing on any major charts in North America, Felt Mountain had sold 52,000 copies in the United States as of August 2006. [35] As of April 2003, the album had sold 500,000 copies worldwide. [36]
All lyrics are written by Alison Goldfrapp; all music is composed by Will Gregory and Goldfrapp, except where noted. [8]
No. | Title | Music | Length |
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1. | "Lovely Head" | 3:49 | |
2. | "Paper Bag" | 4:05 | |
3. | "Human" |
| 4:36 |
4. | "Pilots" | 4:29 | |
5. | "Deer Stop" | 4:06 | |
6. | "Felt Mountain" | 4:17 | |
7. | "Oompa Radar" | 4:42 | |
8. | "Utopia" | 4:18 | |
9. | "Horse Tears" | 5:10 | |
Total length: | 39:32 |
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
---|---|---|---|
1. | "Pilots" (On a Star) | 3:57 | |
2. | "UK Girls (Physical)" |
| 4:52 |
3. | "Lovely Head" (Miss World mix) | 3:51 | |
4. | "Utopia" (New Ears mix) | 3:10 | |
5. | "Human" (Calexico vocal) | 4:50 | |
6. | "Human" (Massey's Cro-Magnon Mix) | 5:56 | |
7. | "Utopia" (Tom Middleton's Cosmos Vocal Mix) | 8:19 | |
8. | "A Trip to Felt Mountain" (visual content) | 7:19 |
Credits adapted from the liner notes of Felt Mountain. [38]
Chart (2000–01) | Peak position |
---|---|
Australian Albums (ARIA) [33] | 44 |
Austrian Albums (Ö3 Austria) [34] | 44 |
French Albums (SNEP) [31] | 48 |
German Albums (Offizielle Top 100) [32] | 36 |
Scottish Albums (OCC) [39] | 50 |
Swiss Albums (Schweizer Hitparade) [40] | 98 |
UK Albums (OCC) [41] | 57 |
UK Independent Albums (OCC) [42] | 10 |
Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
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United Kingdom (BPI) [30] | Gold | 177,096 [29] |
Region | Date | Format | Edition | Label |
---|---|---|---|---|
United Kingdom [43] | 11 September 2000 | Standard | Mute | |
United States [44] | 19 September 2000 |
| ||
United Kingdom | 15 October 2001 | 2-CD | Special |
Goldfrapp are an English electronic music duo from London, formed in 1999. The duo consists of Alison Goldfrapp and Will Gregory (synthesiser).
Black Cherry is the second studio album by English electronic music duo Goldfrapp, released on 23 April 2003 by Mute Records. It marked a departure from the ambient sound of their debut album, Felt Mountain (2000), incorporating glam rock and synth-pop music; inspirations were Spanish disco group Baccara and Swedish techno artist Håkan Lidbo. The album was met with positive reviews, with many critics complimenting its blend of retro and modern electropop music.
Supernature is the third studio album by English electronic music duo Goldfrapp, released on 17 August 2005 by Mute Records. The album received generally favourable reviews, with most critics complimenting its blend of pop and electronic music. It debuted at number two on the UK Albums Chart with first-week sales of 52,976 copies, and has been certified platinum by the British Phonographic Industry (BPI). Supernature has sold one million copies worldwide.
Alison Elizabeth Margaret Goldfrapp is an English musician and record producer, known as the vocalist of English electronic music duo Goldfrapp.
"Number 1" is a song by English electronic music duo Goldfrapp from their third studio album, Supernature (2005). Written and produced by Alison Goldfrapp and Will Gregory, the song features a synthesiser and bass guitar arrangement and was written about the importance and meaningfulness that somebody shares with another, despite that it might not necessarily last.
"Ooh La La" is a song by English electronic music duo Goldfrapp from their third studio album, Supernature (2005). Written and produced by Alison Goldfrapp and Will Gregory, the song consists largely of a synthesiser and guitar arrangement, and has been described as "a dirty, decadent homage to Marc Bolan".
"Ride a White Horse" is a song by English electronic music duo Goldfrapp. The song was written by Alison Goldfrapp, Will Gregory and Nick Batt for Goldfrapp's third album Supernature (2005). The song was inspired by the disco era nightclub Studio 54.
"Lovely Head" is an electronic song performed by British group Goldfrapp. The song was written and produced by Alison Goldfrapp and Will Gregory for the duo's debut album Felt Mountain (2000). It was released as the album's first single in May 2000 but did not chart. In November 2001, the song was re-issued as a double A-side single with "Pilots " and reached number sixty-eight on the UK Singles Chart.
"Utopia" is an electronic song performed by British group Goldfrapp. The song was written and produced by Alison Goldfrapp and Will Gregory for the duo's debut album Felt Mountain (2000). It was released as the album's second single in November 2000. Although the song did not appear on the UK Singles Chart initially, it reached number 29 on the UK Indie Chart and found minor success in the Netherlands, debuting and peaking at number 94 in January 2001.
"Human" is a song by British electronic music duo Goldfrapp. The song was written by the group with Startled Insects' Tim Norfolk and Bob Locke, and produced by Alison Goldfrapp and Will Gregory for the duo's debut album Felt Mountain (2000). "Human" is the only track on Felt Mountain with additional songwriters. It was released as the album's third single on 26 February 2001 and reached number 87 on the UK Singles Chart.
"Black Cherry" is a song by British electronic music duo Goldfrapp. The song was written and produced by Alison Goldfrapp and Will Gregory for their second studio album, Black Cherry (2003). The song was released as the album's fourth single in March 2004 to positive reviews from music critics. It was a modest commercial success, reaching the top thirty in the United Kingdom and on the United States Hot Dance Singles Sales chart.
Seventh Tree is the fourth studio album by English electronic music duo Goldfrapp, released on 22 February 2008 by Mute Records. It was named after a dream Alison Goldfrapp had about a "very large tree". Taking inspiration from paganism and surreal English children's books, Goldfrapp described the album as a "sensual counterpoint to the glitterball glamour of Supernature", their previous studio album from 2005.
Head First is the fifth studio album by English electronic music duo Goldfrapp, released 19 March 2010 by Mute Records. The album debuted at number six on the UK Albums Chart, selling 23,261 copies in its first week. It was supported by three singles: "Rocket", "Alive" and "Believer". Head First received a nomination for Best Electronic/Dance Album at the 53rd Annual Grammy Awards.
"Rocket" is a song by English electronic music duo Goldfrapp from their fifth studio album, Head First (2010). It was written and produced by Alison Goldfrapp and Will Gregory, with additional production by Pascal Gabriel. The song was released on 8 March 2010 as the album's lead single. To promote the single, the duo performed the song on Friday Night with Jonathan Ross on 26 March 2010. The accompanying music video features Alison driving a truck hauling a rocket with someone entirely wrapped in duct tape who is then taped to the rocket when it is launched at the end.
"Alive" is a song by English electronic music duo Goldfrapp from their fifth studio album, Head First (2010). It was written and produced by Alison Goldfrapp and Will Gregory, with additional production by Richard X. The song was released on 7 June 2010 as the album's second single. The single failed to chart on the UK Singles Chart, while becoming Goldfrapp's fifth single to top the Hot Dance Club Songs chart in the United States.
The Singles is a compilation album by English electronic music duo Goldfrapp, released on 3 February 2012 by Mute Records and Parlophone. The album features singles from the duo's first five studio albums, as well as two previously unreleased tracks, "Yellow Halo" and "Melancholy Sky".
Tales of Us is the sixth studio album by English electronic music duo Goldfrapp, released on 6 September 2013 by Mute Records. In June 2013, the duo embarked on the Tales of Us Tour to promote the album.
Silver Eye is the seventh studio album by English electronic music duo Goldfrapp, released on 31 March 2017 by Mute Records. The album's first single, "Anymore", was released to digital music retailers on 23 January 2017 after its premiere on Lauren Laverne's BBC Radio 6 show.
"Anymore" is a song performed by English group Goldfrapp from their seventh studio album Silver Eye (2017). It was released as a CD single and digital download on 23 January 2017 through Mute Records. The song was written and produced by Alison Goldfrapp and William Owen Gregory, with additional production coming from The Haxan Cloak and John Congleton. The song incorporates several genres, including dance-pop, electronica and synth-pop, and takes influence from disco and glitch music. Critics noticed similarities between "Anymore" and the music from their 2003 album Black Cherry. Lyrically, Goldfrapp sings in robotic vocals about romance, which one critic felt referenced their 2005 single "Ooh La La".
"Ocean" is a song by English group Goldfrapp from their seventh studio album Silver Eye (2017). It was released as the album's first promotional single on 10 March 2017 through Mute Records. The song was written and produced by Alison Goldfrapp and William Owen Gregory, with additional production coming from The Haxan Cloak and John Congleton. An electronic and synth-rock song, "Ocean" marks the return of Goldfrapp's heavy use of synths in their music. Written in couplets, the lyrics were described as dark by several commentators. Critics also drew comparisons between "Ocean" and the works of other musicians and groups, such as Shirley Manson, Nine Inch Nails, and Depeche Mode.
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