K (album)

Last updated

K
KulaShaker K.jpg
Studio album by
Released16 September 1996
Studio Eden, RAK, Townhouse, Chipping Norton, Livingston, The Pierce Room, Wessex, Maison Rouge, Eastcote Studios
Genre Psychedelic rock, raga rock, Britpop
Length48:51 (not including 13:04 silence)
Label Columbia
Producer John Leckie, Shep & Dodge, Crispian Mills
Kula Shaker chronology
K
(1996)
Peasants, Pigs & Astronauts
(1999)
Singles from K
  1. "Tattva (Lucky 13 Mix)"
    Released: 1996
  2. "Grateful When You're Dead" / Jerry Was There"
    Released: 1996
  3. "Tattva"
    Released: 24 June 1996 [1]
  4. "Hey Dude"
    Released: 26 August 1996 [2]
  5. "Govinda"
    Released: 11 November 1996 [3]

K is the debut album by English psychedelic rock band Kula Shaker, released on 16 September 1996. It became the fastest selling debut album in Britain since Elastica's debut the previous year, [4] selling over 105,768 copies in the first week. [5] The album reached the number-one position on the UK Albums Chart and number 200 on the US Billboard 200. It was voted number 879 in the third edition of Colin Larkin's All Time Top 1000 Albums (2000). [6]

Contents

The Grateful Dead's psychedelic rock style is an influence on Kula Shaker's first and second albums. The hidden track after "Hollow Man" is a recording of A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, the founder of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness, speaking about his own guru.

Artwork

The cover art (by comic-book artist Dave Gibbons) consists of various images related to the letter K, including: John F. Kennedy, Lord Kitchener, Karl Marx, Gene Kelly, Katharine Hepburn, Ken Dodd, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Danny Kaye, Kal-El (Superman), Boris Karloff (as Frankenstein's monster), Krishna, King Kong, Martin Luther King Jr., two Knights (a pair of Keys on one of them), a Kettle, Kali, the Kaiser, Nikita Khrushchev, Grace Kelly, the number 11 (symbolizing K), and Rudyard Kipling's book Kim .

Critical reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg [7]
Alternative Press 5/5 [8]
Chicago Tribune Star full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg [9]
Entertainment Weekly B+ [10]
The Guardian Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg [11]
NME 9/10 [12]
Q Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg [13]
Record Collector Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg [14]
USA Today Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar half.svg [15]
The Village Voice C [16]

The Independent noted that "Kula Shaker do what they do with so much gall, energy, conviction and dexterity (special honours go to the speedy bass-playing) that you forget to nitpick and imagine you're really hearing a lost masterpiece from 1971." [17]

Track listing

All tracks are written by Crispian Mills except where indicated

Original track listing
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Hey Dude" 4:10
2."Knight on the Town" 3:25
3."Temple of Everlasting Light"Mills, Alonza Bevan2:33
4."Govinda" 4:57
5."Smart Dogs" 3:16
6."Magic Theatre"Mills, Bevan2:38
7."Into the Deep"Mills, Bevan3:49
8."Sleeping Jiva"Mills, Bevan, Jay Darlington, Paul Winterhart2:02
9."Tattva" 3:46
10."Grateful When You're Dead/Jerry Was There" 5:42
11."303"Mills, Bevan3:08
12."Start All Over" 2:35
13."Hollow Man (Parts 1 & 2)" (plus 0:12 hidden track after – 13:04 silence) 6:10
15th anniversary edition bonus tracks
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
14."Tattva" (Lucky 13 Mix)Mills, Bevan, Darlington, Winterhart3:59
15."Into the Deep" (unreleased John Leckie version)Mills, Bevan4:45
16."Red Balloon (Vishnu's Eyes)" Tim Hardin 3:42
17."Hush" ("Hush" is 2:58; plus 1:25 hidden track at the end, an extended version of the original hidden track) Joe South 17:20
15th anniversary Japanese edition bonus tracks
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
14."Raagy One (Waiting for Tomorrow)" 4:27
15."Tattva"Mills, Bevan, Darlington, Winterhart3:59
16."Into the Deep" (unreleased John Leckie version)Mills, Bevan4:45
17."Red Balloon (Vishnu's Eyes)"Tim Hardin3:42
18."Hush" ("Hush" is 2:58; plus 1:25 hidden track at the end, an extended version of the original hidden track)Joe South12:53

Personnel

Kula Shaker

Guest musicians

Charts

Certifications

Certifications for K
RegionCertification Certified units/sales
United Kingdom (BPI) [31] 2× Platinum600,000^

^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.

Related Research Articles

<i>These Days</i> (Bon Jovi album) 1995 studio album by Bon Jovi

These Days (stylized as (these Days)) is the sixth studio album by American rock band Bon Jovi, released on June 27, 1995, by Mercury Records. This was the first album Bon Jovi released after the dismissal of original bass guitarist Alec John Such, and their first album to be recorded officially as four-piece band (without an official bassist, but featured Hugh McDonald as a session/touring member on bass guitar). The album, produced by Peter Collins, Jon Bon Jovi and Richie Sambora, is praised by many critics and fans as their best album. These Days is overall a darker album in contrast to the band's usual brand of feel-good, inspiring rock songs and love ballads.

<i>The Fat of the Land</i> 1997 studio album by the Prodigy

The Fat of the Land is the third studio album by English electronic music group the Prodigy, released on 30 June 1997 through XL Recordings. The album received critical acclaim and topped the UK Albums Chart and the US Billboard 200. It has sold over 10 million copies worldwide as of 2019. It is their best-selling album.

<i>Wish</i> (The Cure album) 1992 studio album by the Cure

Wish is the ninth studio album by English rock band the Cure, released on 21 April 1992 by Fiction Records in the United Kingdom and Elektra Records in the United States. Wish was the most commercially successful album in the band's career, debuting at number one in the UK and number two in the US, where it sold more than 1.2 million copies.

<i>18 til I Die</i> 1996 studio album by Bryan Adams

18 til I Die is the seventh studio album by the Canadian singer-songwriter Bryan Adams. Released on June 4, 1996, by A&M Records, the album became a commercial success peaking at No. 1 in the United Kingdom and No. 2 in his home country Canada. It was recorded on different locations which included Jamaica and France. 18 til I Die featured the number one song "Have You Ever Really Loved a Woman?", which had been released as a single and on the soundtrack to the film Don Juan DeMarco over a year prior, and 4 other singles: "The Only Thing That Looks Good on Me Is You", "Let's Make a Night to Remember", "Star", and "18 til I Die"; the album track "I'll Always Be Right There" was also released to radio in the United States. Adams traveled throughout North America and Europe to promote the album after its June release, notably playing in front of over 70,000 people at Wembley Stadium in July 1996. The album performed lower than expectations in the US but it sold 5 million copies worldwide.

<i>Dig Your Own Hole</i> 1997 album by the Chemical Brothers

Dig Your Own Hole is the second studio album by the English electronic music duo the Chemical Brothers. It was released on 7 April 1997 in the United Kingdom by Freestyle Dust and Virgin Records and in the United States by Astralwerks. It was recorded between 1996 and 1997, and features Noel Gallagher of Oasis and Beth Orton as guest vocalists.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kula Shaker</span> English psychedelic rock band

Kula Shaker are an English psychedelic rock band. Led by frontman Crispian Mills, the band came to prominence during the Post-Britpop era of the late 1990s. The band enjoyed commercial success in the UK between 1996 and 1999, notching up a number of Top 10 hits on the UK Singles Chart, including "Tattva", "Hey Dude", "Govinda", "Hush", and "Sound of Drums". The band's debut album, K, reached No. 1 on the UK Albums Chart. It was voted number 879 in Colin Larkin's All Time Top 1000 Albums 3rd Edition (2000).

<i>Sheryl Crow</i> (album) 1996 studio album by Sheryl Crow

Sheryl Crow is the second studio album by American singer and songwriter Sheryl Crow, released on September 24, 1996, by A&M Records. Unlike its predecessor Tuesday Night Music Club, which was written by a casual collective formed by Crow and several other musicians, Sheryl Crow was entirely produced by Crow, who wrote most of the songs alone or with only one or two collaborators. Most of the album was recorded at Kingsway Studios in New Orleans, Louisiana. The album covers topics of American life, relationship breakups, and moral and ethical issues, while encompassing a variety of music genres such as rock, blues, alternative rock, country, and folk.

<i>Singles 93–03</i> 2003 greatest hits album by The Chemical Brothers

Singles 93–03 is a compilation album by English electronic music duo The Chemical Brothers, released on 22 September 2003. It is a collection of singles from the duo between 1993 and 2003, plus two new songs "Get Yourself High" and "The Golden Path". Early copies of the CD came with a bonus CD. It was certified gold by the BPI on 24 October 2003.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Crispian Mills</span> English rock musician and film director (born 1973)

Crispian Mills is an English singer-songwriter, guitarist, and film director. Active since 1988, Mills is best known as the frontman of the psychedelic indie rock band Kula Shaker. Following the band's break-up in 1999, he remained with Columbia Records, and toured with a set of session musicians under the name Pi, although no official studio recordings were released in full. After the label rejected the Pi album, Mills disappeared for a short time, returning in 2002 as frontman and lead guitarist for back-to-basics rock outfit The Jeevas, who disbanded in 2005 to make way for a reformed Kula Shaker, who released their third album Strangefolk in 2007. In 2010 he released the album Pilgrims Progress with Kula Shaker. In 2017 the band celebrated the 20th anniversary of their album K with the release of the new record K 2.0. Mills joined the band for a sold-out UK tour to celebrate the anniversary.

<i>Peasants, Pigs & Astronauts</i> 1999 studio album by Kula Shaker

Peasants, Pigs & Astronauts is the second album by the British indie and psychedelic rock band Kula Shaker.

<i>So Far So Good</i> (Bryan Adams album) 1993 greatest hits album by Bryan Adams

So Far So Good is a compilation album by Canadian rock musician Bryan Adams, released by A&M Records in November 1993. The album reached number six on the Billboard 200 in 1994 and was a number one hit in the United Kingdom and many other countries.

<i>All the Right Reasons</i> 2005 studio album by Nickelback

All the Right Reasons is the fifth studio album by Canadian rock band Nickelback, released on October 4, 2005, on Roadrunner Records. It is the band's first album with former 3 Doors Down drummer Daniel Adair, who replaced Ryan Vikedal in January 2005. The album topped the Canadian Albums Chart and the US Billboard 200 albums chart and has sold 11 million copies worldwide. It is Nickelback's best-selling album to date, according to certifications from the MC, the RIAA, the BPI, and the ARIA. Seven singles were released from the album. The album re-entered the Finland Albums Chart in 2010, setting a new peak position at number 21.

<i>Everything</i> (The Bangles album) 1988 studio album by the Bangles

Everything is the third studio album by American pop rock band the Bangles. It was released on October 18, 1988 through Columbia Records.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Shower Your Love</span> 1999 single by Kula Shaker

"Shower Your Love" is a song by English psychedelic rock band Kula Shaker. It first appeared on their second album, Peasants, Pigs & Astronauts, in March 1999 and was released as a single two months later. It reached number 14 on the UK Singles Chart.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Govinda (Kula Shaker song)</span> 1996 single by Kula Shaker

"Govinda" is a song by British rock band Kula Shaker, released on their debut album, K (1996). Sung entirely in Sanskrit, the song includes Indian influences and tambura and tabla instrumentation. "Govinda" was issued as a single on 11 November 1996 and peaked at number seven on the UK Singles Chart.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sound of Drums (song)</span> 1998 single by Kula Shaker

"Sound of Drums" is a song by English psychedelic rock band Kula Shaker, released as the lead single from their second studio album, Peasants, Pigs & Astronauts (1999). With lyrics by frontman Crispian Mills and music composed by the whole band, the track takes musical inspiration from American rock band the Doors and received production from Rick Rubin and George Drakoulias, as Mills wanted the track to have a more "American" sound than their previous works. "Sound of Drums" was issued as a single on 20 April 1998 and debuted at number three on the UK Singles Chart the same month, becoming Kula Shaker's fifth and final top-10 hit in the United Kingdom.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tattva (song)</span> 1996 single by Kula Shaker

"Tattva" is a song by British psychedelic rock band Kula Shaker, released as the band's debut single. It was first released in the United Kingdom in 1996 as "Tattva ", then re-issued on 24 June 1996 as a re-recording from their debut album, K (1996), with a different sleeve and track listing. The re-recording reached number four on the UK Singles Chart, number 11 on the Canadian RPM Alternative 30 chart, and number 10 on the US Billboard Modern Rock Tracks chart. In Melody Maker, critic Neil Kulkarni declared "Tattva" and follow-up release "Grateful When You're Dead" to be "the two worst singles of '96".

<i>K 2.0</i> 2016 studio album by Kula Shaker

K 2.0 is the fifth studio album by English psychedelic raga rock band Kula Shaker. Recorded in 2015 at State Of The Ark, London, England and The Tea Rooms, Lompret, Belgium. Released on 12 February 2016 on CD, vinyl and digital download.

<i>Crash of the Crown</i> 2021 studio album by Styx

Crash of the Crown is the seventeenth studio album by American rock band Styx. The album was released on June 18, 2021, by Universal Music Enterprises. The album charted for one week on the US Billboard 200 album chart, peaking at No. 114 on July 3, 2021. The album produced no singles that charted on any Billboard singles chart.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hey Dude (song)</span> 1996 single by Kula Shaker

"Hey Dude" is a Britpop song by English psychedelic rock band Kula Shaker. Written by frontman Crispian Mills and Kula Shaker, the song was released as the third single from their 1996 debut studio album, K, on 26 August 1996. Produced by John Leckie, "Hey Dude" became the band's joint-highest-charting song in the United Kingdom, peaking at number two in September 1996. Internationally, the single charted in Australia, Ireland, and the Netherlands, as well as on the Canadian and US rock charts. In Australia, the song was ranked at number 60 on the Triple J Hottest 100 of 1996.

References

  1. "New Releases: Singles". Music Week . 22 June 1996. p. 35.
  2. "New Releases: Singles". Music Week. 24 August 1996. p. 31.
  3. "Reviews – Releases Out on November 11 1996: Singles". Music Week. 2 November 1996. p. 35.
  4. Silver, Daniel (March 2000). "Kula Shaker Classic Rock Archive". Classic Rock . p. 80. Archived from the original on 10 April 2013. Retrieved 3 April 2010.
  5. Jones, Alan (9 February 2024). "The Official UK Charts: Albums - February 2024". Music Week .
  6. Colin Larkin, ed. (2006). All Time Top 1000 Albums (3rd ed.). Virgin Books. p. 270. ISBN   0-7535-0493-6.
  7. Erlewine, Stephen Thomas. "K – Kula Shaker". AllMusic . Retrieved 15 June 2011.
  8. Thompson, Dave (January 1997). "Kula Shaker: K". Alternative Press . No. 124. p. 73.
  9. Kot, Greg (29 November 1996). "Kula Shaker K (Columbia)". Chicago Tribune . Retrieved 5 October 2020.
  10. Pepper, Tracey (25 October 1996). "K". Entertainment Weekly . p. 116. Retrieved 15 June 2011.
  11. Sullivan, Caroline (20 September 1996). "Kula Shaker: K (Columbia)". The Guardian .
  12. Patterson, Sylvia (14 September 1996). "Kula Shaker – K". NME . p. 50. Archived from the original on 17 August 2000. Retrieved 6 April 2020.
  13. Cranna, Ian (October 1996). "Kula Shaker: K". Q . No. 121. p. 165.
  14. Tuscadero, Inky (Christmas 2011). "Kula Shaker – K". Record Collector . No. 396. p. 95. Retrieved 10 September 2016.
  15. Gundersen, Edna (26 November 1996). "Kula Shaker, K". USA Today . Archived from the original on 5 May 1999. Retrieved 8 April 2020.
  16. Christgau, Robert (3 December 1996). "Consumer Guide: Turkey Shoot". The Village Voice . Retrieved 6 April 2020.
  17. Barber, Nicholas (15 September 1996). "Records: Kula Shaker: K". Arts. The Independent. p. 22.
  18. "Australiancharts.com – Kula Shaker – K". Hung Medien. Retrieved 13 January 2021.
  19. "Ultratop.be – Kula Shaker – K" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved 13 January 2021.
  20. "Dutchcharts.nl – Kula Shaker – K" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved 13 January 2021.
  21. "Kula Shaker: K" (in Finnish). Musiikkituottajat – IFPI Finland. Retrieved 13 January 2021.
  22. "Offiziellecharts.de – Kula Shaker – K" (in German). GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved 13 January 2021.
  23. "Charts.nz – Kula Shaker – K". Hung Medien. Retrieved 13 January 2021.
  24. "Norwegiancharts.com – Kula Shaker – K". Hung Medien. Retrieved 13 January 2021.
  25. "Official Scottish Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 13 January 2021.
  26. "Swedishcharts.com – Kula Shaker – K". Hung Medien. Retrieved 13 January 2021.
  27. "Official Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 13 January 2021.
  28. "Kula Shaker Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved 13 January 2021.
  29. "End of Year Album Chart Top 100 – 1996". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 13 January 2021.
  30. "End of Year Album Chart Top 100 – 1997". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 13 January 2021.
  31. "British album certifications – Kula Shaker – K". British Phonographic Industry . Retrieved 13 January 2021.