| Someday My Blues Will Cover the Earth | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | August 7, 2001 | |||
| Recorded | 1998-2000 | |||
| Genre | Rock | |||
| Length | 42:14 | |||
| Label | 4AD | |||
| Producer | Steve King, His Name Is Alive | |||
| His Name Is Alive chronology | ||||
| ||||
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |    [1] |
| Pitchfork | 6.7/10 [2] |
Someday My Blues Will Cover the Earth is an album by His Name Is Alive, released by 4AD in 2001.
Someday My Blues Will Cover the Earth marked a huge change in the sound of His Name Is Alive, and is a controversial record among some of the band's fans. Many long-time fans criticized the album's sound, which bore little relation to the gothic/folk/progressive rock of the band's past. With the band now consisting solely of leader Warren Defever and vocalist Lovetta Pippen, an experienced soul and gospel singer who had first appeared as a part of a gospel choir on 1996's Stars on ESP, Someday... is basically a straightforward soul and R&B album. This was the first HNIA album without long-time vocalist Karin Oliver, whose unique vocal range was, for many fans, the band's key element.
On the other hand, there are some fans who appreciate the album for what it is, noting Defever's characteristic songwriting, production and musicianship, and Pippen's impressive vocal skills. Album reviews were also favorable from publications who were unfamiliar with the band's back catalog.
The replacement of Oliver with Pippen as primary vocalist lead some to believe that Defever had fired Oliver, which tainted the opinions of fans without even hearing the album. The truth was that Oliver had always held jobs in marketing and advertising during her time with HNIA, as the band had never been a commercial success. With the changes at 4AD (outlined in the article on the previous album, Ft. Lake), 4AD had increased commercial expectations for the band. When Ft. Lake was not a big seller, Oliver chose to accept a full-time job offer in marketing, more out of reasons of feasibility than any hostility between her and Defever. [3] Oliver left the band after the US release party for Ft. Lake; a tape of this concert is available from Time Stereo. She was replaced on the resulting tour with Erika Hoffman, who had also been contributing since Stars on ESP.
Defever and Pippen recorded the album from 1998 through 2000. The release of the album was delayed for a year. While 4AD's official reason for the delay was that the elaborate V23 artwork was difficult to produce, there was also speculation that the label was unhappy with the album and had no idea how to market it. The label decided not to renew their option on the band's contract beyond the next album, about six months before Someday... was released. Defever and Pippen were encouraged to go ahead and record the final album of the contract right away. The album, which turned out to be 2002's Last Night, was recorded before Someday... was released, and like its predecessor, was shelved for a year before being released.
The UK version of the album comes in a digipak case with a lyrics booklet in addition to the liner notes, as opposed to the U.S. version which comes in a jewel case and lacks the lyrics booklet. The U.K. version also has slightly different artwork, with the front cover image being in blue which was changed to brown for the U.S. version.
The version of "Are We Still Married?" marked the third version the band had released. It first appeared on Home Is in Your Head , and a remixed version appeared on The Dirt Eaters EP. Oliver sang those versions, and it is sung by Pippen here. A fourth version would be sung by Andy FM on 2005's Raindrops Rainbow EP.
In 2006, HNIA's website made available a free MP3 download remix album called Someday RMX. The track listing (with remixers listed in parentheses) for this album is:
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.
Warren Defever is a musician and producer, originally from Livonia, Michigan, and now based in Detroit. He is most known for his chameleonic project His Name Is Alive, though he is active in numerous other circles. He produced, engineered, and/or remixed recordings by Iggy and the Stooges, Easy Action, Low, Ida, Michael Hurley, Califone, Yoko Ono, Thurston Moore, the Gories, the Go, Nomo, Saturday Looks Good to Me, Ethan Daniel Davidson, Faruq Z. Bey, the Von Bondies, Reba Fritz, Destroy All Monsters, Jenny Toomey, Slumber Party, John Sinclair, Elizabeth Mitchell, and Lisa Loeb, as well as HNIA offshoot Velour 100.
Martin James "Boz" Boorer is an English guitarist and producer who founded the new wave rockabilly group the Polecats; and for a 30-year period beginning in 1991 was co-writer, guitarist and musical director with Morrissey.
Pale Saints were an English alternative rock/shoegazing band formed in 1987 in Leeds by singer-bassist Ian Masters, guitarist Graeme Naysmith and drummer Chris Cooper.
Vaughan Oliver was a British graphic designer based in Epsom, Surrey. Oliver was best known for his work with graphic design studios 23 Envelope and v23. Both studios maintained a close relationship with record label 4AD between 1982 and 1998 and gave distinct visual identities for the 4AD releases by many bands, including Mojave 3, Lush, Cocteau Twins, The Breeders, This Mortal Coil, Pale Saints, Pixies, and Throwing Muses. Oliver also designed record sleeves for such artists as David Sylvian, The Golden Palominos, and Bush.
The Last Hard Men were an alternative music supergroup composed of former Skid Row vocalist Sebastian Bach, The Frogs guitarist Jimmy Flemion, The Breeders guitarist–vocalist Kelley Deal, and The Smashing Pumpkins drummer Jimmy Chamberlin.
Detrola is an album by His Name Is Alive, released in 2006. Four years after being dropped from the 4AD roster, HNIA released this album on their own Silver Mountain Media Group label. While many of the band's longtime fans had been disappointed with the group's final two albums for 4AD, fan reception to Detrola was quite positive, with many observing that it was finally a proper follow-up to 1998's 4AD release Ft. Lake.
Livonia is the debut album by His Name Is Alive. It was originally released by 4AD on June 25, 1990 in the United Kingdom and in 1992 on 4AD/Rykodisc in the United States.
Home Is in Your Head is the second studio album by His Name Is Alive, originally released via 4AD in the UK on September 9, 1991, and on Rykodisc in the United States in 1992.
The Dirt Eaters in an EP by His Name Is Alive, originally released by 4AD in early 1992. It has never been released on its own in the United States, as it was included on the 4AD/Rykodisc US reissue of Home Is in Your Head in 1992.
Mouth by Mouth is the third studio album by American rock band His Name Is Alive, released by 4AD in 1993.
King of Sweet is a compilation album by His Name Is Alive, originally released in a limited run by the Perdition Plastics label in 1993. Most, if not all, of the songs had previously appeared on the band's many self-released cassettes in the late 1980s and early 1990s, and some of them had appeared in different versions on the band's 4AD releases.
Stars on E.S.P. is an album by His Name Is Alive, released by 4AD in 1996.
Nice Day is an EP by His Name Is Alive, released by 4AD in the UK in 1997.
Ft. Lake is an album by His Name Is Alive, released by 4AD in 1998.
Always Stay Sweet is a compilation album by His Name Is Alive, released by 4AD on February 23, 1999.
Last Night is an album by the American experimental rock band His Name Is Alive, released in 2002. Lovetta Pippen sings on the album.
Velour 100 was a dream pop / ethereal rock band from Ypsilanti, Michigan, United States. The band existed from 1995 to 2000, with most of its music seeing release via Tooth & Nail Records in 1996 & 1997. The band was essentially masterminded by multi-instrumentalist Trey Many of His Name Is Alive and Liquorice. Warren Defever helped with production. The band's 4AD Records-influenced sound often led to comparisons to artists such as Cocteau Twins, Low, and Slowdive.
1983–1991 is a four-CD box set of material by supergroup This Mortal Coil, released on March 30, 1993 on the 4AD label. The box set was released only in the United States, and was distributed by Warner Bros. Records, with whom 4AD maintained a distribution deal at the time. This marked the first domestic American release for most of the band's output, as only the debut album, It'll End in Tears, had been released in the United States previously.
Sleeps with the Fishes is the lone collaborative album from Clan of Xymox founding member Pieter Nooten and Canadian guitarist/producer Michael Brook, released by 4AD on 12 October 1987. Intended as Nooten's debut solo album after a brief split from Clan of Xymox, the record turned into a collaboration with Brook after a suggestion from 4AD label founder and boss Ivo Watts-Russell. Though not a huge commercial success, Sleeps with the Fishes was described by AllMusic as "essential listening for fans of 4AD, ambient music, minimalism, experimental electronic music, and morose themes alike... an overlooked masterpiece."
