| Sometimes I Wish We Were an Eagle | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | April 14, 2009 | |||
| Recorded | August and October 2008 | |||
| Studio | The Track Studio, Plano, Texas | |||
| Genre | Alternative country | |||
| Length | 48:17 | |||
| Label | Drag City | |||
| Producer | "Raven" | |||
| Bill Callahan chronology | ||||
| ||||
Sometimes I Wish We Were an Eagle is the second solo album by American musician Bill Callahan under his own name, released on April 14, 2009, via Drag City. [1]
Sometimes I Wish We Were an Eagle was recorded by John Congleton and arranged by Brian Beattie. [2] In an interview with Uncut , Callahan described the recording of the album:
I recorded the basic tracks with a band, in August I think. Then gave the tracks to the arranger Brian Beattie to write some string and horn parts while I was on tour in South America and North America. When I got back we put the overdubs on, in an old fashioned way – four or five string players gathered around one microphone. The basic band is a couple fellers who I'd been touring with a bit lately, Jaime Zuverza on fine and pretty guitar – Brian described his playing style as "unmacho" which I thought was great. And Luis Martinez on special drums. The bassist was Bobby Weaver who was a friend of the engineer John Congleton. [3]
| Aggregate scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AnyDecentMusic? | 7.3/10 [4] |
| Metacritic | 82/100 [5] |
| Review scores | |
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [6] |
| The A.V. Club | A− [7] |
| The Daily Telegraph | [8] |
| Entertainment Weekly | A [9] |
| Mojo | [10] |
| NME | 8/10 [11] |
| Pitchfork | 8.1/10 [12] |
| Q | [13] |
| Spin | 8/10 [14] |
| Uncut | [15] |
Sometimes I Wish We Were an Eagle received very positive reviews from music critics and made several publications' year-end best album lists, notably being named the second best album of 2009 by Mojo magazine.
In 2013, NME listed the album at number 443 on its list of the 500 greatest albums of all time. [16]
All songs were written by Bill Callahan.
|
|
| Chart (2009) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Belgian Albums (Ultratop Flanders) [17] | 90 |
| French Albums (SNEP) [18] | 128 |
| Irish Albums (IRMA) [19] | 44 |
| Scottish Albums (OCC) [20] | 87 |
| Swedish Albums (Sverigetopplistan) [21] | 58 |
| UK Albums (OCC) [22] | 89 |
| UK Independent Albums (OCC) [23] | 2 |
| US Heatseekers Albums (Billboard) [24] | 16 |
| US Independent Albums (Billboard) [25] | 40 |
Songs for the Deaf is the third studio album by the American rock band Queens of the Stone Age, released on August 27, 2002, by Interscope Records. It features guest musicians including Dave Grohl on drums, and was the last Queens of the Stone Age album to feature Nick Oliveri on bass. Songs for the Deaf is a loose concept album, taking the listener on a drive through the California desert from Los Angeles to Joshua Tree, tuning into radio stations from towns along the way such as Banning and Chino Hills.
Iowa is the second studio album by the American heavy metal band Slipknot. Produced by the members and Ross Robinson, it was released on August 28, 2001, by Roadrunner Records. The title refers the band's state origin, Iowa, which members have stated is one of their greatest sources of inspiration. With much anticipation for the album following the success of their 1999 self-titled debut, pressures on the band were high. Their relationships with each other suffered and this was later described as the darkest time of their career. It was also the first full album to feature guitarist Jim Root after only appearing on one song from their previous album. Despite troubles within the band and with Iowa's development, Slipknot promoted it for almost a year.
Bill Callahan is an American singer-songwriter, who has also recorded and performed under the band name Smog. Callahan began working in the lo-fi genre, with home-made tape-albums recorded on four-track tape recorders. Later he began releasing albums with the label Drag City, to which he remains signed today.
Your Arsenal is the third studio album by English singer Morrissey, released on 27 July 1992 by record label HMV.
Hello Nasty is the fifth studio album by the American hip hop group Beastie Boys, released on July 14, 1998, by Grand Royal and Capitol Records. The album sold 681,000 copies in its first week, debuting at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 chart, and won Best Alternative Music Album and Best Rap Performance by a Duo or Group at the 41st Annual Grammy Awards. In Beastie Boys Book (2018), Ad-Rock said he felt Hello Nasty was the group's "best record".
Pornography is the fourth studio album by English rock band the Cure, released on 4 May 1982 by Fiction Records. Preceded by the non-album single "Charlotte Sometimes", it was the band's first album with new producer Phil Thornalley, and was recorded at RAK Studios from January to April 1982. The sessions saw the band on the brink of collapse, with heavy drug use, band in-fighting, and frontman Robert Smith's depression fueling the album's musical and lyrical content. Pornography represents the conclusion of the Cure's early dark, gloomy musical phase, which began with their second album Seventeen Seconds (1980).
Around the Sun is the thirteenth studio album by American alternative rock band R.E.M., released on October 5, 2004 on Warner Bros. Records. The album was supported by several singles and a world tour. It was commercially successful but received mixed reception and is often considered the weakest in the band's catalogue.
Inside In / Inside Out is the debut studio album by British indie rock band The Kooks. It was released on 23 January 2006, on Virgin Records. It contains the singles "Eddie's Gun", "Sofa Song", "You Don't Love Me", "Naïve", "She Moves in Her Own Way", and "Ooh La". The album was produced by Tony Hoffer of record label Virgin Records. Reaching No. 2 in the UK Albums Chart, the album has sold over 2,000,000 copies worldwide since its release.
Favourite Worst Nightmare is the second studio album by English rock band Arctic Monkeys, first released in Japan on 18 April 2007 and released in their home country of United Kingdom on 23 April 2007 by Domino Recording Company. Recorded in East London's Miloco Studios with producers James Ford and Mike Crossey, the album was preceded by the release of lead single "Brianstorm" on 2 April 2007. It was the band’s first album with new bassist Nick O'Malley, replacing their previous bassist Andy Nicholson, who left the band shortly before the North American tour of the band's debut studio album, Whatever People Say I Am, That’s What I’m Not (2006).
Accelerate is the fourteenth studio album by American alternative rock band R.E.M., released on March 31, 2008, in Europe, and on April 1 in North America. Produced with Jacknife Lee, Accelerate was intended as a departure from the 2004 album Around the Sun. R.E.M. previewed most of the album's tracks during a five-night residency at the Olympia Theatre in Dublin, Ireland, and recorded the album in a nine-week schedule.
Third is the third studio album by the English band Portishead. It was released on 28 April 2008 in the United Kingdom by Island Records and a day later in the United States by Mercury Records. Portishead's first studio album in eleven years, Third moved away from the trip hop style they had popularised, incorporating influences such as krautrock, surf rock, doo wop and the film soundtracks of John Carpenter.
Wilco (The Album) is the seventh studio album by the American rock band Wilco, released on June 30, 2009, by Nonesuch Records. Prior to release, Wilco streamed the album on their website. The album was nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Americana Album.
Humbug is the third studio album by English rock band Arctic Monkeys, first released on 19 August 2009 through Domino Recording Company. The band started to write new material for the album towards the end of summer 2008 and finished it entirely in spring 2009. Like their previous release, Favourite Worst Nightmare (2007), Humbug was released first in Japan, followed by Australia, Brazil, Ireland, and Germany, on 21 August 2009. It was then released in the UK on 24 August 2009, in the US the following day, and in Greece on 31 August.
Apocalypse is a studio album by Bill Callahan, released on April 5, 2011. It is the third studio album released under his own name, and fourteenth overall when including LPs released as Smog.
The Harrow & the Harvest is the fifth studio album by American singer-songwriter Gillian Welch. Released on 28 June 2011, it was Welch's first album in eight years. The album was nominated for Best Folk Album for the 54th Grammy Awards.
Dream River is the fifteenth studio album by American singer-songwriter Bill Callahan, released on September 17, 2013 on Drag City. Recorded by Erik Wofford, the album is Callahan's fourth to be released under his own name.
To Be Kind is the thirteenth studio album by American experimental rock band Swans, released on May 12, 2014. A double album, it was recorded by producer John Congleton in Texas.
Shepherd in a Sheepskin Vest is a studio album by American musician Bill Callahan, released on June 14, 2019, by Drag City. It is the sixth studio album released under his own name, and seventeenth overall when including LPs released as Smog.
Gold Record is a studio album by American musician Bill Callahan, released on September 4, 2020, by independent record label Drag City. It is the seventh studio album released under his own name, and eighteenth overall when including studio albums released as Smog.
Blind Date Party is a collaborative studio album by Bill Callahan and Bonnie "Prince" Billy, released on December 10, 2021, via Drag City. The project consists of covers of other artists' songs, many of which are from the duo's Drag City labelmates.
