Songs in the Key of X: Music from and Inspired by the X-Files

Last updated

Songs in the Key of X: Music from and Inspired by the X-Files
Xsoundtrack.jpg
Soundtrack album by
various artists
ReleasedMarch 19, 1996 (1996-03-19)
RecordedVarious
Genre
Length72:55
Label Warner Bros.
Producer David Was
The X-Files chronology
Songs in the Key of X: Music from and Inspired by the X-Files
(1996)		 The Truth and the Light: Music from the X-Files
(1996)

Songs in the Key of X: Music from and Inspired by the X-Files is a 1996 compilation album released in association with the American science fiction television series The X-Files . The album contained a mixture of songs that were either featured in the series, or shared thematic elements with it. Songs in the Key of X peaked at No. 47 on the Billboard 200 album sales chart after its release. The album's title is a play on the title of Stevie Wonder's 1976 album Songs in the Key of Life .

Contents

The album has received positive reviews from critics, with one review describing it as "easily the most ambitious record ever assembled for a TV soundtrack". The song "Hands of Death (Burn Baby Burn)" received a nomination for the Grammy Award for Best Metal Performance in 1997, losing to Rage Against the Machine. The album also features two songs hidden in the pregap before the start of the first track, both recorded by Nick Cave and The Dirty Three.

Production

When plans for the album were initially proposed, executives at both Fox Broadcasting Company—the network responsible for the series—and Warner Bros. Records began compiling a list of possible inclusions, most of which were eventually rejected. Artists such as Tom Petty, Bruce Springsteen and Seal were approached to possibly contribute material. Although all three were admitted fans of the series, none were able to get involved in the project—Petty was unable to commit due to a tour, Springsteen was contractually tied to Sony Music Entertainment, while Seal was "snowboarding in South America or somewhere". [1]

Elvis Costello and Brian Eno's track, "My Dark Life", came about as a result of album producer David Was asking Costello to provide a song that would sound like "'you went into the studio with Brian Eno"—the two musicians had recently met at a film screening at Paul McCartney's home, and reconvened to record the song the following week. [1] R.E.M. and author William S. Burroughs collaborated on a new version of "Star Me Kitten", a song that had originally appeared on the band's 1992 album Automatic for the People . [2] Rob Zombie has described his collaboration with Alice Cooper on the song "Hands of Death (Burn Baby Burn)" as one of the "great moments where you really feel like you've made your dreams come true". [3] Zombie and Cooper were nominated for the Grammy Award for Best Metal Performance in 1997 for the song, losing out to Rage Against the Machine's "Tire Me". [4]

Several of the songs on the album were used in episodes of the series. Soul Coughing's "Unmarked Helicopters" appeared in the fourth season episode "Max", [5] while Nick Cave's "Red Right Hand" was heard during the second season episode "Ascension", [6] Screamin' Jay Hawkins' "Frenzy" appeared in the second-season episode "Humbug", [7] Danzig's "Deep" was featured in the third season episode "Syzygy", while the Rob Zombie and Alice Cooper song "Hands of Death (Burn Baby Burn)" was featured in the fourth season episode "Small Potatoes". Three of the artists featured on the album would also go on to contribute songs to The X-Files: The Album , the soundtrack to the series' 1998 feature film adaptation—Foo Fighters' "Walking After You", Soul Coughing's "16 Horses" and Filter's "One". [8] [9]

Release and reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg [10]
Entertainment Weekly B [11]
Los Angeles Times Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar half.svg [12]
Daily Herald Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg [13]
The Buffalo News Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg [14]
Los Angeles Daily News Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg [15]

Songs in the Key of X was released on March 19, 1996. [10] It would eventually reach a peak chart position of 47 in the Billboard 200 album chart on April 13 that same year, spending a total of ten weeks in the chart. [16] The album also spent five weeks in the Swedish Sverigetopplistan charts, peaking at number 42, [17] and six weeks in the Finland's Official List chart, reaching a peak at number 24. [18]

Reviews for Songs in the Key of X were generally positive. Upon the album's release, Entertainment Weekly's David Browne rated it a B, calling it "easily the most ambitious record ever assembled for a TV soundtrack". Browne felt that the contributions to the album by Sheryl Crow and William S. Burroughs were amongst its highlights, though felt that the compilation was "dragged down by ponderous contributions" from Nick Cave and Elvis Costello. [11] AllMusic's Steven McDonald was mostly positive towards the album, rating it three stars out of five and stating that "while not perfect, the album makes a nice alternative compilation", noting that it shares the television series' "blue-light glow of twisted mystery". McDonald felt that the Foo Fighters cover of Gary Numan's "Down in the Park" and Elvis Costello's "My Dark Life", along with Mark Snow's theme for the series, were the highlights of the compilation. [10] Sandy Masuo, writing for the Los Angeles Times , rated the album three-and-a-half stars out of four, finding that the compilation's "unsettling ambience" suited the "deliciously creepy" atmosphere of the series. Masuo felt that the R.E.M./Burroughs and Costello/Eno collaborations ultimately turned out to be "more interesting in theory than in practice", naming "Down in the Park" as the best track on the compilation, with the contributions of Rob Zombie, Alice Cooper and P.M. Dawn also noted as highlights. [12]

A review for the album in The Independent noted that none of the songs "can really hold a candle to Cave's "Red Right Hand" in capturing the show's sense of fatalistic futility", adding that there seemed to be "a shared soul thing" between Cave and Carter. [19] Ted Cox, writing for the Daily Herald , described the album as "a who's who of modern rock". Cox rated the album three stars out of five, noting that "most of the material hits the fair-to-middling quality level of a neglected album cut or a good B-side"; adding, however, that the album's overall "atmosphere of paranoia and alienation" helped to tie it together. [13] Writing for The Buffalo News , Anthony Violanti rated the album four stars out of five, calling it "a strange, delightful trip". Violanti felt that "Star Me Kitten" was the album's best song, and that Danzig's "Deep" was its "weakest cut". [14] Writing for the Los Angeles Daily News , Fred Shuster felt that compared to other television tie-ins that "aren't worth the aluminum they're recorded on", Songs in the Key of X "is a rare exception because of the unusual quality and rarity of the tracks". Shuster rated the album three stars out of five, describing it as "more imaginative than the show that inspired it". [15]

Track listing

No.TitleWriter(s)ArtistLength
0."Time Jesum Transeuntum Et Non Riverentum"/
"X-Files Theme" (includes pregap hidden tracks [note 1] )		 Nick Cave/Mark Snow Nick Cave & The Dirty Three/
The Dirty Three 		10:18
1."X-Files Theme (Main Title)" Mark Snow Mark Snow3:24
2."Unmarked Helicopters" Soul Coughing Soul Coughing3:22
3."On the Outside" Sheryl Crow, Jeff TrottSheryl Crow4:36
4."Down in the Park" Gary Numan Foo Fighters 4:04
5."Star Me Kitten" Bill Berry, Peter Buck, Mike Mills, Michael Stipe William S. Burroughs & R.E.M. 3:30
6."Red Right Hand" Nick Cave, Mick Harvey, Thomas Wydler Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds 6:11
7."Thanks Bro" Richard Patrick, Brian Liesegang, Matt Walker, Geno Lenardo, Frank Cavanagh Filter 4:10
8."Man of Steel" Frank Black Frank Black4:59
9."Unexplained" Curt Kirkwood Meat Puppets 3:44
10."Deep" Glenn Danzig Danzig 3:50
11."Frenzy" David Hess, Augustus Stevenson Screamin' Jay Hawkins 2:10
12."My Dark Life" Elvis Costello Elvis Costello with Brian Eno 6:20
13."Hands of Death (Burn Baby Burn)" Charlie Clouser, Rob Zombie, Alice Cooper Rob Zombie and Alice Cooper 4:12
14."If You Never Say Goodbye" Chris Carter, Attrell Cordes, David Was P.M. Dawn 4:06
15."The X-Files Theme" (P.M. Dawn remix)SnowP.M. Dawn3:59
Total length:72:55
Notes
  1. ↑ Producers used the Compact Disc's pregap, so a listener would have to actually manually rewind the first track a full nine minutes to hear two additional hidden tracks, "Time Jesum Transeuntum Et Non Riverentum" and a cover of The X-Files theme song, both performed by Nick Cave and Dirty Three. [20] This is hinted at in the album's liner booklet, which notes "Nick Cave and the Dirty Three would like you to know that "0" is also a number". [21] The use of these hidden tracks has been described as "just the sort of surprise one might have suspected from a show that deals in unexplainable mysteries". [22] Not all CD or DVD players will allow the album to be "rewound" back to these tracks as this violates Red Book standards. [23]

Charts

Weekly charts

Chart (1996)Peak
position
Australian Albums (ARIA) [24] 8

Year-end charts

Chart (1996)Position
Australian Albums (ARIA) [24] 48

Certifications

RegionCertification Certified units/sales
Australia (ARIA) [24] Platinum70,000^

^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.

Related Research Articles

<i>Xtort</i> 1996 studio album by KMFDM

Xtort is the eighth studio album by German industrial band KMFDM, released on June 25, 1996, by Wax Trax! Records. It was recorded from the end of 1995 through early 1996, shortly after the death of Wax Trax! co-founder and band friend Jim Nash. Xtort features a variety of guest artists from the industrial music scene and studio musicians from other genres, but includes limited participation from core member En Esch.

<i>Hellbilly Deluxe</i> 1998 studio album by Rob Zombie

Hellbilly Deluxe: 13 Tales of Cadaverous Cavorting Inside the Spookshow International is the debut solo studio album by American musician and filmmaker Rob Zombie. The album serves as his first release outside of the band White Zombie, with whom he released two multi-platinum studio albums. Hellbilly Deluxe was released on August 25, 1998, through Geffen Records. Musically, the project portrays Zombie's love for classic horror films with heavy metal and electronic music. The album's lyrics speak of murder, chaos, and supernatural forces. The majority of Hellbilly Deluxe was recorded in California, and was produced by both Zombie and Scott Humphrey; Zombie is credited as the sole writer on all of the songs.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Walking After You</span> 1998 single by Foo Fighters

"Walking After You" is a song by Foo Fighters and appears on the band's 1997 album The Colour and the Shape. In 1998 a re-recorded version appeared on The X-Files: The Album, the soundtrack to the original X-Files movie, and was released as a single.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mulder and Scully (song)</span> 1998 single by Catatonia

"Mulder and Scully" is a song by Welsh alternative rock band Catatonia, released as a single by Blanco y Negro Records from the band's second album, International Velvet (1998). The song makes direct reference to fictional FBI special agents Fox Mulder and Dana Scully, the two main characters of the popular American sci-fi TV series The X-Files who work on cases linked to the paranormal, called X-Files. In an interview Cerys Matthews, co-writer of the song, explained that while she was not a serious fan of the show, the basic premise of the series matched the concept of what she was trying to express.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sharissa</span> American singer, born 1975

Sharissa Dawes is an American singer. Born and raised in New York City's borough of Brooklyn, she began her musical career in the girl groups Triple Dose and 4Kast. 4Kast released their 1998 debut album, Any Weather, which was promoted with the singles "Miss My Lovin'" and "I Tried". After her time in the groups, Sharissa worked as a backing vocalist before she was discovered by Jimmy Henchman.

<i>The Food Album</i> 1993 compilation album by "Weird Al" Yankovic

The Food Album is a compilation album by American singer-songwriter "Weird Al" Yankovic, released on June 22, 1993, by Scotti Brothers Records. The release features ten of Yankovic's song parodies, all of which pertain to food. A similar album, The TV Album, which features songs entirely about television, would be released two years later.

<i>The X-Files: The Album</i> 1998 soundtrack album by various artists

The X-Files: The Album is a 1998 soundtrack album released to accompany the film The X-Files. Released on June 2, 1998, the album features songs by various artists, including several who had contributed to the earlier album Songs in the Key of X: Music from and Inspired by the X-Files, and consists mostly of cover versions or reworkings of earlier material.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Where the Wild Roses Grow</span> 1995 single by Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds and Kylie Minogue

"Where the Wild Roses Grow" is a murder ballad by Australian rock band Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds and pop singer Kylie Minogue. Released in October 1995, it is the fifth song and lead single from the band's ninth studio album, Murder Ballads (1996), released on Mute Records. It was written by the band's frontman, Nick Cave and produced by Tony Cohen and Victor Van Vugt. The accompanying music video was directed by Rocky Schenck.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">She's Not There</span> 1964 single by the Zombies

"She's Not There" is the debut single by British rock band the Zombies, written by keyboardist Rod Argent. It reached No. 12 in the UK Singles Chart in September 1964, and No. 2 on the Billboard Hot 100 in the United States at the beginning of December 1964. In Canada, it reached No. 2.

"Hands of Death (Burn Baby Burn)" is a song created and sung by Rob Zombie and Alice Cooper which can be found on the Songs in the Key of X: Music from and Inspired by The X-Files compilation album for music featured in or inspired by the popular TV series The X-Files. Rob Zombie described his collaboration with Alice Cooper on the song as one of the "great moments where you really feel like you've made your dreams come true". Zombie and Cooper were nominated for the Grammy Award for Best Metal Performance in 1997 for the song, losing out to Rage Against the Machine's "Tire Me".

<i>Chef Aid: The South Park Album</i> 1998 soundtrack album by various artists

Chef Aid: The South Park Album is a 1998 soundtrack album based on the American animated comedy series South Park. Several well-known artists perform on the record, which was mainly produced by Rick Rubin. Chef Aid contains a number of songs from and inspired by the show, while other songs are largely independent from South Park. The album was released during the show's second season, shortly after the broadcast of the episode called "Chef Aid", which features many of the stars and songs that appear on the recording. Soul singer Isaac Hayes appears in character as Chef throughout the album, which mimicks a live concert.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Less than Zero (Elvis Costello song)</span> Debut single by Elvis Costello

"Less than Zero" is the debut single by Elvis Costello, released in 1977 on Stiff Records. It is the eighth track on Costello's debut album, My Aim Is True. Written about British fascist Oswald Mosley, the song features what AllMusic described as a "slow, slinky [and] sinister" melody.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Red Right Hand</span> 1994 single by Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds

"Red Right Hand" is a song by Australian rock band Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds. It was released as a single from their eighth studio album, Let Love In (1994), on 24 October 1994. A condensed version was included in the single, while the longer version was included with the album. The title comes from John Milton's epic poem Paradise Lost (1667), in which it refers to the vengeful hand of God.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rock Is Dead (Marilyn Manson song)</span> 1999 song

"Rock Is Dead" is a song by American rock band Marilyn Manson. It was released as the third single from their third studio album, Mechanical Animals (1998). It was written by the band's eponymous frontman, along with bassist Twiggy Ramirez and keyboardist Madonna Wayne Gacy, and was produced by Manson, Michael Beinhorn and Sean Beavan. A glam rock and heavy metal track with elements of electronic music and grunge, the song features electric and bass guitars, keyboards, and live drums in its instrumentation. The song was featured on the soundtrack of the Wachowskis' film The Matrix (1999).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">I Could Fall in Love</span> 1995 single by Selena

"I Could Fall in Love" is a song recorded by American Tejano singer Selena for her fifth studio album, Dreaming of You (1995), released posthumously by EMI Latin on 15 June 1995. "I Could Fall in Love" and "Tú Sólo Tú" were the album's lead promotional recordings and her first English language songs to be featured as singles, showcasing her musical transition from Spanish-language to English-language songs. The lyrics explore feelings of heartbreak and despair and express the singer's fear of rejection by a man she finds herself falling in love with. Composed by Keith Thomas, "I Could Fall in Love" is a pop ballad with R&B, soul and soft rock influences.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The X-Files (composition)</span> 1996 instrumental composition by Mark Snow

"The X-Files" is an instrumental written and produced by American film and television composer Mark Snow. On its parent album, The Truth and the Light: Music from the X-Files, the track is titled "Materia Primoris". It is a remixed version of the original theme Snow composed for the science fiction television series The X-Files in 1993. The composition was released as a single in 1996 and achieved chart success, particularly in France, where it reached number one on the SNEP Singles Chart. The composition has since been covered by many artists, including DJ Dado and Triple X; DJ Dado's version was a major hit in Europe while Triple X's version reached number two in Australia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">High Fidelity (song)</span> 1980 single by Elvis Costello and the Attractions

"High Fidelity" is a song written and performed by new wave musician Elvis Costello on his 1980 album, Get Happy!! Written about an adulterous couple where one member still hopes for reconciliation, "High Fidelity" reflected the personal struggles that Costello had been suffering at the time as a result of increased fame and controversy. Musically, the song was influenced by Motown and was initially performed in a slower style inspired by David Bowie's Station to Station.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Shivers (The Boys Next Door song)</span> Single by The Birthday Party

"Shivers" is a song by the Australian post-punk band the Boys Next Door, who would later become the Birthday Party. It is the tenth and final track from the band's debut studio album Door, Door, released in 1979 on Mushroom Records. It was released as the album's only single in May 1979, backed with the B-side "Dive Position".

"The Other End (Of the Telescope)" is a song by American band 'Til Tuesday, which was released in 1988 on their third and final studio album Everything's Different Now. The song was written by Aimee Mann and Elvis Costello. Costello recorded his own version of the song for his 1996 album All This Useless Beauty.

References

  1. 1 2 "Making "Songs in the Key of X"". Entertainment Weekly . March 29, 1996. Retrieved September 21, 2011.
  2. ↑ Automatic for the People (Media notes). R.E.M. Warner Bros. Records. 1992.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  3. ↑ Kane, Billson and Oregan, p. 192
  4. ↑ Campbell, Mary (January 8, 1997). "Babyface is up for 12 Grammy awards". Milwaukee Journal Sentinel . Archived from the original on March 13, 2016. Retrieved September 21, 2011.
  5. ↑ Meisler, p. 196
  6. ↑ Handlen, Zack (August 22, 2008). ""Sleepless/Duane Barry/Ascension" | The X-Files/Millennium | TV Club". The A.V. Club . Retrieved May 4, 2012.
  7. ↑ ""The X-Files" Humbug (TV Episode 1995) - Soundtracks - IMDb". IMDb . Retrieved 2019-10-21.
  8. ↑ Olson, Catherine Applefeld (May 3, 1998). "'X-Files' Soundtrack Due in June". Rocky Mountain News . Archived from the original on November 16, 2018. Retrieved May 15, 2012.(subscription required)
  9. ↑ The X-Files: The Album (back cover). Various. Elektra Records. 1998. Track listing.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  10. 1 2 3 McDonald, Steven. "Songs in the Key of X: Music from and Inspired by 'The X-Files' – Original TV Soundtrack". AllMusic . Retrieved September 21, 2011.
  11. 1 2 Browne, David (March 29, 1996). "Songs in the Key of X: Music From and Inspired by The X-Files Review | Music Reviews and News". Entertainment Weekly . Retrieved September 21, 2011.
  12. 1 2 Masuo, Sandy (March 23, 1996). "ALBUM REVIEWS / POP : 'Songs in the Key of X': Suitably Creepy". Los Angeles Times . Retrieved September 22, 2011.
  13. 1 2 "'X-Files' atmosphere permeates tribute album". Daily Herald . April 19, 1996. Retrieved April 13, 2012.(subscription required)
  14. 1 2 Violanti, Anthony (March 27, 1996). "Picking up the X Vibrations". The Buffalo News . Archived from the original on April 10, 2016. Retrieved April 13, 2012.(subscription required)
  15. 1 2 Shuster, Fred (April 12, 1996). "Sound Check Pop". Los Angeles Daily News . Archived from the original on November 17, 2018. Retrieved May 15, 2012.(subscription required)
  16. ↑ "Songs in the Key of X: Music from and Inspired by 'The X-Files' – Various Artists". Billboard . Retrieved September 21, 2011.
  17. ↑ "swedishcharts.com – Songs In The Key Of X". Hung Medien. Retrieved September 21, 2011.
  18. ↑ "finnishcharts.com – Songs In The Key Of X". Hung Medien. Retrieved September 21, 2011.
  19. ↑ "Pop: Various Artists Songs in the Key of X: Music from and Inspired by 'The X Files' Warner Bros 9362-46079-2". The Independent . April 12, 1996. Archived from the original on January 25, 2013. Retrieved April 13, 2012.(subscription required)
  20. ↑ "Ghost in the Machine". CMJ New Music Monthly . No. 35. CMJ. July 1996. p. 8.
  21. ↑ Songs in the Key of X: Music from and Inspired by The X-Files (liner notes). Various. Warner Bros. 1996.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  22. ↑ Jewett, Dave (April 4, 1996). "Swiftly Will Go the Bidding". The Columbian . Archived from the original on March 26, 2016. Retrieved May 15, 2012.(subscription required)
  23. ↑ Katz, p.98
  24. 1 2 3 Ryan, Gavin (2011). Australia's Music Charts 1988–2010 (PDF ed.). Mt Martha, Victoria, Australia: Moonlight Publishing. p. 311.

Works cited

This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.