Up at the Lake | ||||
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Released | 17 May 2004 | |||
Recorded | March 2003 – February 2004 | |||
Studio | Big Mushroom, Cheshire | |||
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Length | 45:05 | |||
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The Charlatans chronology | ||||
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Singles from Up at the Lake | ||||
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Up at the Lake is the eighth album by the British alternative rock band The Charlatans, released on 17 May 2004 through Universal and Island Records Group. As promotion wrapped up for their seventh album, Wonderland (2001), Universal wanted them to follow it up with another one quickly. However, frontman Tim Burgess began working on his debut solo album in late 2002. At the end of the year, the band reconvened to write songs; by March 2003, they relocated to their own studio, Big Mushroom, in Cheshire, Greater Manchester, with them and James Spencer serving as producers. Recording halted in May 2003 to allow for Burgess to finish his album, I Believe (2003); sessions would resume by the end of the year and finish in February 2004. Up at the Lake is a pop rock album that pursues the country rock direction that they had first explored on their sixth album, Tellin' Stories (1997).
Up at the Lake received generally favourable reviews from music critics, many of whom praised the songwriting. It peaked at number 6 in Scotland, number 13 in the United Kingdom, and number 32 in Ireland, being certified silver in the UK 11 days after its release. Both "Up at the Lake" and "Try Again Today" reached the top 30 on the Scottish and UK Singles Charts. "Up at the Lake" was released as the album's lead single in May 2004, which was promoted with a tour of the UK and appearances at the Isle of Wight and T in the Park festivals until the following month. "Try Again Today" was released as the second single from the album in July 2004; afterwards, the Charlatans performed at the V Festival. In December 2004, the band embarked on another tour of the UK, and "Loving You Is Easy" was released as a radio-only promotional single. A video album from that tour was released in early 2005 under the title Live at Last Brixton Academy.
The Charlatans released their seventh studio album, Wonderland , in September 2001 through Universal Records. [1] As it was released in the United States on 11 September, it would perform poorly commercially in that territory. [2] In the United Kingdom, it peaked at number two in the UK Albums Chart, while its two singles, "Love Is the Key" and "A Man Needs to Be Told", charted within the top 40 of the UK Singles Chart. [3] They promoted it with two tours in the UK and one in the US, along with appearances at the Coachella, Isle of Wight, and Glastonbury Festivals. [4] After supporting Stereophonics at Slane Castle in Dublin, Ireland, in August 2002, the Charlatans played three club shows to end the month. [5] Universal wanted a follow-up quickly, threatening the band with dropping them from the roster if they did not work on one; frontman Tim Burgess was not happy with the situation. [6] He wanted to continue writing, but the rest of the band members wanted a break. [7]
In October 2002, Dotmusic reported that Burgess was recording a solo album with Linus of Hollywood. [8] A few days later, the band denied rumours that they would be splitting up but mentioned that the other members worked with different artists: drummer Jon Brookes with Preacher Man and keyboardist Tony Rogers with Moco. [9] In the same announcement, they mentioned that they would start demoing material for their next album in early 2003, which they were aiming to release later that year. [9] In December 2002, the band started writing new songs; [10] guitarist Mark Collins subsequently visited Burgess in February 2003 at his home in Los Angeles, California, where the pair worked for three weeks, finishing four tracks in the process. [11] The two of them would then spend some time in a cottage in Bodmin Moor, Cornwall. [12] As the pair left behind a CD of the material they were working on, the material made it out to the public as a bootleg. [13]
In March 2003, the band relocated to their own studio, [14] Big Mushroom, in Cheshire, Greater Manchester, with them and engineer James Spencer serving as producers. [15] Burgess said that unlike Wonderland, they had no firm idea of what musical direction they wanted to take for Up at the Lake when they got into the studio. [16] By May 2003, they had finished seven songs but had to pause recording as Burgess shifted focus to his solo debut, I Believe (2003). [17] Bassist Martin Blunt said the plan was for Burgess to finish promoting his album before they would return to work on their album. [17] While this was occurring, the band held a warm-up show in London prior to their appearances at the Move and T in the Park festivals in July 2003. [18] At the former festival, the band premiered a new track, "Feel the Pressure". [19]
Collins, meanwhile, worked with Adam Masterson, marking his first producer role outside of the band; Rogers performed on one of his tracks. [20] The band regrouped at Big Mushroom in December 2003, after the conclusion of Burgess' solo tour of the UK. They expected to have an album's worth of tracks finished by early 2004, [21] eventually ending in February 2004. [22] Linus of Hollywood recorded Burgess' vocals for "Try Again Today"; Mike Cave did additional engineering on it, [15] as Blunt thought the song sounded a bit overproduced. [23] The songs were mixed by Spencer, Ken Nelson, and the Chemical Brothers at Parr Street Studios in Liverpool and Mayfair and Miloco Studios in London, before the album was mastered by Frank Arkwright at Townhouse Studios, also in London. Johnny Marr helped compile the final track listing. [15]
Musically, Up at the Lake is a pop rock album [24] that continues the country rock direction that the band initially explored on their sixth album, Tellin' Stories (1997). Cokemachineglow writer David M. Goldstein explained that Up at the Lake had the "same hazy, guitar-centered production, and an emphasis on la-di-da country-rockers evoking the [Rolling] Stones at their late '60s/early '70s peak" as Tellin' Stories. [2] AllMusic reviewer Jason Damas wrote that the "classic-rock coloring that dominated discs" such as the band's self-titled (1995) and Tellin' Stories albums return, in addition to "brief flirtations with classic folk". [25] The band's trademark Hammond organ sound also returned, [2] though in a reduced presence, as Collins' guitarwork was placed higher in the mix. [26] Burgess largely dropped the falsetto vocal styling that he used on the majority of Wonderland, [2] though it was used on "Up at the Lake". [27] According to Burgess, the album's title is taken from a never-made David Lynch film, and "I thought we could at least provide the soundtrack to this unmade film". [28]
The opening track, "Up at the Lake", is a British traditional rock song; [25] its first line is adapted from "Loose Fit" (1990) by former contemporaries Happy Mondays. [19] The indie disco song "Feel the Pressure" [24] evokes the Tellin' Stories track "One to Another". [2] Burgess said its "full horror movie" intro section was made by the collaborators, the Chemical Brothers. [29] For the rest of the track, Collins came up with music that was more akin to the rest of the album until Blunt said the Chemical Brothers "did their thing to it." [30] Burgess had Brookes play a drum pattern akin to the sound of Adam and the Ants and Bow Wow Wow. [16] The opening portion of the following track, "As I Watch You in Disbelief", is taken from "'Heroes'" (1977) by David Bowie. [31] Burgess said it detailed "being broken" [32] and was influenced by "When I Paint My Masterpiece" (1971) by Bob Dylan. [33] "Cry Yourself to Sleep" retreads the American country and folk direction that Burgess tackled on I Believe. [27] It was written by Rogers, though Burgess said he potentially contributed a few lyrics to it. [34] Rogers described it as a melancholic song about his daughters moving to Australia. [35] Ged Lynch, formerly of Black Grape, contributed percussion to the track. [15]
"Bona Fide Treasure" is done in the style of Electric Light Orchestra, while "High Up Your Tree" was compared to Ween, specifically on their album White Pepper (2000). [36] Discussing the latter, Burgess found it difficult to "keep the band and my marriage together". [37] "Blue for You" is a psychedelic blues track [24] that was written about their former, deceased keyboardist, Rob Collins. [38] "I'll Sing a Hymn (You Came to Me)", another one in the vein of Burgess' solo album, [27] apes the sound of Bob Dylan circa New Morning (1970). [39] Burgess said he tried emulating "Please Don't Leave Me Lonely" (1971) by King Floyd, though he admitted it was unsuccessful. [40] "Loving You Is Easy" is a soul ballad that recalled the work of Minnie Riperton, [2] who had a song with the same name. [41] Rogers sings lead vocals on the track, though he did not wish to; [6] he wished for the song to be dropped entirely, but the rest of the band wanted it on the album. [42] "Try Again Today" is a Beatlesque ballad, [24] co-written by Linus of Hollywood, who helped Burgess on I Believe. [43] Burgess wanted to talk about "when things are not going that well [...] having another go" and not having high expectations. [44] He said he was unhappy when he composed the lyrics to "Apples and Oranges". [45] The album concludes with "Dead Love", which talks about communication with the band breaking down and Burgess feeling alone while promoting I Believe. [46] It features cello and viola from Ian Bracken and Heather Wallington, respectively, [15] of the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic. [47]
American label MCA Records was absorbed by Universal Music Group (UMG) subsidiary Geffen Records in mid-2003, which resulted in its staff and roster being moved to Geffen. [48] As a result, the band was dropped from the roster. [2] On 22 March 2004, Up at the Lake was announced for release in two months' time; alongside this, the track listing was posted online. [49] The band debuted material from the album at two one-off shows in London in early May 2004. [50] Initially planned for 3 May 2004, [49] "Up at the Lake" was released as the album's lead single on 10 May 2004. [51] The CD version included "For Where There Is Love, There Will Always Be Miracles", [52] while the seven-inch vinyl edition featured "I'll Sing A Hymn (You Came to Me)" as the B-side. [53] After being available to stream on the band's website two and a half weeks ahead of schedule, [51] Up at the Lake was released on 17 May 2004. [49] Its artwork was taken at Pickmere Lake in Cheshire, outside of Burgess' home town of Northwich. [54]
In May and June 2004, the band embarked on a tour of the UK, [55] leading up to appearances at the Isle of Wight, [56] T in the Park, [57] and Fleadh festivals. [58] Additional shows were added, with two shows apiece in Glasgow and Manchester. [59] "Try Again Today" was released as the album's second single on 26 July 2004. [60] The CD edition featured "M.I.A.", "Give Me a Reason", and the music video for "Try Again Today", [61] while the DVD version included videos of "Up at the Lake" and footage from Keele University, along with audio of "Try Again Today". [62] while the seven-inch vinyl edition featured "I'll Sing A Hymn (You Came to Me)" as the B-side. In August 2004, the band performed at the V Festival. [63] They ended the year with a short tour of the UK in December 2004; [57] extra shows were added twice, increasing it to an eight-date tour. [64] [65] "Loving You Is Easy" was released as a radio-only promotional single on 20 December 2004. [66] In April 2005, the band's second video album, Live at Last Brixton Academy, was released, consisting of footage from the December 2004 tour. [67]
Up at the Lake was re-pressed on vinyl in 2018 through UMC, Universal's catalogue label. [68] "Up at the Lake" and "Try Again Today" were featured on the band's third compilation album, Forever: The Singles (2006), [69] while four demos from the sessions were included on the special edition version of it. [70] "High Up Your Tree" and "Blue for You" appeared on their fourth compilation album, Collection (2007). [71] "Up at the Lake" was included on their fifth compilation album, A Head Full of Ideas (2021). [72]
Aggregate scores | |
---|---|
Source | Rating |
Metacritic | 72/100 [73] |
Review scores | |
Source | Rating |
AllMusic | [25] |
Cokemachineglow | 82% [2] |
Entertainment.ie | [74] |
Gigwise | [75] |
God Is in the TV | 2/5 [27] |
The Guardian | [76] |
Playlouder | [24] |
This Is Fake DIY | [77] |
Uncut | [39] |
Yahoo! Launch | [78] |
Up at the Lake was met with generally favourable reviews from music critics. At Metacritic, which assigns a normalised rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream publications, the album received an average score of 72, based on 10 reviews. [73]
Reviewers praised the songwriting. Damas felt that there was a "defined sense that this is the beginning of a new chapter for the band, and that Up at the Lake is their first work as 'mature' artists." He added that it was a "relaxed and assured record, the work of craftsmen who know how to produce something solid and consistent." [25] Goldstein said it was "surprisingly their strongest effort" since Tellin' Stories, agreeing with Damas that they "actually sound[ed] relaxed," making it the type of album that the band could compose in their sleep. [2] The Independent critic Andy Gill was also impressed, saying that the "relatively simple and direct Up at the Lake is a surprise", adding that it was the "most focused, coherent and unmediated that the band have sounded in years." [36] Steve McQueen of Gigwise called it "soothingly British, with authentic flavourings throughout. Like an English summer's day – you cannot take this for granted." [75] Chris Nye Browne of Yahoo! Launch said that "although, essentially, there's nothing exceptional here, as an album 'Up At The Lake' flows seamlessly." [78]
Other critics felt that it was uninspiring. Entertainment.ie 's Andrew Lynch wrote that "while it doesn't break any new ground, it's just as enjoyable" as their past releases. [74] The staff at Uncut said it was "hardly the album-length E-rush of career peak Tellin' Stories (1997)," [39] while Stephen Ackroyd of This Is Fake DIY said the band "[c]ould do worse, [or] could do a lot better." [77] RTÉ.ie writer Seamus Leonard said "unfortunately the songs are pretty inconsistent", with "Cry Yourself to Sleep" and "I'll Sing a Hymn (You Came to Me)" being "well worth listening to, but [...] [t]he rest are reasonable but unremarkable." [12] God Is in the TV 's Alex Worsnip, meanwhile, thought they had "run their course at this stage, although they themselves seem positive about their direction. However, for the rest of us, 'Up At The Lake' will be both familiar and uninspiring". [27] Playlouder writer Richard Smirke said the album "plays more like Burgess & Co hijacking Stars in Their Eyes , rather than a band trying to sound fresh or relevant in their fifteenth year. Unfortunately, as artistically redundant as that concept sounds, this 45-minute pop-rock opus doesn't fare much better." [24]
Up at the Lake peaked at number 13 in the UK; [79] it reached number 6 in Scotland [80] and number 32 in Ireland. [81] It was certified silver in the UK by the British Phonographic Industry 11 days after its release. [82] "Up at the Lake" charted at number 20 in Scotland [83] and number 23 in the UK. [3] "Try Again Today" charted at number 24 in Scotland [84] and the UK. [3]
All songs by Martin Blunt, Jon Brookes, Tim Burgess, Mark Collins, and Tony Rogers, except "Try Again Today" by the band and Linus of Hollywood. [15] "I'll Sing a Hymn (You Came to Me)" is not included on all versions.
Personnel per sleeve. [15]
The Charlatans
Additional musicians
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Weekly charts
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The Charlatans are an English rock band formed in Birmingham, West Midlands in 1988. As of 2000, the band’s line-up consists of lead vocalist Tim Burgess, guitarist Mark Collins, bassist Martin Blunt, and keyboardist Tony Rogers.
Timothy Allan Burgess is an English musician, singer-songwriter and record label owner, best known as the lead singer of the alternative rock band the Charlatans.
Us and Us Only is the sixth album by British rock band the Charlatans, released by Universal on 18 October 1999. After touring for their fifth studio album, Tellin' Stories, wrapped up by the end of 1997, they played minimal shows throughout 1998 and planned its follow-up. They built their own recording studio, aiming to start recording by early 1999; sessions eventually took place in March and April 1999 with the band self-producing. Us and Us Only is a country rock, folk, and roots rock album that strayed from the band's British roots in lieu of American-focused music.
Some Friendly is the debut studio album of British rock band the Charlatans that was released on 8 October 1990 through Beggars Banquet Records imprint Situation Two. After forming in 1988, the band went through line-up changes before settling on vocalist Tim Burgess, guitarist John Baker, bassist Martin Blunt, keyboardist Rob Collins and drummer Jon Brookes. The band wrote material at a prolific rate and released their debut single "Indian Rope" in early 1990. Soon afterwards, they signed to Beggars Banquet and began recording their debut album. Between March and August 1990, sessions took place with producer Chris Nagle at Strawberry Studios in Stockport and The Windings in Wrexham. Some Friendly is considered an acid-pop, baggy and dance-pop album that draws influence from The Beatles' psychedelic period.
Between 10th and 11th is the second studio album by British rock band The Charlatans; it was released on 23 March 1992 through Situation Two, a subsidiary of Beggars Banquet Records. The Charlatans started writing new material shortly after the release of their debut studio album Some Friendly (1990). After some writing sessions in Birmingham and a tour of the United Kingdom, guitarist John Baker left the band and was replaced with Mark Collins of English indie band Candlestick Park. Bassist Martin Blunt went through a series of personal issues that led to his hospitalization in September 1991. The Charlatans began recording their next album at Rockfield Studios in Rockfield, Monmouthshire, Wales.
Tellin' Stories is the fifth album by the British rock band the Charlatans, released on 21 April 1997 through Beggars Banquet Records. After wrapping up touring in support of their 1995 self-titled fourth album in early 1996, vocalist Tim Burgess and guitarist Mark Collins went to a cottage near Lake Windermere to write material. Shortly after this, they did a test recording session at Rockfield in Rockfield, Monmouthshire, before main sessions were underway from Easter 1996 at the nearby Monnow Valley Studio with the band, engineer Dave Charles, and engineer Ric Peet acting as producers. Partway through recording, keyboardist Rob Collins was involved in a fatal car crash. The band drafted in Martin Duffy of Primal Scream to help finish it, concluding in early 1997. Tellin' Stories is a Britpop, hip hop soul, and rock album that has been compared to the work of Patti Smith and Neil Young.
The Charlatans is the fourth album by the British rock band the Charlatans, released on 28 August 1995 through Beggars Banquet Records. Following a holiday, vocalist Tim Burgess and guitarist Mark Collins wrote material for their next album at Burgess' place in Chalk Farm. The band then absconded to Monnow Valley Studio in Rockfield, Monmouthshire, Wales, with producer Steve Hillage. After preparing several mixes of the album, none of which they liked, Hillage was fired, and engineer Dave Charles was brought in. Further recording was then done at the nearby Rockfield Studios.
Up to Our Hips is the third studio album by British rock band the Charlatans, released on 21 March 1994 through Beggars Banquet Records. They released their second studio album Between 10th and 11th in early 1992; by the year's end, they were working on material for its follow-up. Keyboardist Rob Collins was arrested for participating in an attempted armed robbery. After being bailed out, the band continued writing, splitting into pairs or working alone on songs.
Faded Seaside Glamour is the debut studio album by English rock band Delays, released on 5 April 2004 through Rough Trade Records. After the end of their previous band Corky, the members formed Delays; lead singer Greg Gilbert recruited his brother Aaron, a keyboardist, into the band after hearing him play a loop. The band signed to Rough Trade Records after its founder Geoff Travis saw them perform live. Delays recorded the album in three months with producers Duncan Lewis and Graham Sutton at Rockfield Studios in Rockfield, Monmouthshire, Dustsucker Sound in Hackney, London, and Moles Studio in Bath, Somerset. Faded Seaside Glamour is an indie pop and dream pop album that has been compared to the works of Cocteau Twins, Geneva and The La's, and Greg Gilbert's vocals have been compared to those of Stevie Nicks and Elizabeth Fraser.
Wonderland is the seventh album by British rock band the Charlatans, released on 10 September 2001 through Universal. Following promotional efforts for their sixth studio album, Us and Us Only, vocalist Tim Burgess and guitarist Mark Collins wrote new material at the former's house in Los Angeles, California. Cocaine would have an impact on the writing and, later on, recording; sessions were held at producer Danny Saber's house studio, Krevorkian's Lab, also in Los Angeles. The band worked with him for seven weeks in October 2000, only completing five tracks, and later went to their own studio, Big Mushroom in Cheshire, Greater Manchester, in early 2001. Wonderland is a funk-soul and electronica record, evoking the work of John Mellencamp, Oasis, and Primal Scream. Burgess remarked that Los Angeles itself became a member of the band; critics referred to it as a drug-enhanced party album. He employed a falsetto in the vein of Curtis Mayfield and Kurt Wagner.
Simpatico is the ninth studio album by British rock band the Charlatans, released on 17 April 2006 through Creole and Sanctuary Records. After signing to the latter label in early 2005, frontman Tim Burgess and guitarist Mark Collins went to Palm Springs, California, to write new material. With Jim Lowe and the band producing, recording was held at Hook End Manor in Oxfordshire, with overdubs later being done at Townhouse Studios in London. Simpatico is a dub reggae and rock album that draws comparisons to the work of the Dead 60s, Hard-Fi, and UB40. Bassist Martin Blunt and Burgess attributed the sound shift to them listening to Ken Boothe, Gregory Isaacs, and Studio One.
You See Colours is the second studio album by British rock band Delays, released on 6 March 2006 through Rough Trade Records. The band released their debut studio album Faded Seaside Glamour in early 2004; by the year's end, they had composed 40 songs for its follow-up. Because the band's keyboardist Aaron Gilbert lost the only copies of their demos, lead singer Greg Gilbert decided to let the other members contribute to the writing. You See Colours was recorded at studios Real World, Rockfield, and Dustsucker Sound with producer Graham Sutton. Focusing on indie rock and pop songs, You See Colours spotlights Gilbert's vocals.
Martin Bernard Duffy was an English musician who played keyboards with Felt and Primal Scream.
Robert James Collins was an English musician best known as the original keyboardist of The Charlatans.
You Cross My Path is the tenth studio album by British rock band the Charlatans, released on 3 March 2008 as a free download from radio station Xfm's website. Following promotion for the band's ninth studio album, Simpatico (2006), frontman Tim Burgess and manager Alan McGee devised an idea to give away their music for free. Guitarist Mark Collins and keyboardist Tony Rogers visited Burgess in Los Angeles, California, where they would write new material, and followed this up with jam sessions with the whole band in early 2007. Recording sessions were split across Hollywood, California, Blessington, Ireland, and Cheshire, Greater Manchester, with Rogers given a separate producer credit independent of the band. You Cross My Path is an electro and pop album that evokes the work of Kasabian, New Order, and Simple Minds. Following the reggae direction of Simpatico, Rogers' organ returned to the forefront of the band's sound on You Cross My Path.
"One to Another" is a song by British alternative rock band the Charlatans. It was the first single from their fifth album, Tellin' Stories (1997), and their first single following the death of the band's keyboardist, Rob Collins. The single remains their highest-charting song in the UK, reaching number three on the UK Singles Chart. "One to Another" features drum loops provided by Tom Rowlands of the Chemical Brothers. The song serves as the theme song to the UK channel E4 show My Mad Fat Diary.
Who We Touch is the eleventh album by British alternative rock band The Charlatans, released on 6 September 2010. It was released in a standard version and a two disc version. The second CD contained early demos, alternate mixes of tracks from the standard album, and some out-takes that didn't make it on to the album. The album charted at #21 in the UK album charts. The album was later released digitally.
Modern Nature is the 12th studio album by British rock band the Charlatans. It was released through BMG on 26 January 2015. After the release of the band's 11th studio album Who We Touch (2010), drummer Jon Brookes was diagnosed with brain cancer, and subsequently died in mid-2013. In early 2014, the band met up at their studio Big Mushroom with Jim Spencer, and began working on a new album. The sessions lasted seven months, and featured recordings from the drummers of the Verve, New Order, and Factory Floor. Described as a pop album, Modern Nature featured contributions from the High Llamas frontman Sean O'Hagan, as well as gospel vocals from Melanie Marshall and Sandra Marvin.
I Believe is the debut solo album by British rock musician Tim Burgess of the Charlatans, released on 8 September 2003 through the labels PIAS Recordings and Straight Trippin. Following promotion of the Charlatans' seventh studio album Wonderland (2001), Burgess started working with Linus of Hollywood. They recorded at the latter's place in Los Angeles, dubbed Franklin Castle, in late 2002. Burgess had co-written the majority of the songs with Linus. I Believe is a pop soul album that takes inspiration from the work of the Beach Boys, Curtis Mayfield and Joe Strummer.
Telling Stories is a 2012 autobiography by Tim Burgess, about his time fronting British rock band the Charlatans. After a false start with a ghostwriter, Burgess began the book in earnest in late 2010, completing it in early 2012. Originally released as a hardcover edition, a paperback iteration with an extra chapter was printed in 2013. The book received mainly positive reviews from music publications, several of which commented on Burgess' writing style.
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