You Can Do Anything

Last updated

You Can Do Anything
You Can Do Anything.jpg
Studio album by
the Zutons
Released2 June 2008
Genre Indie rock
Length48:58
Label Deltasonic
Producer George Drakoulias
The Zutons chronology
Tired of Hanging Around
(2006)		You Can Do Anything
(2008)		 The Big Decider
(2024)

You Can Do Anything is the third studio album by English rock band the Zutons. It was produced by Sunset Sound Studios in Los Angeles with producer George Drakoulias (the Black Crowes/Primal Scream/Tom Petty) and was released on Monday 2 June 2008 in the United Kingdom. You Can Do Anything was released after the departure of original lead guitarist Boyan Chowdhury, and is the first album to feature the band's new lead guitarist Paul Molloy.

Contents

Background

The Zutons released their second studio album Tired of Hanging Around through Deltasonic in April 2006. [1] musicOMH contributor John Murphy said that nearly "overnight, The Zutons shifted from quirky cult indie group to 'the band who wrote Valerie'" heightening the expectations for their next album. [2]

Composition and lyrics

AllMusic reviewer Stewart Mason said tracks such as "Family of Leeches" and "Bumbag" would "cement McCabe's reputation as a sly, cutting lyricist". [3] The Guardian critic Ian Gittins wrote that Drakoulis' work on the album gave it a "layer of gritty blues" to the band's "skew-whiff psychedelia". [4] He also mentioned that the Los Angeles sound shows through in Drakoulis' production. [4] McCabe's voice was compared to that of Primal Scream frontman Bobby Gillespie, Mott the Hoople singer Ian Hunter and David Essex. [5] Gittins found McCabe's "lewd, kitchen-sink lyrics [to] paint an increasingly delinquent picture of modern Britain". [4]

"Harder and Harder" was compared to Supergrass [6] and the mid-1990s work of Primal Scream when they were emulating the Rolling Stones. [4] "Dirty Rat" is a ballad [7] that The Independent music critic Andy Gill said was an "adulterer's mea culpa set to the first cousin of a Kaiser Chiefs melody". [8] "What's Your Problem" was reminiscent of the sound of Reef. [4] McCane and Harding duet on "You Could Make the Four Walls Cry", which recalled "Shine" (2007) by Take That. [2] Murphy wrote that "Family of Leeches" has McCabe "secretly lusting after the mother of a family who seem to bear a resemblance to that of the Gallaghers" in Shameless . [2] The country-esque "Don't Get Caught" recalled the Beach Boys during their Holland (1973) period. [3] "Always Right Behind You" is a boogie-pop track [8] that evoked "Reelin' In the Years" (1972) by Steely Dan. [3] Murphy said "Freak" describes the "story of a gigolo telling tales of 'getting lovin' through money' and spilling the beans on his clients". [2] The saxophone part in "Give Me a Reason" was done in the vein of Andy Mackay; [6] it concludes with a funk rock coda section. [8] The album's closing track, "Little Red Door", merged the sound of the Verve and Neil Young; [5] Murphy said it had "Drakoulis' influence" all over it with its "slide guitar, mournful vocals and handclaps". [2]

Reception

Professional ratings
Aggregate scores
SourceRating
Metacritic 70/100 [9]
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg [3]
The Guardian Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg [4]
The Independent Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg [8]
musicOMH Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg [2]
NME 4/10 [10]
The Observer Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg [11]
The Skinny Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg [7]
The Times Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg [12]
WOM magazin Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar half.svgStar empty.svg [13]
Yahoo! Launch Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg [6]

You Can Do Anything was met with generally favourable reviews from music critics. At Metacritic, which assigns a normalized rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream publications, the album received an average score of 66, based on nine reviews. [9]

Several reviewers praised the songwriting. Mason said the combination of writer's block, Chowdhury leaving and the addition of Drakoulias meant it had "all the potential to be something of a train wreck". [3] He was surprised then that the band "pulled themselves together to, somewhat unexpectedly, deliver the most concise, consistent, and commercial album they've made so far". [3] The Skinny writer Neal Parsons thought that it had a "delightfully relaxed feel to it, with the group crafting songs which [...] occasionally stray[ed] beyond those origins". [7] Jason Draper of Yahoo! Launch wrote that the band "somewhat reach back into their bag of who-knows-what, going some way to reminded us why they endeared themselves to us in the first place". [6] The Observer 's Craig McLean wrote that "true to form, this third record pootles around before, ultimately, achieving lift-off". [11] The Fly writer Darren James noted that there was "less joyous freshness evident than on the previous two albums, but at times they hit some hugely high spots", such as the performances on "What's Your Problem". [14] Gill wrote that the band's "difficult third album features another cast of flaky characters culled from the seedier corners of David McCabe's imagination, though the inevitable attrition means that none has quite the anthemic appeal of 'Valerie'". [8]

Other critics were less receptive to the songwriting. Murphy felt that the tracks "here aren't amongst the strongest they've ever recorded" as they lacked the "immediacy of the ones on the band's first two albums". He summarised it as "not a bad record, but by The Zutons' own extremely high standards, it's a disappointment". [2] Gavin Haynes of NME wrote that "Always Right Behind You" was indicative of the album as a whole: "lurching towards bell-curve-pleasing MOR frigidity in which retro has become repetition and songwriting has become aural plastering". [10] Alex Fletcher of Digital Spy saw it as the "work of a band desperately striving to attain the next level of success, but falling short in nearly every instance. Drakoulias may have toned up some of the band's former flabbiness, but not even he can rein in their tendency to pursue wonky jam sessions instead of nailing down a killer tune". [15] Victoria Segal of The Times compared it to "admiring a flower in somebody's lapel only to be squirted with water, a musical hand-buzzer concealed in the sweaty palm of each song". [12] Record Collector 's Terry Staunton felt that it "could have been released at any point in the last 40 years and it wouldn’t sound dated or out of place, but such era- and genre-hopping can be a double-edged sword". [5] God Is in the TV writer Paul Cook said it stood "out for being stunningly average. Each track merges undetected into the next and before you realise you're halfway in and still searching for a belter of a track". [16]

Some of them commented on McCabe's singing. BBC Music's Chris Jones wrote that the songs were "delivered with that great yearning scouse voice of Dave McCabe that helps overcome the overwhelming kitchen-sink squalor of it all sometimes". [17] Fletcher said McCabe's "harsh, cigarette-stained vocals lack the nuance to deal the with the group's softer moments". [15] Cook wrote that McCabe's vocals were "unvaried and only infrequently made better with the addition of Abi Harding's more exciting, refreshing voice making for a disappointing album on the whole with instances of under-explored brilliance". [16] Haynes said that despite how "much he hollers, Dave McCabe can’t escape sounding bored, and his often-schoolboy lyrics have begun to actively jar" with the music. [10]

The album was preceded by the first single "Always Right Behind You", which was released on 26 May 2008. It entered the Official UK Albums Chart at No. 6.

Track listing

You Can Do Anything track listing
No.TitleLength
1."Harder and Harder"3:46
2."Dirty Rat"4:01
3."What's Your Problem"3:56
4."You Could Make the Four Walls Cry"3:32
5."Family of Leeches"4:01
6."Don't Get Caught"3:20
7."Bumbag"4:33
8."Always Right Behind You"3:29
9."Put a Little Aside"3:59
10."Freak"4:21
11."Give Me a Reason"6:38
12."Little Red Door"3:22
iTunes bonus tracks
No.TitleLength
13."Pull the Plug" 
14."Desert Shoot" (Video, iTunes pre-order only) 

Personnel

Charts

Chart performance for You Can Do Anything
Chart (2008)Peak
position
Irish Albums (IRMA) [18] 24
UK Albums (OCC) [19] 6

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Primal Scream</span> Scottish rock band

Primal Scream are a Scottish rock band originally formed in 1982 in Glasgow by Bobby Gillespie (vocals) and Jim Beattie (guitar). The band's current lineup consists of Gillespie, Andrew Innes (guitar), Simone Butler (bass), and Darrin Mooney (drums).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Verve</span> English rock band

The Verve were an English rock band formed in Wigan in 1990 by lead vocalist Richard Ashcroft, guitarist Nick McCabe, bass guitarist Simon Jones and drummer Peter Salisbury. Guitarist and keyboard player Simon Tong later became a member in their first reunion only.

<i>Urban Hymns</i> 1997 studio album by the Verve

Urban Hymns is the third studio album by English rock band the Verve, released on 29 September 1997 on Hut Records. The group had broken up while promoting A Northern Soul in August 1995, though they reformed two weeks later without guitarist Nick McCabe. Frontman Richard Ashcroft moved to Bath, Somerset, where he made demos; Simon Tong joined the group soon afterwards. Following aborted recording sessions with producers John Leckie and Owen Morris, the band sought a new guitarist, contacting former Suede guitarist Bernard Butler, who played with them for a week before departing amidst creative differences. In 1996, The Verve started recording at Olympic Studios in London, first with producer Martin "Youth" Glover, followed by engineer Chris Potter. Ashcroft contacted McCabe in early 1997, inviting him back into the band, which McCabe accepted. Several songs were re-recorded to allow for the inclusion of McCabe's guitar parts, with sessions continuing into May 1997.

<i>Loveless</i> (album) 1991 studio album by My Bloody Valentine

Loveless is the second studio album by the Irish-English rock band My Bloody Valentine. It was released on 4 November 1991 in the United Kingdom by Creation Records and in the United States by Sire Records. The album was recorded between February 1989 and September 1991, with vocalist and guitarist Kevin Shields leading sessions and experimenting with guitar vibrato, non standard tunings, digital sampling, and meticulous production methods. The band recorded at nineteen different studios and hired several engineers during the album's prolonged recording, with its final production cost rumoured to have reached £250,000.

<i>A Northern Soul</i> 1995 album by The Verve

A Northern Soul is the second studio album by English rock band the Verve, released on 3 July 1995 through Hut Records. With the tumultuous promotion for their debut studio album, A Storm in Heaven (1993), combined with their friends in Oasis becoming popular, relationships between members of the Verve became strained. After connecting with Oasis producer Owen Morris, the Verve went to a rehearsal space in Wigan to write material for the next album, which they recorded at Loco Studios in Wales. The sessions gained notoriety for the stories that emerged from the time, including Ashcroft going missing for five days and him allegedly totalling a car on the studio's lawn. In the first three weeks, they had finished 15 tracks; after this point, the situation soured as guitarist Nick McCabe grew exhausted from dealing with the other members frequently partying and taking ecstasy, in addition to vocalist Richard Ashcroft and Morris screaming and destroying objects. Eventually, McCabe had a different working schedule from the others, starting at 10–11 a.m. while the rest of the band started at 6 p.m.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kevin Shields</span> Irish musician (born 1963)

Kevin Patrick Shields is an Irish musician, singer, songwriter, and record producer, who achieved international fame as the lead vocalist and guitarist of the alternative rock band My Bloody Valentine. Their studio albums Isn't Anything (1988) and Loveless (1991) established Shields as a pioneering figure in the shoegaze genre. His texturised guitar sound and his experimentation with his guitars' tremolo systems resulted in the creation of the "glide guitar" technique, which became a recognisable aspect of My Bloody Valentine's sound, along with his meticulous production techniques.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Coral</span> English rock band

The Coral are an English rock band, formed in 1996 in Hoylake on the Wirral Peninsula, Merseyside. The band emerged during the early 2000s. Their 2002 debut album The Coral, from which came the single "Dreaming of You", was nominated for the Mercury Music Prize and listed as the fourth best album of the year by NME. Their second album, Magic and Medicine (2003), produced four UK Top 20 singles, including "Pass It On". In 2008, after guitarist Bill Ryder-Jones left the band, they continued as a five-piece.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Zutons</span> English indie rock band

The Zutons are an English indie rock band, formed in 2002 in Liverpool. The band are currently composed of singer, songwriter, and guitarist Dave McCabe, drummer Sean Payne, and saxophonist Abi Harding.

<i>You Gotta Sin to Get Saved</i> 1993 studio album by Maria McKee

You Gotta Sin to Get Saved is the second album by the American singer-songwriter Maria McKee, released in 1993. The album includes two Van Morrison covers and a take on Goffin/King's "I Can't Make It Alone". The first single was "I'm Gonna Soothe You", which peaked at No. 35 on the UK Singles Chart.

<i>A Storm in Heaven</i> 1993 studio album by Verve

A Storm in Heaven is the debut studio album by the English rock band Verve, later the Verve, released on 21 June 1993 on Hut Records. The band had formed between school friends vocalist Richard Ashcroft, bassist Simon Jones, and drummer Peter Salisbury, with guitarist Nick McCabe joining shortly after. After a show in London, they signed to the Virgin Records imprint Hut Records in 1991, which released their first three singles in 1992. Following the appointment of the company Savage and Best as their management, the band recorded their debut album at Sawmills Studios in Cornwall with producer John Leckie. Referred to mainly as a psychedelic album, A Storm in Heaven was largely written in the studio.

Mountaineers is a Welsh pop group, consisting of founding members Alex Germains, Ceri James, and Tomas Kelar. Having been discovered by Deltasonic founder Alan Wills, they were the first act to sign to the record label Deltasonic, home of Liverpudlian bands The Coral and The Zutons. The group produced all their own music.

<i>Who Killed the Zutons?</i> 2004 studio album by the Zutons

Who Killed...... The Zutons? is the debut studio album by the English rock band the Zutons, released via Deltasonic on 19 April 2004. The album's last known sales are that of 581,088 as of July 2006.

The Little Flames were an indie rock band from Hoylake, England. The band consisted of Eva Petersen (Vocals), Greg Mighall (Drums), Joe Edwards (Bass), Miles Kane (Guitar) and Mat Gregory (Guitar). Their music can best be described as indie rock with some 1960s inspiration, slightly similar to The Coral. Fans of the band include Arctic Monkeys, who could be seen wearing Little Flames T-shirts at concerts at the Astoria in London. The band has played shows with bands such as the Arctic Monkeys, The Coral, The Dead 60s and The Zutons.

<i>Tired of Hanging Around</i> 2006 studio album by the Zutons

Tired of Hanging Around is the second studio album by the British rock band The Zutons, released in the UK on 17 April 2006. Produced by Stephen Street, the album was recorded at Townhouse and Olympic Studios in 2005. The album charted at 2 on the UK album charts.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Valerie (Zutons song)</span> 2006 single by the Zutons

"Valerie" is a song by English indie rock band the Zutons from their second studio album, Tired of Hanging Around (2006). The song was later covered by Mark Ronson, with lead vocals provided by Amy Winehouse, reaching number two on the UK Singles Chart in 2007.

George Drakoulias is a Greek-American music producer and a former A&R executive at the American Recordings label. He is often considered a protégé of Rick Rubin.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dave McCabe</span> Musical artist

David Alan McCabe is an English singer, songwriter and guitarist, the frontman of The Zutons and a former member of Tramp Attack.

<i>Roots & Echoes</i> 2007 studio album by the Coral

Roots & Echoes is the fifth studio album by English rock band the Coral. It was released on 6 August 2007, through Deltasonic. During the promotional cycle for their third studio album The Invisible Invasion (2005), guitarist Bill Ryder-Jones left and subsequently re-joined the band. Recording for their next album occurred between August 2006 and February 2007 at three different studios, Wheeler End, Konk, and RAK. Craig Silvey and the band co-produced the majority of the material, aside from two songs that were produced by Ian Broudie. Described as a psychedelic rock and pop album, Roots & Echoes took influences from doo wop and R&B.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">I'm Gonna Soothe You</span> 1993 single by Maria McKee

"I'm Gonna Soothe You" is a song by American singer-songwriter Maria McKee, released in May 1993 by Geffen Records as the lead single from her second studio album, You Gotta Sin to Get Saved (1993). The song was written by McKee, Marvin Etzioni and Bruce Brody, and produced by George Drakoulias. It reached No. 35 in the UK and remained on the UK Singles Chart for three weeks. The accompanying music video was directed by English film, documentary and music video director Julien Temple. It achieved play on Power Play Music Video Television and VH1.

<i>The Big Decider</i> 2024 studio album by the Zutons

The Big Decider is the fourth studio album by English rock band the Zutons, released on 26 April 2024 through Icepop. It is the band's first album in 16 years, following You Can Do Anything (2008), their disbandment the following year, and reformation in 2018. The album was produced by Ian Broudie, Nile Rodgers, and band member Sean Payne and was promoted with a tour of the UK in early 2024. It received generally positive reviews from critics.

References

  1. ↑ Taylor, Chris (16 April 2006). "The Zutons - 'Tired Of Hanging Around' (Deltasonic) Released 17/04/06". Gigwise . Retrieved 25 February 2023.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Murphy, John. "The Zutons You Can Do Anything". musicOMH . Archived from the original on 7 June 2008. Retrieved 27 February 2023.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Mason, Stewart. "The Zutons - You Can Do Anything Album Reviews, Songs & More". AllMusic . Retrieved 23 February 2023.
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Gittins, Ian (30 May 2008). "The Zutons, You Can Do Anything". The Guardian . Archived from the original on 4 June 2008. Retrieved 27 February 2023.
  5. 1 2 3 Staunton, Terry (31 May 2008). "You Can Do Anything / The Zutons". Record Collector . Archived from the original on 27 February 2023. Retrieved 2 March 2023.
  6. 1 2 3 4 Draper, Jason (7 June 2008). "The Zutons - You Can Do Anything". Yahoo! Launch. Archived from the original on 20 June 2008. Retrieved 27 February 2023.
  7. 1 2 3 Parsons, Neal (2 June 2008). "The Zutons - You Can Do Anything". The Skinny . Retrieved 27 February 2023.
  8. 1 2 3 4 5 Gill, Andy (30 May 2008). "Album: The Zutons, You Can Do Anything (Deltasonic)". The Independent . Archived from the original on 8 June 2008. Retrieved 27 February 2023.
  9. 1 2 "Critic Reviews for You Can Do Anything". Metacritic . Retrieved 27 February 2023.
  10. 1 2 3 Haynes, Gavin (30 May 2008). "The Zutons You Can Do Anything". NME . Archived from the original on 23 June 2008. Retrieved 27 February 2023.
  11. 1 2 McLean, Craig (18 May 2008). "The Zutons, You Can Do Anything". The Observer . Archived from the original on 21 May 2008. Retrieved 27 February 2023.
  12. 1 2 Segal, Victoria (31 May 2008). "The Big CD: The Zutons - You Can Do Anything". The Times . Archived from the original on 15 June 2011. Retrieved 27 February 2023.
  13. ↑ Anon. "musik angehört". WOM magazin (in German) (8 September): 29.
  14. ↑ James, Darren (3 June 2008). "The Zutons 'You Can Do Anything'". The Fly . Archived from the original on 8 June 2008. Retrieved 2 March 2023.
  15. 1 2 Fletcher, Alex (3 June 2008). "The Zutons: 'You Can Do Anything'". Digital Spy . Retrieved 2 March 2023.
  16. 1 2 Cook, Paul (16 June 2008). "The Zutons - You Can Do Anything". God Is in the TV . Archived from the original on 22 June 2013. Retrieved 2 March 2023.
  17. ↑ Jones, Chris (2008). "The Zutons You Can Do Anything Review". BBC Music . Retrieved 2 March 2023.
  18. ↑ "Irish-charts.com – Discography The Zutons". Hung Medien. Retrieved 1 May 2024.
  19. ↑ "Official Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 1 May 2024.
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.