Felt Mountain

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Felt Mountain
Studio album by
Goldfrapp
Released11 September 2000 (2000-09-11)
Recorded1999–2000
Studio
Genre
Length39:32
LabelMute
Producer
Goldfrapp chronology
Felt Mountain
(2000) 		Black Cherry
(2003)
Singles from Felt Mountain
  1. "Lovely Head"
    Released: 15 May 2000
  2. "Utopia"
    Released: 16 October 2000
  3. "Human"
    Released: 26 February 2001
  4. "
    Utopia (Genetically Enriched)
    "
    Released: 11 June 2001
  5. "Pilots"
    Released: 5 November 2001

Felt Mountain is the debut studio album by English electronic music duo Goldfrapp. It was released on 11 September 2000 by Mute Records. The album takes influence from a variety of music styles such as 1960s pop, cabaret, folk and electronica.[5]

Felt Mountain was generally well received by music critics, and was described as "simultaneously smarmy and seductive, yet elegant and graceful".[6] It peaked at number 57 on the UK Albums Chart, and was certified gold by the British Phonographic Industry (BPI) in October 2001. In 2001, the album was shortlisted for the Mercury Prize, an annual music prize awarded for the best British or Irish album from the previous year.

Recording and production

Goldfrapp signed a recording contract with London-based record label Mute Records in August 1999.[7] The pair began recording their debut album over a six-month period, beginning in September 1999, in a rented bungalow in the Wiltshire countryside.[7] The recording process was difficult for Alison Goldfrapp, who was often alone and disturbed by the mice and insects in the bungalow.[7] Gregory described their recording sessions as intense because he was unaccustomed to composing with others.[8] Goldfrapp contributed the album's lyrics, and Gregory and Goldfrapp composed the music together.[8] The lyrics are abstract obsessional tales inspired by science fiction, films, Goldfrapp's childhood, and the loneliness she felt while recording the album.[7] Musically, the album takes influence from a variety of styles including 1960s pop, cabaret, folk, and electronica.[5]

Songs

"

UK Singles Chart.[11]

The ballad "Deer Stop" features childlike vocals and sexually suggestive lyrics.[6] The title track was influenced by Goldfrapp's "idea of a wolf being whipped in this little Tudor house overlooking a snowy landscape".[10] "Oompa Radar", the seventh track, was inspired by Roman Polanski's 1966 film Cul-de-Sac.[10] The cabaret-influenced song uses a flugelhorn and a cuckoo clock to switch between tempos.[12][9] "Utopia" was released as the album's second single. The album closes with "Horse Tears", a minimalist piano ballad with filtered vocals.[12]

Critical reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
Encyclopedia of Popular Music
[13]
The Guardian[14]
Melody Maker[15]
Muzik5/5[16]
NME6/10[17]
Pitchfork8.0/10[6]
Q[18]
Rolling Stone[19]
Uncut[20]

The album received critical acclaim.

Ode to Billie Joe'", concluding that the album's "dark night of the soul is mostly bleak, beautiful, and deliciously bizarre."[22] Andrew Lynch of entertainment.ie noted that "[a]lthough at times it feel [sic] a little contrived, for the most part this is stylishly decadent music that should appeal to all fans of film noir."[23] NME viewed the album as "cold, desolate and old-fashioned" and argued that Felt Mountain was not a "bad concept" except that "Portishead got there first, and managed to update the spy-film vibe with a hefty dose of break-driven twilight melancholia."[17]

Q magazine included the album on its list of the top 50 albums of 2000.[24] The following year, Felt Mountain was shortlisted for the Mercury Prize, an annual music prize awarded for the best British or Irish album from the previous year.[25] In 2006, the album was included in Robert Dimery's book 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die.[26] In November 2009, The Times ranked Felt Mountain at number 16 on its list of the 100 best pop albums of the 2000s.[27] The album was placed at number 94 on Slant Magazine's list of the best albums of the 2000s.[28]

Commercial performance

Felt Mountain debuted at number 144 on the UK Albums Chart, selling 914 copies in its first week.[29] In September 2001, the album peaked at number 57, and had sold 177,096 copies by August 2005.[29] Felt Mountain was certified gold by the British Phonographic Industry (BPI) on 12 October 2001.[30] In France, the album reached number 48, and remained on the albums chart for 11 weeks.[31] It reached the top 40 in Germany[32] and the top 50 in Australia[33] and Austria.[34] Despite not appearing on any major charts in North America, Felt Mountain had sold 52,000 copies in the United States as of August 2006.[35] As of April 2003, the album had sold 500,000 copies worldwide.[36]

Track listing

All lyrics written by Alison Goldfrapp;[8] all music composed by Will Gregory and Goldfrapp, except where noted.

No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Lovely Head" 3:49
2."Paper Bag" 4:05
3."Human"music: Tim Norfolk; Bob Locke; Goldfrapp; Gregory4:36
4."Pilots" 4:29
5."Deer Stop" 4:06
6."Felt Mountain" 4:17
7."Oompa Radar" 4:42
8."Utopia" 4:18
9."Horse Tears" 5:10
Total length:39:32
Special edition bonus disc[37]
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Pilots (On a Star)" 3:57
2."UK Girls (Physical)"Steve Kipner, Terry Shaddick4:52
3."Lovely Head" (Miss World Mix) 3:51
4."Utopia" (New Ears Mix) 3:10
5."Human" (Calexico Vocal) 4:50
6."Human" (Massey's Cro-Magnon Mix) 5:56
7."Utopia" (Tom Middleton's Cosmos Vocal Mix) 8:19
8."A Trip to Felt Mountain" (visual content) 7:19

Personnel

Credits adapted from the liner notes of Felt Mountain.[38]

Goldfrapp

Additional musicians

  • Stuart Gordon – violin, viola (tracks 1, 9); tremolo violins (track 6); violin solo (track 9)
  • Adrian Utley – bass guitar (tracks 1, 4); synth, tremolo bass guitar (track 2)
  • bass synth
    (track 1); metal percussion (track 3); additional programming (tracks 1, 3, 4, 8)
  • John Parish – drums (tracks 1, 2, 9); bass guitar, tremolo guitar (track 9)
  • Alexander Bălănescu – violin (tracks 2, 5, 8)
  • Sonia Slany – violin (tracks 2–5, 8)
  • Nick Barr – viola (tracks 2, 5, 8)
  • Nick Cooper – cello (tracks 2–5, 8)
  • Mary Scully – double bass (tracks 2, 5, 8)
  • Andy Davis – baritone ukulele, melodica, koto (track 2)
  • Mute Male Voices – humming (track 2)
  • Jacqueline Norrie – violin (tracks 3, 4)
  • Bill Hawkes – viola (tracks 3, 4)
  • Rowan Oliver – percussion (tracks 3, 4)
  • Andy Bush – trumpet (track 3); flugelhorn solo (track 7)
  • Ben Waghorn – tenor saxophone (track 3)
  • John Cornick – trombone (track 3)
  • brushes
    (track 4)
  • Steve MacAllister – French horn (track 6)
  • Steven Claydon – synth (track 6, 8)
  • Flowers Band – brass band (track 7)
  • Tony Orrell – drums (tracks 7, 8)
  • Luke Gordon – additional programming (tracks 3, 4)
  • Chris Weston – additional programming (track 8)

Technical

  • Will Gregory – production
  • Alison Goldfrapp – production
  • Dave Bascombe – additional mixing (track 8)
  • Nick Batt – additional mixing (track 3); additional engineering (all tracks)
  • Kevin Paul – additional mixing (tracks 2, 5); additional engineering (all tracks)
  • Luke Gordon – additional engineering
  • David Lord – additional engineering
  • John Dent – mastering

Artwork

  • Alison Goldfrapp – sleeve design
  • Joe Dilworth
    – inside photo of Will Gregory, cover photo
  • Anna Fox – inside photo of Alison Goldfrapp
  • C. L. Schmidt – landscape photography
  • Günter Gräfenhain – landscape photography

Charts

Chart (2000–01) Peak
position
Australian Albums (ARIA)[33] 44
Austrian Albums (Ö3 Austria)[34] 44
French Albums (
SNEP)[31]
 48
German Albums (Offizielle Top 100)[32] 36
Scottish Albums (OCC)[39]
 50
Swiss Albums (Schweizer Hitparade)[40] 98
UK Albums (OCC)[41] 57
UK Independent Albums (OCC)[42] 10

Certifications

Region Certification Certified units/sales
United Kingdom (BPI)[30] Gold 177,096[29]

Release history

Region Date Format Edition Label
United Kingdom[43] 11 September 2000
Standard Mute
United States[44] 19 September 2000
  • CD
  • digital download
United Kingdom 15 October 2001 2-CD Special

Notes

  1. ^ Vocals on "Human"

References

  1. ^ White, Chris (30 March 2017). "Goldfrapp – Silver Eye". musicOMH. Retrieved 18 December 2018.
  2. ^ Koski, Genevieve (25 February 2008). "Goldfrapp: Seventh Tree". The A.V. Club. Retrieved 8 May 2019.
  3. ^ Blashill, Pat (15 May 2003). "Goldfrapp: Black Cherry". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on 17 April 2008. Retrieved 27 January 2017.
  4. ^ a b Harrington, Jim (2015). "Goldfrapp - "Strict Machine". In Dimery, Robert (ed.). 1001 Songs You Must Hear Before You Die. New York: Universe. p. 828.
  5. ^ a b c d Phares, Heather. "Felt Mountain – Goldfrapp". AllMusic. Retrieved 21 July 2016.
  6. ^ a b c d LeMay, Matt (19 September 2000). "Goldfrapp: Felt Mountain". Pitchfork. Retrieved 3 December 2008.
  7. ^ a b c d Simpson, Dave (4 May 2001). "Interview with Alison Goldfrapp". The Guardian. Retrieved 21 July 2016.
  8. ^ a b c Flinn, Sean (25 January 2002). "Scaling Felt Mountain". Choler Magazine. Archived from the original on 5 February 2009. Retrieved 5 December 2008.
  9. ^ a b Reno, Brad. "Goldfrapp". Trouser Press. Retrieved 3 December 2008.
  10. ^ a b c d e Micallef, Ken (17 December 2000). "Whips, Wolves, & Tricky". Yahoo! Music. Archived from the original on 18 July 2011. Retrieved 3 December 2008.
  11. ^ "Goldfrapp". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 21 July 2016.
  12. ^ a b c Wittmershaus, Eric (10 October 2000). "Review of Goldfrapp's Felt Mountain". Flak Magazine. Archived from the original on 5 February 2009. Retrieved 3 December 2008.
  13. ISBN 978-0-85712-595-8
    .
  14. ISSN 0261-3077
    .
  15. ISSN 0025-9012
    .
  16. ISSN 1358-541X
    .
  17. ^ a b Ward, Christian (12 September 2000). "Goldfrapp – Felt Mountain". NME. Archived from the original on 17 October 2000. Retrieved 7 June 2019.
  18. ISSN 0955-4955
    .
  19. ISSN 0035-791X. Archived from the original
    on 30 January 2002. Retrieved 11 February 2018.
  20. ISSN 1368-0722
    .
  21. ^ Esterson, Sacha (2000). "Goldfrapp – Felt Mountain (Mute)". musicOMH. Retrieved 21 July 2016.
  22. ^ Micallef, Ken (29 November 2000). "Felt Mountain". Yahoo! Music. Archived from the original on 5 January 2013. Retrieved 3 March 2012.
  23. ^ Lynch, Andrew (15 September 2000). "Goldfrapp – Felt Mountain". entertainment.ie. Archived from the original on 29 September 2012. Retrieved 5 April 2011.
  24. ^ Flynn, Mike (September 2000). "Felt Mountain – A Strange & Beautiful Place". Q. Archived from the original on 6 February 2009. Retrieved 4 December 2008 – via Munkio.
  25. ^ "Mercury Music Prize: The nominees". BBC News. 25 July 2001. Retrieved 31 January 2009.
  26. ISBN 978-0-7893-2074-2
    .
  27. ^ "The 100 best pop albums of the Noughties". The Times. 21 November 2009. Retrieved 2 May 2010.
  28. ^ "Best of the Aughts: Albums". Slant Magazine. 1 February 2010. Retrieved 8 May 2019.
  29. ^ a b c "Oasis score eighth number one hit single". Music Week. 30 August 2005. Archived from the original on 6 July 2015. Retrieved 21 July 2016.
  30. ^ a b "British album certifications – Goldfrapp – Felt Mountain". British Phonographic Industry. 12 October 2001. Retrieved 27 March 2013.
  31. ^ a b "Lescharts.com – Goldfrapp – Felt Mountain". Hung Medien. Retrieved 21 July 2016.
  32. ^
    GfK Entertainment Charts
    . Retrieved 21 July 2016.
  33. ^ a b "Australiancharts.com – Goldfrapp – Felt Mountain". Hung Medien. Retrieved 21 July 2016.
  34. ^ a b "Austriancharts.at – Goldfrapp – Felt Mountain" (in German). Hung Medien. Retrieved 21 July 2016.
  35. ^ Caulfield, Keith (3 August 2006). "Ask Billboard: 'Gold'finger". Billboard. Retrieved 21 March 2013.
  36. ISSN 0006-2510
    .
  37. ^ "Felt Mountain [Bonus Disc] – Goldfrapp". AllMusic. Retrieved 21 July 2016.
  38. ^ Felt Mountain (liner notes). Goldfrapp. Mute Records. 2000. CDSTUMM188.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  39. ^ "Official Scottish Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 21 July 2016.
  40. ^ "Swisscharts.com – Goldfrapp – Felt Mountain". Hung Medien. Retrieved 21 July 2016.
  41. ^ "Official Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 21 July 2016.
  42. ^ "Official Independent Albums Chart Top 50". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 21 July 2016.
  43. ^ "Felt Mountain: Goldfrapp". Amazon (UK). Retrieved 21 July 2016.
  44. ^ "Felt Mountain – Goldfrapp (CD – Mute / Universal Music #9135)". AllMusic. Retrieved 21 July 2016.

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