Dead in the Boot is a B-sides compilation album by English rock band Elbow, released in the UK on 27 August 2012. The title is a reference to the band's debut album Asleep in the Back and was suggested by singer Guy Garvey's sister Beckie.[1]
| Dead in the Boot | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Compilation album by | ||||
| Released | 27 August 2012 | |||
| Recorded | 1997–2012 | |||
| Genre | Alternative rock, indie rock | |||
| Length | 51:33 | |||
| Label | Fiction, Polydor | |||
| Producer | Ben Hillier, Craig Potter, Elbow | |||
| Elbow chronology | ||||
| ||||
Reception
edit| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| Allmusic |    [2] |
| BBC Music | favourable[3] |
| The Daily Telegraph | [4] |
| The Independent | [5] |
| Mojo | [6] |
| NME | 7/10[7] |
| Slant Magazine | [8] |
The reviews for the album were mostly positive, with many reviewers commenting on the overall downbeat nature of the songs. NME noted that "there is a strain of nocturnal lethargy that seems to run through Elbow's flipsides... it's odd that its somnolent air actually renders it slightly one-note... But there's nothing wrong with a gentle head massage after a hard night."[7] The Daily Telegraph described the tracks as "mostly steady, lo-fi grooves, propelled by blue-collar bluesy riffs, detached electronic bleeps and mournful pianos", and stated that "in the best possible sense, these songs are come-downs, reflective descents from the band's often soaring, more melody-driven A-sides. They may have been left in the band's boot for a while, but there's nothing dead about them."[4] Mojo called it "an accomplished compilation" and proclaimed that "Dead in the Boot is less throwaway than its name suggests."[6]
BBC Music said "This is more than just a stopgap between the albums, and while not exactly standing alongside their best in terms of outright quality, shows that even Elbow's 'hidden' past is worthy of deeper exploration."[3] The Independent had some criticisms, saying that the album was "far from exhaustive, with tracks cherry-picked for quality and sequenced non-chronologically. Indeed, if anything, there's a touch too many of the tender piano ostinatos", but overall opining that "most B-sides compilations seem to have been thrown together to fulfil contracts but Dead in the Boot has a form and substance beyond that".[5]
Track listing
editAll lyrics are written by Guy Garvey; all music is composed by Elbow
| No. | Title | Originally from | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Whisper Grass" | "Fallen Angel" CD single, 2003 | 4:30 |
| 2. | "Lucky with Disease" | "Newborn" CD single, 2001 | 3:44 |
| 3. | "Lay Down Your Cross" | "Not a Job" CD single, 2004 | 4:41 |
| 4. | "The Long War Shuffle" | "Leaders of the Free World" CD single, 2005 | 4:14 |
| 5. | "Every Bit the Little Girl" | "One Day Like This" 7" vinyl single, 2008 | 4:25 |
| 6. | "Love Blown Down" | "Fugitive Motel" CD single, 2003 | 4:30 |
| 7. | "None One" | The Newborn EP, 2000 | 3:44 |
| 8. | "Lullaby" | "One Day Like This" CD single, 2008 | 3:15 |
| 9. | "McGreggor" | "Forget Myself" 7" vinyl single, 2005 | 2:40 |
| 10. | "Buffalo Ghosts" | "Open Arms" 10" vinyl single, 2011 | 3:37 |
| 11. | "Waving from Windows" | "Grace Under Pressure"/"Switching Off" CD single, 2004 | 4:14 |
| 12. | "Snowball" | Help!: A Day in the Life album, 2005 | 5:01 |
| 13. | "Gentle As" | "Leaders of the Free World" 7" vinyl single, 2005 | 2:58 |
| Total length: | 51:33 | ||
Personnel
edit- Elbow
- Guy Garvey – vocals, slide guitar on "The Long War Shuffle", string, percussion, brass & choral arrangements
- Mark Potter – guitars
- Craig Potter – keys, percussion
- Pete Turner – bass
- Richard Jupp – drums, percussion
Release history
edit| Region | Date | Format | Label |
|---|---|---|---|
| United Kingdom | 27 August 2012 | CD, LP, digital download | Polydor |
| United States | 19 November 2012 | CD, LP, digital download | Xenon |
References
edit- ^ Announcement of album's release date and details on Elbow's official website, 17 July 2012 Archived 21 July 2012 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 30 August 2012.
- ^ Monger, James Christopher. Elbow – Dead in the Boot > Review at AllMusic
- ^ a b Fyfe, Andy (29 August 2012). "Review: Elbow – Dead in the Boot". BBC Music. Retrieved 30 August 2012.
- ^ a b Brown, Helen (24 August 2012). "Review: Elbow – Dead in the Boot". The Daily Telegraph. London, England. Retrieved 30 August 2012.
- ^ a b Gill, Andy (25 August 2012). "Review: Elbow – Dead in the Boot". The Independent. London, England: Independent Print Ltd. Retrieved 30 August 2012.
- ^ a b Prior, Clive (October 2012). "Review: Elbow – Dead in the Boot". Mojo (227). London, England: Bauer Media Group: 100.
- ^ a b Cashmore, Pete (24 August 2012). "Review: Elbow – Dead in the Boot". NME. London, England: IPC Media. Retrieved 30 August 2012.
- ^ Douramacos, Yorgo (27 November 2012). "Review: Elbow – Dead in the Boot". Slant Magazine. Retrieved 9 June 2014.