Cease to Begin is the second album by Band of Horses, released on October 9, 2007.
[edit] History
Following the release of their debut album, Everything All the Time, founder members Mat Brooke, Chris Early and Tim Meinig all left the band. Band leader Ben Bridwell recruited Joe Arnone (guitar & keyboards), Creighton Barrett (drums) and Rob Hampton (bass & guitar) as replacements, although Joe Arnone left the band prior to their 2007 tour. Robin Peringer (Modest Mouse - guitar), Matt Gentling (Archers of Loaf - bass) and Ryan Monroe (keyboards) joined the band for the tour, although only Monroe stayed for the recording of Cease to Begin. After the album's release he became a full band member.
The album debuted at number 35 on the U.S. Billboard 200 chart[12] and was #47 on Rolling Stone's list of the Top 50 Albums of 2007.[13] It was also a minor hit in Scandinavia, charting in Norway, Sweden and Denmark.[14] Cease to Begin was released in Japan on July 23, 2008 by Tear Bridge Records. The Japanese version featured an enhanced video for "Is There a Ghost" plus three live bonus tracks, including a cover of Ronnie Wood's "Act Together", written by Mick Jagger and Keith Richards, which he recorded for his album, I've Got My Own Album to Do.
Ben Bridwell described the sound of Cease to Begin, "I guess the first record had some kind of country-ish leanings...I think there's maybe a little bit more of [that] feeling on it, a little more down-home...not so much indie rock."[15]
The first track, "Is There a Ghost", was made available for download on the band's MySpace page on August 28, 2007 and made number 93 on Rolling Stone's list of the 100 Best Songs of 2007.[16] The song became the band's first single to chart in the United States, peaking at #34 on the Billboard Modern Rock Tracks chart.[17] The album's second single "No One's Gonna Love You" was featured as a free iTunes download, distributed at Starbucks locations.
[edit] Track listing
| Writer(s) |
| 1. |
"Is There a Ghost" |
Bridwell, Hampton, Barrett |
2:59 |
| 2. |
"Ode to LRC" |
Bridwell, Hampton, Barrett |
4:16 |
| 3. |
"No One's Gonna Love You" |
Bridwell, Hampton, Barrett |
3:37 |
| 4. |
"Detlef Schrempf" |
Bridwell, Hampton, Barrett |
4:28 |
| 5. |
"The General Specific" |
Bridwell, Hampton, Barrett, Monroe |
3:07 |
| 6. |
"Lamb on the Lam (in the City)" |
Bridwell, Hampton, Barrett |
0:50 |
| 7. |
"Islands on the Coast" |
Bridwell, Hampton, Barrett |
3:34 |
| 8. |
"Marry Song" |
Bridwell, Hampton, Barrett |
3:23 |
| 9. |
"Cigarettes, Wedding Bands" |
Bridwell, Hampton, Barrett |
4:35 |
| 10. |
"Window Blues" |
Bridwell, Hampton, Barrett |
4:01 |
| Writer(s) |
| 11. |
"No One's Gonna Love You" (Live BBC session) |
Bridwell, Hampton, Barrett |
|
| 12. |
"Is There a Ghost" (Live BBC session) |
Bridwell, Hampton, Barrett |
|
| 13. |
"Act Together" (Live BBC session) |
Jagger, Richards |
|
| 14. |
"Is There a Ghost" (Enhanced video) |
Bridwell, Hampton, Barrett |
|
[edit] Album credits
- Phil Ek - producer
- Jon Ashley - assistant engineer
- Julian Dreyer - assistant engineer
- Cameron Nicklaus - assistant engineer
- Dusty Summers - design
- Christopher Wilson - photography
[edit] Band members
- Ben Bridwell - Lead vocals, guitar.
- Rob Hampton - Guitar, bass guitar.
- Creighton Barrett - Drums.
[edit] Additional musicians
[edit] Singles
- "Is There a Ghost" (August 28, 2007)
- "No One's Gonna Love You" (February 25, 2008)
[edit] Chart performance
[edit] Cease to Begin tracks in popular culture
*"Cigarettes, Wedding Bands" was used in the game Guitar Hero 5.
[edit] Cover versions
[edit] Reception
Cease to Begin received a 78/100 rating on Metacritic[30] and appeared on many "Best of 2007" lists:
[edit] References
- ^ Leahey, Andrww. Cease to Begin at Allmusic
- ^ Blogcritics review
- ^ Drowned in Sound review
- ^ The Guardian review
- ^ NME (10/20/2007, p.39)
- ^ Pitchfork Media review
- ^ Robert Christgau review
- ^ Relevant Magazine review
- ^ Rolling Stone review
- ^ Sputnik music review
- ^ Twisted Ear review
- ^ a b Band of Horses > Chart History > Billboard Albums Allmusic
- ^ Guide to the Misguided Stereogum - December 17, 2007
- ^ a b c d e Cease to Begin Ultratop entry - Ultratop
- ^ The Return of Band of Horses - Cease to Begin eachnotesecure.com - July 20, 2007
- ^ Rolling Stone lists rocklist.net
- ^ Band Of Horses - Is There A Ghost Allmusic
- ^ Tacopino, Joe "Southern Comfort: An Interview with Band of Horses' Ben Bridwell" PopMatters - November 8, 2007
- ^ "Official Album Chart for the week ending May 1, 2010". ChartsPlus (Liverpool: UKChartsPlus) (453): 5–8.
- ^ "Fringe - Northwest Passage (first aired May 6 2010)" Heard On TV
- ^ "Soundtracks for Due Date" IMDb
- ^ "Soundtracks for "One Tree Hill" Don't Dream It's Over (2008)" IMDb
- ^ "Soundtracks for Zombieland (2009)" IMDb
- ^ "Chuck - Versus The Nemesis (first aired November 26 2007)" Heard On TV
- ^ "Soundtracks for Numbers - Angels and Devils (2009)" IMDb
- ^ "Soundtracks for Gossip Girl - Roman Holiday" IMDb
- ^ "Soundtracks for Chuck - Chuck Versus the Tango (2007)" IMDb
- ^ "Band of Horses Endorses Winnebago Man" musicsnobbery.com - June 4, 2010
- ^ Larry Fitzmaurice, "Cee-Lo Covers Band of Horses' No One's Gonna Love You" Pitchfork - July 1, 2010
- ^ Cease to Begin Metacritic entry Metacritic
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- Mat Brooke
- Sera Cahoone
- Chris Early
- Rob Hampton
- Tim Meinig
- Joe Arnone
- Ludwig Böss
- Matt Gentling
- Blake Mills
- Robin Peringer
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| Albums |
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| Singles |
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| Related bands |
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