Room on Fire is the second studio album by American indie rock band The Strokes. Released in October 2003, it follows 2001's Is This It and includes three singles: "12:51", "Reptilia", and "The End Has No End." Grammy-winning producer Nigel Godrich was initially in charge of production, but The Strokes felt he made the songs seem "soulless".[1] The band went back to work with Is This It producer Gordon Raphael. The album features a slightly smoother sound than its predecessor. The bass guitar is less present except for several moments when it becomes the focal point of the song. The album title Room on Fire was drawn from a line in "Reptilia": "The room is on fire as she's fixing her hair." The record received positive reviews upon release. It reached number two on the UK Albums Chart and debuted at number four in the U.S. on the Billboard 200, where it went on to sell 597,000 units by October 2006[citation needed] and was certified Gold.
[edit] Recording
Immediately after touring for their debut album Is This It, the band returned to the studio to record songs, initially with renowned producer Nigel Godrich. Those sessions were ultimately scrapped and the band returned to their original producer, Gordon Raphael. The Strokes only had exactly three months of studio time to record the album. Guitarist Nick Valensi stated that "the album would've ended up a lot better if we'd had another couple of weeks."[2]
[edit] Reception
[edit] Commercial performance
The album peaked at number four on the Billboard 200 in the U.S., and was later certified Gold by the RIAA in December 2003.[15][16]
[edit] Critical response
While reviews for the album were generally positive, gaining a 78 out of 100 on review aggregating site Metacritic based on 30 reviews,[3] the general consensus on the album was that it was too similar to Is This It.[2] Rob Mitchum of Pitchfork Media gave the album an 8 out of 10, but stated that the band "have all but given birth to an identical twin."[10] A positive review from Rolling Stone said that "the Strokes have resisted the temptation to hit the brakes, grow up and screw around with a sound that doesn't need fixing — yet." The review also stated that "if you want comfort and clarity, you're definitely in the wrong room. This record was built for thrills and speed."[13]
[edit] Track listing
| 1. |
"What Ever Happened?" |
2:54 |
| 2. |
"Reptilia" |
3:41 |
| 3. |
"Automatic Stop" |
3:26 |
| 4. |
"12:51" |
2:33 |
| 5. |
"You Talk Way Too Much" |
3:04 |
| 6. |
"Between Love & Hate" |
3:15 |
| 7. |
"Meet Me in the Bathroom" |
2:57 |
| 8. |
"Under Control" |
3:06 |
| 9. |
"The Way It Is" |
2:22 |
| 10. |
"The End Has No End" |
3:07 |
| 11. |
"I Can't Win" |
2:34 |
[edit] Singles
[edit] Sample
[edit] Personnel
- Band
- Additional musicians
- Production
- Design
[edit] Chart positions
[edit] References
- ^ Matthew McKinnon (July 24, 2006). Everything In Its Right Place cbc.ca. Retrieved 10 December 2011.
- ^ a b Jonathan Garrett (7 March 2011). Is This It: Ten Years of the Strokes Pitchfork Media. Retrieved 10 December 2011.
- ^ a b Room on Fire Reviews, Ratings, Credits and More at Metacritic Metacritic. Retrieved 10 December 2011.
- ^ Room on Fire at Allmusic
- ^ Tallis, Dan. "The Strokes, 'Room On Fire' (RCA)". bbc.com. http://www.bbc.co.uk/music/reviews/cm4h. Retrieved 2011-02-20.
- ^ Neil Robertson (20 October 2003). The Strokes - Room on Fire review Drowned in Sound. Retrieved 10 December 2011.
- ^ David Browne (31 October 2003). Room on Fire Review Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved 10 December 2011.
- ^ "The Strokes : Room On Fire - Album Reviews". Nme.Com. http://www.nme.com/reviews/the-strokes/7169. Retrieved 2011-02-20.
- ^ "The Strokes, Room on Fire: 5 stars | OMM | The Observer". Observer.guardian.co.uk. 2011-02-09. http://observer.guardian.co.uk/omm/10bestcds/story/0,12102,1043919,00.html. Retrieved 2011-02-20.
- ^ a b Rob Mitchum (26 October 2011). The Strokes: Room on Fire review Pitchfork Media. Retrieved 10 December 2011.
- ^ Critic Review for Room on Fire at Metacritic Metacritic. Retrieved 10 December 2011.
- ^ November 2003, p. 102.
- ^ a b David Fricke (7 October 2011). Room on Fire - Album Reviews Rolling Stone. Retrieved 10 December 2011.
- ^ Milner, Greg. "The Strokes, 'Room On Fire' (RCA)". SPIN.com. http://www.spin.com/reviews/strokes-room-fire-rca. Retrieved 2011-02-20.
- ^ Room on Fire - The Strokes Billboard. Retrieved 10 December 2011.
- ^ RIAA - Searchable Database RIAA. Note: reader must define search parameters as "Strokes".
- ^ The Strokes - Room on Fire - Music Charts acharts.us. Retrieved 10 December 2011.
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