Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix

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Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix
Studio album by Phoenix
Released May 25, 2009 (Internationally)
May 26, 2009  United States
Recorded 2008
Genre Alternative rock
Synthpop
Label V2 Records, Loyauté
Producer Phoenix, Philippe Zdar
Professional reviews
Phoenix chronology
It's Never Been Like That
(2006)
Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix
(2009)
Singles from Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix
  1. "1901"
    Released: February 23, 2009
  2. "Lisztomania"
    Released: July 7, 2009

Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix is the fourth studio album by the French rock band Phoenix. The album is mixed by Philippe Zdar who also mixed Phoenix's debut studio album, United. Phoenix released the song "1901" as a free download on February 23, 2009 when the redesigned official website launched.[1] In Australia, the album debuted at #13.[2] It debuted on the U.S. Billboard 200 albums chart at #37 and remained in the Top 100 for several weeks due to the alternative radio success of the album's second single "1901."

Contents

[edit] Background

The album's first single is "Lisztomania". The term "Lisztomania" was coined by the German romantic literary figure Heinrich Heine to describe the massive public response to Franz Liszt's virtuosic piano performances. There were allegedly screaming women at these performances, and the audience was sometimes limited to standing room only.[3].

The inspiration for "Love Like a Sunset" came to vocalist Thomas Mars during a car journey. [4]

In keeping with the album’s classical theme, Phoenix shot the video for the album's first single, Lisztomania, at Bayreuth in Bayreuth Festspielhaus, the historic 19th-century theatre where the annual Wagner festival takes place. An unofficial home-made video appeared on YouTube in which footage of people dancing from the 1980s brat-pack movies The Breakfast Club, Pretty in Pink, Footloose and Mannequin is synchronised to the song. Phoenix's band members have publicly stated they prefer it to their own, rather expensive "official" effort. Vocalist Thomas Mars has claimed it is the band's best video.[5]

From May 12, 2009 the album was available to download from the iTunes Store for customers in North America[6] and from Amazon MP3.[7]

On 7 August, 2009, Phoenix performed a live version of "Lisztomania" on Australian youth radio network Triple J in a program called "Like a Version". [8] Phoenix used Brian Eno's Oblique Strategies to help them in the creative process for this album.

[edit] Track listing

  1. "Lisztomania" - 4:02
  2. "1901" - 3:13
  3. "Fences" - 3:45
  4. "Love Like a Sunset, Pt. 1" - 5:39
  5. "Love Like a Sunset, Pt. 2" - 1:57
  6. "Lasso" - 2:48
  7. "Rome" - 4:38
  8. "Countdown" - 3:57
  9. "Girlfriend" - 3:24
  10. "Armistice" - 3:05

[edit] Charts

Chart (2009) Peak
position
United States Billboard 200 37
Australian Albums Chart 13
Austrian Albums Chart 66
Belgian Albums Chart (Flanders) 27
Belgian Albums Chart (Wallonia) 22
French Albums Chart 14
Norwegian Albums Chart 39
Swedish Albums Chart 34
Swiss Albums Chart 23

[edit] References

[edit] External links


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