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"'''Monster'''" is the third [[UK]] single from [[Cardiff]]-based band [[The Automatic]]. The track was released on June 5 2006 and reached #4 in the [[UK Singles Chart]].<ref>{{cite web |title= Wales Music, The Automatic, Monster, B-Unique |work= [[BBC]] [[Wales]]|date= 5 June 2006|url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/wales/music/sites/automatic/pages/monster.shtml |accessdate=2007-10-22}}</ref> it appeared on the band's debut album ''[[Not Accepted Anywhere]]'', and on May 14, 2007 became their first single to be released in the [[United States]] and [[Canada]] prior to the June 26 USA release of the album.<ref>{{cite web |title= Columbia Records Announces the Stateside Release of 'Not Accepted Anywhere,' the Acclaimed Debut Album From Emerging UK Band, The Automatic Automatic|work= prnewswire.com|date= March 20, 20072006|url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/wales/music/sites/automatic/pages/monster.shtml |accessdate=2008-05-31}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title= The Automatic Automatic - Monster|work= [[itunes]] USA Store|date= April 24, 2007|url= http://phobos.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewAlbum?id=251751358&s=143441|accessdate=2008-05-31}}</ref>
'''Monster''' is the third UK single by [[Cardiff]]-bassed band [[The Automatic]], taken from their debut album [[Not Accepted Anywhere]]. The track was released on June 5 2006 in the UK and subsequently reached #4 in the [[UK Singles Chart]]. It was released in the United States under the alias of The Automatic Automatic on [[May 14]] [[2007]]. It is The Automatic's highest charting single to-date in the United Kingdom.<ref>{{cite web |title= Columbia Records Announces the Stateside Release of 'Not Accepted Anywhere,' the Acclaimed Debut Album From Emerging UK Band, The Automatic Automatic|work= prnewswire.com|date= March 20, 20072006|url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/wales/music/sites/automatic/pages/monster.shtml |accessdate=2008-05-31}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title= The Automatic Automatic - Monster|work= [[itunes]] USA Store|date= April 24, 2007|url= http://phobos.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewAlbum?id=251751358&s=143441|accessdate=2008-05-31}}</ref>


==Production==
==Composition==
The tracks music was composed by [[James Frost]] and [[Robin Hawkins]], with the original incarnation featuring a different chorus, both musically and lyrically, however the band decided to firstly change the music, before deciding to re-write the choruses lyrics. The chorus was planned to have a fairy-tale-esq. theme to it, with keyboardist & vocalist [[Alex Pennie]] penning the idea which would become the tracks famous lyric ''"what's that coming over the hill is it a monster? is it a monster"''; originally however the lyric was purely used to fill the chorus until a more suited lyric was found, but over time the lyric stuck and so was eventually used when the band recorded a demo of it in 2005.<ref>The Automatic in session on BBC Radio Wales, December 10 2009, Alan Thompson - The Evening Show [http://www.bbc.co.uk/wales/music/sites/automatic/pages/run-and-hide.shtml Automatic - Run And Hide] [[BBC]], [http://www.bbc.co.uk/wales/radiowales/sites/eveningshow/ The Evening Show]</ref>
"Monster" was one of the two demos produced that got the band signed to B-Unique Records in 2005; the other track being "Rats".<ref>[http://www.themusicfix.co.uk/content/news/2544/myspace-pick-the-automatic.html The Automatic] themusicfix.co.uk, 2006 biography, retrieved August 2009</ref> The original version is slightly slower, with a slightly more electro feel to the guitar line, Pennies and Frosts vocals are also less defined. The album version was recorded over Christmas 2005 in Stir Studio, Cardiff, assisted by Richard Jackson, the ''newer'' version of the time featured a more complete sound, and was one of only two tracks on the original version of the album that guitarist [[James Frost]] felt happy with in terms of guitar, with many of the guitars being toned down in the mixing process of the album on other album tracks.


Many of the lyrics used in Monster are metaphors for drug and drink intoxication; ''"brain fried tonight through misuse"'' and ''"without these pills your let loose"'', with the chorus 'monster' lyric being a metaphor for the monster that comes out when people are intoxicated.<ref>[http://www.music-news.com/ShowReview.asp?nReviewID=1491&nType=4 The Automatic Rob Hawkins, James Frost, Alex Pennie, Iwan Griffiths] music-news.com, July 20, 2006</ref>
A third version of the track later emerged in 2007 in the USA release of Not Accepted Anywhere, where the entire album was slightly re-mastered, with many of the instrumental and vocal parts being changed and re-worked. Later that year after Alex Pennie's departure from the band, and with the addition of [[Yourcodenameis:milo]] guitarist [[Paul Mullen]] the band again re-worked the track, removing almost all the synth parts from the track, the exception being a small part in the bridge of the track, the main addition to the song is after Frosts [[guitar solo]], the main guitar riff from Yourcodenameis:milo's song "[[All Roads to Fault]]" appears as a small breakdown before Frost and what would have been Pennies main vocal parts, Paul now takes over Pennie's part, using a [[vocoder]] on his voice through his [[microKORG]].
[[Image:THEAUTOMATICMONSTERVIDEO.jpg|thumb|150px|left|'''Top:''' The band hunting for [[Nessie]].<br />'''Bottom:''' [[James Frost]] next to [[Big Foot]].]]
The original demo of Monster featured more prominent synthesizers, with some different vocals, including more gang vocals during the chorus, and distorted backing vocals during the verses and bridge, the guitar, bass and drums however stayed relatively the same when in late 2005 they rerecorded the track for their album [[Not Accepted Anywhere]]. With the line-up change in 2007, seeing [[Paul Mullen]] join, Monster was reworked, with Paul providing a second guitar part, with almost all synthesizer parts removed, in addition a new section was added to the bridge of Monster, featuring a riff from Paul Mullen's band [[Yourcodenameis:milo]] track "[[All Roads to Fault]]".


===Meaning===
==Release==
A demo of the track was released in early 2005. The single release of "Monster" was announced in [[April]] [[2006]], the single would proceed the bands debut album, which was also announced "[[Not Accepted Anywhere]]". The single was released on [[June 5]] 2006 on vinyl, CD and through digital download, the various single formats featured various remixes of "Monster" and the b-side from recording Not Accepted Anywhere "Night Drive" which was has rarely been performed live. The release of Monster was celebrated by a performance in Cardiff HMV on June 5, with a series of [[HMV]] and [[Fopp]] instore performances over the following days. The American release of Monster came almost a year later on [[May 14]] [[2007]], it was the bands first and only American single to-date, with their at the time American distributor [[Columbia Records]] not picking the band up in [[2008]] with [[Steve McQueen (The Automatic song)|Steve McQueen]] due to the record agreement between the bands main at-the-time label B-Unique Records, Polydor Records and subsequently Columbia Records.
The lyrics seemingly refer to someone taking [[Recreational drug|drug]]s, with the "monster" representing the person's behaviour under their influence, or perhaps while coming down. This is most clearly evident in the first two verses, with the lines "Brain fried tonight through misuse" and "Without these pills you're let loose".<ref>[http://www.music-news.com/ShowReview.asp?nReviewID=1491&nType=4 Music News]'Monster' is about</ref>


The track has been featured on a range of different platforms, from [[video games]] such as [[Lego Rock Band]]<ref name="presser">{{cite web|url=http://www.businesswire.com/portal/site/google/?ndmViewId=news_view&newsId=20091012005218&newsLang=en|title=Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment and MTV Games Announce LEGO® Rock Band™ Full Track List|publisher=BusinessWire.com|accessdate=2009-10-12|date=2009-10-12}}</ref> and [[FIFA 08]]<ref>[http://news.teamxbox.com/xbox/14469/EA-Announces-FIFA-08-Soundtrack/ EA Sports FIFA 08 Music Soundtrack sets the stage for International Football Glory] team xbox, news, [[September 11]] [[2007]]</ref> to [[Hollywood]] films such as [[Igor (film)|Igor]]<ref>[[Igor (film)|Igor]], written by Chris McKenna, released September 19 2008, [http://news.qthemusic.com/2008/07/track_of_the_day_the_automatic.html Track of the Day, Steve McQueen] [[Q Magazine|Q]]themusic.com, track of the day, July 30, 2008</ref> and [[Slither (2006 film)|Slither]]<ref>[http://www.slithermovie.net/ Slither official website], written & directed by [[James Gunn (filmmaker)|James Gunn]], released [[March 31]] [[2006]]</ref> as well as being featured in TV series [[Torchwood]]<ref>[[Torchwood]], episode 06, series 01, [[BBC]], "[[Countrycide]]" November 19 2006</ref>, [[Doctor Who]]<ref>[[Doctor Who Confidential]], "The Fright Stuff, series 2, 2006, episode 26, broadcast June 24 2006</ref>, [[Primeval]]<ref>[[Episode 1 (Primeval)|Episode 1]] [[Primeval]], [[February 10]] [[2007]]</ref>, [[Hollyoaks]], [http://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Le_Grand_Journal Le Grand Journal], [[Tittybangbang]], [[Sinchronicity]], [[Bones (TV series)|Bones]]<ref>[[Bones (TV Series)|Bones]] S03E04 "Mummy in the Maze" [[List of Bones episodes#Season 3: 2007–2008|Season 3]] broadcast [[October 30]], [[2007]], written by Scott Williams, directed by Marita Grabiak</ref> and [[Serious (TV series)|Serious Ocean]].<ref>Serious (TV series)|Serious]]: Serious Ocean, 2008-2009, [[CBBC]], [[BBC]]</ref>
"Monster" is about falling into a pattern of going out and [[binge drinking]]. The monster is the drunken person who depends on getting like that to have a good time.<ref>[http://www.thesun.co.uk/article/0,,2006140003-2006270815,,00.html The Sun]Monster Interview</ref>


Monster has been widely used on various compilation albums including ''Ultimate Pop Party'', ''The Anthems'', ''Now Thats What I Call Music!: 64'', ''[[Top Gear]]: Sub Zero Driving Anthems'', ''[[XBOX]] Presents: Start'', ''[[NME]] Presents the Essential Bands 2006'', ''41 Crowd Pleasing Classics'', ''Rock Hits Workout'', ''Smashed'', whilst on [[The Automatic]]'s own releases it has been featured as a remix on the [[2007]] "[[Raoul (song)|Raoul]]" single and the United States released EP [[So Nice Say It Twice EP|So Nice Say it Twice]]<ref>[http://new.music.yahoo.com/automatic-automatic/albums/so-nice-say-it-twice-ep--42778287 So Nice Say it Twice] [[Yahoo]] music, The Automatic, So Nice Say It Twice, Columbia/B-unique, 2007</ref>
===Notable performances===
The track is by far the most televised track by the band, notably the track has been performed on GMTV, where the band famously trashed the set.<ref>{{cite web |title= The Automatic Explain TV Set Trashing|work= Contact Music|date= 12 October 2006|url= http://www.contactmusic.com/news.nsf/article/the%20automatic%20explain%20tv%20set%20trashing_1010717|accessdate=2008-04-08}}</ref> The song has also been televised from Reading and Lead festival in 2006, appeared on [[Later With Jools Holland]], [[T4]] [[Popworld]], T4 On The Beach 2006- where the band mimed the track agreeing not to destroy their equipment after the GMTV incident, Glastonbury festival 2007, [[XFM]] Winter Wonderland 2006 and 2008, Top of the Pops- once at the time of its release and later in the year for the Christmas special of [[Top of the Pops]], [[Tiscali]] Sessions and on T4 On The Beach 2008.


==Release history==
==Music video==
{|class="wikitable"
! Country
! Date
|-
| [[United Kingdom]]
| 5 June 2006
|-
| [[United States]]
| 14 May 2007
|}


The music video was produced and directed by Dominic Thompson-Talbot<ref>[http://www.vimeo.com/4164522 The Automatic "Monster" Directed by Dom Thompson-Talbot] Dominic Thompson-Talbot, [[vimeo]], April 15 2009</ref> of production company [http://www.uptheresolution.co.uk/ Up the Resolution], who would go onto work with the band on their next singles "Raoul" and "Recover". The shoot took place in [[Black Park]], [[London]] in [[2006]] and features Hadleigh Lomasney as 'big-foot'.<ref>{{cite web |title= Up The Resolution - Monster|work= Up The Resolution|url= http://www.uptheresolution.co.uk/|accessdate=2008-05-31}}</ref>
===Music video===
[[Image:THEAUTOMATICMONSTERVIDEO.jpg|thumb|150px|left|'''Top:''' The band hunting for [[Nessie]].<br />'''Bottom:''' [[James Frost]] next to [[Big Foot]].]]


The video features the band playing monster hunters in false beards and hiking gear. They travel in an old [[van]] draped with [[camouflage]] and [[newspaper]] articles that refer to [[monster]]s, [[UFO]]s and [[Nessie]], and James Frost plays his guitar solo standing on top of the van. The characters encounter Nessie and [[Big Foot]] but remain oblivious to their finds; when they return to the van they are surrounded by monsters who are destroyed by a UFO, which then zaps the band as they exit the van.<ref>{{cite web |title= The Automatic - Making of Monster|work= [[Youtube]]/[[Popworld]]|date= May 16, 2008 2007|url=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x215GB9M1V4|accessdate=2008-05-31}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title= The Automatic - Music Video - Monster|work= [[The Automatic]]/interoutemediaservices.com|date= June 4, 2007|url=http://exodus.interoutemediaservices.com/?id=b30a6c3d-4a00-4a32-8b51-b7ccb48c4bbb&delivery=stream|accessdate=2008-05-31}}</ref>
The video features the band playing monster hunters in false beards and hiking gear. They travel in an old [[van]] draped with [[camouflage]] and [[newspaper]] articles that refer to [[monster]]s, [[UFO]]s and [[Nessie]], and James Frost plays his guitar solo standing on top of the van. The characters encounter Nessie and [[Big Foot]] but remain oblivious to their finds; when they return to the van they are surrounded by monsters who are destroyed by a UFO, which then zaps the band as they exit the van.<ref>{{cite web |title= The Automatic - Making of Monster|work= [[Youtube]]/[[Popworld]]|date= May 16, 2008 2007|url=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x215GB9M1V4|accessdate=2008-05-31}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title= The Automatic - Music Video - Monster|work= [[The Automatic]]/interoutemediaservices.com|date= June 4, 2007|url=http://exodus.interoutemediaservices.com/?id=b30a6c3d-4a00-4a32-8b51-b7ccb48c4bbb&delivery=stream|accessdate=2008-05-31}}</ref>


==Critical reception==
The music video was directed by Up the Resolution and was filmed in [[Black Park]], near London. The 'big-foot' is played by Hadleigh Lomasney.<ref>{{cite web |title= Up The Resolution - Monster|work= Up The Resolution|url= http://www.uptheresolution.co.uk/|accessdate=2008-05-31}}</ref> The US version is mostly the same, however the opening title features the name "The Automatic Automatic in Monster" whereas the UK version (the original version) opens with "The Automatic in Monster".<ref>{{cite web |title= The Automatic Automatic - Monster|work= Official USA [[Youtube]] Channel|date= May 16, 2007|url= http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bqKWHFr_His|accessdate=2008-05-31}}</ref>
To date, the band have not had a bigger hit from either [[Not Accepted Anywhere]] or [[This Is A Fix]], the closest to reaching "Monster" was 2008 single "[[Steve McQueen (The Automatic song)|Steve McQueen]]" which charted at 19 in the UK charts, considerably lower than predicted, however this was due to several mistakes made by the bands label, who took an extra week to digitally release the track "Steve McQueen". Half of the band in 2005 believed that Not Accepted Anywhere track "Rats" would end up being a bigger hit than Monster.<ref>The Automatic in session on BBC Radio Wales, December 10 2009, Alan Thompson - The Evening Show [http://www.bbc.co.uk/wales/music/sites/automatic/pages/run-and-hide.shtml Automatic - Run And Hide] [[BBC]], [http://www.bbc.co.uk/wales/radiowales/sites/eveningshow/ The Evening Show]</ref> <blockquote class="toccolours" style="text-align:left; width:30%; float:left; padding: 10px 15px 10px 15px; display:table;">We wrote a song, it did really well, I don't really see what there is to be upset about. You get labelled "one hit wonders", but that's more hits than most people have. And it's not like we've disappeared without a trace. We've got a second album coming out, which in my opinion is full of much better songs. We wouldn't have been in a position to fly to LA to make a record if it wasn't for 'Monster'."<p style="text-align: right;"> — [[Robin Hawkins]]
</blockquote> The track received fairly mixed reviews, Dom Gourlay of Contact Music slated the pop track calling it "daft, irresponsible and unforgettably irritating"<ref>{{cite web |title=The Automatic - Monster |work=Contact Music (Don Gourlay)|month=June | year=2006 |url=http://www.contactmusic.com/new/home.nsf/webpages/theautomaticx13x06x06 |accessdate = 2009-01-18 }}</ref> whilst Stephen Ackroyd of Click Music rated the track music higher, giving it 4/5.<ref>{{cite web |title=The Automatic - Monster |work=clickmusic (Stephen Ackroyd)|month=June | year=2006 |url=http://www.clickmusic.com/articles/1829/The-Automatic---Monster.html|accessdate = 2009-01-18 }}</ref> [[Drowned In Sound]]'s Rachel Cawley gave the track 0 out of 10, attacking fans of the track saying; "If it was you who requested this to be played on the radio, you have my sympathy. Are you so stupefied that you find this ditchwater enthralling?"<ref>{{cite web |title=The Automatic - Monster |work= Drowned In Sound (Rachel Cawley)|month=June | year=2006 |url=http://drownedinsound.com/releases/7472/reviews/895635|accessdate = 2009-01-18 }}</ref> MusicOHM's Ryan Thomas reacted to the track far more positively, saying "Monster is an electrifying 3 minutes and 44 seconds of pop music at its finest"<ref>{{cite web |title=The Automatic - Monster (B-Unique)|work= musicOHM|month=June | year=2006 |url=http://www.musicomh.com/singles/automatic-3_0606.htm|accessdate = 2009-01-18 }}</ref> [[NME]] also praised the track "it’s the catchiest indie hit of the summer, boasting a hook that could disembowel a whale"<ref>{{cite web |title=The Automatic - Not Accepted Anywhere |work=NME (Dan Martin)|month=June | year=2006 |url=http://www.nme.com/reviews/the-automatic/7959|accessdate = 2009-01-18 }}</ref> [[Gigwise.com]] however was not as positive, referring to previous singles "Recover" and "Raoul" saying"The Automatics releases are getting progressively worse each time. Are they running out of good songs?".<ref>{{cite web |title=The Automatic - Monster |work= Gigwise|month=June | year=2006 |url=http://www.gigwise.com/article.php?contentid=17602|accessdate = 2009-01-18 }}</ref>


===Use in other media===
===Chart performance & sales===
The track spent 16 weeks in the [[UK singles chart]] originally, with its highest charting position at number 4. In 2007 when digital tracks began being counted in the UK Singles Chart Monster re-entered the singles chart once more, at 34. With the self release of third album [[Tear the Signs Down]] in 2010, the band revealed that Monster's success bought in a constant revenue to the band.<ref>{{cite web |title= Wales Music, The Automatic, Monster, B-Unique |work= [[BBC]] [[Wales]]|date= 5 June 2006|url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/wales/music/sites/automatic/pages/monster.shtml |accessdate=2007-10-22}}</ref>
* It was featured in the ''[[Doctor Who Confidential]]'' episode ''The Fright Stuff'', first screened on July 24, 2006; the song played over a montage of clips featuring monsters from both the classic and new series of ''[[Doctor Who]]''.
* In August of the same year, it was used on the soundtrack of episode 4 of the [[BBC Three]] series [[Sinchronicity]].
* A segment of the song was used the soundtrack for a 2006 commercial for the [[Sky Box Office (UK)|Sky Box Office]] showing of [[King Kong (2005)|King Kong]]. It also featured at the start of the ''[[Torchwood]]'' episode ''[[Countrycide]]''.
* Since 2006 it has been used as an intro for the [[France|French]] [[television programme]] ''Le Grand journal de Canal+'' on [[Canal+]].
* In early 2007 it featured on the soundtrack of the [[Episode One (Primeval)|first episode]] of [[Primeval (TV series)|Primeval]] on [[ITV1]].
* It is used for the 'Beth Ditto - Bone Collector' sketches in the third series of the BBC Three [[sketch comedy]] show, [[Tittybangbang]].
* The song is also featured on the soundtrack of ''[[FIFA 08]]''.
* A segment of the track was also used on an [[CBBC]] advert in May 2008. Also, the same part of the song is replayed twice through the first episode (auditions) of the CBBC programme [[Serious Ocean]].
* The song was recently used in a video edit on Formula 1's [http://www.formula1.com/ website] for the highlight reel of the [[2009 German Grand Prix]].
* A segment of the song is used on multi-million pound Hollywood film ''[[Igor (film)|Igor]]''.
* In 2007 and 2008, the song was used as entrance music to Mason, Ohio theme park [[Kings Island]]'s Halloween Haunt.
* The song can also be heard over the loudspeakers before the live performance of Dead Awakening which takes place in the International Showplace at [[Kings Island]] during Halloween Haunt.
* The song was also used in the 2006 film [[Slither]].
* The song is beamed out at [[Windsor Park]] everytime [[Linfield F.C.]] striker [[Paul Munster]] scores a goal.
* It is a playable song in ''[[Lego Rock Band]]'', being one of the songs selected to be ported for the [[Nintendo DS]] version of the game aside from the 7th-gen consoles. Harmonix used the UK version of the song so the instruments can stand out more.
* In 2007 the song was used in an episode of Bones, "Mummy in the Maze"

==Reception==
To date, the band have not had a bigger hit from either [[Not Accepted Anywhere]] or [[This Is A Fix]], the closest to reaching "Monster" was 2008 single "[[Steve McQueen (The Automatic song)|Steve McQueen]]" which charted at 19 in the UK charts, considerably lower than predicted, however this was due to several mistakes made by the bands label, who took an extra week to digitally release the track "Steve McQueen". The track received fairly mixed reviews, Dom Gourlay of Contact Music slated the pop track calling it "daft, irresponsible and unforgettably irritating"<ref>{{cite web |title=The Automatic - Monster |work=Contact Music (Don Gourlay)|month=June | year=2006 |url=http://www.contactmusic.com/new/home.nsf/webpages/theautomaticx13x06x06 |accessdate = 2009-01-18 }}</ref> whilst Stephen Ackroyd of Click Music rated the track music higher, giving it 4/5.<ref>{{cite web |title=The Automatic - Monster |work=clickmusic (Stephen Ackroyd)|month=June | year=2006 |url=http://www.clickmusic.com/articles/1829/The-Automatic---Monster.html|accessdate = 2009-01-18 }}</ref> [[Drowned In Sound]]'s Rachel Cawley gave the track 0 out of 10, attacking fans of the track saying; "If it was you who requested this to be played on the radio, you have my sympathy. Are you so stupefied that you find this ditchwater enthralling?"<ref>{{cite web |title=The Automatic - Monster |work= Drowned In Sound (Rachel Cawley)|month=June | year=2006 |url=http://drownedinsound.com/releases/7472/reviews/895635|accessdate = 2009-01-18 }}</ref> MusicOHM's Ryan Thomas reacted to the track far more positively, saying "Monster is an electrifying 3 minutes and 44 seconds of pop music at its finest"<ref>{{cite web |title=The Automatic - Monster (B-Unique)|work= [[musicOHM]]|month=June | year=2006 |url=http://www.musicomh.com/singles/automatic-3_0606.htm|accessdate = 2009-01-18 }}</ref> [[NME]] also praised the track "it’s the catchiest indie hit of the summer, boasting a hook that could disembowel a whale"<ref>{{cite web |title=The Automatic - Not Accepted Anywhere |work=NME (Dan Martin)|month=June | year=2006 |url=http://www.nme.com/reviews/the-automatic/7959|accessdate = 2009-01-18 }}</ref> [[Gigwise.com]] however was not as positive, referring to previous singles "Recover" and "Raoul" saying"The Automatics releases are getting progressively worse each time. Are they running out of good songs?".<ref>{{cite web |title=The Automatic - Monster |work= Gigwise|month=June | year=2006 |url=http://www.gigwise.com/article.php?contentid=17602|accessdate = 2009-01-18 }}</ref>

===Chart===
The track remains the biggest hit that the band have had, reaching #4 in the [[UK Singles Chart]]. The track also re-entered the charts at #34 in January 2007 when digital downloads were made to be allowed in the charts, "Monster" and "Raoul's re-release" then competed for success in the UK Charts.

{| class="wikitable sortable"
!align="left"|Chart
!align="left"|Peak
!align="left"|Date
|-
|align="left"|[[Netherlands]]
|align="center"|#83
|align="center"|January 13, 2007<ref>[http://www.australian-charts.com/showitem.asp?key=215193&cat=s australian-charts.com - The Automatic - Monster<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref>
|-
|align="left"|[[UK Singles Chart]]
|align="center"|#4
|align="center"|
|-
|}


==Track listing==
==Track listing==
Line 145: Line 101:
| length2 =
| length2 =
}}
}}

==Releases==

{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Name
! Release Date
! Label
! Info
|-
| ''Rock Hits Workout''
| 28 October 2007
| Total Fitness Music
|
|-
| ''[[XFM|XFM The Debut Sessions]]''
| 14 January 2008
| [[Universal Music Group|Universal Music Ireland Ltd]]
| Live [[XFM]] Debut Sessions version
|-
| ''[[NME|NME Presents The Essential Bands - Festival Edition]]''
| 30 April 2007
| [[Universal Music Group|Universal Music Ireland Ltd.]]
|
|-
| ''[[Now That's What I Call Music! 64 (UK series)|Now That's What I Call Music! 64]]''
| July 24, 2006
| [[EMI|EMI UK]]
| Radio edit
|-
| ''[[NME|The Essential Bands]] 2006''
| 13 November 2006
| [[NME]]/[[Universal Music Group|Universal Music Ireland Ltd.]]
|
|-
| ''The Anthems''
| 02 October 2006
| [[Universal Music Group|Universal Music Ireland Ltd.]]
|
|}


==External links==
==External links==

Revision as of 15:30, 5 January 2010

"Monster"
Song
B-side"Night Drive"
"High Tide On Caroline Street"

Monster is the third UK single by Cardiff-bassed band The Automatic, taken from their debut album Not Accepted Anywhere. The track was released on June 5 2006 in the UK and subsequently reached #4 in the UK Singles Chart. It was released in the United States under the alias of The Automatic Automatic on May 14 2007. It is The Automatic's highest charting single to-date in the United Kingdom.[3][4]

Composition

The tracks music was composed by James Frost and Robin Hawkins, with the original incarnation featuring a different chorus, both musically and lyrically, however the band decided to firstly change the music, before deciding to re-write the choruses lyrics. The chorus was planned to have a fairy-tale-esq. theme to it, with keyboardist & vocalist Alex Pennie penning the idea which would become the tracks famous lyric "what's that coming over the hill is it a monster? is it a monster"; originally however the lyric was purely used to fill the chorus until a more suited lyric was found, but over time the lyric stuck and so was eventually used when the band recorded a demo of it in 2005.[5]

Many of the lyrics used in Monster are metaphors for drug and drink intoxication; "brain fried tonight through misuse" and "without these pills your let loose", with the chorus 'monster' lyric being a metaphor for the monster that comes out when people are intoxicated.[6]

File:THEAUTOMATICMONSTERVIDEO.jpg
Top: The band hunting for Nessie.
Bottom: James Frost next to Big Foot.

The original demo of Monster featured more prominent synthesizers, with some different vocals, including more gang vocals during the chorus, and distorted backing vocals during the verses and bridge, the guitar, bass and drums however stayed relatively the same when in late 2005 they rerecorded the track for their album Not Accepted Anywhere. With the line-up change in 2007, seeing Paul Mullen join, Monster was reworked, with Paul providing a second guitar part, with almost all synthesizer parts removed, in addition a new section was added to the bridge of Monster, featuring a riff from Paul Mullen's band Yourcodenameis:milo track "All Roads to Fault".

Release

A demo of the track was released in early 2005. The single release of "Monster" was announced in April 2006, the single would proceed the bands debut album, which was also announced "Not Accepted Anywhere". The single was released on June 5 2006 on vinyl, CD and through digital download, the various single formats featured various remixes of "Monster" and the b-side from recording Not Accepted Anywhere "Night Drive" which was has rarely been performed live. The release of Monster was celebrated by a performance in Cardiff HMV on June 5, with a series of HMV and Fopp instore performances over the following days. The American release of Monster came almost a year later on May 14 2007, it was the bands first and only American single to-date, with their at the time American distributor Columbia Records not picking the band up in 2008 with Steve McQueen due to the record agreement between the bands main at-the-time label B-Unique Records, Polydor Records and subsequently Columbia Records.

The track has been featured on a range of different platforms, from video games such as Lego Rock Band[7] and FIFA 08[8] to Hollywood films such as Igor[9] and Slither[10] as well as being featured in TV series Torchwood[11], Doctor Who[12], Primeval[13], Hollyoaks, Le Grand Journal, Tittybangbang, Sinchronicity, Bones[14] and Serious Ocean.[15]

Monster has been widely used on various compilation albums including Ultimate Pop Party, The Anthems, Now Thats What I Call Music!: 64, Top Gear: Sub Zero Driving Anthems, XBOX Presents: Start, NME Presents the Essential Bands 2006, 41 Crowd Pleasing Classics, Rock Hits Workout, Smashed, whilst on The Automatic's own releases it has been featured as a remix on the 2007 "Raoul" single and the United States released EP So Nice Say it Twice[16]

Music video

The music video was produced and directed by Dominic Thompson-Talbot[17] of production company Up the Resolution, who would go onto work with the band on their next singles "Raoul" and "Recover". The shoot took place in Black Park, London in 2006 and features Hadleigh Lomasney as 'big-foot'.[18]

The video features the band playing monster hunters in false beards and hiking gear. They travel in an old van draped with camouflage and newspaper articles that refer to monsters, UFOs and Nessie, and James Frost plays his guitar solo standing on top of the van. The characters encounter Nessie and Big Foot but remain oblivious to their finds; when they return to the van they are surrounded by monsters who are destroyed by a UFO, which then zaps the band as they exit the van.[19][20]

Critical reception

To date, the band have not had a bigger hit from either Not Accepted Anywhere or This Is A Fix, the closest to reaching "Monster" was 2008 single "Steve McQueen" which charted at 19 in the UK charts, considerably lower than predicted, however this was due to several mistakes made by the bands label, who took an extra week to digitally release the track "Steve McQueen". Half of the band in 2005 believed that Not Accepted Anywhere track "Rats" would end up being a bigger hit than Monster.[21]

We wrote a song, it did really well, I don't really see what there is to be upset about. You get labelled "one hit wonders", but that's more hits than most people have. And it's not like we've disappeared without a trace. We've got a second album coming out, which in my opinion is full of much better songs. We wouldn't have been in a position to fly to LA to make a record if it wasn't for 'Monster'."

— Robin Hawkins

The track received fairly mixed reviews, Dom Gourlay of Contact Music slated the pop track calling it "daft, irresponsible and unforgettably irritating"[22] whilst Stephen Ackroyd of Click Music rated the track music higher, giving it 4/5.[23] Drowned In Sound's Rachel Cawley gave the track 0 out of 10, attacking fans of the track saying; "If it was you who requested this to be played on the radio, you have my sympathy. Are you so stupefied that you find this ditchwater enthralling?"[24] MusicOHM's Ryan Thomas reacted to the track far more positively, saying "Monster is an electrifying 3 minutes and 44 seconds of pop music at its finest"[25] NME also praised the track "it’s the catchiest indie hit of the summer, boasting a hook that could disembowel a whale"[26] Gigwise.com however was not as positive, referring to previous singles "Recover" and "Raoul" saying"The Automatics releases are getting progressively worse each time. Are they running out of good songs?".[27]

Chart performance & sales

The track spent 16 weeks in the UK singles chart originally, with its highest charting position at number 4. In 2007 when digital tracks began being counted in the UK Singles Chart Monster re-entered the singles chart once more, at 34. With the self release of third album Tear the Signs Down in 2010, the band revealed that Monster's success bought in a constant revenue to the band.[28]

Track listing

vinyl
No.TitleLength
1."Monster" 
2."Monster (Trey Prefontaine Mix)" 
CD single
No.TitleLength
1."Monster" 
2."Night Drive" 
CD (maxi)
No.TitleLength
1."Monster" 
2."High Tide On Caroline Street" 
3."Monster (Culprit One Remix)" 
4."Monster (music video)" 
7digital exclusive
No.TitleLength
1."Monster (Zombie Dogs Remix)" 
2."Monster (Electro House Mix)" 
USA release single
No.TitleLength
1."Monster" 
2."Monster (Rock remix)" 

References

  1. ^ "b*unique recordings - Artists - The Automatic". B-Unique Records Wales. Retrieved 2008-05-31.
  2. ^ "Polydor - Artists - The Automatic". Polydor Records. Retrieved 2008-05-31.
  3. ^ "Columbia Records Announces the Stateside Release of 'Not Accepted Anywhere,' the Acclaimed Debut Album From Emerging UK Band, The Automatic Automatic". prnewswire.com. March 20, 20072006. Retrieved 2008-05-31. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  4. ^ "The Automatic Automatic - Monster". itunes USA Store. April 24, 2007. Retrieved 2008-05-31.
  5. ^ The Automatic in session on BBC Radio Wales, December 10 2009, Alan Thompson - The Evening Show Automatic - Run And Hide BBC, The Evening Show
  6. ^ The Automatic Rob Hawkins, James Frost, Alex Pennie, Iwan Griffiths music-news.com, July 20, 2006
  7. ^ "Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment and MTV Games Announce LEGO® Rock Band™ Full Track List". BusinessWire.com. 2009-10-12. Retrieved 2009-10-12.
  8. ^ EA Sports FIFA 08 Music Soundtrack sets the stage for International Football Glory team xbox, news, September 11 2007
  9. ^ Igor, written by Chris McKenna, released September 19 2008, Track of the Day, Steve McQueen Qthemusic.com, track of the day, July 30, 2008
  10. ^ Slither official website, written & directed by James Gunn, released March 31 2006
  11. ^ Torchwood, episode 06, series 01, BBC, "Countrycide" November 19 2006
  12. ^ Doctor Who Confidential, "The Fright Stuff, series 2, 2006, episode 26, broadcast June 24 2006
  13. ^ Episode 1 Primeval, February 10 2007
  14. ^ Bones S03E04 "Mummy in the Maze" Season 3 broadcast October 30, 2007, written by Scott Williams, directed by Marita Grabiak
  15. ^ Serious (TV series)|Serious]]: Serious Ocean, 2008-2009, CBBC, BBC
  16. ^ So Nice Say it Twice Yahoo music, The Automatic, So Nice Say It Twice, Columbia/B-unique, 2007
  17. ^ The Automatic "Monster" Directed by Dom Thompson-Talbot Dominic Thompson-Talbot, vimeo, April 15 2009
  18. ^ "Up The Resolution - Monster". Up The Resolution. Retrieved 2008-05-31.
  19. ^ "The Automatic - Making of Monster". Youtube/Popworld. May 16, 2008 2007. Retrieved 2008-05-31. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  20. ^ "The Automatic - Music Video - Monster". The Automatic/interoutemediaservices.com. June 4, 2007. Retrieved 2008-05-31.
  21. ^ The Automatic in session on BBC Radio Wales, December 10 2009, Alan Thompson - The Evening Show Automatic - Run And Hide BBC, The Evening Show
  22. ^ "The Automatic - Monster". Contact Music (Don Gourlay). 2006. Retrieved 2009-01-18. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |month= ignored (help)
  23. ^ "The Automatic - Monster". clickmusic (Stephen Ackroyd). 2006. Retrieved 2009-01-18. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |month= ignored (help)
  24. ^ "The Automatic - Monster". Drowned In Sound (Rachel Cawley). 2006. Retrieved 2009-01-18. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |month= ignored (help)
  25. ^ "The Automatic - Monster (B-Unique)". musicOHM. 2006. Retrieved 2009-01-18. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |month= ignored (help)
  26. ^ "The Automatic - Not Accepted Anywhere". NME (Dan Martin). 2006. Retrieved 2009-01-18. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |month= ignored (help)
  27. ^ "The Automatic - Monster". Gigwise. 2006. Retrieved 2009-01-18. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |month= ignored (help)
  28. ^ "Wales Music, The Automatic, Monster, B-Unique". BBC Wales. 5 June 2006. Retrieved 2007-10-22.
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