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Room on Fire

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For the song by Stevie Nicks, see Rooms on Fire.
Room on Fire
Studio album by
The Strokes
ReleasedOctober 28, 2003
Recorded2003
StudioTMF (New York City)
Genre
Length32:15
LabelRCA
ProducerGordon Raphael
The Strokes chronology
Is This It
(2001) 		Room on Fire
(2003) 		First Impressions of Earth
(2005)
Singles from Room on Fire
  1. "12:51"
    Released: November 4, 2003
  2. "Reptilia"
    Released: February 9, 2004
  3. "The End Has No End"
    Released: November 1, 2004

Room on Fire is the second studio album by American rock band the Strokes, released on October 28, 2003, through RCA Records. Its title is drawn from a lyric in "Reptilia": "The room is on fire as she's fixing her hair."

Room on Fire received positive reviews upon its release, and reached number four on the US Billboard 200 (where it went on to sell 597,000 units by October 2006[3] and was certified gold) and number two on the UK Albums Chart. Three singles were released from the album: "12:51", "Reptilia", and "The End Has No End".

Recording

Immediately after touring for their debut album Is This It, the Strokes returned to the studio. They hired Radiohead producer Nigel Godrich, but fired him when their work together, according to the band, proved "soulless".[4] Godrich said of the failed collaboration: "The problem there was that me and [singer Julian Casablancas] are just too similar, we're both control freaks. He wanted to do it his way, I wanted to do it my way, and obviously that's the point of me being there. And I'm saying 'Well, why am I here if you're not prepared to try and do it the way I want to do it?' We got on great, it was just one of those laughable things where it just doesn't work. I wanted them to change, and they didn't."[5]

Those sessions were ultimately scrapped and the band returned to their original producer, Gordon Raphael. The Strokes had exactly only 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."[6]

Critical reception

Professional ratings
Aggregate scores
SourceRating
Metacritic77/100[7]
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[8]
Blender[9]
Entertainment WeeklyB[10]
The Guardian[11]
NME9/10[12]
Pitchfork8.0/10[13]
Q[14]
Rolling Stone[15]
SpinA−[16]
Uncut[17]

While reviews for the album were mostly positive, gaining a 77 out of 100 on review aggregating site Metacritic based on 31 reviews,[7] the general consensus on the album was that it was too similar to Is This It.[6] Rob Mitchum of Pitchfork gave the album an 8 out of 10, but stated that the band "have all but given birth to an identical twin."[13] 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."[15] Dan Tallis of BBC Music gave it a favorable review and said, "Bands should think themselves lucky to achieve such heights just once in their careers. However, they've done all they could have done. They've made Is This It part two. It's more of the same plus extras. And I'm more than happy to settle for that."[18] Ben Thompson of The Observer gave it all five stars and said, "This is a feeling that can be inspired only by people making the absolute most of an opportunity to communicate: cutting through all the rubbish that surrounds them to make a clear and memorable artistic statement. And that the Strokes should have managed to do such a thing at this stage in their careers, is - I think - an achievement of real significance."[19] Greg Milner of Spin gave it a score of eight out of ten and said that its "similarity to its predecessor ultimately bespeaks a purity of vision, not a dearth of new ideas."[16] Jenny Tatone of Neumu gave it a score of nine stars out of ten and said, "The Strokes don't make the most original sounding music you've ever heard, but they make something that is only the Strokes."[20] In his Consumer Guide, Robert Christgau gave the album a three-star honorable mention ((3-star Honorable Mention)(3-star Honorable Mention)(3-star Honorable Mention)) while picking out two songs from the album ("Between Love and Hate" and "What Ever Happened?") and stating simply, "Narcissism repeats itself."[21]

Not all reviews were positive, however. Raoul Hernandez of The Austin Chronicle gave the album a score of two stars out of five and stated that "Even the half-hearted retreads... cashing in on the notoriously unwashed NYC quintet's debut can't muster a wink."[22] Iain Moffat of Playlouder gave the album only one star and said of the Strokes, "There's little of the pop sparkle that shone through the likes of 'The Modern Age' and 'Last Nite' even when - as with 'You Talk Way Too Much' - they're rewriting old material, and Julian's vocals are, to be blunt, awful, sounding uncomfortable to record and rather complacently nasal."[23]

In 2013 Room On Fire was listed at number 360 on NME's list of the 500 greatest albums of all time. In 2018, the BBC included it in their list of "the acclaimed albums that nobody listens to any more"[24]

Commercial performance

The album peaked at number four on the Billboard 200 in the US, and was later certified Gold by the RIAA in December 2003.[25][26]

Track listing

All tracks are written by Julian Casablancas, except where noted

No.TitleLength
1."What Ever Happened?"2:49
2."Reptilia"3:35
3."Automatic Stop" (Casablancas, Albert Hammond Jr.[27])3:21
4."12:51"2:33
5."You Talk Way Too Much"2:58
6."Between Love & Hate"3:10
7."Meet Me in the Bathroom"2:56
8."Under Control"3:02
9."The Way It Is"2:17
10."The End Has No End"3:00
11."I Can't Win"2:34

Personnel

The Strokes

Production

Design

Singles

Information
"12:51"
"Reptilia"
  • Released: February 9, 2004
  • Chart positions:
    #17 (UK Singles Chart)
    #19 (US Modern Rock)
"The End Has No End"
  • Released: November 1, 2004
  • Chart positions:
    #27 (UK Singles Chart)
    #35 (US Modern Rock)

Charts

Chart (2003–04) Peak
position
Australian Albums (ARIA)[28] 6
Austrian Albums (Ö3 Austria)[29] 14
Belgian Albums (Ultratop Flanders)[30] 14
Belgian Albums (Ultratop Wallonia)[31] 35
Canadian Albums (Billboard)[32] 2
Danish Albums (Hitlisten)[33] 16
Dutch Albums (Album Top 100)[34] 23
Finnish Albums (Suomen virallinen lista)[35] 25
French Albums (SNEP)[36] 16
German Albums (Offizielle Top 100)[37] 6
Irish Albums (IRMA)[38] 1
Italian Albums (FIMI)[39] 14
New Zealand Albums (RMNZ)[40] 6
Norwegian Albums (VG-lista)[41] 3
Portuguese Albums (AFP)[42] 12
Swedish Albums (Sverigetopplistan)[43] 6
Swiss Albums (Schweizer Hitparade)[44] 29
UK Albums Chart[45] 2
US Billboard 200[46] 4
US Top Album Sales (Billboard)[47] 4
US Vinyl Albums (Billboard)[48] 12

Certifications

Region Certification Certified units/sales
Australia (ARIA)[49] Platinum 70,000‡
Canada (Music Canada)[50] Gold 50,000^
Japan (RIAJ)[51] Gold 100,000^
New Zealand (RMNZ)[52] Gold 7,500^
United Kingdom (BPI)[53] Platinum 300,000^
United States (RIAA)[54] Gold 500,000^

^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.
‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

References

  1. ^ "Top 100 Indie Rock albums of the '00s". www.treblezine.com. Retrieved 2017-07-24.
  2. ^ Sharples, Grant (October 27, 2018). "The Strokes' Room on Fire Still Exists on Its Own Terms". Consequence of Sound. Retrieved February 18, 2020.
  3. ^ https://www.stereogum.com/1850735/first-impressions-of-earth-turns-10/franchises/the-anniversary/
  4. ^ McKinnon, Matthew (24 July 2006). "Everything in Its Right Place". CBC News. Retrieved 15 December 2013.
  5. ^ "From The Basement On A Television: DiS talks to Nigel Godrich". DrownedInSound. Retrieved 2018-05-21.
  6. ^ a b Jonathan Garrett (7 March 2011). Is This It: Ten Years of the Strokes Pitchfork Media. Retrieved 10 December 2011.
  7. ^ a b "Reviews for Room On Fire by The Strokes". Metacritic. Retrieved December 10, 2011.
  8. ^ Phares, Heather. "Room on Fire – The Strokes". AllMusic. Retrieved December 10, 2011.
  9. ^ Power, Tony (November 2003). "The Strokes: Room on Fire". Blender (21): 106. Archived from the original on November 22, 2005. Retrieved April 30, 2016.
  10. ^ Browne, David (October 31, 2003). "Room on Fire". Entertainment Weekly. Archived from the original on July 29, 2019. Retrieved December 10, 2011.
  11. ^ Petridis, Alexis (October 16, 2003). "The Strokes, Room on Fire". The Guardian. Retrieved March 23, 2013.
  12. ^ Needham, Alex (September 25, 2003). "The Strokes : Room On Fire". NME. Archived from the original on March 3, 2016. Retrieved February 20, 2011.
  13. ^ a b Mitchum, Rob (October 26, 2003). "The Strokes: Room on Fire". Pitchfork. Retrieved December 10, 2011.
  14. ^ "The Strokes: Room on Fire". Q (208): 102. November 2003.
  15. ^ a b Fricke, David (October 7, 2003). "Room on Fire". Rolling Stone. Retrieved December 10, 2011.
  16. ^ a b Milner, Greg (October 26, 2003). "Room at the Top". Spin. 19 (12): 121–22. Retrieved April 30, 2016.
  17. ^ "Not So Different Strokes". Uncut (78): 108. November 2003. Archived from the original on June 1, 2016. Retrieved April 30, 2016.
  18. ^ Tallis, Dan (2003-11-20 (mislabeled as "2002-11-20")). "Review of The Strokes - Room On Fire". BBC Music. Retrieved 2011-02-20. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  19. ^ Thompson, Ben (2011-02-09). "The Strokes, Room on Fire: 5 stars | OMM | The Observer". The Observer. Retrieved 2011-02-20.
  20. ^ Tatone, Jenny. "The Strokes: Room on Fire". Neumu. Retrieved 2013-03-23.
  21. ^ Christgau, Robert. "CG: The Strokes". RobertChristgau.com. Retrieved 2013-03-23.
  22. ^ Hernandez, Raoul (2003-10-24). "The Strokes: Room on Fire (RCA)". The Austin Chronicle. Retrieved 2013-03-23.
  23. ^ Moffat, Iain (2003-10-18). "Room On Fire". Playlouder. Archived from the original on 2003-11-04. Retrieved 2013-03-23.
  24. ^ https://www.bbc.co.uk/music/articles/41a5ae5f-45b4-4ee1-ac51-5ac6dc9397b6
  25. ^ Room on Fire - The Strokes Billboard. Retrieved 10 December 2011.
  26. ^ RIAA - Searchable Database RIAA. Note: reader must define search parameters as "Strokes".
  27. ^ "ACE Repertory".
  28. ^ "Australiancharts.com – The Strokes – Room On Fire". Hung Medien.
  29. ^ "Austriancharts.at – The Strokes – Room On Fire" (in German). Hung Medien.
  30. ^ "Ultratop.be – The Strokes – Room On Fire" (in Dutch). Hung Medien.
  31. ^ "Ultratop.be – The Strokes – Room On Fire" (in French). Hung Medien.
  32. ^ "The Strokes Chart History (Canadian Albums)". Billboard.
  33. ^ "Danishcharts.dk – The Strokes – Room On Fire". Hung Medien.
  34. ^ "Dutchcharts.nl – The Strokes – Room On Fire" (in Dutch). Hung Medien.
  35. ^ "The Strokes: Room On Fire" (in Finnish). Musiikkituottajat – IFPI Finland.
  36. ^ "Lescharts.com – The Strokes – Room On Fire". Hung Medien.
  37. ^ "Offiziellecharts.de – The Strokes – Room On Fire" (in German). GfK Entertainment Charts.
  38. ^ "Irish-charts.com – Discography The Strokes". Hung Medien.
  39. ^ "Italiancharts.com – The Strokes – Room On Fire". Hung Medien.
  40. ^ "Charts.nz – The Strokes – Room On Fire". Hung Medien.
  41. ^ "Norwegiancharts.com – The Strokes – Room On Fire". Hung Medien.
  42. ^ "Portuguesecharts.com – The Strokes – Room On Fire". Hung Medien.
  43. ^ "Swedishcharts.com – The Strokes – Room On Fire". Hung Medien.
  44. ^ "Swisscharts.com – The Strokes – Room On Fire". Hung Medien.
  45. ^ Warwick, Neil; Kutner, Jon; Brown, Tony (2004). The Complete Book of the British Charts: Singles & Albums. Omnibus Press. p. 1064. ISBN 1-84449-058-0.
  46. ^ "The Strokes Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard.
  47. ^ "The Strokes Chart History (Top Album Sales)". Billboard.
  48. ^ "The Strokes Chart History (Vinyl Albums)". Billboard.
  49. ^ "ARIA Charts – Accreditations – 2020 Albums" (PDF). Australian Recording Industry Association.
  50. ^ "Canadian album certifications – The Strokes – Room on Fire". Music Canada.
  51. ^ "Japanese album certifications – The Strokes – Room on Fire" (in Japanese). Recording Industry Association of Japan. Retrieved 2 June 2019. Select 2004年10月 on the drop-down menu
  52. ^ "New Zealand album certifications – The Strokes – Room on Fire". Recorded Music NZ. Retrieved 2 June 2019.
  53. ^ "British album certifications – The Strokes – Room on Fire". British Phonographic Industry.
  54. ^ "American album certifications – The Strokes – Room on Fire". Recording Industry Association of America.
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