Employment (album)

Untitled

Employment is the debut album by English rock band Kaiser Chiefs. It was released on March 7, 2005 on the B-Unique record label and went on to becoming the fourth best-selling album in the United Kingdom that year.

A massive critical and commercial success, Employment takes its inspirations from the Britpop movement, as well as 70s'-era art rock/punk and Beach Boys-esque West Coast music. Originally the album charted at #3 in the UK Albums Chart on March 13, 2005, but charted one place higher at #2 almost a year after its release, due to the bands sucsess at the Brit Awards.

Reception

Professional reviews:

• Rolling Stone (p.76) - 4 stars out of 5 - "[D]anceable art-punk gems full of guitar fuzz, na-na-na choruses and boyish energy..."
• Spin (p.62) - Ranked #19 in Spin's "40 Best Albums Of 2005" - "[A] cohesive debut that recalls the glory days of Britpop and second-wave punk" - Spin (p.102) - "[T]he quintet bash through nervy, synth-stoked guitar pop....[With] a dedication to daffy English humor and bouncy music-hall folderol that creates the illusion of cultural import." - Grade: B+
• Entertainment Weekly (No. 814, p.64) - "[T]he Leeds five have polished their ability to craft catchy songs..." - Grade: B
• Uncut (p.105) - 4 stars out of 5 - "Employment is a gem...In the smart-pop steeplechase, Hot Hot Heat have got serious competition."
• Mojo (p.64) - Ranked #50 in Mojo's "The 50 Best Albums Of 2005" - "Ricky Wilson's cheeky chappies proved the power of knowing daftness" - Mojo (p.109) - 4 stars out of 5 - "[E]mploying ill-fitting suits, tongue-in-cheek lyricism and a jerky guitar attack that smelts the classic rock canon into an infectious, head-spinning punch."

Track listing

Regular edition

All tracks by Ricky Wilson, Andrew White, Simon Rix, Nick Baines, and Nick Hodgson.

1. "Everyday I Love You Less and Less" – 3:37
2. "I Predict a Riot" – 3:53
3. "Modern Way" – 4:03
4. "Na Na Na Na Naa" – 3:01
5. "You Can Have It All" – 4:35
6. "Oh My God" – 3:35
7. "Born to Be a Dancer" – 3:30
8. "Saturday Night" – 3:27
9. "What Did I Ever Give You?" – 4:09
10. "Time Honoured Tradition" – 2:45
11. "Caroline, Yes" – 4:13
12. "Team Mate" – 3:24

Track 12 is omitted in some territories.

Limited edition bonus CD

Live CD recorded between May 2004 and January 2005.

1. "Hard Times Send Me" – 2:47
2. "Modern Way" – 3:55
3. "I Predict A Riot" – 4:01
4. "Time Honoured Tradition" – 3:13
5. "Na Na Na Na Naa" – 3:09
6. "Oh My God" – 3:40

Microsite

By placing this CD in a PC CD/DVD drive you can access a special Kaiser Chiefs microsite. The site has 2 additional live tracks to download and an audio stream of a third.

1. "You Can Have It All" (Download) – 4:21
2. "Saturday Night" (Download) – 3:02
3. "Everyday I Love You Less And Less" (Stream)

Singles

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  "Oh My God"
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  UK #66
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Sales

• Europe: Top 10 (2x Platinum) (Sales:2,000,000)
• United Kingdom: #2 (6x Platinum) (Sales:1,880,001)
• Greece: #3 (Gold) (Sales:10,000)

Trivia

• The motorbike that appears at the beginning of "Saturday Night" is owned and 'played' by Graham Coxon. The sleeve notes read "Graham Coxon's motorbike, (1935 Kaiser 'Chief' 750cc Manx TT Works Racer) appears courtesy of Transcopic Records".
• "Caroline Yes" is named in reference to The Beach Boys' song "Caroline, No". The track's original working title was called "Hail to the Chief", according to the Kaiser Chiefs' book A Record of Employment.
• "Saturday Night" and "Born to be a Dancer" feature in the Torchwood episodes "Day One" and "Small Worlds" respectively.
• "Na Na Na Naa" was featured on the fifth soundtrack from Fox's hit T.V. show, "The O.C", entitled "Music From The O.C. Mix 5"

External links

• Employment Lyrics