Knock Knock (Smog album)
| Untitled | |
|---|---|
Knock Knock is the seventh studio album by Bill Callahan, released under his Smog alias. It was originally released through Drag City in January 1999. In Europe, it was released through Domino Recording Company.
Critical reception
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [1] |
| Entertainment Weekly | B+[2] |
| NME | 8/10[3] |
| Pitchfork | 9.7/10[4] |
| Rolling Stone |  [5] |
| The Rolling Stone Album Guide | [6] |
| Select | 4/5[7] |
Heather Phares of AllMusic gave the album 4.5 stars out of 5, calling it "Bill Callahan's subtlest collection of songs yet."[1] She added, "It's a moving album on many levels; not only do the songs have Smog's usual emotional intimacy, their subjects move away from difficult, claustrophobic situations toward maturity and acceptance."[1]
Michele Romero of Entertainment Weekly gave the album a grade of B+, saying, "The energy jolt serves him well, making the delicate broken spirit of his lyrics cathartic rather than depressing."[2] Meanwhile, Samir Khan of Pitchfork gave the album a 9.7 out of 10, saying, "Knock Knock will do little to expand his cult following, but judging by his haunting, twisted smoke, that suits him just fine."[4]
NME listed it as the 10th best album of 1999.[8] Steve Jelbert of The Independent named it the best pop album of 1999.[9]
Callahan has said the cover is a reference to "two zen tenets - that of life being like a flash of lightning or a wildcat's roar" (Smog interview in Ink Blot magazine).
Response
Musician Steve Adey covered River Guard on his 2017 LP "Do Me a Kindness".
Track listing
All tracks are written by Bill Callahan
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Let's Move to the Country" | 3:05 |
| 2. | "Held" | 4:02 |
| 3. | "River Guard" | 6:22 |
| 4. | "No Dancing" | 3:00 |
| 5. | "Teenage Spaceship" | 3:58 |
| 6. | "Cold Blooded Old Times" | 4:14 |
| 7. | "Sweet Treat" | 2:59 |
| 8. | "Hit the Ground Running" | 6:56 |
| 9. | "I Could Drive Forever" | 5:15 |
| 10. | "Left Only with Love" | 2:52 |
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 11. | "Look Now" | 3:24 |
| 12. | "The Only Mother" | 3:29 |
References
- ^ a b c Phares, Heather. "Knock Knock – Smog". AllMusic. Retrieved February 25, 2006.
- ^ a b Romero, Michele (February 5, 1999). "Knock Knock". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved April 23, 2017.
- ^ Oldham, James (February 4, 1999). "Smog – Knock Knock". NME. Archived from the original on August 17, 2000. Retrieved April 23, 2017.
{{cite journal}}: Unknown parameter|deadurl=ignored (|url-status=suggested) (help) - ^ a b Khan, Samir. "Smog: Knock Knock". Pitchfork. Archived from the original on September 7, 2008. Retrieved August 25, 2006.
{{cite web}}: Unknown parameter|deadurl=ignored (|url-status=suggested) (help) - ^ Sheffield, Rob (February 4, 1999). "Smog: Knock Knock". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on October 27, 2003. Retrieved August 15, 2007.
{{cite journal}}: Unknown parameter|deadurl=ignored (|url-status=suggested) (help) - ^ Sheffield, Rob (2004). "Smog". In Brackett, Nathan; Hoard, Christian (eds.). The New Rolling Stone Album Guide. Simon & Schuster. pp. 754–55. ISBN 0-7432-0169-8.
- ^ Male, Andrew (March 1999). "Smog: Knock Knock". Select (105): 81–82.
- ^ "Albums And Tracks Of The Year: 1999". NME. October 10, 2016. Retrieved February 6, 2018.
- ^ "The best pop albums of 1999". The Independent. December 17, 1999. Retrieved February 6, 2018.
External links
- Knock Knock at Discogs (list of releases)