The Chemistry of Common Life is the second full-length studio album by Canadian hardcore punk band Fucked Up. It was released on October 7, 2008, on Matador Records in CD and double LP formats and on Welfare Records in Reel-to-reel Audio Tapes. The statement on the label's site describes it as "an expansive epic about the mysteries of birth, death, and the origins of life (and re-living)".
| The Chemistry of Common Life | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
.jpeg) | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | October 7, 2008 | |||
| Recorded | January – June 2008 at Halla Music Studios and Central Audio Studios, Toronto | |||
| Genre | Hardcore punk,[1] indie rock[1] | |||
| Length | 52:20 | |||
| Label | Matador | |||
| Producer | Jon Drew | |||
| Fucked Up chronology | ||||
| ||||
| Aggregate scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| Metacritic | 85/100[2] |
| Review scores | |
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [3] |
| Alternative Press |  [4] |
| The A.V. Club | A[5] |
| Blender | [6] |
| Mojo | [7] |
| NME | 8/10[8] |
| Pitchfork | 8.8/10[1] |
| Q | [9] |
| Spin | [10] |
| Uncut | [11] |
The album is named after a book by James F. W. Johnston, which (among other things) describes hallucinogenic properties of mushrooms and plants. The title for the track "The Peaceable Kingdom" is taken from a famous painting by American folk-painter Edward Hicks. The cover art depicts the phenomenon of Manhattanhenge.
The album won the 2009 Polaris Music Prize.[12]
Track listing
edit| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Son the Father" (guest vocals by Lullabye Arkestra) | 6:32 |
| 2. | "Magic Word" | 3:21 |
| 3. | "Golden Seal" | 3:35 |
| 4. | "Days of Last" | 4:31 |
| 5. | "Crooked Head" | 5:55 |
| 6. | "No Epiphany" (guest vocals by Vivian Girls) | 4:19 |
| 7. | "Black Albino Bones" (guest vocals by Dallas Green) | 4:14 |
| 8. | "Royal Swan" (guest vocals by Katie Stelmanis) | 4:49 |
| 9. | "Twice Born" (guest vocals by Sebastien Grainger) | 4:26 |
| 10. | "Looking for God" (Instrumental) | 3:15 |
| 11. | "The Chemistry of Common Life" | 7:23 |
The track "The Peaceable Kingdom" - 4:25 is only available on the vinyl (as track 7)/iTunes Music Store releases. All songs written by the band, except tracks "Golden Seal" written by 10,000 Marbles and Corona, "Royal Swan" written by Mr. Jo with lyrics by 10,000 Marbles, "Twice Born" written by Mr. Jo with lyrics by Pink Eyes and "Looking For God" written by 10,000 Marbles and Corona.
Lineup
edit- Pink Eyes – vocals
- 10,000 Marbles – guitar
- Gulag – guitar
- Young Governor – guitar
- Mustard Gas – bass
- Mr. Jo – drums
References
edit- ^ a b c Cohen, Ian (October 16, 2008). "Fucked Up: The Chemistry of Common Life". Pitchfork. Retrieved July 3, 2016.
- ^ "Reviews for Chemistry Of Common Life by Fucked Up". Metacritic. Retrieved July 3, 2016.
- ^ Lymangrover, Jason. "The Chemistry of Common Life – Fucked Up". AllMusic. Retrieved July 3, 2016.
- ^ "Fucked Up: The Chemistry of Common Life". Alternative Press (244): 156. November 2008.
- ^ Burgess, Aaron (October 6, 2008). "Fucked Up: The Chemistry Of Common Life". The A.V. Club. Retrieved July 3, 2016.
- ^ Dolan, Jon. "Fucked Up: The Chemistry Of Common Life". Blender. Archived from the original on October 7, 2008. Retrieved July 3, 2016.
- ^ "Fucked Up: The Chemistry of Common Life". Mojo (180): 106. November 2008.
- ^ Patashnik, Ben (October 10, 2008). "Fucked Up: The Chemistry Of Common Life". NME. Archived from the original on March 3, 2016. Retrieved July 3, 2016.
- ^ "Fucked Up: The Chemistry of Common Life". Q (268): 117. November 2008.
- ^ Gross, Joe (November 2008). "F-Bomb Squad". Spin. 24 (11): 102. Retrieved July 3, 2016.
- ^ "Fucked Up: The Chemistry of Common Life". Uncut (138): 96. November 2008.
- ^ Nurwisah, Ron (September 22, 2009). "F***** Up wins the 2009 Polaris Music Prize". National Post. Archived from the original on September 24, 2009. Retrieved September 22, 2009.