Track Listing
1. Lisztomania - (with Phoenix)
1. Lisztomania
2. 1901 - (with Phoenix)
2. 1901
3. Fences - (with Phoenix)
3. Fences
4. Love Like A Sunset Pt.1 - (with Phoenix)
4. Love Like a Sunset Pt. 1
5. Love Like A Sunset Pt.2 - (with Phoenix)
5. Love Like a Sunset Pt. 2
6. Lasso - (with Phoenix)
6. Lasso
7. Rome - (with Phoenix)
7. Rome
8. Countdown - (with Phoenix)
8. Countdown
9. Girlfriend - (with Phoenix)
9. Girlfriend
10. Armistice - (with Phoenix)
10. Armistice
| Details | | Producer: | Philippe Zdar, Phoenix | | Distributor: | RED Distribution | | Recording Type: | Studio | | Recording Mode: | Stereo | | SPAR Code: | n/a |
Album Notes
Phoenix (Rock): Thomas Mars (vocals); Christian Mazzalai, Laurent Brancowitz (guitar); Deck D'Arcy (bass guitar).
Additional personnel: Thomas Hedlund (drums, sampler).
Audio Mixer: Philippe Zdar.
Audio Remasterer: Mike Marsh.
Recording information: Motorbass, Paris, France.
The slyly referential MOR-pop of Phoenix has, in part, staked it's effectiveness on the reclaiming of unfashionable music styles of yore. From electro-inflected country & western ditties to airy, synth-heavy soft-rock, the group's giddy embrace of all that's considered schlock--retouching the results to a fine point with crisp, modern production and a hip, young attitude--ascended them to the status of postmodern pop auteurs par excellence. WOLFGANG AMADEUS PHOENIX, the band's fourth album, further refines their approach, reining in the scattershot, darts-to-the-wall tactics of the past to reveal some of the most vibrantly melodic and robust songwriting of their career. The album kicks off with the bouncy, feel good rave-up "Lisztomania," a song whose, mostly, nonsense lyrics singer Thomas Mars imbues with convincing stylistic panache. The only song that deviates from the album's revved-up and stylized pop perfection is the plangent, nearly eight-minute, epic "Love Like a Sunset," which explores the shoegazery melodrama of groups like M83.
The slyly referential MOR-pop of Phoenix has, in part, staked it's effectiveness on the reclaiming of unfashionable music styles of yore. From electro-inflected country & western ditties to airy, synth-heavy soft-rock, the group's giddy embrace of all that's considered schlock--retouching the results to a fine point with crisp, modern production and a hip, young attitude--ascended them to the status of postmodern pop auteurs par excellence. WOLFGANG AMADEUS PHOENIX, the band's fourth album, further refines their approach, reining in the scattershot, darts-to-the-wall tactics of the past to reveal some of the most vibrantly melodic and robust songwriting of their career. The album kicks off with the bouncy, feel good rave-up "Lisztomania," a song whose, mostly, nonsense lyrics singer Thomas Mars imbues with convincing stylistic panache. The only song that deviates from the album's revved-up and stylized pop perfection is the plangent, nearly eight-minute, epic "Love Like a Sunset," which explores the shoegazery melodrama of groups like M83.
Editorial Reviews
4 stars out of 5 -- It may be oversimplifying to invoke the spirit of Radiohead, but this could be Phoenix's OK Computer and Kid A rolled into one.
Q
[T]he album's 10 songs are arranged and executed with virtuoso pop-rock precision....Its unflappable sonic sheen gives WOLFGANG some winsome 80s nostalgia...
Pitchfork
These arch Frenchmen make precision-tooled pop that somehow retains a sense of urgency and playfulness -- an impressive balancing act...
Spin
4 stars out of 5 -- The 10 songs are sleek and clean....'Fences' spikes the electro beat of Daft Punk with an urgent acoustic-guitar breakdown for splendidly danceable melancholy.
Rolling Stone
[T]he Versailles-bred foursome actually possess one of the purest pop aesthetics on either side of the Atlantic....The underlying vibe is both retro and somehow outside of time... -- Grade: A-
Entertainment Weekly
4 stars out of 5 -- [A]n absolute blast, rich in ringing guitar and euphoric synths....The expansive, two-part 'Love Like A Sunset' evokes strains of '70s prog-disco.
Alternative Press
Thomas Mars sings with the urgency of Of Montreal's Kevin Barnes, and his band plays with a Killers-like accessibility.
Paste
The group has polished its '60s-rock-revivalist sound to near perfection, but keeps expanding its aural palette, experimenting with layered rhythms and sonic textures.
Billboard
CMJ The band's brand of glamorous electronic-tinged pop is mixed with twee plinks here and there, supplemented with airy keys and a futuristic spaceship feel that will be pleasing to both clubbers and concert-goers alike.
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fO9BKLRoCNgTQ~~_7.JPG "Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix * by Phoenix (Rock) (CD, May-2009, Glass Note)")
fO9BKLRoCNgTQ~~_32.JPG "Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix * by Phoenix (Rock) (CD, May-2009, Glass Note)")
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