Margerine Eclipse is the eighth studio album by English-French rock band Stereolab. It was released on 27 January 2004 in the United States by Elektra Records[14][15] and on 2 February 2004 in the United Kingdom by Duophonic Records.[14][16] The album is in large part a eulogy to former band member Mary Hansen, who died in 2002.
| Margerine Eclipse | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | 27 January 2004 | |||
| Recorded | 2003 | |||
| Studio | Instant Zero (France) | |||
| Genre | ||||
| Length | 53:41 | |||
| Label | ||||
| Stereolab chronology | ||||
| ||||
| Aggregate scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| Metacritic | 77/100[4] |
| Review scores | |
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [5] |
| Alternative Press | 4/5[6] |
| Drowned in Sound | 8/10[7] |
| Entertainment Weekly | A−[8] |
| Mojo | [9] |
| The Observer | [1] |
| Pitchfork | 7.6/10[10] |
| Rolling Stone | [11] |
| Spin | B−[12] |
| Uncut | [13] |
By June 2004, Margerine Eclipse had sold over 40,000 copies in the USA.[17] A remastered and expanded edition of the album was released by Duophonic and Warp on 29 November 2019.[18]
Background
editIn December 2002, Stereolab member Mary Hansen was killed in a cycling accident.[19] The band subsequently dedicated Margerine Eclipse to Hansen,[20] with the lyrics of the song "Feel and Triple" making specific reference to her.[5][16][21] Shortly before work commenced on the album, band members Tim Gane and Lætitia Sadier ended their romantic relationship.[19][21] Their breakup is alluded to in Sadier's lyrics for the song "Hillbilly Motobike".[21]
Margerine Eclipse was mixed with full stereo separation – or as Stereolab termed it, in "dual mono".[21] For every song, the band made two recordings – each with a different arrangement – then created a final mix by synchronising both recordings together, with one on the left channel and the other on the right channel.[21] The technique was also used on the band's 2003 EP Instant 0 in the Universe.
Track listing
editAll tracks are written by Tim Gane and Lætitia Sadier
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Vonal Declosion" | 3:34 |
| 2. | "Need to Be" | 4:50 |
| 3. | "'...Sudden Stars'" | 4:41 |
| 4. | "Cosmic Country Noir" | 4:47 |
| 5. | "La Demeure" | 4:36 |
| 6. | "Margerine Rock" | 2:56 |
| 7. | "The Man with 100 Cells" | 3:47 |
| 8. | "Margerine Melodie" | 6:19 |
| 9. | "Hillbilly Motobike" | 2:23 |
| 10. | "Feel and Triple" | 4:53 |
| 11. | "Bop Scotch" | 3:59 |
| 12. | "Dear Marge" | 6:56 |
| Total length: | 53:41 | |
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Vonal Declosion" | 3:34 |
| 2. | "Need to Be" | 4:50 |
| 3. | "'...Sudden Stars'" | 4:41 |
| 4. | "Cosmic Country Noir" | 4:47 |
| 5. | "La Demeure" | 4:36 |
| 6. | "Margerine Rock" | 2:56 |
| 7. | "The Man with 100 Cells" | 3:47 |
| 8. | "Margerine Melodie" | 6:19 |
| 9. | "Hillbilly Motobike" | 2:23 |
| 10. | "La Spirale" | 2:24 |
| 11. | "Feel and Triple" | 4:53 |
| 12. | "Bop Scotch" | 3:59 |
| 13. | "Dear Marge" | 6:56 |
| Total length: | 56:05 | |
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Mass Riff" | 6:30 |
| 2. | "Good Is Me" | 5:27 |
| 3. | "Microclimate" | 4:39 |
| 4. | "Mass Riff" (instrumental intro) | 1:13 |
| 5. | "Jaunty Monty and the Bubbles of Silence" | 4:30 |
| 6. | "Banana Monster ne répond plus" | 4:28 |
| 7. | "University Microfilms International" | 4:01 |
| 8. | "Rose, My Rocket-Brain! (Rose, le cerveau electronique de ma fusée!)" | 5:26 |
| Total length: | 36:14 | |
Personnel
editCredits are adapted from the album's liner notes.[23]
Stereolab
- Tim Gane – electric guitar, electronics, organ
- Lætitia Sadier – vocals, trombone on "Margerine Melodie"
- Dominic Jeffery – organ, electric piano, harpsichord, celeste
- Simon Johns – bass, drums on "Margerine Rock"
- Andy Ramsay – drums, drum machine
Additional musicians
- Fulton Dingley – drum machine, synthesizer, MIDI, percussion
- Sean O'Hagan – keyboards, acoustic and electric guitars, other instruments
- Jan St. Werner – electronics on "Vonal Declosion" and "Feel and Triple"
Production
- Fulton Dingley – engineering, mixing
- Stereolab (credited as "The Groop") – mixing
Charts
edit| Chart (2004) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Scottish Albums (OCC)[24] | 86 |
| UK Albums (OCC)[25] | 108 |
| UK Independent Albums (OCC)[26] | 11 |
| US Billboard 200[27] | 174 |
| US Heatseekers Albums (Billboard)[28] | 6 |
References
edit- ^ a b c Woodcraft, Molloy (1 February 2004). "Stereolab: Margerine Eclipse". The Observer. Archived from the original on 3 September 2018. Retrieved 3 September 2018.
- ^ Cairns, Dan (1 February 2004). "Stereolab: Margerine Eclipse". The Sunday Times. Retrieved 3 December 2020.
- ^ Korenkiewicz, Jason (10 February 2004). "Stereolab: Margerine Eclipse". PopMatters. Retrieved 27 February 2021.
- ^ "Margerine Eclipse by Stereolab Reviews and Tracks". Metacritic. Retrieved 27 February 2021.
- ^ a b Phares, Heather. "Margerine Eclipse – Stereolab". AllMusic. Retrieved 3 September 2018.
- ^ "Stereolab: Margerine Eclipse". Alternative Press. No. 188. March 2004. p. 94.
- ^ Robbins, Andy (22 January 2004). "Album Review: Stereolab – Margerine Eclipse". Drowned in Sound. Archived from the original on 3 September 2018. Retrieved 3 September 2018.
- ^ Vincentelli, Elisabeth (26 January 2004). "Margerine Eclipse". Entertainment Weekly. Archived from the original on 3 September 2018. Retrieved 3 September 2018.
- ^ Barnes, Mike (March 2004). "Stereolab: Margerine Eclipse". Mojo. No. 124. p. 90.
- ^ Leone, Dominique (15 January 2004). "Stereolab: Margerine Eclipse". Pitchfork. Retrieved 3 September 2018.
- ^ Sanneh, Kelefa (5 February 2004). "Stereolab: Margerine Eclipse". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on 5 December 2008. Retrieved 3 September 2018.
- ^ Beaujon, Andrew; Brod, Doug; Chow, Alexander; Day, Adrienne; Greenwald, Andy; Gross, Joe; Hermes, Will; Matos, Michaelangelo (March 2004). "Breakdown". Spin. Vol. 20, no. 3. p. 96. Retrieved 3 September 2018.
- ^ "Stereolab: Margerine Eclipse". Uncut. No. 82. March 2004. p. 90.
- ^ a b Pike, Martin (10 October 2003). "News". stereolab.co.uk. Archived from the original on 3 December 2003. Retrieved 27 February 2021.
- ^ "Stereolab Peers At The 'Eclipse'". Billboard. 2 December 2003. Retrieved 27 February 2021.
- ^ a b McNair, James (30 January 2004). "Stereolab: Total eclipse of the heart". The Independent. Retrieved 27 February 2021.
- ^ Eliscu, Jenny (3 June 2004). "Warner to Ax Eighty Artists". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 28 September 2017.
- ^ Strauss, Matthew (8 October 2019). "Stereolab Announce Sound-Dust and Margerine Eclipse Reissues". Pitchfork. Retrieved 25 January 2021.
- ^ a b Himes, Geoffrey (16 April 2004). "Stereolab 'Margerine Eclipse' Elektra". The Washington Post. Retrieved 2 June 2020.
- ^ Brasor, Philip (11 April 2004). "Stereolab". The Japan Times. Retrieved 3 December 2020.
- ^ a b c d e Wolk, Douglas (31 March 2004). "Living in Dual Mono". Seattle Weekly. Archived from the original on 22 June 2004. Retrieved 2 June 2020.
- ^ "Stereolab – Margerine Eclipse (Expanded Edition)". Duophonic Ultra High Frequency Disks. Retrieved 25 January 2021.
- ^ Margerine Eclipse (liner notes). Stereolab. Duophonic Records. 2004. D-UHF-CD29.
{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link) - ^ "Official Scottish Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 3 September 2018.
- ^ "Chart Log UK: DJ S – The System Of Life". Zobbel.de. Retrieved 3 September 2018.
- ^ "Official Independent Albums Chart Top 50". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 3 September 2018.
- ^ "Stereolab Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved 8 November 2017.
- ^ "Stereolab Chart History (Heatseekers Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved 8 November 2017.
External links
edit- Margerine Eclipse at official Stereolab website
- Margerine Eclipse at Discogs (list of releases)
- Margerine Eclipse at MusicBrainz (list of releases)