The Blinding EP is an EP by English indie rock band Babyshambles. It was the band's first release since signing with major record label Parlophone. The EP was released on 4 December 2006 in the United Kingdom to positive critical reviews by that label's offshoot Regal Records (see 2006 in British music) and on 5 December in the United States by Capitol Records.[1] The EP entered the official UK Albums Chart at #62 on 11 December 2006, while the title song entered the download chart at #77. A week later, an entry on band's official MySpace blog stated that had a fifth track not been added to make the EP ineligible in the UK Singles Chart, "The Blinding" would have entered that chart at #4. As with their debut album, Pete Doherty designed the artwork for the EP.[1]
| The Blinding EP | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| EP by | ||||
| Released | 4 December 2006 | |||
| Recorded | 2006 | |||
| Genre | Indie rock, garage punk, garage rock | |||
| Length | 17:32 | |||
| Label | Regal, Parlophone | |||
| Producer | Babyshambles | |||
| Babyshambles chronology | ||||
| ||||
| Pete Doherty chronology | ||||
| ||||
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| Allmusic |   [2] |
| Drowned in Sound | 6/10[3] |
| Gigwise |  [4] |
| inthenews.co.uk | 9/10[5] |
| Pitchfork Media | 6.1/10[6] |
| PlayLouder | [7] |
| PopMatters |   [8] |
| Spin | [9] |
| Stylus Magazine | B[10] |
| The Independent | [11] |
Track listing
editAll lyrics written by Pete Doherty, all music written by Babyshambles.
- "The Blinding" – 2:59
- "Love You but You're Green" – 4:35
- "I Wish" – 2:47
- "Beg, Steal or Borrow" – 3:07
- "Sedative" – 4:04
NME reported in October 2006 that the band had recorded eleven songs including those on the EP, and the following tracks not featured on the EP: "I Can See from Afar", "Anguish", "Stung Me Like Life".[1]
Music videos
edit"The Blinding"
editThe video for "The Blinding" was directed by Julien Temple. It was filmed in a deserted West London subway station/underpass.
The video features the band performing the song in the subway station, or alternatively cooped up in a glass box, with black gaffer tape covering their eyes, all interspersed with random bits and bobs; skulls, a deer, Pete Doherty standing up in an open coffin, a creepy mannequin, "Elvis is dead", a chainsaw and a "blinded" Doherty painting on a wall. Renaissance playwright Christopher Marlowe also makes an appearance. His portrait is stabbed in the eye, as was Christopher Marlowe himself during a bar brawl over the bill—a wound that ended his life. The video culminates in a general mirror and guitar smashing session, including Doherty stabbing a mirror with his own reflection in it. Paul Roundhill and The General make short appearances.
"Love You But You're Green"
editThe video for "Love You but You're Green," directed by Julien Temple, features the individual band members playing their instruments, never together but at separate locations. Adam Ficek and his drum kit are perched on a traffic island, Drew McConnell is strumming his double bass by a log fire, Mick Whitnall is in a graveyard and Pete Doherty is hanging around, singing and strumming, in front of a run-down wooden shack and later in front of a pile of tyres in what an old car yard.
Both this song and "The Blinding" were originally written while Peter was in The Libertines; however, it is unclear whether any of the other band members co-wrote them or not.[12]
Chart performance
edit| Chart (2005) | Peak position[13] |
|---|---|
| UK Albums Chart | 62 |
| Japan Singles Chart | 147 |
| Danish Singles Chart | 5 |
References
edit- ^ a b c "Babyshambles prepare 'Blinding' EP". NME. 14 October 2006. Retrieved 14 October 2006.
- ^ Phares, Heather. "The Blinding EP - Babyshambles". Allmusic. Retrieved 15 June 2011.
- ^ Gourlay, Dom (29 November 2006). "Babyshambles - The Blinding EP". Drowned in Sound. Archived from the original on 16 October 2012. Retrieved 15 June 2011.
- ^ Westmoreland, Jennifer (5 December 2006). "Babyshambles – 'The Blinding EP' (Parlophone) Released 04/12/06". Gigwise. Retrieved 15 June 2011.
- ^ Pike, Karl (27 November 2006). "Babyshambles: The Blinding EP". inthenews.co.uk. Archived from the original on 5 February 2012. Retrieved 15 June 2011.
- ^ Hogan, Marc (12 December 2006). "Pitchfork: Album Reviews: Babyshambles: The Blinding EP". Pitchfork Media. Retrieved 15 June 2011.
- ^ Kane, Norven (22 December 2006). "The Blinding EP - Babyshambles". PlayLouder. Archived from the original on 10 January 2007. Retrieved 15 June 2011.
- ^ Lomas, Michael (7 December 2006). "Babyshambles: The Blinding EP". PopMatters. Retrieved 15 June 2011.
- ^ Young, Jon. "Babyshambles, 'The Blinding EP' (Capitol)". Spin. Retrieved 15 June 2011.
- ^ Miller, Derek (12 November 2006). "Babyshambles - The Blinding EP". Stylus Magazine. Retrieved 15 June 2011.
- ^ "Album: Babyshambles". The Independent. 8 December 2006. Retrieved 15 June 2011.
- ^ "'Ere..." thelibertines.org. 26 December 2002. Retrieved 31 December 2007.
- ^ "Babyshambles - Fuck Forever - Music Charts". acharts.us. Retrieved 16 October 2007.
External links
edit- babyshambles.net - official band website
- babyshamblesofficial - official band MySpace page