Knights of Cydonia

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"Knights of Cydonia"
"Knights of Cydonia" cover
Single by Muse
from the album
Black Holes and Revelations
Released 13 June 2006 (U.S.)
27 November 2006 (UK)
Format Promo CD, download, 7", CD, DVD
Genre Alternative rock
Length 6:06 (album version)
4:42 (radio edit)
Label Helium 3, Warner Bros.
Producer(s) Rich Costey
Chart positions
Muse singles chronology
"Starlight"
(September 2006)		 "Knights of Cydonia"
(November 2006)
Alternate cover
7" picture disc
7" picture disc

"Knights of Cydonia" is a song by English rock band Muse and is the closing track on their 2006 album Black Holes and Revelations. The radio edit version was first aired on KROQ radio on 6 June 2006, and released to other radio stations in the United States on 12 June 2006. The song was released as the third single from Black Holes and Revelations in the UK on 27 November 2006, debuting at #10 in the UK Singles Chart (see 2006 in British music).[1] The song was described by BBC Radio 1 DJ Annie Mac on 27 October 2006 as "Six minutes and one second of pure genius".

The first live performance of "Knights of Cydonia" took place at a BBC Radio 1 event, One Big Weekend, held at Camperdown Park in Dundee on 2006-05-13. Also performed at this event were "Supermassive Black Hole" and "Starlight", the first two singles from Black Holes and Revelations. Live performances of "Knights of Cydonia" feature Bellamy's intro falsetto much more loudly and clearly than its studio counterpart.[citation needed] Recent live performances have featured Bellamy playing an extra guitar part during the solo at the end of song, as well as the coda of "Space Dementia" played as a finale (see YouTube link in External links section below).

Contents

[edit] Track listing

  • Promo CD PRO-101829
  1. "Knights of Cydonia" (radio edit) - 4:42
  2. "Knights of Cydonia" (album version) - 6:06
  • 7" HEL3004, Digital download
  1. "Knights of Cydonia" - 6:06
  2. "Assassin" (Grand Omega Bosses edit) - 5:19
  • CD HEL3004CD
  1. "Knights of Cydonia" - 6:06
  2. "Supermassive Black Hole" (live from the Campo Pequeno in Lisbon)
  • DVD HEL3004DVD
  1. "Knights of Cydonia" (video)
  2. "Knights of Cydonia" (audio)
  3. "Knights of Cydonia" (the making of)
  4. Gallery

[edit] Music and meaning

The song features vocals from both Bellamy's higher and lower ranges layered and both synthesised and live trumpet parts. The song also bears a resemblance to the 1962 number one hit "Telstar" by The Tornados (George Bellamy, Matt Bellamy's father was the band's rhythm guitarist). It is highly likely that the similarity is deliberate rather than a coincidence.

The titular "Cydonia" refers to the region on Mars where some believe life has existed, and is the site of the infamous Face on Mars. The cover artwork for Black Holes and Revelations, created by Storm Thorgerson, is set on the surface of Mars, and features four men sitting around a table with miniature horses in front of them. According to the band, these men represent "a part of the apocalypse, each wearing a suit which represents an ailment of humanity."[2]

[edit] Sample

[edit] Music video

The hologram of Muse, playing in a western-style bar.
Enlarge
The hologram of Muse, playing in a western-style bar.

The KOC video was shot over five days: three days in Romania; one day in London; and one day in Red Rock, California; it was made available on July 11th, 2006. It was filmed and edited in the style of an old spaghetti western film with post-apocalyptic themes, complete with beginning and end credits. Despite the western setting, many references to 60s and 70s pop culture are present. Examples of these have temporarily removed, as the band is running a competition in which fans have to guess the 15 references. It was directed by Joseph Kahn, and stars British actor Russ Bain as the lead cowboy, Richard Brake as the antagonist, and Cassandra Bell as the love interest.

A very brief scene in which Bain has sex with his love interest was edited out of the video for presentation on television. The complete, uncensored version (which contains no frontal nudity) is available for viewing at the Director's website.

A deliberate mistake occurs on the main title card, which begins with "KNIGHTS OF CYDONIA (C) MCLMXXXI". These Roman numerals are improper, though might imply that the video was filmed in the years 2081 or 1881. However, at the end of the video, a title card reading "THE END (C) MCMLXXXI" indicates the year 1981. It is possible, however, that this was done intentionally.

[edit] Contest

Shortly after the making of the video, Muse announced that they were giving away 1000 movie posters depicting the characters and general plot of the video itself to the first 1000 people who correctly guessed the fifteen major motion pictures referenced by the music video, "Knights of Cydonia." Aside from the very few obvious ones, such as Star Wars (which is referenced by a robot in the movies' stiff gait and the holograms of Muse being projected everywhere), The Matrix (with the protagonist's 'Bring it' hand gesture), Planet Of The Apes (with the statue of liberty in the desert), Westworld (a western set in the future), Mad Max, The Lone Ranger, and Batman, other references are to the television programs Battlestar Galactica, The Lone Ranger, Buck Rogers in the 25th Century and Kung Fu while more obscure references are to High Plains Drifter, Legend, Maverick, Heavy Metal, The Searchers and Blade Runner.

[edit] Chart performance

"Knights of Cydonia" entered the UK Singles Chart the week of 2006-12-04 at #10. It sold 9,847 in first week (downloads & physical).

"Knights of Cydonia" - UK Singles Chart[3]
Week 1 2
Position
10
29

Prior to its entry in the Singles Chart, "Knights of Cydonia" had been active in the Downloads Chart, and sat at #41 the same week that the physical release debuted at #10 in the Singles Chart. Three weeks earlier, the song sat at #104 in the Downloads Chart marking a substantial jump in that time period.

"Knights of Cydonia" - UK Official Download Chart[4]
Week 1 2 3 4 5
Position
104
103
87
41
46

[edit] References

  1. ^ Muse ready new single. NME (2006-10-09). Retrieved on 2006-10-09.
  2. ^ Jacqui Swift (2006-06-23). Muse: Close encounters. The Sun. Retrieved on 2006-11-30.
  3. ^ Music Charts - The Official UK Top 75 Singles: Week of Mon 11 Dec - Yahoo! Music UK. UK Singles Chart. Retrieved on 2006-12-10.
  4. ^ Music Charts - The Official UK Top 40 Downloads: Week of Mon 11 Dec - Yahoo! Music UK. UK Official Download Chart. Retrieved on 2006-12-10.

[edit] External links

Muse
Dominic Howard | Matthew Bellamy | Chris Wolstenholme
Discography
Studio albums: Showbiz | Origin of Symmetry | Absolution | Black Holes and Revelations
Compilations: Hullabaloo Soundtrack
Live DVDs: Hullabaloo Soundtrack | Absolution Tour
Extended plays: This Is A Muse Demo | Muse | Muscle Museum EP | Random 1-8 (Japan only) | Dead Star/In Your World (Japan & France only)
Singles: Uno | Cave | Muscle Museum | Sunburn | Unintended | Plug In Baby | New Born | Bliss | Hyper Music/Feeling Good | Dead Star/In Your World | Stockholm Syndrome | Time Is Running Out | Hysteria | Sing for Absolution | Apocalypse Please | Butterflies and Hurricanes | Supermassive Black Hole | Starlight | Knights of Cydonia
Production
John Leckie | Rich Costey | Paul Reeve
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