Origin of Symmetry
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| Origin of Symmetry | ||
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| Studio album by Muse | ||
| Released | June 18, 2001 (UK, AU) September 20, 2005 (USA) |
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| Recorded | 2001 | |
| Genre | Alternative rock Progressive rock |
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| Length | 51:42 | |
| Label | Mushroom | |
| Producer(s) | John Leckie, David Bottrill, Muse | |
| Professional reviews | ||
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| Muse chronology | ||
| Showbiz (1999) |
Origin of Symmetry (2001) |
Hullabaloo Soundtrack (2002) |
Origin of Symmetry is English rock band Muse's second album, released in the summer of 2001 on Mushroom Records in the UK. "Plug In Baby", "New Born", "Bliss", "Feeling Good" and "Hyper Music" were the singles from this album; the latter two were released together as a double-A-side.
Maverick Records, who previously released Showbiz in the US, asked Muse to remove the falsetto vocals for the Origin of Symmetry US release. They believed that the falsetto would discourage radio play. Muse's refusal to compromise their artistic integrity saw them part ways with the label. For this reason, the CD was not released in the US until September, 2005. Muse's track New Born was taken and remixed by Paul Oakenfold, and appears on the Swordfish soundtrack.
"Feeling Good" is a cover of a song originally from a 1965 musical (The Roar of the Greasepaint—the Smell of the Crowd). Nestlé tried to use it in a coffee commercial. Nestlé first sought the permission of Muse, who refused them the right to use the song, however Nestlé continued to use the song and therefore Muse took them to court. They were forced to remove it and pay the band £500,000 in damages (which the band donated to Oxfam), however Nestlé then replaced the Muse version with a close imitation.
The band experimented instrumentally throughout the album. Dominic Howard (drums) augmented the standard rock drum kit with various other items of his own, and Matthew Bellamy uses a pipe organ on "Megalomania", an anti-religion themed song. Throughout the album, the bass line is used as the driving force, often with the guitar providing only an extra layer to the song rather than carrying the melody. The bass has distortion and other effects applied to it to achieve a greater weight, allowing the guitar to digress from the main tune and play higher notes.
A further double-A-side ("Dead Star"/"In Your World") was released closely following this album sequence, to promote the band's next 2CD/2DVD release Hullabaloo.
In 2006, Q readers voted it at #73 on their 100 Greatest Albums Ever.
The album has gone gold in the UK since its release, with sales over 100,000. It has also sold over 1.3 million worldwide but only 49,000 copies were sold in the US.
Contents |
[edit] Track listing
All songs by Matthew Bellamy, except track 10, by Leslie Bricusse and Anthony Newley.
- "New Born" – 6:01
- "Bliss" – 4:12
- "Space Dementia" – 6:20
- "Hyper Music" – 3:20
- "Plug In Baby" – 3:40
- "Citizen Erased" – 7:19
- "Micro Cuts" – 3:38
- "Screenager" – 4:20
- "Darkshines" – 4:47
- "Feeling Good" – 3:19
- "Futurism" (Japan Bonus Track) – 3:27
- "Megalomania" – 4:38
[edit] Personnel
- Matthew Bellamy – lead vocals, guitars, piano, synthesizers
- Chris Wolstenholme - backing vocals, bass guitar, synthesizers on "Micro Cuts"
- Dominic Howard – drums, percussion, bass guitar on "Darkshines"
[edit] With
- Clare Finnimore – viola
- Sara Herbert – violin
- Caroline Lavelle – cello, improvised cello (10)
- Jacqueline Norrie – violin
[edit] Singles
| Title | Date Released | Cat. # | UK Singles Chart | Cover |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| "Plug In Baby" | 5 March 2001 | MUSH 89 CDS | 11 |  |
| "New Born" | 5 June 2001 | MUSH 92 CDS | 12 |  |
| "Bliss" | 20 August 2001 | MUSH 96 CDS | 22 |  |
| "Hyper Music/Feeling Good" | 24 November 2001 | MUSH 97 CDS | 24 |  |
- All singles were released on CD and 7" Vinyl.
- None of the singles charted on the US Modern Rock chart.
[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 | Invincible | Map of the Problematique |
| Production |
| John Leckie | Rich Costey | Paul Reeve |
