Blissard

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Blissard
Blissard cover
Studio album by Motorpsycho
Released February 16, 1996
Recorded Sep-Dec 1995
Genre Rock
Length 61:46 (CD), 53:10 (LP)
Label Stickman Records
Producer Bent Sæther, Deathprod, Pieter Kloos
Motorpsycho chronology
Timothy's Monster
(1994)		 Blissard
(1996)		 Angels and Daemons at Play
(1997)

Blissard is the fifth full length studio album by the Norwegian band Motorpsycho. It was the first where the band tried to bring some more focused and pre-written songs to tape, as opposed to their earlier working technique of doing lot of experimenation and brainstorming in the studio. It is often ranked among their best work by fans and critics.

[edit] Track listing

0. Untitled hidden track – 8:35
  1. "Sinful, wind"-borne – 5:21
  2. "Drug Thing" – 4:37
  3. "Greener" – 6:14
  4. "'s Numbness" – 3:57
  5. "The Nerve Tattoo" – 4:02
  6. "True Middle" – 4:51
  7. "S.T.G." – 9:45
  8. "Manmower" – 4:15
  9. "Fool's Gold" – 3:57
  10. "Nathan Daniel's Tune From Hawaii" – 6:11
  • Nr. 1-4, 7, 9 by Sæther.
  • Nr. 5 by Sæther/Gebhardt.
  • Nr. 6 by Sæther/Burt.
  • Nr. 8 by Sæther/Ryan.
  • Nr. 10 by Sten.
  • This album was also released on heavy-weith double vinyl. Tracklisting as follows: Side A: 1, 2. Side B: 3-5. Side C: 6,7. Side D: 8-10.

[edit] Personnel

  • Bent Sæther: vocals, bass, guitars, taurus,
  • Hans Magnus Ryan: lead and rhythm guitars, vocals, taurus, banjo
  • Håkon Gebhardt: drums
  • Morten Fagervik: rhythm guitars, mellotron, clavinette, viscount organ, piano, vibraphone, vocals

with:

  • Helge Sten (Deathprod): samples, echoplex, oscillator, theremin
  • Ole Henrik Moe (Ohm): saw, violins
  • Bitten Forsudd: back. vocals
  • Rolf Yngve Uggen: back. vocals
  • Matt Burt: voice
  • M. Banto: pandeira

[edit] Miscellanea

  • To play the hidden track, one must rewind from the start until reaching the – 8:35 timestamp.
  • "S.T.G." stands for "Sonic Teenage Guinevere".
  • "True Middle" had a working title, "The Void".
  • "Fool's Gold" and "Nathan Daniel's Tune From Hawaii" were both recorded back in 1994. The latter was made by Deathprod all himself and is dedicated to Nathan Daniel, the inventor of Danelectro and Silvertone guitars.
  • The cover artwork was done by Kim Hiorthøy.
  • At the beginning of "'s Numbness" the voice of an elderly (?) woman is audible, speaking in German. She says: "Halte du den Glauben fest, Angst und Sorge wird's nicht wenden" (You hold the faith tight; fear and worry won't turn it).
  • "Sinful, wind-borne" was released as a single, but only in Italy (via Runt Records) and the USA, and only as 7inch-vinyl. It was backed with "Working for MCA", a Lynyrd Skynyrd cover.
  • The Nerve Tattoo" and "Manmower" were also released as singles/EPs. The latter was only released because the band liked the idea they had for a video so much. Otherwise it was an odd choice, "Manmower" being a slow and mellow (but intense, featuring an impressive mellotron climax) song not likely to receive much airplay.
  • Morten Fagervik, nicknamed "Lolly", was brought in a new member (on keyboards/guitars) in 1995, but quit not long after the release of Blissard. He still remained in the crew, doing the lights during concerts. He is also one of the two drummers of The International Tussler Society.
  • Matt Burt, a writer from Illinois did his second narration (and, as of 2006, his last) on a Motorpsycho track, "True Middle", his first being "Plan #1" from Demon Box.