The Meanest of Times
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| The Meanest of Times | |||||
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| Studio album by Dropkick Murphys | |||||
| Released | September 18, 2007 | ||||
| Recorded | April–June 2007 at The Outpost in Stoughton, Massachusetts | ||||
| Genre | Celtic Punk | ||||
| Length | 54:33 | ||||
| Label | Born & Bred Records | ||||
| Producer | Dropkick Murphys | ||||
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| Dropkick Murphys chronology | |||||
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| Alternative cover | |||||
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| Limited Edition Cover | |||||
The Meanest of Times is the sixth album by the Dropkick Murphys. It was released on September 18, 2007 by their new vanity label, Born & Bred Records, a division of Warner Music Group.[1] That makes this their major label debut, as all of their previous albums were released on the independent label Hellcat Records.
The picture on the album's cover was taken at Saint Brendan School in Dorchester, Massachusetts, close to Quincy, Massachusetts from whence the band hails. Local kids posed in the picture to make it look like it was taken in an old Irish school.[citation needed]
The first songs from the album were heard through the band's MySpace page starting in August 2007. The first track to appear was "(F)lannigan's Ball", which was actually a different version that what appeared on the album, as it featured vocals by Al Barr and Ken Casey rather than Ronnie Drew and Spider Stacy.[2]
On the U.S. Billboard 200 chart, the album debuted at number 20, selling about 28,000 copies in its first week.[3] This album was #49 on Rolling Stone's list of the Top 50 Albums of 2007.[4] The album's first single, "The State of Massachusetts", became one of the 100-most-played songs on US modern rock radio in October 2007[5]. Also in October, the song had been added to the playlists of 18 US alternative rock stations.[6] By January of 2008, the song had become one of the 60-most-played alternative rock songs in the United States. This song was #83 on Rolling Stone's list of the 100 Best Songs of 2007.[7]
The State of Massachusetts is available for download in a special Indie rock pack on Guitar Hero II, and Famous for Nothing, (F)Lanningan's Ball, and Johnny, I Hardly Knew Ya are available as a three song track pack on Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock.
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[edit] Versions
Multiple versions of the album were released, across different mediums and regions. All versions feature the same initial 15 tracks, but have different bonus tracks. The European version includes a cover of the Thin Lizzy song "Jailbreak". A deluxe vinyl edition, which features the album spread out over two 12" records, includes two bonus tracks, "Promised Land" and a cover of The Who song "Baba O'Riley". The vinyl release also includes the album on CD, but the CD only includes the first 15 tracks. The deluxe edition of the iTunes Store release includes three bonus tracks, "Forever" (acoustic version), "The Thick Skin of Defiance" and "Breakdown". The bonus tracks from the iTunes release are also available on "The State of Massachusetts" EP that was released in the UK in February 2008[8].
A limited edition version of the album was released on March 11, 2008. It includes 5 bonus tracks (including the European bonus track, all three iTunes bonus tracks as well as the original version of "(F)lannigan's Ball") as well as a DVD.[9]
[edit] Track listing
All songs by Dropkick Murphys unless otherwise noted.
- "Famous For Nothing" – 2:47
- "God Willing" – 3:16
- "The State of Massachusetts" – 3:52
- "Tomorrow's Industry" – 2:19
- "Echoes on "A". Street" – 3:17
- "Vices and Virtues" – 2:11
- "Surrender" – 3:15
- "(F)lannigan's Ball" (Traditional, Dropkick Murphys) – 3:39
- "I'll Begin Again" – 2:38
- "Fairmount Hill" (Traditional, Dropkick Murphys) – 3:58
- "Loyal to No One" – 2:25
- "Shattered" – 2:47
- "Rude Awakenings" – 3:23
- "Johnny, I Hardly Knew Ya" (Traditional, Dropkick Murphys) – 3:54
- "Never Forget" – 2:51
[edit] Bonus tracks
Limited edition
- "Jailbreak" (Phil Lynott)
- "The Thick Skin of Defiance"
- "Forever 2007
- "Breakdown"
- "(F)lannigan's Ball" (original version) (Traditional, Dropkick Murphys)
European release
- "Jailbreak"
iTunes Deluxe Edition
- "Forever" (acoustic version)
- "The Thick Skin of Defiance"
- "Breakdown"
Deluxe vinyl edition
- "Promised Land"
- "Baba O'Riley"
[edit] Personnel
- Al Barr – vocals
- Marc Orrell – guitar, accordion, vocals
- James Lynch – guitar, vocals
- Ken Casey – bass, vocals
- Matt Kelly – drums, bodhran, vocals
- James "Scruffy" Wallace – bagpipes
- Tim Brennan – mandolin, tin whistle, acoustic guitar
- Spider Stacy – vocals on "(F)lannigan's Ball"
- Ronnie Drew – vocals on "(F)lannigan's Ball"
[edit] References
- ^ Dropkick Murphys announce new album details
- ^ Punknews.org | Dropkick Murphys: "(F)lannigan's Ball" (alternate version)
- ^ Katie Hasty, "Reba Outmuscles Kanye, 50 To Score First No. 1", Billboard.com, September 26, 2007.
- ^ ROBERT CHRISTGAU, DAVID FRICKE, CHRISTIAN HOARD, ROB SHEFFIELD (December 17, 2007). "The Top 50 Albums of 2007" Rolling Stone. Retrieved 2007-12-20
- ^ Mediabase 24/7 - 7 Day Charts
- ^ Mediabase 24/7 - 7 Day Charts
- ^ No byline (December 11, 2007). "The 100 Best Songs of 2007" Rolling Stone. Retrieved 2007-12-21
- ^ RELEASE INFO - Cooking Vinyl UK
- ^ Dropkick Murphys On Letterman Tonight * Announce St. Patty's Day Limited Edition Release of "The Meanest Of Times" on 3/11 & Tour Dates :: Musicpix.net
[edit] External links
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