The Seldom Seen Kid

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The Seldom Seen Kid

Studio album by Elbow

Released

March 17, 2008

April 22, 2008

Recorded

2006-2007, Blueprint Studios, Manchester

Genre

Indie rock

Length

56:57

Label

Fiction Records
Polydor
Geffen Records

Producer

Craig Potter, Elbow

Professional reviews

Elbow chronology

Leaders of the Free World
(2005)

The Seldom Seen Kid
(2008)

The Seldom Seen Kid is the fourth studio album by the indie rock band Elbow. It was released by Fiction Records on March 17, 2008 in the United Kingdom^[1] and was released by Geffen Records on April 22, 2008 in the United States. The dates for other countries have not been revealed yet.

The album was recorded at Blueprint Studios in Manchester, and is the first Elbow album to be entirely self-produced, mixed and recorded without any outside help. The bulk of the record was written and performed by the band, besides a guest appearance from singer-songwriter Richard Hawley who contributes to guest vocals, lead guitar and co-songwriting on "The Fix".

The title of the album is taken from a lyric in the first single, "Grounds for Divorce." It also is a nickname, given by Guy Garvey's father^[2], for Bryan Glancy, a friend of the band who died suddenly in 2006.^[3] The closing track, "Friend of Ours," is dedicated in his memory.^[4] The album has received nearly unanimous praise from media outlets, including the NME, which gave Elbow their fourth consecutive 9/10 album rating. The album also debuted at #5 on the March 23 UK Albums Chart, the highest charting position of their career so far.

The album was released in the UK in three versions: a regular CD in a super-jewel box, a digipack CD (both with one bonus track, "We're Away") and a double 12" vinyl LP.

1 Track listing
2 Singles
3 Personnel
4 References

[edit] Track listing

All songs written by Elbow; lyrics by Guy Garvey (except where noted).

"Starlings" - 5:20
"The Bones of You" (Elbow; contains elements of "Summertime" by George Gershwin, Dubose Heyward, Dorothy Heyward & Ira Gershwin) - 4:49
"Mirrorball" - 5:50
"Grounds for Divorce" - 3:39
"An Audience with the Pope" - 4:27
"Weather to Fly" - 4:29
"The Loneliness of a Tower Crane Driver" - 5:14
"The Fix" (Elbow, Richard Hawley) - 4:27
"Some Riot" - 5:23
"One Day Like This" - 6:34
"Friend of Ours" - 5:01
"We're Away" (UK bonus track) - 1:59

[edit] Singles

"Grounds for Divorce" (March 10, 2008) [released and deleted in the same week]
- CD: b/w "Hotel Istanbul" - 7:02
- 7" #1: b/w "Our Little Boat" - 2:52
- 7" #2: b/w "A Regret" - 1:09
"One Day Like This" (June 2, 2008)
- CD: b/w "Lullaby" - 3:13
- 7" #1: b/w "Every Bit the Little Girl"
- 7" #2: b/w "Li'l Pissed Charmin' Tune"

"One Day Like This" (March 18, 2008) - digital download only

[edit] Personnel

[edit] Elbow

Guy Garvey – Vocals, String & Brass Arrangements
Mark Potter – Guitars
Craig Potter – Keyboards, Trumpet
Pete Turner – Bass
Richard Jupp – Drums

[edit] Additional musicians

Richard Hawley - Vocals & Lead Guitar on "The Fix"
Ian Burdge - Cello, Backing Vocals
Prabjote Osahn - Violin, Backing Vocals
Stella Page - Violin & Viola, Backing Vocals
Ben Parsons - Coronet
Nick Smart - Coronet & Flugel
Matt Ball - Trombone
Sheona White - E Flat Horn
Tim Barber - Trumpet
Elbow Choir - Backing Vocals
Angela Thwaite - Backing Vocals
Louise Turner - Backing Vocals

[edit] Credits

Craig Potter - Production, Mixing
Danny Evans - Additional engineering on "Grounds For Divorce" and "Friend Of Ours"
Danny McTague - Additional engineering on "One Day Like This"
Tim Young - Mastering
Mazen Murad - Mastering on "We're Away"
Oliver East - Artwork
Red Design - Design