The Trials of Van Occupanther
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| The Trials of Van Occupanther | |||||
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| Studio album by Midlake | |||||
| Released | July 25, 2006 | ||||
| Recorded | 2005-2006 | ||||
| Genre | Progressive Rock Jazz Fusion Progressive Folk |
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| Length | 44:51 | ||||
| Label | Bella Union | ||||
| Producer | Tim Smith and Midlake | ||||
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The Trials of Van Occupanther is the second album by Texas, United States rock band Midlake. It was released on 25 July 2006 on Bella Union Records. It is a suite of lush, heavily melodic songs laden with multi-part harmonies, given evocative lyrical imagery set in woodlands, boats and log cabins, telling oblique but moving tales of pioneering, travel and isolation. The sound of the album has been compared to classic '70s rock outfits such as Fleetwood Mac, Crosby Stills and Nash and America, but there is still a heavy reliance on analog synthesizers carried over from their first album Bamnan and Slivercork. This concept album is rumored to be based on the Oregon Trail computer game[who?].
Contents |
[edit] Track listing
- "Roscoe" – 4:49
- "Bandits" – 4:04
- "Head Home" – 5:45
- "Van Occupanther" – 3:15
- "Young Bride" – 4:56
- "Branches" – 5:02
- "In This Camp" – 5:46
- "We Gathered in Spring" – 3:33
- "It Covers the Hillsides" – 3:14
- "Chasing After Deer" – 2:42
- "You Never Arrived" – 1:45
The EU edition contains 4 bonus tracks
- Mornings Will be Kind
- Marion
- It Covers The Hillsides (alt version)
- Paper Gown
The Australasian edition includes a bonus CD with the following tracklisting:-
- Mornings Will Be Kind (2005)
- Paper Gown (2001)
- It Covers The Hillsides (alt version) (2006)
- Excited But Not Enough (2001)
- Golden Hour (2001)
[edit] Personnel
- Tim Smith — vocals, piano, keyboard, acoustic guitar, electric guitar, flute
- Eric Pulido — electric guitar, acoustic guitar, 12-string acoustic guitar, keyboards, backing vocals
- Eric Nichelson — keyboards, piano, acoustic guitar, 12-string acoustic guitar, electric guitar
- Paul Alexander — bass, double bass, electric guitar, keyboards, piano, bassoon
- McKenzie Smith — drums, percussion
[edit] Additional musicians
- Linda Salisbury — french horn on "Branches" and "Van Occupanther"
- Josh Ello — violin on "Young Bride"
[edit] Production notes
- Songs and lyrics by Tim Smith
- Produced by Tim Smith and Midlake
- Engineered and mixed by Paul Alexander and Midlake
- Mastered by Alan Douches at West West Side Music
- Photos by Tim Smith
- Design and layout by Tim Carter and Midlake
- Recorded and mixed in Denton, TX
