| The Vertigo of Bliss | ||||
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| Studio album by Biffy Clyro | ||||
| Released | 16 June 2003 | |||
| Recorded | Linford Manor Milton Keynes, England |
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| Genre | Alternative rock Experimental rock |
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| Length | 62:13 | |||
| Label | Beggars Banquet BBQCD233 |
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| Producer | Chris Sheldon Biffy Clyro |
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| Professional reviews | ||||
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| Biffy Clyro chronology | ||||
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| Singles from The Vertigo of Bliss | ||||
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The Vertigo of Bliss is the second studio album by Scottish alternative rock band Biffy Clyro, released on 16 June 2003, on Beggars Banquet Records. The band has confirmed the myth that principal recording on the album was recorded in just one day, leaving the band to "play the PlayStation" for the remainder of the week that had been booked in Linford Manor.[1]
Contents |
The Vertigo of Bliss was recorded and released only one year after Blackened Sky. The album arguably sounds more like a singular piece of work (the only track not recorded during the same sessions was "Toys, Toys, Toys..." which was originally a double-A-side single with "Joy.Discovery.Invention") as opposed to a collection of individual songs. The album remains a firm favourite with a lot of fans on the Biffy Clyro board, perhaps because of its more experimental style, which sees songs such as "Bodies in Flight" and "Toys Toys Toys, Choke, Toys Toys Toys" cramming several movements into the space of one song. Moreover, string sections are used to climactic effect in "With Aplomb" and "Now The Action Is On Fire" showing the band's clear progression from their debut.
The distinctive cover art was created by Milo Manara, who also created the cover art for all the singles from The Vertigo of Bliss. The album takes its name from one of Lucifer's musings in the novel, I, Lucifer. As with each of the band's first three albums, it has only been played in full once, on 14 December 2005 at King Tut's Wah Wah Hut in Glasgow. The album reached #48 in the UK Albums Chart.
All songs written and composed by Simon Neil, James Johnston, and Ben Johnston.
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Bodies in Flight" | 5:17 |
| 2. | "The Ideal Height" | 3:41 |
| 3. | "With Aplomb" | 5:29 |
| 4. | "A Day of..." | 2:24 |
| 5. | "Liberate the Illiterate / A Mong Among Mingers" | 5:28 |
| 6. | "Diary of Always" | 4:04 |
| 7. | "Questions and Answers" | 4:02 |
| 8. | "Eradicate the Doubt" | 4:26 |
| 9. | "When the Faction's Fractioned" | 3:36 |
| 10. | "Toys, Toys, Toys, Choke, Toys, Toys, Toys" | 5:28 |
| 11. | "All the Way Down: Prologue / Chapter 1" | 6:43 |
| 12. | "A Man of His Appalling Posture" | 3:25 |
| 13. | "Now the Action is on Fire!" | 8:01 |
| 14. | "Ewen's True Mental You" (Hidden track starting at 6:24 of previous track) | 1:37 |
The Vertigo of Bliss was released in the UK in 2003.
| Country | Date | Label | Format | Catalogue number |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| United Kingdom | 16 June 2003 | Beggars Banquet | CD | BBQCD233 |
| United Kingdom | 16 June 2003 | Beggars Banquet | Vinyl (now out of print) | BBQ233 |
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