| We Were Dead Before the Ship Even Sank | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Studio album by Modest Mouse | ||||
| Released | March 20, 2007 | |||
| Recorded | 2005–2006 | |||
| Genre | Indie rock[1] | |||
| Length | 62:33 | |||
| Label | Epic | |||
| Producer | Dennis Herring | |||
| Modest Mouse chronology | ||||
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| Professional ratings | |
|---|---|
| Review scores | |
| Source | Rating |
| Allmusic | link |
| Drowned in Sound | 7/10 link |
| Entertainment Weekly | A- link |
| The Guardian | link |
| Los Angeles Times | link |
| The New York Times | link |
| NME | 7/10 link |
| Pitchfork Media | 7.8/10 link |
| PopMatters | 6/10 link |
| Rolling Stone | link |
| Stylus Magazine | C link |
| Tiny Mix Tapes | link |
We Were Dead Before the Ship Even Sank is the fifth studio album by American indie rock band Modest Mouse, released in 2007. The album is the first studio album by the band since their 2004 album, Good News for People Who Love Bad News and is also the first album with former Smiths guitarist Johnny Marr as a member of the band.[2] It has a strong nautical theme and was originally envisioned as a concept album about a boat crew that dies in every song.[3]
This album was certified Gold for sales of over 500,000 copies in the USA.[4]
Contents |
The album was recorded at Sweet Tea Studio in Oxford, Mississippi with producer Dennis Herring, becoming the second consecutive Modest Mouse album to be recorded at that location and with that producer.[5] Audible Alchemy in Portland, Oregon was also credited as a recording studio for the album. The original drummer for Modest Mouse, Jeremiah Green, also returned to the band for this album.[6] Additionally, James Mercer of The Shins sings backup vocals on the tracks "We've Got Everything," "Missed The Boat," and "Florida."[7]
The album was leaked to the Internet on February 15, 2007, a full month before its official release on March 20, 2007. In its first week of release, the album debuted at #1 in the Billboard 200 selling 128,585 copies.[8]
The album went gold in Canada in June 2008 and sold 50,000 copies.
In an interview, Isaac Brock said of Johnny Marr: "He made a cautious commitment to write and record with us, and then the tighter we got, he was like, ‘okay, let's tour too'. Then he was pretty much a member of the band—not pretty much; he's a full blown member of the band. It's really fuckin' nice."[2] According to Brock, Marr was involved in songwriting on the album, and will even tour with the band in support of it. In the interview, Brock described We Were Dead... as a "nautical balalaika carnival romp". Johnny Marr later responded to Brock's comments by saying "Isaac contacted me and asked if I'd help Modest Mouse write the new album. I was intrigued and played with the band in Portland a couple of times. We hit it off and wrote three great songs straight away, something clicked, it felt right from the off. I have a new Healers album pretty much done, but we've been having such a good time playing these new Modest Mouse songs. When people hear the record they'll see why, we're very good together."[9]
The album was originally intended to be released in the United States and Canada on December 19, 2006, but in an e-mail sent to members of Modest Mouse's mailing list on October 6, 2006, the album was pushed back: "The forthcoming record We Were Dead Before the Ship Even Sank is set for release early next year...". It was pushed back until March 20, 2007, and released on April 2, 2007 in the United Kingdom and the Republic of Ireland.[10] The album was also released in Australia on March 17 and Germany on March 30.
Two CD versions of the album were released for purchase: the regular version, which comes in a standard jewel case, and the deluxe digipak version which "includes a digipack and a 32-page full color booklet all packaged in a deluxe slipcase" made of canvas.[11] The Sony Music website also offers a double gatefold (2 LP) 180-gram vinyl edition of the album.[12]
In anticipation of the album's release, Modest Mouse was named March 2007's Xbox Live Artist of the Month. Xbox Live users could download the "Dashboard" music video and have the chance to play against the band in an upcoming Game with Fame. There was also a sweepstakes and other exclusive bonuses.
The first single released from the album was "Dashboard" in January 2007. It was first sent to members of the Modest Mouse e-mail list on January 3 and is still present on the band's media player on their official MySpace page. The song was released to radio on January 16, and made available at the iTunes Store on January 29.[7]
The second single was "Missed the Boat", with the video being directed by Christopher Mills (who also directed the Float On video). It peaked at #24.[13]
The third single is "Little Motel". The video was shown on the official Modest Mouse Youtube channel on October 11, 2007.
All songs written and composed by Isaac Brock and Modest Mouse.
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "March into the Sea" | 3:30 |
| 2. | "Dashboard" | 4:06 |
| 3. | "Fire It Up" | 4:34 |
| 4. | "Florida" | 2:57 |
| 5. | "Parting of the Sensory" | 5:34 |
| 6. | "Missed the Boat" | 4:24 |
| 7. | "We've Got Everything" | 3:40 |
| 8. | "Fly Trapped in a Jar" | 4:29 |
| 9. | "Education" | 3:56 |
| 10. | "Little Motel" | 4:44 |
| 11. | "Steam Engenius" | 4:26 |
| 12. | "Spitting Venom" | 8:27 |
| 13. | "People as Places as People" | 3:42 |
| 14. | "Invisible" | 3:59 |
| "Dashboard / Education / Little Motel Promo" | |
|---|---|
| Single by Modest Mouse |
| Chart (2007) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| U.S. Billboard 200 | 1 |
| U.S. CMJ Radio 200 | 1 |
| Australia Top 100 | 12 |
| Estonian Album Chart | 42 |
| Irish Album Chart | 22 |
| New Zealand Top 40 | 26 |
| Norway Top 40 | 22 |
| UK Album Chart | 47 |
| Single | Chart (2007) | Peak position |
|---|---|---|
| "Dashboard" | U.S. Modern Rock Tracks | 5 |
| U.S. Billboard Hot 100 | 59 | |
| U.S. Hot Digital Songs | 45 | |
| U.S. Pop 100 | 56 | |
| UK Singles Chart | 111 | |
| "Missed the Boat" | U.S. Modern Rock Tracks | 24 |
| Preceded by Luvanmusiq by Musiq Soulchild |
U.S. Billboard 200 number-one album April 7, 2007 |
Succeeded by Let It Go by Tim McGraw |
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