Asleep in the Back

Studio album by Elbow

Released

7 May 2001 (UK)
22 January 2002 (US)
(See release history)

Recorded

1997–2001

Genre

Alternative rock, art rock

Length

61:41

Label

Producer

Steve Osborne, Ben Hillier, Danny Evans, Elbow

Elbow chronology

Asleep in the Back
(2001)

Cast of Thousands
(2003)

Singles from Asleep in the Back

"Red"
Released: 23 April 2001 (2001-04-23)
"Powder Blue"
Released: 9 July 2001 (2001-07-09)
"Newborn"
Released: 8 October 2001 (2001-10-08)
"Asleep in the Back"/"Coming Second"
Released: 4 February 2002 (2002-02-04)

Professional ratings
Review scores
Source	Rating
AllMusic	^[1]
The A.V. Club	(not rated) ^[2]
BBC Music	(highly favourable) ^[3]
MusicOMH	(highly favourable) ^[4]
NME	^[5]
Pitchfork Media	(7.4/10) ^[6]
Pitchfork Media (Deluxe Edition)	(8.4/10) ^[7]
Stylus Magazine	A− ^[8]

Asleep in the Back is the debut album by British alternative rock band Elbow, first released in May 2001. The title track, "Asleep in the Back", was only included as a bonus track on later editions of the album after it had been released as a single and became the band's first Top 20 hit.^[9] The album release came in four different versions: the 12-track version, two 11-track versions only featuring either "Asleep in the Back" (later editions) or "Can't Stop" (UK version) and a 10-track version including neither of them. The record was shortlisted for the Mercury Prize in 2001.

Though Asleep in the Back was the first Elbow album to be released, it was not the first to be recorded. An album's worth of recorded material had been scrapped by the band several years earlier after they were dropped by their first major label, Island Records.

A 2CD/1DVD deluxe edition of the album was released in the UK on 2 November 2009. The release included almost all tracks of the near impossible to find The Noisebox EP: a live version of "George Lassoes the Moon" was included instead of the studio version.

Track listing

All songs written and composed by Elbow; all lyrics by Guy Garvey.

Asleep in the Back album
No.	Title	Length
1.	"Any Day Now"	6:17
2.	"Red"	5:11
3.	"Little Beast"	4:15
4.	"Powder Blue"	4:31
5.	"Bitten by the Tailfly"	6:16
6.	"Asleep in the Back" (non-initial pressings only)	3:47
7.	"Newborn"	7:36
8.	"Don't Mix Your Drinks"	3:16
9.	"Presuming Ed (Rest Easy)"	5:26
10.	"Coming Second"	4:56
11.	"Can't Stop" (all UK and most recent editions)	4:36
12.	"Scattered Black and Whites"	5:30

Japanese Bonus Track

No.	Title	Length
13.	"Vum Garda"	7:55

Double 12" vinyl album

Track listing
No.	Title	Length
1.	"Any Day Now"	6:17
2.	"Red"	5:11
3.	"Little Beast"	4:15
4.	"Powder Blue"	4:31
5.	"Bitten by the Tailfly"	6:16
6.	"Vum Garda" (bonus track)	7:55
7.	"Newborn"	7:36
8.	"Don't Mix Your Drinks"	3:16
9.	"Presuming Ed (Rest Easy)"	5:26
10.	"Coming Second"	4:56
11.	"Can't Stop"	4:36
12.	"Scattered Black and Whites"	5:30

2009 Deluxe Edition

Disc one: Same as 12-track version.

Disc two (bonus disc)

Track listing
No.	Title	Length
1.	"Powder Blue" (The Noisebox EP Version)	4:37
2.	"Red" (The Noisebox EP Version)	3:31
3.	"Theme from Munroe Kelly" (The Noisebox EP Version)	5:47
4.	"Can't Stop" (The Noisebox EP Version)	4:21
5.	"Bitten by the Tailfly" (Live at the Astoria)	6:22
6.	"Coming Second" (Live at the Astoria)	5:10
7.	"Don't Mix Your Drinks" (Live at the Astoria)	3:46
8.	"Can't Stop" (Live at the Astoria)	5:19
9.	"Scattered Black and Whites" (Live at the Astoria)	6:27
10.	"George Lassoes the Moon" (Live at the Astoria)	3:27
11.	"Newborn" (Live Radio 1 Steve Lamacq Session)	2:59
12.	"Don't Mix Your Drinks" (Live Radio 1 Steve Lamacq Session)	2:13
13.	"Red" (Live Radio 1 Steve Lamacq Session)	4:57

Disc three (DVD)

Track listing
No.	Title	Length
1.	"Asleep in the Back: The Movie" (directed by Soup Collective)

Release history

Country	Date	Label	Format	Catalogue #
United Kingdom	7 May 2001	V2	CD (10 tracks)	VVR1015888
			CD (11 tracks)	VVR1015882
			Double 12" vinyl (one bonus track)	VVR1015881
	11 February 2002		CD (12 tracks)	VVR1019012
United States	22 January 2002		CD (12 tracks)	63881-27116-2
Japan	2 May 2001	V2 Japan	CD (one bonus track)	V2CI99
United Kingdom	2 November 2009	Polydor	2CD/1DVD Deluxe Edition	5321322

Singles

In the UK, there were four singles released from the album:

"Red" (23 April 2001)
"Powder Blue" (9 July 2001)
"Newborn" (8 October 2001)
"Asleep in the Back"/"Coming Second" (4 February 2002)

Also, three EPs preceded the album's release, all of which included versions of songs that later appeared on Asleep in the Back:

The Noisebox EP (1 January 1998)
The Newborn EP (7 August 2000)
The Any Day Now EP (Ugly Man release with 4 tracks) (23 January 2001)
- V2 also released this EP with 5 tracks (26 February 2001)

Personnel

Elbow

Guy Garvey – Lead vocals, backing vocals, acoustic and electric guitars, percussion, analogue synth, wine glasses, harmonica, wybercron
Mark Potter – Electric and acoustic guitars, backing vocals
Craig Potter – Piano, organ, backing vocals, analogue synth, percussion, wine glasses, keyboards
Pete Turner – Bass guitar, analogue synth, backing vocals, wine glasses
Richard Jupp – Drums, percussion, backing vocals

Additional musicians

The Elbow Choir – Vocals (9,10)
Danny Evans – Percussion Loops (1)
Ben Hillier – Percussion (2), Backing Vocals (10)
Ian Burdge – Cello (2), Musical Director (6)
Francoise Lemoignan – Saxophone (4)
Bob Sastri – Brass (5), French Horn (6)
Nick Coen – Brass (5)
Martin Field – Bassoon (6)
Stuart King – Clarinet (6), Bass Clarinet (6)
Matthew Gunner – French Horn (6)
Jonathan Snowden – Flute (6), Alto Flute (6)
Dominic Kelly – Cor Anglais (6)

Credits

Production
- Elbow and Danny Evans (1)
- Elbow (4,9,12)
- Ben Hillier and Elbow (2,3,5,6,9,10)
- Steve Osborne (7,11)
Woodwind Arrangement on Track 6 - Ian Burdge and Elbow
Recording
- Danny Evans (1)
- Ben Hillier (2,3,4,5,6,9,10,12)
- Andrea Wright (2,3,4,5,6,9,10,12)
- Elbow (3,8,9,12)
- Steve Lloyd (4)
- Ed Chadwick (6)
- Danton Supple (7,11)
Mixing
- Danny Evans (1,8)
- Ben Hillier (2,4,5,6,7,9,10,12)
- Andrea Wright (2,4,5,6,7,9,10,12)
- Ed Chadwick (6)
- Steve Osborne (11)
- Clare Lewis (11)
- Bruno Ellington (11)

Critical reception

Q listed Asleep in the Back as one of the best 50 albums of 2001.^[10]

References

↑ Kellman, Andy. Asleep in the Back at AllMusic. Retrieved 28 June 2011.
↑ Thompson, Stephen (19 April 2002). "Review: Asleep in the Back". Retrieved 28 June 2011.
↑ Diver, Mike (3 November 2009). "Review: Asleep in the Back: Deluxe Edition". Retrieved 28 June 2011.
↑ Odd, Damon. "Review: Asleep in the Back". Retrieved 29 June 2011.
↑ Kessler, Ted (12 September 2005). "Review: Asleep in the Back". Archived from the original on 5 June 2011. Retrieved 28 June 2011.
↑ Tangari, Joe (5 February 2002). "Review: Asleep in the Back". Retrieved 28 June 2011.
↑ Cohen, Ian (7 December 2009). "Review: Asleep in the Back: Deluxe Edition". Retrieved 28 June 2011.
↑ Monks, Jon (1 September 2003). "Review: Asleep in the Back". Retrieved 28 June 2011.
↑ Roberts, Dave (2 June 2006). British Hit Singles and Albums (19th ed.). Guinness World Records Limited. ISBN 1-904994-10-5.
↑ "The Best 50 Albums of 2001". Q. December 2001. pp. 60–65.

Elbow

Guy Garvey Richard Jupp Craig Potter Mark Potter Pete Turner

Studio albums	Asleep in the Back (2001) Cast of Thousands (2003) Leaders of the Free World (2005) The Seldom Seen Kid (2008) Build a Rocket Boys! (2011) The Take Off and Landing of Everything (2014)

Compilation albums	Dead in the Boot (2012)

Singles	"Red" "Powder Blue" "Newborn" "Asleep in the Back"/"Coming Second" "Fallen Angel" "Fugitive Motel" "Not a Job" "Grace Under Pressure"/"Switching Off" "Forget Myself" "Leaders of the Free World" "Grounds for Divorce" "One Day Like This" "The Bones of You" "Neat Little Rows" "Open Arms" "Lippy Kids" "First Steps" "New York Morning"

EPs	The Noisebox EP The Newborn EP The Any Day Now EP

Live albums	The Seldom Seen Kid Live at Abbey Road Live at Jodrell Bank

Related articles	Discography Help!: A Day in the Life War Child Presents Heroes Fiction Records I Am Kloot Ugly Man Records