K (album)
| K | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by Kula Shaker | ||||
| Released |
16 September 1996 (UK) 22 October 1996 (US) | |||
| Recorded | January–May 1996, Eden, RAK, Townhouse, Chipping Norton, Livingston, The Pierce Room, Wessex, Maison Rouge, Eastcote Studios | |||
| Genre | Psychedelic rock, Britpop | |||
| Length | 48:51 (not including 13:04 silence) | |||
| Label | Columbia | |||
| Producer | John Leckie, Shep & Dodge, Crispian Mills | |||
| Kula Shaker chronology | ||||
| ||||
| Professional ratings | |
|---|---|
| Review scores | |
| Source | Rating |
| Allmusic |   [1] |
| The Austin Chronicle |  [2] |
| Robert Christgau | C [3] |
| Entertainment Weekly | B+ [4] |
| Rolling Stone | favorable [5] |
K is the debut album by Kula Shaker, released on 16 September 1996. When it was released, it became the fastest selling debut album in Britain since Elastica's debut the previous year.[6] The album reached the #1 position in the UK charts, however in America it stalled at #200 in the Billboard charts.
The track "Grateful When You're Dead/Jerry Was There" is a homage to Jerry Garcia and his band The Grateful Dead. The Grateful Dead's psychedelic rock style is an influence on Kula Shaker's first and second albums. The hidden track after "Hollow Man" is a recording of A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, the founder of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness, speaking about his own guru.
The cover art (by comic-book artist Dave Gibbons) consists of various images related to the letter K, including: John F. Kennedy, Lord Kitchener, Karl Marx, Gene Kelly, Katharine Hepburn, Ken Dodd, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Danny Kaye, Kal-El (Superman), Boris Karloff (as Frankenstein's monster), Krishna, King Kong, Martin Luther King, Jr., 2 Knights (a pair of Keys on one of them), a Kettle, Ken Dodd, Kali, the Kaiser, Nikita Khrushchev, Grace Kelly, the number 11 (symbolizing K), and Rudyard Kipling's book Kim.
In 1998 K was placed at number 44 on Q's 100 greatest albums of all time list. In 2011, K once again made into a Q Magazine list for the 250 Greatest Albums of All Time.
Tracks
All songs by Crispian Mills except where indicated.
| No. | Title | Length | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Hey Dude" | 4:10 | |
| 2. | "Knight on the Town" | 3:25 | |
| 3. | "Temple of Everlasting Light" (Crispian Mills/Alonza Bevan) | 2:33 | |
| 4. | "Govinda" | 4:57 | |
| 5. | "Smart Dogs" | 3:16 | |
| 6. | "Magic Theatre" (Crispian Mills/Alonza Bevan) | 2:38 | |
| 7. | "Into the Deep" (Crispian Mills/Alonza Bevan) | 3:49 | |
| 8. | "Sleeping Jiva" (Crispian Mills/Alonza Bevan/Jay Darlington/Paul Winterhart) | 2:02 | |
| 9. | "Tattva" | 3:46 | |
| 10. | "Grateful When You're Dead/Jerry Was There" | 5:42 | |
| 11. | "303" (Crispian Mills/Alonza Bevan) | 3:08 | |
| 12. | "Start All Over" (Crispian Mills) | 2:35 | |
| 13. | "Hollow Man Parts 1 & 2" (Crispian Mills) | 6:10 (plus 0:12 hidden track after – 13:04 silence) |
Tracks for the 15th Anniversary Edition
| No. | Title | Length | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Hey Dude" | 4:10 | |
| 2. | "Knight on the Town" | 3:25 | |
| 3. | "Temple of Everlasting Light" (Crispian Mills/Alonza Bevan) | 2:33 | |
| 4. | "Govinda" | 4:57 | |
| 5. | "Smart Dogs (Extended version)" | 3:35 | |
| 6. | "Magic Theatre" (Crispian Mills/Alonza Bevan) | 2:38 | |
| 7. | "Into the Deep (Extended version)" (Crispian Mills/Alonza Bevan) | 3:58 | |
| 8. | "Sleeping Jiva" (Crispian Mills/Alonza Bevan/Jay Darlington/Paul Winterhart) | 2:02 | |
| 9. | "Tattva (Extended version)" | 4:21 | |
| 10. | "Grateful When You're Dead / Jerry Was There" | 5:42 | |
| 11. | "303" | 3:09 | |
| 12. | "Start All Over" | 2:36 | |
| 13. | "Hollow Man" (Parts 1 & 2) | 6:13 | |
| 14. | "Tattva (Lucky 13 Mix) [Bonus Track]" | 3:59 | |
| 15. | "Into The Deep (Unreleased John Leckie Version) [Bonus Track]" (Crispian Mills/Alonza Bevan) | 4:45 | |
| 16. | "Red Balloon [Bonus Track]" (Tim Hardin) | 3:42 | |
| 17. | "Hush [Bonus Track]" (Joe South) | 17:20 (Hush 2:58 plus 1:25 hidden track at the end, an extended version of the original hidden track) |
| Preceded by New Adventures in Hi-Fi by R.E.M. |
UK number one album 28 September 1996 – 11 October 1996 |
Succeeded by Natural by Peter Andre |
Credits
Kula Shaker are:
- Crispian Mills – Singing, Electric & Acoustic Guitars, Tamboura.
- Alonza Bevan – Bass, Piano, Tabla, Backing Vocals
- Paul Winterhart – Drums
- Jay Darlington – Organ, Mellotron, Piano.
Guest musicians:
- Sarod on Sleeping Jiva by Wajahat Kahn.
- Tabla on Govinda and Jerry Was There by Himangsu Goswami.
- Backing Vocals on Govinda by Gauri.
- Horns on Start All Over by The Kick Horns.
References
- ↑ Erlewine, Stephen Thomas. "Allmusic review". Allmusic. All Media Guide. Retrieved 2011-06-15.
- ↑ "Record Reviews - Music Review". The Austin Chronicle. 1996-11-15. Retrieved 2011-06-15.
- ↑ "CG: Kula Shaker". Robert Christgau. Retrieved 2011-06-15.
- ↑ Tracey Pepper (25 October 1996). "K Review | Music Reviews and News". EW.com. Retrieved 2011-06-15.
- ↑
- ↑ "Kula Shaker Classic Rock Archive". Classic Rock. March 2000. Retrieved 3 April 2010.
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