The Blinding

The Blinding EP
EP by Babyshambles
Released 4 December 2006
Recorded 2006
Genre Indie rock, garage punk, garage rock
Length 17:32
Label Regal, Parlophone
Producer Babyshambles
Babyshambles chronology

Down in Albion
(2005)		 The Blinding EP
(2006)		 Shotter's Nation
(2007)
Pete Doherty chronology
Down in Albion
(2005)		 The Blinding EP
(2006)		 Shotter's Nation
(2007)

The Blinding EP is an EP by English indie rock band Babyshambles. It was the band's first release since signing with major record label Parlophone. The EP was released on 4 December 2006 in the United Kingdom to positive critical reviews by that label's off-shoot Regal Records (see 2006 in British music) and on 5 December in the United States by Capitol Records.[1] The EP entered the official UK Albums Chart at #62 on 11 December 2006, while the title song entered the download chart at #77. A week later, an entry on band's official MySpace blog stated that had a fifth track not been added to make the EP ineligible in the UK Singles Chart, "The Blinding" would have entered that chart at #4. As with their debut album, Pete Doherty designed the artwork for the EP.[1]

Professional ratings
Review scores
Source Rating
Allmusic [2]
Drowned in Sound 6/10[3]
Gigwise [4]
inthenews.co.uk 9/10[5]
Pitchfork Media 6.1/10[6]
PlayLouder [7]
PopMatters [8]
Spin [9]
Stylus Magazine B[10]
The Independent [11]

Track listing

All lyrics written by Pete Doherty, all music written by Babyshambles.

  1. "The Blinding" – 2:59
  2. "Love You but You're Green" – 4:35
  3. "I Wish" – 2:47
  4. "Beg, Steal or Borrow" – 3:07
  5. "Sedative" – 4:04

NME reported in October 2006 that the band had recorded eleven songs including those on the EP, and the following tracks not featured on the EP: "I Can See from Afar", "Anguish", "Stung Me Like Life".[1] Fans have speculated that "Anguish" and "Stung Me Like Life" were simply names of songs "I Wish" and "Stone Me, What A Life," which were misheard by the journalist.

Music videos

"The Blinding"

The video for "The Blinding" has been directed by Julien Temple. It was filmed in a deserted West London subway station/underpass.

The video features the band performing the song in the subway station, or alternatively cooped up in a glass box, with black gaffer tape covering their eyes, all interspersed with random bits and bobs; skulls, a deer, Pete Doherty standing up in an open coffin, a creepy mannequin, "Elvis is dead", a chainsaw and a "blinded" Doherty painting on a wall. Renaissance playwright Christopher Marlowe also makes an appearance. His portrait is stabbed in the eye, as was Christopher Marlowe himself during a bar brawl over the bill—a wound that ended his life. The video culminates in a general mirror and guitar smashing session, including Doherty stabbing a mirror with his own reflection in it. Paul Roundhill and The General make short appearances.

"Love You But You're Green"

The video for "Love You but You're Green," directed by Julien Temple, features the individual band members playing their instruments, never together but at separate locations. Adam Ficek and his drumkit are perched on a traffic island, Drew McConnell is strumming his double bass by a log fire, Mick Whitnall is in a graveyard and Pete Doherty is hanging around, singing and strumming, in front of a run-down wooden shack and later in front of a pile of tyres in what an old car yard.

Both this song and "The Blinding" were originally written while Peter was in The Libertines; however, it is unclear whether any of the other bandmembers co-wrote them or not.[12]

Chart performance

Chart (2005) Peak
position[13]
UK Albums Chart 62
Japan Singles Chart 147
Danish Singles Chart 5

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 "Babyshambles prepare 'Blinding' EP". NME. 14 October 2006. Retrieved 14 October 2006.
  2. ↑ Phares, Heather. "The Blinding EP - Babyshambles". Allmusic. Retrieved 2011-06-15.
  3. ↑ Gourlay, Dom (29 November 2006). "Babyshambles - The Blinding EP". Drowned in Sound. Retrieved 2011-06-15.
  4. ↑ Westmoreland, Jennifer (5 December 2006). "Babyshambles – ‘The Blinding EP’ (Parlophone) Released 04/12/06". Gigwise. Retrieved 2011-06-15.
  5. ↑ Pike, Karl (27 November 2006). "Babyshambles: The Blinding EP". inthenews.co.uk. Retrieved 2011-06-15.
  6. ↑ Hogan, Marc (12 December 2006). "Pitchfork: Album Reviews: Babyshambles: The Blinding EP". Pitchfork Media. Retrieved 2011-06-15.
  7. ↑ Kane, Norven (22 December 2006). "The Blinding EP - Babyshambles". PlayLouder. Archived from the original on 10 January 2007. Retrieved 2011-06-15.
  8. ↑ Lomas, Michael (7 December 2006). "Babyshambles: The Blinding EP". PopMatters. Retrieved 2011-06-15.
  9. ↑ Young, Jon. "Babyshambles, 'The Blinding EP' (Capitol)". Spin. Retrieved 2011-06-15.
  10. ↑ Miller, Derek (12 November 2006). "Babyshambles - The Blinding EP". Stylus Magazine. Retrieved 2011-06-15.
  11. ↑ "Album: Babyshambles". The Independent. 8 December 2006. Retrieved 2011-06-15.
  12. ↑ "'Ere...". thelibertines.org. 26 December 2002. Retrieved 31 December 2007.
  13. ↑ "Babyshambles - Fuck Forever - Music Charts". acharts.us. Retrieved 16 October 2007.

External links