The Discovery of a World Inside the Moone
Encyclopedia
The Discovery of a World Inside the Moone is the fourth album from The Apples in Stereo
. It received generally good reviews as a showcase for the band’s experimental/psychedelic pop.
The album is the band’s first major change in production style compared to earlier albums. Up until The Discovery of a World Inside the Moone, producer and band leader Robert Schneider would usually implement a Wall of Sound
style of production on his records where as on this album he chose to pursue a more "raw" sound. This was to portray a sound more similar to how the band sounded during live performances versus a typically more orchestrated quality of sound. In an interview included on the 7" vinyl version of the album, Schneider remarks: "That was a lesson I learned from Led Zeppelin
and from The Beatles
—is that one guitar can go a long way. I used to take a Phil Spector
approach which was that a lot of guitars can go a long way. Now I’m kind of going more for the feeling of the way we sound."
In addition to change in production style, the style of genre itself is also somewhat of a departure from the usual 1960s psychedelic pop sound trademarked by earlier Apples in Stereo records. In songwriting, Schneider took more of an influence from R&B artists such as Sly & the Family Stone
and early artists featured on the Motown label. Schneider also wanted the songs to sound more disconnected and unique to themselves than on previous albums. He stated, "I wanted every song to be self contained...on our other records we always had our songs run together. On this record we left big spaces between all the songs so you have a place to put your needle down on the record." This was influenced by records such as The White Album by The Beatles.
The title is from a book written in 1638 by English clergyman John Wilkins
.
The vinyl edition of The Discovery of a World Inside the Moone comes with a bonus 7" with the following tracks:
Japanese version
The Japanese version of the album contains the following bonus tracks:
. The album was recorded between May 1999 and February 2000 at Pet Sounds Recording Studio (Denver, Colorado
) using a 16-track tape machine and the Elephant 6 Mainframe Computer. Jim McIntyre acted as executive producer for The Elephant 6 Recording Company.
Album art for the album was created by Star Keene (architectural drawings), Steve Keene
(interior paintings) and Richard Peterson (photographs). Layout by Joel Marrowitz.
The Apples in Stereo
The Apples in Stereo, styled The Apples in stereo, is an American indie rock band associated with The Elephant Six Collective, a group of bands also including Neutral Milk Hotel and The Olivia Tremor Control. The band is largely a product of lead vocalist/guitarist Robert Schneider, who writes the...
. It received generally good reviews as a showcase for the band’s experimental/psychedelic pop.
The album is the band’s first major change in production style compared to earlier albums. Up until The Discovery of a World Inside the Moone, producer and band leader Robert Schneider would usually implement a Wall of Sound
Wall of Sound
The Wall of Sound is a music production technique for pop and rock music recordings developed by record producer Phil Spector at Gold Star Studios in Los Angeles, California, during the early 1960s...
style of production on his records where as on this album he chose to pursue a more "raw" sound. This was to portray a sound more similar to how the band sounded during live performances versus a typically more orchestrated quality of sound. In an interview included on the 7" vinyl version of the album, Schneider remarks: "That was a lesson I learned from Led Zeppelin
Led Zeppelin
Led Zeppelin were an English rock band, active in the late 1960s and throughout the 1970s. Formed in 1968, they consisted of guitarist Jimmy Page, singer Robert Plant, bassist/keyboardist John Paul Jones, and drummer John Bonham...
and from The Beatles
The Beatles
The Beatles were an English rock band, active throughout the 1960s and one of the most commercially successful and critically acclaimed acts in the history of popular music. Formed in Liverpool, by 1962 the group consisted of John Lennon , Paul McCartney , George Harrison and Ringo Starr...
—is that one guitar can go a long way. I used to take a Phil Spector
Phil Spector
Phillip Harvey "Phil" Spector is an American record producer and songwriter, later known for his conviction in the murder of actress Lana Clarkson....
approach which was that a lot of guitars can go a long way. Now I’m kind of going more for the feeling of the way we sound."
In addition to change in production style, the style of genre itself is also somewhat of a departure from the usual 1960s psychedelic pop sound trademarked by earlier Apples in Stereo records. In songwriting, Schneider took more of an influence from R&B artists such as Sly & the Family Stone
Sly & the Family Stone
Sly and the Family Stone were an American rock, funk, and soul band from San Francisco, California. Active from 1966 to 1983, the band was pivotal in the development of soul, funk, and psychedelic music...
and early artists featured on the Motown label. Schneider also wanted the songs to sound more disconnected and unique to themselves than on previous albums. He stated, "I wanted every song to be self contained...on our other records we always had our songs run together. On this record we left big spaces between all the songs so you have a place to put your needle down on the record." This was influenced by records such as The White Album by The Beatles.
The title is from a book written in 1638 by English clergyman John Wilkins
John Wilkins
John Wilkins FRS was an English clergyman, natural philosopher and author, as well as a founder of the Invisible College and one of the founders of the Royal Society, and Bishop of Chester from 1668 until his death....
.
Side one
- "Go" - 3:14
- "The Rainbow" - 2:39
- "Stream Running Over" - 3:44
- "20 Cases Suggestive Of..." (H. SidneyHilarie SidneyHilarie Sidney is a musician most famously recognized as the longtime drummer for The Apples in Stereo. She was previously married to Apples in Stereo frontman and Elephant 6 co-founder Robert Schneider. Their divorce became publicly acknowledged in 2004...
) - 2:53 - "Look Away" - 3:25
- "What Happened Then" - 2:10
Side two
- "I Can’t Believe" - 4:23
- "Submarine Dream" - 4:30
- "Allright/Not Quite" - 2:54
- "The Bird That You Can’t See" - 3:56
- "Stay Gold" (H. SidneyHilarie SidneyHilarie Sidney is a musician most famously recognized as the longtime drummer for The Apples in Stereo. She was previously married to Apples in Stereo frontman and Elephant 6 co-founder Robert Schneider. Their divorce became publicly acknowledged in 2004...
) - 4:04 - "The Afternoon" - 3:12
Bonus track listing
Bonus 7"The vinyl edition of The Discovery of a World Inside the Moone comes with a bonus 7" with the following tracks:
- "Interview"
- "Hold on to This Day"
Japanese version
The Japanese version of the album contains the following bonus tracks:
- "Hold on to This Day"
- "The Oasis"
The Apples in Stereo
- Hilarie SidneyHilarie SidneyHilarie Sidney is a musician most famously recognized as the longtime drummer for The Apples in Stereo. She was previously married to Apples in Stereo frontman and Elephant 6 co-founder Robert Schneider. Their divorce became publicly acknowledged in 2004...
- drums, percussion, lead and backing vocals, electric guitar - Chris McDuffieChris McDuffieChris McDuffie is an American musician. A keyboardist, he performed with the Elephant 6 band The Minders and appeared on their 1996 debut EP Come On and Hear. McDuffie later became a member of The Apples in Stereo, first appearing on the album Her Wallpaper Reverie in 1999...
- synthesizers, piano, organ, backing vocals, mellotron, percussion - Eric Allen - Fender bass guitar, backing vocals
- John HillJohn Hill (musician)John Hill is an American guitarist best recognized as a member of The Apples in Stereo and Dressy Bessy.Hill, a college friend of drummer Hilarie Sidney and bassist Jim McIntyre, joined The Apples in January, 1994 after the departure of lead guitarist Chris Parfitt...
- electric and acoustic guitars, backing vocals - Robert SchneiderRobert SchneiderRobert Peter Schneider is one of the co-founders of The Elephant 6 Recording Company, along with Will Cullen Hart, Bill Doss, and Jeff Mangum...
- electric and acoustic guitar, piano, organ, mellotron, synthesizers, percussion, lead and backing vocals
Additional players
- Rick Benjamin - trombone
- Merisa Bissinger - flute, piccolo, alto saxophone
- Jon Hegel - tenor saxophone
- Rob Greene - cello
- Dane Terry - bongos
- Ron Marschall - handclaps, backing vocals
Production
The Discovery of a World Inside the Moone was produced and mixed by Robert Schneider. The album was engineered by The Apples in Stereo with Ron Marschall, Robert Christiansen and Jim McIntyreJim McIntyre (musician)
Jim McIntyre is a musician best known as the man behind the Elephant 6 band Von Hemmling. He was also the original bassist for The Apples in Stereo before leaving in 1993. He has written or co-written many early songs for the band, including "Stop Along the Way", "Touch The Water", "To Love The...
. The album was recorded between May 1999 and February 2000 at Pet Sounds Recording Studio (Denver, Colorado
Denver, Colorado
The City and County of Denver is the capital and the most populous city of the U.S. state of Colorado. Denver is a consolidated city-county, located in the South Platte River Valley on the western edge of the High Plains just east of the Front Range of the Rocky Mountains...
) using a 16-track tape machine and the Elephant 6 Mainframe Computer. Jim McIntyre acted as executive producer for The Elephant 6 Recording Company.
Album art for the album was created by Star Keene (architectural drawings), Steve Keene
Steve Keene
Stephen Keene is an American artist who believes in mass producing hand painted works of art for the masses. He was called the "Assembly-Line Picasso" by Time magazine...
(interior paintings) and Richard Peterson (photographs). Layout by Joel Marrowitz.