The Trials of Van Occupanther
Encyclopedia
The Trials of Van Occupanther is the second album
by American rock band Midlake
. It was released on July 25, 2006, on Bella Union Records
. It is a suite of lush, heavily melodic songs laden with multi-part harmonies, given evocative lyrical imagery set in woodlands, boats and log cabins, telling oblique but moving tales of pioneering, travel and isolation. The sound of the album has been compared to classic '70s rock outfits such as Fleetwood Mac
, Crosby Stills and Nash, Electric Light Orchestra
, and America
, but there is still a heavy reliance on analog synthesizers carried over from their first album Bamnan and Slivercork
.
The EU edition contains 4 bonus tracks:
The Australian edition includes a bonus CD with the following tracklisting:
Album
An album is a collection of recordings, released as a single package on gramophone record, cassette, compact disc, or via digital distribution. The word derives from the Latin word for list .Vinyl LP records have two sides, each comprising one half of the album...
by American rock band Midlake
Midlake
Midlake is an American rock band from Denton, Texas. The band first gained popularity in Europe, signing to Bella Union Records and playing at festivals such as Les Inrockuptibles, Wintercase, End Of The Road Festival and South by Southwest.-History:...
. It was released on July 25, 2006, on Bella Union Records
Bella Union
Bella Union is an independent record label that was started up by Simon Raymonde and Robin Guthrie in 1997.After releasing records with 4AD for a large part of their career, Cocteau Twins decided to take a step towards independence and started up the Bella Union record label, through which they...
. It is a suite of lush, heavily melodic songs laden with multi-part harmonies, given evocative lyrical imagery set in woodlands, boats and log cabins, telling oblique but moving tales of pioneering, travel and isolation. The sound of the album has been compared to classic '70s rock outfits such as Fleetwood Mac
Fleetwood Mac
Fleetwood Mac are a British–American rock band formed in 1967 in London.The only original member present in the band is its eponymous drummer, Mick Fleetwood...
, Crosby Stills and Nash, Electric Light Orchestra
Electric Light Orchestra
Electric Light Orchestra were a British rock group from Birmingham who released eleven studio albums between 1971 and 1986 and another album in 2001. ELO were formed to accommodate Roy Wood and Jeff Lynne's desire to create modern rock and pop songs with classical overtones...
, and America
America (band)
America is an English-American folk rock band that originally included members Gerry Beckley, Dewey Bunnell and Dan Peek. The three members were barely out of their teens when they became a musical sensation during 1972, scoring #1 hits and winning a Grammy for best new musical artist...
, but there is still a heavy reliance on analog synthesizers carried over from their first album Bamnan and Slivercork
Bamnan and Slivercork
Bamnan and Slivercork is the first studio album by the US rock band Midlake, released in 2004 to positive reviews. It mixes together warm acoustic sounds with electronica and lo-fi keyboard sounds...
.
Track listing
- Roscoe – 4:49
- Bandits – 4:04
- Head Home – 5:45
- Van Occupanther – 3:15
- Young Bride – 4:56
- Branches – 5:02
- In This Camp – 5:46
- We Gathered in Spring – 3:33
- It Covers the Hillsides – 3:14
- Chasing After Deer – 2:42
- You Never Arrived – 1:45
The EU edition contains 4 bonus tracks:
- Mornings Will be Kind
- Marion
- It Covers The Hillsides (alt version)
- Paper Gown
The Australian edition includes a bonus CD with the following tracklisting:
- Mornings Will Be Kind (2005)
- Paper Gown (2001)
- It Covers The Hillsides (alt version) (2006)
- Excited But Not Enough (2001)
- Golden Hour (2001)
Personnel
- Tim Smith — vocals, piano, keyboard, acoustic guitar, electric guitar, flute
- Eric Pulido — electric guitar, acoustic guitar, 12-string acoustic guitar, keyboards, backing vocals
- Eric Nichelson — keyboards, piano, acoustic guitar, 12-string acoustic guitar, electric guitar
- Paul Alexander — bass, double bass, electric guitar, keyboards, piano, bassoon
- McKenzie Smith — drums, percussion
Additional musicians
- Linda Salisbury — French horn on "Branches" and "Van Occupanther"
- Josh Ello — violin on "Young Bride"
Production notes
- Songs and lyrics by Tim Smith
- Produced by Tim Smith and Midlake
- Engineered and mixed by Paul Alexander and Midlake
- Mastered by Alan Douches at West West Side Music
- Photos by Tim Smith
- Design and layout by Tim Carter and Midlake
- Recorded and mixed in Denton, TX