Velociraptor!
Encyclopedia
Velociraptor! is the fourth album by the British indie rock
group Kasabian, released on 16 September 2011.
, the 2010 film directed by William Monahan. However, the version in the film is different to the album version.
"Switchblade Smiles" was made available as a free download to anybody who pre-ordered the album from the band's official website store from 7 June 2011.The track is also avaiable as a free download on the band's fanpage on Facebook.
"Switchblade Smiles" has been confirmed to be in EA Sports' FIFA 12
.
An instrumental version of "Switchblade Smiles" is played on BBC's Match of the Day 2
during the 2011/2012 season. During the introduction to a match, the song is played in the background while the presenter commentates over a freeze screen which shows both teams and the result. This occurs on every highlight of Saturday games that is featured. Additionally a sample from the song "Re-wired" is played during the half-time highlight break on Sky Sports
Football Season 2011/2012.
"Days Are Forgotten
" was sent out to be played on radio stations from 22 July 2011.
"Let's Roll Just Like We Used To" is the opening track on the album, describes two boys in open wastelands looking out to the horizon. Pizzorno stated that the two boys were in fact himself and vocalist Tom Meighan.
Q magazine listed "Re-Wired" as the number 1 track to download in their October 2011 issue
The album cover is an edited picture of Tom Meighan, Chris Edwards, Sergio Pizzorno and Ian Matthews covered in feathers (as Velociraptors were traditionally feathery) and screaming, edited from the "Switchblade Smiles" music video.
, Velociraptor! ranks as the band's best album yet, with a score of 80 out of 100. This is a big improvement, since their previous best album score is 68, held by 2009's West Ryder Pauper Lunatic Asylum
. NME
stated that Kasabian have lived up to expectations and believe the album is a huge step up from their previous albums. Antiquiet gave it 4 1/2 stars out of 5 and declared that "Kasabian has found a way to channel everything you love about The Rolling Stones, Led Zeppelin and Radiohead while still keeping the unique sound that sets them apart from the contemporaries like Coldplay, Muse and The Killers." Rolling Stone
praised the creativity and versatility of the album, calling it Kasabian's greatest album and stating there is a big future ahead of the four boys from Leicester. Also, abc
heavily praised the album saying it is "destined to become a modern classic". The reviewer then goes on to add, "Velociraptor! is as rock 'n' roll as it gets and should catapult Kasabian to the next level". Guarp Magazine stated that Velociraptor! could probably be album of the year, and ranks with a score of 9.4 out of 10.
Additional musicians
Technical staff
The album debuted at number one in the UK albums chart selling over 90,000 copies in its first week. To date Velociraptor has sold more than 200,000 copies in the UK. With zero support from Sony Music, the album failed to crack the Billboard top 200 in it's first week of release in the United States.
Indie rock
Indie rock is a genre of alternative rock that originated in the United Kingdom and the United States in the 1980s. Indie rock is extremely diverse, with sub-genres that include lo-fi, post-rock, math rock, indie pop, dream pop, noise rock, space rock, sadcore, riot grrrl and emo, among others...
group Kasabian, released on 16 September 2011.
History
"La Fée Verte" originally called "The Green Fairy" appeared on the soundtrack for London BoulevardLondon Boulevard
London Boulevard is a 2010 British film noir released in the United Kingdom on 26 November 2010. It is based on a novel by Ken Bruen with screenplay and direction by William Monahan, marking his directorial debut...
, the 2010 film directed by William Monahan. However, the version in the film is different to the album version.
"Switchblade Smiles" was made available as a free download to anybody who pre-ordered the album from the band's official website store from 7 June 2011.The track is also avaiable as a free download on the band's fanpage on Facebook.
"Switchblade Smiles" has been confirmed to be in EA Sports' FIFA 12
FIFA 12
FIFA 12 is the nineteenth game in Electronic Arts' FIFA series of association football video games. It was developed by EA Canada, and published by Electronic Arts worldwide under the EA Sports label. David Rutter, the line producer for FIFA 12, promised "a revolutionary year for FIFA .....
.
An instrumental version of "Switchblade Smiles" is played on BBC's Match of the Day 2
Match of the Day 2
Match of the Day 2 is a football highlights programme shown on BBC Two in the United Kingdom...
during the 2011/2012 season. During the introduction to a match, the song is played in the background while the presenter commentates over a freeze screen which shows both teams and the result. This occurs on every highlight of Saturday games that is featured. Additionally a sample from the song "Re-wired" is played during the half-time highlight break on Sky Sports
Sky Sports
Sky Sports is the brand name for a group of sports-oriented television channels operated by the UK and Ireland's main satellite pay-TV company, British Sky Broadcasting. Sky Sports is the dominant subscription television sports brand in the United Kingdom and Ireland...
Football Season 2011/2012.
"Days Are Forgotten
Days Are Forgotten
-Charts:-Chart performance:The single made its first appearance on the UK Singles Chart on 15 September 2011, when it debuted at number twenty-eight. On its second week, the single fell fourteen places to number forty-two; before returning to the top 40 at number thirty-six on 2 October - following...
" was sent out to be played on radio stations from 22 July 2011.
"Let's Roll Just Like We Used To" is the opening track on the album, describes two boys in open wastelands looking out to the horizon. Pizzorno stated that the two boys were in fact himself and vocalist Tom Meighan.
Q magazine listed "Re-Wired" as the number 1 track to download in their October 2011 issue
The album cover is an edited picture of Tom Meighan, Chris Edwards, Sergio Pizzorno and Ian Matthews covered in feathers (as Velociraptors were traditionally feathery) and screaming, edited from the "Switchblade Smiles" music video.
Reception
The album has been met with very positive critical acclaim. On MetacriticMetacritic
Metacritic.com is a website that collates reviews of music albums, games, movies, TV shows and DVDs. For each product, a numerical score from each review is obtained and the total is averaged. An excerpt of each review is provided along with a hyperlink to the source. Three colour codes of Green,...
, Velociraptor! ranks as the band's best album yet, with a score of 80 out of 100. This is a big improvement, since their previous best album score is 68, held by 2009's West Ryder Pauper Lunatic Asylum
West Ryder Pauper Lunatic Asylum
West Ryder Pauper Lunatic Asylum is the third studio album by British indie rock rock band Kasabian, which was released on 5 June 2009.The album was nominated for the 2009 Mercury Prize. In October 2009, it was voted the best album of the year by Q Magazine.-History:"Vlad the Impaler" was made...
. NME
NME
The New Musical Express is a popular music publication in the United Kingdom, published weekly since March 1952. It started as a music newspaper, and gradually moved toward a magazine format during the 1980s, changing from newsprint in 1998. It was the first British paper to include a singles...
stated that Kasabian have lived up to expectations and believe the album is a huge step up from their previous albums. Antiquiet gave it 4 1/2 stars out of 5 and declared that "Kasabian has found a way to channel everything you love about The Rolling Stones, Led Zeppelin and Radiohead while still keeping the unique sound that sets them apart from the contemporaries like Coldplay, Muse and The Killers." Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone is a US-based magazine devoted to music, liberal politics, and popular culture that is published every two weeks. Rolling Stone was founded in San Francisco in 1967 by Jann Wenner and music critic Ralph J...
praised the creativity and versatility of the album, calling it Kasabian's greatest album and stating there is a big future ahead of the four boys from Leicester. Also, abc
ABC
ABC are the first three letters of the Latin alphabet. They may refer to:- Broadcasting media :* American Broadcasting Company, a private US broadcaster* Australian Broadcasting Corporation, national publicly funded broadcaster of Australia...
heavily praised the album saying it is "destined to become a modern classic". The reviewer then goes on to add, "Velociraptor! is as rock 'n' roll as it gets and should catapult Kasabian to the next level". Guarp Magazine stated that Velociraptor! could probably be album of the year, and ranks with a score of 9.4 out of 10.
Track listing
Deluxe Edition DVD
- Kasabian: Live at The O2 Dublin, 27 November 2009
- "Julie & the Mothman"
- "Underdog"
- "Where Did All the Love Go?"
- "Swarfiga"
- "Shoot the Runner"
- "Cutt Off"
- "Processed Beats"
- "West Ryder Silver Bullet"
- "Thick as Thieves"
- "Take Aim"
- "Empire"
- "Last Trip (In Flight)"
- "I.D."
- "Ladies and Gentlemen, Roll the Dice"
- "Fire"
- "Fast Fuse"
- "The Doberman"
- "Club Foot"
- "Vlad the Impaler"
- "Stuntman"
- "L.S.F. (Lost Souls Forever)"
Personnel
Kasabian- Tom MeighanTom MeighanThomas Peter Meighan is an English musician, best known as the lead vocalist for Indie Rock band Kasabian.-Career:Meighan has been the lead vocalist of Kasabian since the band's inception in Leicester in 1999...
– Lead vocals (all tracks except "La Fee Verte", "Acid Turkish Bath (Shelter From The Storm)" and "Neon Noon"), Backing vocals on "La Fee Verte" - Sergio PizzornoSergio PizzornoSergio Lorenzo "Serge" Pizzorno is a British guitarist and songwriter, best known for his work with the indie rock band Kasabian. He became Kasabian's lead song-writer after the departure of Christopher Karloff....
– Guitars, Backing vocals (all tracks except "La Fee Verte", "Acid Turkish Bath (Shelter From The Storm)" and "Neon Noon") Lead vocals on "La Fee Verte", "Acid Turkish Bath (Shelter From The Storm)" and "Neon Noon", Synthesizer, Bass Guitar, Record Producer - Chris EdwardsChris Edwards (musician)Christopher "Dibs" David Edwards is an English musician, best known as the bassist for indie rock band Kasabian.-Biography:...
– Bass Guitar - Ian MatthewsIan Matthews (drummer)Ian Matthews is an English musician, best known as a drummer for Kasabian.Prior to Kasabian he played with a number of local Bristol bands, such as K'Passa, and Milk. He met Kasabian when they were recording their first single "Processed Beats" in Bristol...
– Drums - Jay MehlerJay MehlerJason "Jay" Mehler is a guitarist who is currently a member of Kasabian, having officially joined the band in 2010 after touring with them since 2006...
- Guitar
Additional musicians
- Ben KealeyBen KealeyBen Kealey is the keyboardist of the Leicester indie rock band Kasabian.He was born in Leicester, England.-Kasabian:Ben was the drummer of the band in its original format which was called Saracuse. In 2006 he rejoined the band as the Keyboard and Synth player...
- additional keyboardsElectronic keyboardAn electronic keyboard is an electronic or digital keyboard instrument.The major components of a typical modern electronic keyboard are:... - Tim Carter - additional guitar, additional percussion
- Dan Ralph Martin - additional guitar, additional percussion (tracks 4, 9)
- Gary Alesbrook - trumpetTrumpetThe trumpet is the musical instrument with the highest register in the brass family. Trumpets are among the oldest musical instruments, dating back to at least 1500 BCE. They are played by blowing air through closed lips, producing a "buzzing" sound which starts a standing wave vibration in the air...
- Mat Coleman - tromboneTromboneThe trombone is a musical instrument in the brass family. Like all brass instruments, sound is produced when the player’s vibrating lips cause the air column inside the instrument to vibrate...
- Andrew Kinsman - saxophoneSaxophoneThe saxophone is a conical-bore transposing musical instrument that is a member of the woodwind family. Saxophones are usually made of brass and played with a single-reed mouthpiece similar to that of the clarinet. The saxophone was invented by the Belgian instrument maker Adolphe Sax in 1846...
- London Metropolitan OrchestraLondon Metropolitan OrchestraLondon Metropolitan Orchestra , founded in 1994, is a London-based studio orchestra whose primary function is to record music for film, television, and other multimedia projects...
- stringsString sectionThe string section is the largest body of the standard orchestra and consists of bowed string instruments of the violin family.It normally comprises five sections: the first violins, the second violins, the violas, the cellos, and the double basses... - Jessica Dannheisser - orchestrationOrchestrationOrchestration is the study or practice of writing music for an orchestra or of adapting for orchestra music composed for another medium...
- Andy Brown - conductingConductingConducting is the art of directing a musical performance by way of visible gestures. The primary duties of the conductor are to unify performers, set the tempo, execute clear preparations and beats, and to listen critically and shape the sound of the ensemble...
Technical staff
- Dan the AutomatorDan the AutomatorDaniel M. Nakamura , better known by the stage name Dan the Automator, is a Japanese-American hip hop producer. He founded the record label 75 Ark, which was distributed by Tommy Boy Records during its short existence....
– record producerRecord producerA record producer is an individual working within the music industry, whose job is to oversee and manage the recording of an artist's music... - Joe KearnsJoe KearnsJoe Kearns is an English recording engineer and producer based at British Grove Studios in Chiswick, London.Credit ListMusicFilm/TV-External Links:**...
- engineering - Stephen McLaughlin - production
- Aitor Throup - design and art direction
- Neil Bedford - photography
Charts
| Chart (2011) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Australian Albums Chart ARIA Charts The ARIA charts are the main Australian music sales charts, issued weekly by the Australian Recording Industry Association. The charts are a record of the highest selling singles and albums in various genres in Australia. ARIA commenced compiling its own charts in-house from the week ending 26 June... |
8 |
| Belgium Ultratop Chart (Flanders) Ultratop 50 Ultratop 50 singles, often just Ultratop 50, is the weekly chart of fifty best-selling singles in Flanders, Belgium, and is produced and published by the Ultratop organization. The chart has existed since March 31, 1995... |
16 |
| Belgium Ultratop Chart (Wallonia) Ultratop 40 Ultratop 40 singles, often just Ultratop 40, is the weekly chart of best-selling singles in Wallonia and Brussels Capital Region, the french-speaking parts of Belgium. Its equivalent covering the Flanders region is Ultratop 50. Both charts are produced and published by the Ultratop organization... |
11 |
| Dutch Albums Chart | 37 |
| Finnish Albums Chart | 32 |
| Irish Albums Chart Irish Recorded Music Association Irish Recorded Music Association is the Irish record industry association. IRMA is a non-profit association set up to manage and control the music industry in the Republic of Ireland.-Goals and activities:... |
2 |
| Italian Albums Chart Federation of the Italian Music Industry The Federation of the Italian Music Industry is an umbrella organization that keeps track of virtually all aspects of the music recording industry in Italy.... |
25 |
| Polish Albums Chart OLiS OLiS is the official list of the highest selling music albums in Poland. The list exists since October 23, 2000 and is provided by ZPAV.... |
13 |
| Scottish Albums Chart | 1 |
| UK Albums Chart UK Albums Chart The UK Albums Chart is a list of albums ranked by physical and digital sales in the United Kingdom. It is compiled every week by The Official Charts Company and broadcast on a Sunday on BBC Radio 1 , and published in Music Week magazine and on the OCC website .To qualify for the UK albums chart... |
1 |
| UK Album Download Chart UK Albums Chart The UK Albums Chart is a list of albums ranked by physical and digital sales in the United Kingdom. It is compiled every week by The Official Charts Company and broadcast on a Sunday on BBC Radio 1 , and published in Music Week magazine and on the OCC website .To qualify for the UK albums chart... |
1 |
The album debuted at number one in the UK albums chart selling over 90,000 copies in its first week. To date Velociraptor has sold more than 200,000 copies in the UK. With zero support from Sony Music, the album failed to crack the Billboard top 200 in it's first week of release in the United States.
Release history
| Region | Date | Format | Label |
|---|---|---|---|
| Australia | 16 September 2011 | CD Compact Disc The Compact Disc is an optical disc used to store digital data. It was originally developed to store and playback sound recordings exclusively, but later expanded to encompass data storage , write-once audio and data storage , rewritable media , Video Compact Discs , Super Video Compact Discs ,... , CD/DVD Compact Disc The Compact Disc is an optical disc used to store digital data. It was originally developed to store and playback sound recordings exclusively, but later expanded to encompass data storage , write-once audio and data storage , rewritable media , Video Compact Discs , Super Video Compact Discs ,... , Digital download Music download A music download is the transferral of music from an Internet-facing computer or website to a user's local computer. This term encompasses both legal downloads and downloads of copyright material without permission or payment... |
Sony Music Entertainment UK |
| Belgium | |||
| Ireland | |||
| France | 19 September 2011 | ||
| New Zealand | |||
| United Kingdom | |||
| Spain | 20 September 2011 |