Consolers of the Lonely
Encyclopedia
Consolers of the Lonely is the second album of The Raconteurs
. It was released on March 25, 2008 on Warner Bros. Records
in most parts of the world, and a day earlier on XL Recordings
in the UK.
The band did no promotion before the album's release, and its existence was only confirmed a week before. Even so, the record was accidentally leaked by iTunes
, and some fans managed to purchase the album early. It is available on CD
, vinyl
, and MP3
. A video for the first single from the album, "Salute Your Solution
" was released on the same day. The album earned a nomination for Best Rock Album at the 51st Grammy Awards.
Consolers of the Lonely consists of recordings undertaken after The White Stripes
' Icky Thump
tour, which means the sessions that the band did in May 2007 before the Icky Thump
tour weren't used. The title of the record comes from the inscription in the side of a Washington, D.C. post office written by Charles William Eliot
, which reads in full:
called it "one of the most exciting musical events of 2008." Despite the already rapid release time and efforts to secure the date, the record was briefly available for purchase on iTunes Friday, March 21.
and The Who
. According to The Toronto Star, "White's bent Americana and Benson's British invasion-isms yields wonderfully unpredictable results". Kitty Empire
of The Observer called the album "lively" and said it "finds [the Raconteurs] luxuriating in fancy stuff with kid-in-a-sweetshop enthusiasm. Minimalism is out, bombast is in; the detail, is, as ever, lip-smacking." Commenting on the band's chemistry and freeness, Rolling Stone
said the album is "a blissfully stoned conversation between White and Benson about their favorite bands: Led Zeppelin, the Who, Badfinger
," though it added, "that freedom is not always satisfying."Austin-American Statesmen said "it's a weirdly overblown and curiously dull album," and complained about its production. The New York Times echoed those statements about the "chaos" of the album, but concluded that "that desperation only makes the crunch of the music more euphoric." The Guardian found that on Consolers of the Lonely, the Raconteurs "establish a firm, emotionally charged identity of their own" and called the effort "flawed but ragged glory." Allmusic concluded that the album is a "lop-sided, bottom-loaded album that's better and richer than their debut."
The album was nominated for Best Rock Album and won Best Engineered Album, Non-Classical at the 51st Grammy Awards
. The album ranked No. 44 on Rolling Stone's year-end critic's list and No. 35 on Spin Magazine's year-end Top 40 albums.
The album was ranked the #4 Album of the Decade by Glide Magazine.
chart, selling about 42,000 copies in its first week. It debuted at #8 on the UK Album Chart, #4 on the Canadian Album Chart, and #50 on the Australian ARIA chart on the 7th of April, 2008 based on digital downloads. However, the CD was released on the 5th of April, thus allowing the album the next week to ascend 32 places to reach its peak position thus far of #18 due to physical sales.
, Michigan
, and Ohio
. These signs refer to the fact that the band members currently reside in Tennessee, but Brendan Benson
and Jack White
are originally from Michigan, while Patrick Keeler
and Jack Lawrence
are originally from Ohio. After being folded out the scene then depicts the band on stage with a woman exiting from a door in the back. It also has a sign that says "The Raconteurs
" and another that says the albums title. Once opened up, it is noticed that the stage is empty and the bass drum in the back says "Sanitary Workers Band."
and Jack White
, except "Rich Kid Blues" by Terry Reid
.
The Raconteurs
The Raconteurs is an American rock band that was formed in Detroit, Michigan, featuring four members known for other musical projects: Jack White , Brendan Benson , Jack Lawrence , and Patrick Keeler .-Formation:The...
. It was released on March 25, 2008 on Warner Bros. Records
Warner Bros. Records
Warner Bros. Records Inc. is an American record label. It was the foundation label of the present-day Warner Music Group, and now operates as a wholly owned subsidiary of that corporation. It maintains a close relationship with its former parent, Warner Bros. Pictures, although the two companies...
in most parts of the world, and a day earlier on XL Recordings
XL Recordings
XL Recordings is a British independent record label owned by Richard Russell. It originated as a 1989 offshoot of Beggars Banquet Records.Though only releasing an average of six albums a year, XL Recordings has worked with The Prodigy, Radiohead, The White Stripes, Dizzee Rascal, M.I.A., Vampire...
in the UK.
The band did no promotion before the album's release, and its existence was only confirmed a week before. Even so, the record was accidentally leaked by iTunes
ITunes
iTunes is a media player computer program, used for playing, downloading, and organizing digital music and video files on desktop computers. It can also manage contents on iPod, iPhone, iPod Touch and iPad....
, and some fans managed to purchase the album early. It is available on 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 ,...
, vinyl
Gramophone record
A gramophone record, commonly known as a phonograph record , vinyl record , or colloquially, a record, is an analog sound storage medium consisting of a flat disc with an inscribed, modulated spiral groove...
, and MP3
MP3
MPEG-1 or MPEG-2 Audio Layer III, more commonly referred to as MP3, is a patented digital audio encoding format using a form of lossy data compression...
. A video for the first single from the album, "Salute Your Solution
Salute Your Solution
"Salute Your Solution" is a song by The Raconteurs. It is the first single from their second album Consolers of the Lonely. It was released on March 25, 2008 the same day as the album release. Jack White and Brendan Benson share lead vocal duties on the track...
" was released on the same day. The album earned a nomination for Best Rock Album at the 51st Grammy Awards.
Background
The band premiered "Five on the Five" during their last tour.Consolers of the Lonely consists of recordings undertaken after The White Stripes
The White Stripes
The White Stripes was an American rock band, formed in 1997 in Detroit, Michigan. The group consisted of the songwriter Jack White and drummer Meg White . Jack and Meg White were previously married to each other, but are now divorced...
' Icky Thump
Icky Thump
Icky Thump is the sixth and final studio album by US alternative rock band The White Stripes. It was released June 15, 2007 in Germany, June 18, 2007 in the rest of Europe, and June 19, 2007 in the rest of the world. It was the band's first album on Warner Bros...
tour, which means the sessions that the band did in May 2007 before the Icky Thump
Icky Thump
Icky Thump is the sixth and final studio album by US alternative rock band The White Stripes. It was released June 15, 2007 in Germany, June 18, 2007 in the rest of Europe, and June 19, 2007 in the rest of the world. It was the band's first album on Warner Bros...
tour weren't used. The title of the record comes from the inscription in the side of a Washington, D.C. post office written by Charles William Eliot
Charles William Eliot
Charles William Eliot was an American academic who was selected as Harvard's president in 1869. He transformed the provincial college into the preeminent American research university...
, which reads in full:
Messenger of sympathy and love, servant of parted friends, consoler of the lonely, bond of the scattered family, enlarger of the common life.
Release
According to the band, the album was finished during the first week in March and was released less than three weeks later. For a band of their stature, the release of Consolers of the Lonely with no promotion was highly unorthodox. Music critics and commentators largely saw it as a way to eschew critics and deal directly with fans. The ObserverThe Observer
The Observer is a British newspaper, published on Sundays. In the same place on the political spectrum as its daily sister paper The Guardian, which acquired it in 1993, it takes a liberal or social democratic line on most issues. It is the world's oldest Sunday newspaper.-Origins:The first issue,...
called it "one of the most exciting musical events of 2008." Despite the already rapid release time and efforts to secure the date, the record was briefly available for purchase on iTunes Friday, March 21.
Critical response
Critique of Consolers of the Lonely was mostly positive; much of it centered on the chaotic sound and diverse nature of the album as well as its resemblance to albums by Led ZeppelinLed 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 The Who
The Who
The Who are an English rock band formed in 1964 by Roger Daltrey , Pete Townshend , John Entwistle and Keith Moon . They became known for energetic live performances which often included instrument destruction...
. According to The Toronto Star, "White's bent Americana and Benson's British invasion-isms yields wonderfully unpredictable results". Kitty Empire
Kitty Empire
Kitty Empire is the pen name of a British writer and music critic.Empire was born in Montreal, Quebec in 1970 and brought up in Canada, Italy and Egypt before arriving in Britain in 1988....
of The Observer called the album "lively" and said it "finds [the Raconteurs] luxuriating in fancy stuff with kid-in-a-sweetshop enthusiasm. Minimalism is out, bombast is in; the detail, is, as ever, lip-smacking." Commenting on the band's chemistry and freeness, 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...
said the album is "a blissfully stoned conversation between White and Benson about their favorite bands: Led Zeppelin, the Who, Badfinger
Badfinger
Badfinger were a British rock band consisting originally of Pete Ham, Ron Griffiths, Mike Gibbins and Tom Evans, active from 1968 to 1983, and evolving from The Iveys, formed by Ham, Griffiths and David "Dai" Jenkins in Swansea, Wales, in the early 1960s. Joey Molland joined the group in 1969,...
," though it added, "that freedom is not always satisfying."Austin-American Statesmen said "it's a weirdly overblown and curiously dull album," and complained about its production. The New York Times echoed those statements about the "chaos" of the album, but concluded that "that desperation only makes the crunch of the music more euphoric." The Guardian found that on Consolers of the Lonely, the Raconteurs "establish a firm, emotionally charged identity of their own" and called the effort "flawed but ragged glory." Allmusic concluded that the album is a "lop-sided, bottom-loaded album that's better and richer than their debut."
The album was nominated for Best Rock Album and won Best Engineered Album, Non-Classical at the 51st Grammy Awards
51st Grammy Awards
The 51st Annual Grammy Awards took place at the Staples Center in Los Angeles, CA on February 8, 2009. Robert Plant and Alison Krauss were the biggest winners of the night, jointly winning five awards including Album of the Year and Record of the Year...
. The album ranked No. 44 on Rolling Stone's year-end critic's list and No. 35 on Spin Magazine's year-end Top 40 albums.
The album was ranked the #4 Album of the Decade by Glide Magazine.
Chart positions
The album debuted at #7 on the U.S. Billboard 200Billboard 200
The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists...
chart, selling about 42,000 copies in its first week. It debuted at #8 on the UK Album Chart, #4 on the Canadian Album Chart, and #50 on the Australian ARIA chart on the 7th of April, 2008 based on digital downloads. However, the CD was released on the 5th of April, thus allowing the album the next week to ascend 32 places to reach its peak position thus far of #18 due to physical sales.
| Chart (2008) | Peak position |
Certification | Sales/ shipments |
|---|---|---|---|
| Canadian Album Chart Media Control Charts The official music charts in Germany are gathered and published by the company Media Control GfK International on behalf of Bundesverband Musikindustrie... |
4 | - | |
| US Billboard 200 Billboard 200 The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists... |
7 | - | 50,000 |
| UK Albums Chart Media Control Charts The official music charts in Germany are gathered and published by the company Media Control GfK International on behalf of Bundesverband Musikindustrie... |
8 | Gold | 100,000 |
| Australian ARIA Chart | 18 | - | |
Album cover
The stage portrayed on the cover of the album depicts three signs for TennesseeTennessee
Tennessee is a U.S. state located in the Southeastern United States. It has a population of 6,346,105, making it the nation's 17th-largest state by population, and covers , making it the 36th-largest by total land area...
, Michigan
Michigan
Michigan is a U.S. state located in the Great Lakes Region of the United States of America. The name Michigan is the French form of the Ojibwa word mishigamaa, meaning "large water" or "large lake"....
, and Ohio
Ohio
Ohio is a Midwestern state in the United States. The 34th largest state by area in the U.S.,it is the 7th‑most populous with over 11.5 million residents, containing several major American cities and seven metropolitan areas with populations of 500,000 or more.The state's capital is Columbus...
. These signs refer to the fact that the band members currently reside in Tennessee, but Brendan Benson
Brendan Benson
Brendan Benson is an American musician and songwriter. He sings and plays guitar, bass guitar, keyboard, and drums. He has released four solo albums and is a member of the band The Raconteurs....
and Jack White
Jack White (musician)
Jack White , often credited as Jack White III, is an American musician, songwriter, record producer and occasional actor...
are originally from Michigan, while Patrick Keeler
Patrick Keeler
Patrick Keeler is an American rock music drummer from Cincinnati, who best known for playing in The Greenhornes and The Raconteurs. He plays with both traditional and matched grips.-Recording career:...
and Jack Lawrence
Jack Lawrence (bassist)
"Little" Jack Lawrence is a musician from Covington, Kentucky, currently living in Nashville, Tennessee.- Career :Lawrence plays bass guitar in The Raconteurs, The Greenhornes and The Dead Weather, as well as the autoharp and banjo in Blanche...
are originally from Ohio. After being folded out the scene then depicts the band on stage with a woman exiting from a door in the back. It also has a sign that says "The Raconteurs
The Raconteurs
The Raconteurs is an American rock band that was formed in Detroit, Michigan, featuring four members known for other musical projects: Jack White , Brendan Benson , Jack Lawrence , and Patrick Keeler .-Formation:The...
" and another that says the albums title. Once opened up, it is noticed that the stage is empty and the bass drum in the back says "Sanitary Workers Band."
Track listing
All songs by Brendan BensonBrendan Benson
Brendan Benson is an American musician and songwriter. He sings and plays guitar, bass guitar, keyboard, and drums. He has released four solo albums and is a member of the band The Raconteurs....
and Jack White
Jack White (musician)
Jack White , often credited as Jack White III, is an American musician, songwriter, record producer and occasional actor...
, except "Rich Kid Blues" by Terry Reid
Terry Reid
Terry Reid is an English rock vocalist and guitarist. He has performed with high profile musicians, as a supporting act, a session musician, and sideman.- History :...
.
The Raconteurs
- Patrick KeelerPatrick KeelerPatrick Keeler is an American rock music drummer from Cincinnati, who best known for playing in The Greenhornes and The Raconteurs. He plays with both traditional and matched grips.-Recording career:...
– drumsDrum kitA drum kit is a collection of drums, cymbals and often other percussion instruments, such as cowbells, wood blocks, triangles, chimes, or tambourines, arranged for convenient playing by a single person ....
, percussion - Brendan BensonBrendan BensonBrendan Benson is an American musician and songwriter. He sings and plays guitar, bass guitar, keyboard, and drums. He has released four solo albums and is a member of the band The Raconteurs....
– vocals, guitarGuitarThe guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
, keyboardsKeyboard instrumentA keyboard instrument is a musical instrument which is played using a musical keyboard. The most common of these is the piano. Other widely used keyboard instruments include organs of various types as well as other mechanical, electromechanical and electronic instruments... - Jack White IIIJack White (musician)Jack White , often credited as Jack White III, is an American musician, songwriter, record producer and occasional actor...
– vocals, guitar, stylophone, keyboards - Jack L.J. LawrenceJack Lawrence (bassist)"Little" Jack Lawrence is a musician from Covington, Kentucky, currently living in Nashville, Tennessee.- Career :Lawrence plays bass guitar in The Raconteurs, The Greenhornes and The Dead Weather, as well as the autoharp and banjo in Blanche...
– bassBass guitarThe bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
, banjoBanjoIn the 1830s Sweeney became the first white man to play the banjo on stage. His version of the instrument replaced the gourd with a drum-like sound box and included four full-length strings alongside a short fifth-string. There is no proof, however, that Sweeney invented either innovation. This new...
, backing vocalsBacking vocalistA backing vocalist or backing singer is a singer who provides vocal harmony with the lead vocalist or other backing vocalists...
Additional
- Dean FertitaDean FertitaDean Fertita is an American rock musician and multi-instrumentalist. Fertita was the lead singer and guitarist of The Waxwings from the band's formation in 1997 to its breakup in 2005...
– clavinetClavinetA Clavinet is an electrically amplified keyboard instrument manufactured by the Hohner company. It is essentially an electronically amplified clavichord, analogous to an electric guitar. Its distinctive bright staccato sound has appeared particularly in funk, disco, rock, and reggae songs.Various... - Dirk Powell – strings
- The Memphis HornsThe Memphis HornsThe Memphis Horns are an American horn section made famous by their many appearances on Stax Records. They have been called "arguably the greatest soul horn section ever." Originally a sextet, the Memphis Horns gradually slimmed down to a duo, Wayne Jackson on trumpet and Andrew Love on tenor...
– hornsHorn sectionIn music, a horn section can refer to several groups of musicians. It can refer to the musicians in a symphony orchestra who play the horn . In a British-style brass band it refers to the tenor horn players. In popular music, it can also refer to a small group of wind instrumentalists who augment a... - Flory Dory Girls – backing vocals
- Frozen 140 Swanson (David Swanson of Whirlwind HeatWhirlwind HeatWhirlwind Heat is a three-piece band from the city of Grand Rapids, Michigan. Although they are avid genre-hoppers, they are often categorized as alternative rock.-History:...
)
Production
- Jack White IIIJack White (musician)Jack White , often credited as Jack White III, is an American musician, songwriter, record producer and occasional actor...
– 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...
, mixed byAudio mixing (recorded music)In audio recording, audio mixing is the process by which multiple recorded sounds are combined into one or more channels, most commonly two-channel stereo. In the process, the source signals' level, frequency content, dynamics, and panoramic position are manipulated and effects such as reverb may...
, hornHorn sectionIn music, a horn section can refer to several groups of musicians. It can refer to the musicians in a symphony orchestra who play the horn . In a British-style brass band it refers to the tenor horn players. In popular music, it can also refer to a small group of wind instrumentalists who augment a...
arrangementArrangementThe American Federation of Musicians defines arranging as "the art of preparing and adapting an already written composition for presentation in other than its original form. An arrangement may include reharmonization, paraphrasing, and/or development of a composition, so that it fully represents... - Brendan BensonBrendan BensonBrendan Benson is an American musician and songwriter. He sings and plays guitar, bass guitar, keyboard, and drums. He has released four solo albums and is a member of the band The Raconteurs....
– producer, horn arrangement - Joe Chiccarelli – engineered byAudio engineeringAn audio engineer, also called audio technician, audio technologist or sound technician, is a specialist in a skilled trade that deals with the use of machinery and equipment for the recording, mixing and reproduction of sounds. The field draws on many artistic and vocational areas, including...
- Vance Powell – mix down engineer
- Lowell Reynolds – assistant engineer
- Vlado Mellor – mastered byAudio masteringMastering, a form of audio post-production, is the process of preparing and transferring recorded audio from a source containing the final mix to a data storage device ; the source from which all copies will be produced...
- Mark Santangello – assisted by
- The RaconteursThe RaconteursThe Raconteurs is an American rock band that was formed in Detroit, Michigan, featuring four members known for other musical projects: Jack White , Brendan Benson , Jack Lawrence , and Patrick Keeler .-Formation:The...
– songs arranged by - Wayne Jackson – horn arrangement