Irresistible Bliss
Encyclopedia
Irresistible Bliss was Soul Coughing
's second album
, released in 1996 (see 1996 in music
). The band initially planned for Tchad Blake
, producer of their first album, Ruby Vroom
, to produce the album, but the death of a family member in a car accident caused Blake to take a hiatus. Over the objections of his bandmates and his record label, Slash Records
/Warner Bros., frontman Mike Doughty (then billed as "M. Doughty") hired producer David Kahne
(Fishbone
, The Bangles
, Sublime
, Tony Bennett
, Sugar Ray
, The Strokes
); he was intent on following up the wild sonics of Ruby Vroom
with a tightly-wound, trembly, New Wave inspired record.
The tracking, at Manhattan's Power Station
recording studio, was complete in eleven days, and Doughty was jubilant at the results. Doughty tapped Steve Fisk
to produce the tune "Unmarked Helicopters" for the X Files soundtrack Songs in the Key of X
.
All of Irresistible Bliss songs were produced by Kahne, except tracks 2 and 6 (by Fisk) and track 12 by the band themselves. The mixing process split the tracks between three mixers: Kahne, Chris Shaw, and Ruby producer Tchad Blake
, who intervened when bass player Sebastian Steinberg
briefly quit the band.
Irresistible Bliss yielded a hit single for Soul Coughing, "Super Bon Bon." "Soft Serve" and "Soundtrack to Mary" also received some selective radio airplay.
Additional CD with Japanese Release
.
Soul Coughing
Soul Coughing was a popular New York-based alternative rock band. The band found modest mainstream success during the mid-to-late 1990s. Soul Coughing developed a devout fanbase and have garnered largely positive response from critics. Steve Huey describes the band as "one of the most unusual cult...
's second album
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...
, released in 1996 (see 1996 in music
1996 in music
This is a list of notable events in music that took place in the year 1996.-January:* January – At the trial of two American teenagers, Nicholaus McDonald and Brian Bassett, for the murder of Bassett's parents and young brother, defense lawyers attempt to lay the blame for the murders on the fact...
). The band initially planned for Tchad Blake
Tchad Blake
Tchad Blake is an American record producer, audio engineer, mixer and musician.He has worked with numerous artists and musicians, including State Radio, Apartment 26, Elvis Costello, Peter Gabriel, Pearl Jam, Tom Waits, Richard Thompson, Brazilian Girls, Sheryl Crow, November 2nd, Travis, Marike...
, producer of their first album, Ruby Vroom
Ruby Vroom
Ruby Vroom was Soul Coughing's 1994 debut album. The album's sound is a mixture of sample-based tunes , guitar based tunes like...
, to produce the album, but the death of a family member in a car accident caused Blake to take a hiatus. Over the objections of his bandmates and his record label, Slash Records
Slash Records
Slash Records is a record label in Los Angeles, originally specializing in local and punk rock bands.The label was formed in 1978 by Bob Biggs as an outgrowth of the Los Angeles-based fanzine, Slash. Biggs, a painter, initiated the label with a seven-inch single from The Germs in 1978. A full album...
/Warner Bros., frontman Mike Doughty (then billed as "M. Doughty") hired producer David Kahne
David Kahne
David Kahne is an American record producer. Kahne started his musical career as a working musician and then became notable for his role as in-house producer and engineer at 415 Records, the first American new wave music label, and for his subsequent roles as Vice President of A&R at Columbia...
(Fishbone
Fishbone
Fishbone is a U.S. alternative rock band formed in 1979 in Los Angeles, California, which plays a fusion of ska, punk rock, funk, hard rock and soul. Critics have noted of the band: "Fishbone was one of the most distinctive and eclectic alternative rock bands of the late '80s...
, The Bangles
The Bangles
The Bangles are an American all-female band that originated in the early 1980s, scoring several hit singles during the decade.-Formation and early years :...
, Sublime
Sublime (band)
Sublime was an American ska punk band from Long Beach, California, formed in 1988. The band's line-up, unchanged until their breakup, consisted of Bradley Nowell , Eric Wilson and Bud Gaugh . Michael "Miguel" Happoldt also contributed on a few Sublime songs, such as "New Thrash." Lou Dog, Nowell's...
, Tony Bennett
Tony Bennett
Tony Bennett is an American singer of popular music, standards, show tunes, and jazz....
, Sugar Ray
Sugar Ray
Sugar Ray is a band from Orange County, California. The band, starting off more as an alternative metal band, first gained fame in 1997 with their release of the song "Fly". This song's success, coupled with its pop rock sound that was quite different from the rest of their material at the time,...
, The Strokes
The Strokes
The Strokes are an American indie rock band formed in 1999 in New York City. Consisting of Julian Casablancas , Nick Valensi , Albert Hammond, Jr. , Nikolai Fraiture and Fabrizio Moretti ....
); he was intent on following up the wild sonics of Ruby Vroom
Ruby Vroom
Ruby Vroom was Soul Coughing's 1994 debut album. The album's sound is a mixture of sample-based tunes , guitar based tunes like...
with a tightly-wound, trembly, New Wave inspired record.
The tracking, at Manhattan's Power Station
Avatar Studios
Avatar Studios, formerly known as The Power Station, is a recording studio at 441 West 53rd Street in Manhattan, New York City.The building was originally a Consolidated Edison power plant; but after a period of vacancy, it was used as a sound stage for the television game show Let's Make a Deal...
recording studio, was complete in eleven days, and Doughty was jubilant at the results. Doughty tapped Steve Fisk
Steve Fisk
Steve Fisk is a Washington-based audio engineer, record producer and musician.Fisk joined the instrumental rock band Pell Mell in 1982. With vocalist Shawn Smith, he formed Pigeonhed, which released its first album in 1993....
to produce the tune "Unmarked Helicopters" for the X Files soundtrack Songs in the Key of X
Songs in the Key of X
Songs in the Key of X: Music from and Inspired by The X-Files is a 1996 compilation album released in association with the American science fiction television series The X-Files. The album contained a mixture of songs that were either featured in the series, or shared thematic elements with it....
.
All of Irresistible Bliss songs were produced by Kahne, except tracks 2 and 6 (by Fisk) and track 12 by the band themselves. The mixing process split the tracks between three mixers: Kahne, Chris Shaw, and Ruby producer Tchad Blake
Tchad Blake
Tchad Blake is an American record producer, audio engineer, mixer and musician.He has worked with numerous artists and musicians, including State Radio, Apartment 26, Elvis Costello, Peter Gabriel, Pearl Jam, Tom Waits, Richard Thompson, Brazilian Girls, Sheryl Crow, November 2nd, Travis, Marike...
, who intervened when bass player Sebastian Steinberg
Sebastian Steinberg
Sebastian Steinberg is an American bass player, best known for his work in the band Soul Coughing.- Biography :Steinberg played with Soul Coughing throughout the band's entire history, from 1992–2000. He also recorded and performed with guitarist Marc Ribot and appeared on William Shatner's 2004...
briefly quit the band.
Irresistible Bliss yielded a hit single for Soul Coughing, "Super Bon Bon." "Soft Serve" and "Soundtrack to Mary" also received some selective radio airplay.
Track listing
All songs by Doughty/Soul Coughing.- "Super Bon Bon" – 3:31
- "Soft Serve" – 3:12
- "White Girl" – 2:37
- "Soundtrack to Mary" – 3:06
- "Lazybones" – 4:48
- "4 Out of 5" – 3:12
- "Paint" – 2:55
- "Disseminated" – 2:41
- "Collapse" – 3:06
- "Sleepless" – 4:50
- "The Idiot Kings" – 3:57
- "How Many Cans?" – 4:24
- "Lemon Lime" (Japanese Release Bonus Track)
- "Blow My Only" (Japanese Release Bonus Track)
Additional CD with Japanese Release
- "Super Bon Bon (Propellorheads Mezzanine Remix)"
- "Mr. Bitterness (live)"
- "White Girl (live)"
- "Lazybones (live)"
- "Super Bon Bon (Kick Dub Mix)"
Video Games
Super Bon Bon gained national attention because of its use in the soundtrack to the video game Gran Turismo 2Gran Turismo 2
is a driving simulator / racing game for the Sony PlayStation. Gran Turismo 2 was developed by Polyphony Digital and published by Sony Computer Entertainment in 1999. The games serves as a sequel to Gran Turismo...
.
Personnel
- Mike DoughtyMike DoughtyMike Doughty is an American indie and alternative rock singer-songwriter. He led the band Soul Coughing in the 1990s, and in the 2000s, became a solo artist...
(then billed as "M. Doughty") – vocalsSingingSinging is the act of producing musical sounds with the voice, and augments regular speech by the use of both tonality and rhythm. One who sings is called a singer or vocalist. Singers perform music known as songs that can be sung either with or without accompaniment by musical instruments...
, 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... - Mark de Gli AntoniMark De Gli AntoniMark degli Antoni , often credited as Horse Tricks, is a New York / Los Angeles composer, known for his work as keyboard and sampler player for the band Soul Coughing from 1992 to 2000....
– keyboardKeyboard 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...
, samplerSampler (musical instrument)A sampler is an electronic musical instrument similar in some respects to a synthesizer but, instead of generating sounds, it uses recordings of sounds that are loaded or recorded into it by the user and then played back by means of a keyboard, sequencer or other triggering device to perform or...
, vocals - Sebastian SteinbergSebastian SteinbergSebastian Steinberg is an American bass player, best known for his work in the band Soul Coughing.- Biography :Steinberg played with Soul Coughing throughout the band's entire history, from 1992–2000. He also recorded and performed with guitarist Marc Ribot and appeared on William Shatner's 2004...
– double bassDouble bassThe double bass, also called the string bass, upright bass, standup bass or contrabass, is the largest and lowest-pitched bowed string instrument in the modern symphony orchestra, with strings usually tuned to E1, A1, D2 and G2...
, fiddleFiddleThe term fiddle may refer to any bowed string musical instrument, most often the violin. It is also a colloquial term for the instrument used by players in all genres, including classical music... - Yuval GabayYuval GabayYuval Gabay is a Jerusalem-born hip-hop Drummer who currently lives and works in the United States. Gabay is most well known for his work with the Jazz/hip-hop quartet Soul Coughing from 1993 to 2000. He also played drums on Firewater's 1996 Debut Album Get Off the Cross, We Need the Wood for the...
– 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 ....
, vocals