Of Natural History
Encyclopedia
Of Natural History is the second album by Avant-rock
/metal group Sleepytime Gorilla Museum
. It was recorded and mixed at Polymorph Recording in Oakland, California
during the years 2003 and 2004. Whereas on the first album, Grand Opening and Closing
, Dan Rathbun handled the mastering (in addition to producing, recording, and mixing), on Of Natural History the mastering duties are handled by Justin Weis, who mastered the album at Trakworx, San Francisco.
All the tracks on this album were produced by Rathbun & the other members of the band, except for "Phthisis", which was produced by Scott Humphrey, and recorded at the Chop Shop, Hollywood in May 2004; Chris Baseford engineered the recording sessions, while Garry Raposo and Vincent Piette assisted in engineering.
Interestingly, like with the first album, this album again marks the transition from one drummer
to another: Frank Grau, who replaced David Shamrock after the first album, left after this album, and Matthias Bossi took the drummer's position and has held it since then (Bossi plays different instruments on the tracks "Phthisis", "FC: The Freedom Club" and "Gunday's Child").
("Bring Back the Apocalypse") and funk
and jazz
("Gunday's Child"). Other elements include heavy metal
("The Donkey Headed Adversary of Humanity Opens the Discussion" and "Pthisis"), progressive rock
("FC: The Freedom Club" and "Babydoctor"), country music
("Cockroach"), folk music
("The 17 Year Cicada"), as well as many more. Also notable is the incorporation of a plethora of field recordings and samples into the songs and interludes.
Of Natural History has a continuity in the sense that all the songs sequence into each other, thus holding the narrative element(s) of the album better together along the album. The continuity and the coherent feel make Of Natural History very close to a concept album
. While the lyrics themselves differ much from song to song, the underlying imposing mood is concerned with the apocalyptic implications caused by human presence on earth; to offer different viewpoints on this, SGM create their own characters and stories (tracks 1 & 2, both of which are a continuation of a story created already on the first album
that was non-musical) and borrow from Filippo Tommaso Marinetti
, Unabomber, Muriel Rukeyser
and Kenneth Patchen
(tracks 3, 5, 6, and 9, respectively) in addition to own lyrics.
According to the band's official website, Of Natural History is in part a "debate between two contradictory pillars of 20th C. Anti-Humanism: The Futurists
versus the Unabomber."
Experimental rock
Experimental rock or avant-garde rock is a type of music based on rock which experiments with the basic elements of the genre, or which pushes the boundaries of common composition and performance technique....
/metal group Sleepytime Gorilla Museum
Sleepytime Gorilla Museum
Sleepytime Gorilla Museum is an American experimental rock band, formed in 1999 in Oakland, California. The band fuses classical, industrial, and art-rock themes throughout their music...
. It was recorded and mixed at Polymorph Recording in Oakland, California
Oakland, California
Oakland is a major West Coast port city on San Francisco Bay in the U.S. state of California. It is the eighth-largest city in the state with a 2010 population of 390,724...
during the years 2003 and 2004. Whereas on the first album, Grand Opening and Closing
Grand Opening and Closing
-Personnel:* Carla Kihlstedt – Electric Violin, Percussion Guitar, Autoharp, Pump Organ, Voice* Dan Rathbun – Bass Guitar, Slide-piano Log, Pedal-action Wiggler, Thing, Autoharp, Voice* David Shamrock – Drums, Piano* Frank Grau – Drums on "The Stain"...
, Dan Rathbun handled the mastering (in addition to producing, recording, and mixing), on Of Natural History the mastering duties are handled by Justin Weis, who mastered the album at Trakworx, San Francisco.
All the tracks on this album were produced by Rathbun & the other members of the band, except for "Phthisis", which was produced by Scott Humphrey, and recorded at the Chop Shop, Hollywood in May 2004; Chris Baseford engineered the recording sessions, while Garry Raposo and Vincent Piette assisted in engineering.
Interestingly, like with the first album, this album again marks the transition from one drummer
Drummer
A drummer is a musician who is capable of playing drums, which includes but is not limited to a drum kit and accessory based hardware which includes an assortment of pedals and standing support mechanisms, marching percussion and/or any musical instrument that is struck within the context of a...
to another: Frank Grau, who replaced David Shamrock after the first album, left after this album, and Matthias Bossi took the drummer's position and has held it since then (Bossi plays different instruments on the tracks "Phthisis", "FC: The Freedom Club" and "Gunday's Child").
Music
Of Natural History continues on the same diverse and eclectic musical lines as its predecessor, with even more new elements, like Intelligent dance musicIntelligent dance music
Intelligent dance music is a term that describes an electronic music genre that emerged in the early 1990s. The genre is influenced by a wide range of musical styles particularly electronic dance music such as Detroit Techno...
("Bring Back the Apocalypse") and funk
Funk
Funk is a music genre that originated in the mid-late 1960s when African American musicians blended soul music, jazz and R&B into a rhythmic, danceable new form of music. Funk de-emphasizes melody and harmony and brings a strong rhythmic groove of electric bass and drums to the foreground...
and jazz
Jazz
Jazz is a musical style that originated at the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States. It was born out of a mix of African and European music traditions. From its early development until the present, jazz has incorporated music from 19th and 20th...
("Gunday's Child"). Other elements include heavy metal
Heavy metal music
Heavy metal is a genre of rock music that developed in the late 1960s and early 1970s, largely in the Midlands of the United Kingdom and the United States...
("The Donkey Headed Adversary of Humanity Opens the Discussion" and "Pthisis"), progressive rock
Progressive rock
Progressive rock is a subgenre of rock music that developed in the late 1960s and early 1970s as part of a "mostly British attempt to elevate rock music to new levels of artistic credibility." John Covach, in Contemporary Music Review, says that many thought it would not just "succeed the pop of...
("FC: The Freedom Club" and "Babydoctor"), country music
Country
A country is a region legally identified as a distinct entity in political geography. A country may be an independent sovereign state or one that is occupied by another state, as a non-sovereign or formerly sovereign political division, or a geographic region associated with a previously...
("Cockroach"), folk music
Folk music
Folk music is an English term encompassing both traditional folk music and contemporary folk music. The term originated in the 19th century. Traditional folk music has been defined in several ways: as music transmitted by mouth, as music of the lower classes, and as music with unknown composers....
("The 17 Year Cicada"), as well as many more. Also notable is the incorporation of a plethora of field recordings and samples into the songs and interludes.
Of Natural History has a continuity in the sense that all the songs sequence into each other, thus holding the narrative element(s) of the album better together along the album. The continuity and the coherent feel make Of Natural History very close to a concept album
Concept album
In music, a concept album is an album that is "unified by a theme, which can be instrumental, compositional, narrative, or lyrical." Commonly, concept albums tend to incorporate preconceived musical or lyrical ideas rather than being improvised or composed in the studio, with all songs contributing...
. While the lyrics themselves differ much from song to song, the underlying imposing mood is concerned with the apocalyptic implications caused by human presence on earth; to offer different viewpoints on this, SGM create their own characters and stories (tracks 1 & 2, both of which are a continuation of a story created already on the first album
Grand Opening and Closing
-Personnel:* Carla Kihlstedt – Electric Violin, Percussion Guitar, Autoharp, Pump Organ, Voice* Dan Rathbun – Bass Guitar, Slide-piano Log, Pedal-action Wiggler, Thing, Autoharp, Voice* David Shamrock – Drums, Piano* Frank Grau – Drums on "The Stain"...
that was non-musical) and borrow from Filippo Tommaso Marinetti
Filippo Tommaso Marinetti
Filippo Tommaso Emilio Marinetti was an Italian poet and editor, the founder of the Futurist movement, and a fascist ideologue.-Childhood and adolescence:...
, Unabomber, Muriel Rukeyser
Muriel Rukeyser
Muriel Rukeyser was an American poet and political activist, best known for her poems about equality, feminism, social justice, and Judaism...
and Kenneth Patchen
Kenneth Patchen
Kenneth Patchen was an American poet and novelist. Though he denied any direct connection, Patchen's work and ideas regarding the role of artists paralleled those of the Dadaists, the Beats, and Surrealists...
(tracks 3, 5, 6, and 9, respectively) in addition to own lyrics.
According to the band's official website, Of Natural History is in part a "debate between two contradictory pillars of 20th C. Anti-Humanism: The Futurists
Filippo Tommaso Marinetti
Filippo Tommaso Emilio Marinetti was an Italian poet and editor, the founder of the Futurist movement, and a fascist ideologue.-Childhood and adolescence:...
versus the Unabomber."
Track listing
- "A Hymn to the Morning Star" - 5:40
- "The Donkey-Headed Adversary of Humanity Opens the Discussion" - 6:01
- "Phthisis" - 3:44
- "Bring Back the Apocalypse" - 4:10
- "FC: The Freedom Club" - 10:48
- "Gunday's Child" - 6:56
- "The 17-Year Cicada" - 3:41
- "The Creature" - 6:00
- "What Shall We Do Without Us?" - 2:38
- "Babydoctor" - 13:59
- "Cockroach" - 2:12
- (Hidden Track) - 5:56
Personnel
- Carla KihlstedtCarla KihlstedtCarla Kihlstedt is an American violinist, vocalist, and multi-instrumentalist from Lancaster, Pennsylvania currently living in Oakland, California....
- Violins, Percussion Guitar, Autoharp, Organ, Voice, Choir (Soprano Voice) - Dan Rathbun - Bass, Log, Roach, Trombone, Lute, Voice, Choir (Baritone Voice)
- Frank Grau - Drums, Melodica
- Matthias Bossi (tracks 3, 5, & 6) - Drums, Glockenspiel, Xylophone, Voice; (track 1) Choir (Tenor Voice)
- Moe! Staiano - Metal, Wood, Bowed Spatula, Glockenspiel, Spring, Paper
- Nils FrykdahlNils FrykdahlNils Frykdahl is an American musician most known for his work with the bands Sleepytime Gorilla Museum and the now-defunct band Idiot Flesh. He has a bachelor's degree in music from UC Berkeley, which he received in 1989. He also is a member of the bands Faun Fables and Darling Freakhead, and used...
- Guitars, Flutes, Voice, Choir (Contralto Voice)