Oh! Calcutta! (album)
Encyclopedia
Oh! Calcutta! is a punk rock
album by the Chicago, Illinois band The Lawrence Arms
, released in 2006 by Fat Wreck Chords
. It is the band's fifth full-length album and their third to be released on Fat Wreck Chords. In comparison with their previous album The Greatest Story Ever Told, Oh! Calcutta! is considerably faster-paced and more aggressive, resembling more closely their earlier albums. It also finds Chris McCaughan
and Brendan Kelly
sharing vocal duties in an almost duet style, while on previous albums the two had split most of the lead vocals between songs.
The album's title demonstrates the band's propensity to juxtapose the twin elements of "legitimate" literature and philosophy and American pop culture, referencing both the 1969 off-Broadway revue
of the same name and a comment made by Mother Teresa
that conditions in Chicago
's south side depressed her more than the poverty of Calcutta. The title of the song "Are You There Margaret? It's Me, God" references the book Are You There, God? It's Me, Margaret
by Judy Blume
, while the title "Jumping the Shark
" references a pop culture term describing an episode of Happy Days
. The whispered lyrics in the beginning of "Requiem Revisited" are taken from the Nomeansno
song "Brother Rat." The title of "Lose Your Illusion 1" is a reference to the Guns 'n' Roses album Use Your Illusion I
.
The album contains a "hidden" track after the last song entitled "Warped Summer Extravaganza (Major Excellent)," a reference to the band's experiences on the Warped Tour
. The downloadable iTunes
version of the album also included an extra track entitled "The Rabbit and the Rooster" not found on the CD or LP
versions.
-from William Shakespeare
's King Lear
, Act IV, scene i
-Alex Winter
in Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure
Punk rock
Punk rock is a rock music genre that developed between 1974 and 1976 in the United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia. Rooted in garage rock and other forms of what is now known as protopunk music, punk rock bands eschewed perceived excesses of mainstream 1970s rock...
album by the Chicago, Illinois band The Lawrence Arms
The Lawrence Arms
The Lawrence Arms are an American punk rock band from Chicago, Illinois, formed in 1999. They have released five full-length albums and toured extensively.-Pre-history:...
, released in 2006 by Fat Wreck Chords
Fat Wreck Chords
Fat Wreck Chords is a San Francisco, California based independent record label, focused on punk rock. It was started by Fat Mike and his ex-wife, Erin, in 1990....
. It is the band's fifth full-length album and their third to be released on Fat Wreck Chords. In comparison with their previous album The Greatest Story Ever Told, Oh! Calcutta! is considerably faster-paced and more aggressive, resembling more closely their earlier albums. It also finds Chris McCaughan
Chris McCaughan
Chris McCaughan is the guitarist and vocalist in the band The Lawrence Arms. McCaughan was formerly the guitarist for the bands Tricky Dick and The Broadways ....
and Brendan Kelly
Brendan Kelly (musician)
Brendan Kelly is the bassist/vocalist of Chicago-based punk band The Lawrence Arms, as well as guitarist/lead vocalist in The Falcon. Kelly's former bands include Slapstick and The Broadways...
sharing vocal duties in an almost duet style, while on previous albums the two had split most of the lead vocals between songs.
The album's title demonstrates the band's propensity to juxtapose the twin elements of "legitimate" literature and philosophy and American pop culture, referencing both the 1969 off-Broadway revue
Oh! Calcutta!
Oh! Calcutta! is an avant-garde theatrical revue, created by British drama critic Kenneth Tynan. The show, consisting of sketches on sex-related topics, debuted Off-Broadway in 1969 and then in London in 1970. It ran in London for over 3,900 performances, and in New York initially for 1,314...
of the same name and a comment made by Mother Teresa
Mother Teresa
Mother Teresa , born Agnes Gonxha Bojaxhiu , was a Roman Catholic nun of Albanian ethnicity and Indian citizenship, who founded the Missionaries of Charity in Calcutta, India, in 1950...
that conditions in Chicago
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
's south side depressed her more than the poverty of Calcutta. The title of the song "Are You There Margaret? It's Me, God" references the book Are You There, God? It's Me, Margaret
Are You There, God? It's Me, Margaret
Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret. is a 1970 book by Judy Blume, typically categorized as a young adult novel, about a girl in sixth grade who grew up with no religion. Margaret's mother is Christian and her father is Jewish, and the novel explores her quest for a single religion...
by Judy Blume
Judy Blume
Judy Blume is an American author. She has written many novels for children and young adults which have exceeded sales of 80 million and been translated into 31 languages...
, while the title "Jumping the Shark
Jumping the shark
Jumping the shark is an idiom used to describe the moment in the evolution of a television show when it begins a decline in quality that is beyond recovery....
" references a pop culture term describing an episode of Happy Days
Happy Days
Happy Days is an American television sitcom that originally aired from January 15, 1974, to September 24, 1984, on ABC. Created by Garry Marshall, the series presents an idealized vision of life in mid-1950s to mid-1960s America....
. The whispered lyrics in the beginning of "Requiem Revisited" are taken from the Nomeansno
Nomeansno
NoMeansNo is a Canadian progressive punk rock music group originally from Victoria, British Columbia and now located in Vancouver.The band has never had, nor have they seemed to pursue, strong mainstream success, but they do have a devoted underground following in North America and Europe...
song "Brother Rat." The title of "Lose Your Illusion 1" is a reference to the Guns 'n' Roses album Use Your Illusion I
Use Your Illusion I
Use Your Illusion I is the third studio album by the American rock band Guns N' Roses. It was the first of two albums released in conjunction with the Use Your Illusion Tour, the other being Use Your Illusion II. The two are thus sometimes considered a double album. In fact, in the original vinyl...
.
The album contains a "hidden" track after the last song entitled "Warped Summer Extravaganza (Major Excellent)," a reference to the band's experiences on the Warped Tour
Warped Tour
The Warped Tour is a touring music and extreme sports festival. The tour is held in venues such as parking lots or fields upon which the stages and other structures are erected. The BMX/skateboarding shoe manufacturer Vans, among others, has sponsored the tour every year since 1995, and it is...
. The downloadable 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....
version of the album also included an extra track entitled "The Rabbit and the Rooster" not found on the CD or LP
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...
versions.
Track listing
All songs written by The Lawrence ArmsThe Lawrence Arms
The Lawrence Arms are an American punk rock band from Chicago, Illinois, formed in 1999. They have released five full-length albums and toured extensively.-Pre-history:...
- “The Devil’s Takin’ Names”–2:00
- “Cut It Up”–2:13
- “Great Lakes / Great Escapes”–2:49
- “Recovering the Opposable Thumb”–3:05
- “Beyond the Embarrassing Style”–2:24
- “Are You There Margaret? It’s Me, God.”–3:35
- “Jumping the Shark”–2:36
- “Lose Your Illusion 1”–2:59
- “Requiem Revisited”–2:07
- “Key to the City”–3:01
- “Old Dogs Never Die”–2:12
- “Like a Record Player” / ”Warped Summer Extravaganza (Major Excellent)”–4:51
- The iTunes download of the album separates the latter into two tracks, and includes the bonus track “The Rabbit and the Rooster”.
Performers
- Chris McCaughanChris McCaughanChris McCaughan is the guitarist and vocalist in the band The Lawrence Arms. McCaughan was formerly the guitarist for the bands Tricky Dick and The Broadways ....
- 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...
, vocals - Brendan KellyBrendan Kelly (musician)Brendan Kelly is the bassist/vocalist of Chicago-based punk band The Lawrence Arms, as well as guitarist/lead vocalist in The Falcon. Kelly's former bands include Slapstick and The Broadways...
- bassBass guitarThe bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
, vocals - Neil HennessyNeil HennessyNeil Kevin Hennessy is a musician and music producer/engineer from Chicago, Illinois.Hennessy currently plays in The Lawrence Arms, Colossal, The Falcon, The Smoking Popes and Demon Beach. He has also been a member of Noise By Numbers, Baxter, The Killing Tree, and Quattro.Hennessy works at Atlas...
- 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 .... - Ryan Hennessy - country guitar on "Warped Summer Extravaganza (Major Excellent)"
- Rich Gill, Kat, Dan Schafer, Ryan Hennessy and Marcus Kretzmann - backing vocals
Album information
- Record label: Fat Wreck ChordsFat Wreck ChordsFat Wreck Chords is a San Francisco, California based independent record label, focused on punk rock. It was started by Fat Mike and his ex-wife, Erin, in 1990....
- Recorded October - November 2005 analog onto 2-inch tape
- All songs by the Lawrence Arms, copyright 2005 Florence Farms ASCAP
- Engineered and mixed by Matt Allison
- Produced by Matt Allison and the Lawrence ArmsThe Lawrence ArmsThe Lawrence Arms are an American punk rock band from Chicago, Illinois, formed in 1999. They have released five full-length albums and toured extensively.-Pre-history:...
- Mastered by Colossal in Chicago, Illinois
- Photos by Ben Pier
- Art slapped together by Sergie
- Layout by David Holtz
Quotations
In a style that parallels the band's previous album The Greatest Story Ever Told, the inside back cover of the liner notes bears a pair of quotations designed to illustrate the album's juxtaposition of "legitimate" literature and philosophy with American pop culture:- "As flies to wanton boys, are we to the gods; they kill us for their sport."
-from William Shakespeare
William Shakespeare
William Shakespeare was an English poet and playwright, widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. He is often called England's national poet and the "Bard of Avon"...
's King Lear
King Lear
King Lear is a tragedy by William Shakespeare. The title character descends into madness after foolishly disposing of his estate between two of his three daughters based on their flattery, bringing tragic consequences for all. The play is based on the legend of Leir of Britain, a mythological...
, Act IV, scene i
- "Billy, you are dealing with the oddity of time travel with the greatest of ease."
-Alex Winter
Alex Winter
Alexander Ross "Alex" Winter is an English-born American actor, film director, and film writer, best known for his role as Bill S. Preston Esq. in the 1989 film Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure and its 1991 sequel Bill & Ted's Bogus Journey...
in Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure
Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure
Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure is a 1989 American science fiction–comedy buddy film and the first film in the Bill & Ted franchise in which two metalhead slackers travel through time to assemble a menagerie of historical figures for their high school history presentation.The film was written by...