Red House Painters (Rollercoaster)
Encyclopedia
Red House Painters is the second album by the group Red House Painters
, released in spring 1993 by 4AD
. 8 remaining songs from the same recording sessions made up the band's second self-titled album, Bridge. The lengthy album gives voice to Mark Kozelek
's haunted lyrics of pain, desolation and loss, while musically running the gamut from the folk-pop of "Grace Cathedral Park" and "Mistress" to the stark, affecting "New Jersey" and onto the lengthy, droning soundscapes of "Funhouse" and "Mother." The chorus of "Dragonflies" is based on a famous haiku
by Chiyo-ni. The LP is considered by many fans as the pinnacle of the band's work, a point which Mark Kozelek acknowledges as he discusses the Rollercoaster album in the forward of the 2002 edition (and revised 2008 edition) of his lyrics book Nights of Passed Over:
The album's artwork features a sepia-toned picture of the now-demolished roller coaster
Thunderbolt
at Coney Island
. An original idea for the album's front cover artwork was a close-up, sepia-toned photo of a fish head. The Rollercoaster album peaked at #63 upon its initial release on the UK Albums Chart
in 1993.
In September 2010 Pitchfork Media
included Katy Song at number 162 on their Top 200 Tracks of the 90s.
Warner Bros./4AD, PRO-CD-6108:
Red House Painters
Red House Painters were an alternative rock group formed in 1989 in San Francisco, California by singer-songwriter Mark Kozelek.-History:While in Atlanta, Georgia, Ohio-born Kozelek became friends with Anthony Koutsos, a drummer. He then moved to San Francisco, California, adding guitarist Gorden...
, released in spring 1993 by 4AD
4AD
4AD is a British independent record label that was started in 1979 by Ivo Watts-Russell and Peter Kent, funded by Beggars Banquet Records, and is still active today...
. 8 remaining songs from the same recording sessions made up the band's second self-titled album, Bridge. The lengthy album gives voice to Mark Kozelek
Mark Kozelek
Mark Kozelek is an American singer/songwriter Producer and frontman of Sun Kil Moon and Red House Painters.-History:...
's haunted lyrics of pain, desolation and loss, while musically running the gamut from the folk-pop of "Grace Cathedral Park" and "Mistress" to the stark, affecting "New Jersey" and onto the lengthy, droning soundscapes of "Funhouse" and "Mother." The chorus of "Dragonflies" is based on a famous haiku
Haiku
' , plural haiku, is a very short form of Japanese poetry typically characterised by three qualities:* The essence of haiku is "cutting"...
by Chiyo-ni. The LP is considered by many fans as the pinnacle of the band's work, a point which Mark Kozelek acknowledges as he discusses the Rollercoaster album in the forward of the 2002 edition (and revised 2008 edition) of his lyrics book Nights of Passed Over:
The album's artwork features a sepia-toned picture of the now-demolished roller coaster
Roller coaster
The roller coaster is a popular amusement ride developed for amusement parks and modern theme parks. LaMarcus Adna Thompson patented the first coasters on January 20, 1885...
Thunderbolt
Thunderbolt (Coney Island)
The Thunderbolt was a wooden roller coaster located at Coney Island in Brooklyn, New York. It operated from 1925 until 1982 and was finally demolished in autumn 2000. It was designed by John Miller.- History :...
at Coney Island
Coney Island
Coney Island is a peninsula and beach on the Atlantic Ocean in southern Brooklyn, New York, United States. The site was formerly an outer barrier island, but became partially connected to the mainland by landfill....
. An original idea for the album's front cover artwork was a close-up, sepia-toned photo of a fish head. The Rollercoaster album peaked at #63 upon its initial release on the 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...
in 1993.
In September 2010 Pitchfork Media
Pitchfork Media
Pitchfork Media, usually known simply as Pitchfork or P4k, is a Chicago-based daily Internet publication established in 1995 that is devoted to music criticism and commentary, music news, and artist interviews. Its focus is on underground and independent music, especially indie rock...
included Katy Song at number 162 on their Top 200 Tracks of the 90s.
Track listing
Release history
| Country | Date | Label | Format | Catalogue # |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| United Kingdom | May 24, 1993 | 4AD 4AD 4AD is a British independent record label that was started in 1979 by Ivo Watts-Russell and Peter Kent, funded by Beggars Banquet Records, and is still active today... |
CD | DAD 3008 CD |
| Double LP | DAD 3008 | |||
| July 6, 1998 | CD (reissue) | GAD 3008 CD | ||
| United States | May 25, 1993 | 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... |
CD | 9 45256-2 |
| November 2, 1999 | 4AD | CD (reissue) | GAD 3008 CD |
"Mistress" single
Although no commercial singles were ever released from the album, a promotional-only CD was issued for "Mistress" in the US in May 1993. The single features a different mix of "Mistress" as well as the piano version, along with the album version of "Grace Cathedral Park." While the sleeve lists "Strawberry Hill" as the album version, it is in fact an edit, which removes roughly 50 seconds of guitar noise in the beginning of the song.Warner Bros./4AD, PRO-CD-6108:
- "Mistress" (Remix) – 4:03
- "Grace Cathedral Park" – 3:51
- "Strawberry Hill" [Edit] – 6:44
- "Mistress" (Piano Version) – 4:31