Road to Rouen
Encyclopedia
Road to Rouen is the fifth studio album by English
rock band
Supergrass
. The album was released in the UK on 15 August 2005 by Parlophone
, and in the US on 27 September 2005 by Capitol Records
. The title refers to the city in northern France
where the album was recorded, as well as the 1978 album Road to Ruin
by punk rock
band Ramones
.
Road to Rouen was a difficult album for the band due to personal reasons, including Danny Goffey
's tabloid ordeal and the death of Gaz
and Rob Coombes
' mother. The album reflected a rough period for the band and was oriented towards longer, looser, more orchestral material. The record was highly acclaimed and well received by most fans of the band; it reached a respectable number 9 on the UK Album Charts. Three singles were released from the album: "St. Petersburg
" in August 2005, which peaked on the UK Singles Chart
at number 22; "Low C
" in October 2005, which peaked at number 52; and "Fin
" in January 2006, which failed to enter the Top 100.
in Cornwall
, where their first three albums had been recorded, and settled at Studio St. Mard, a converted barn in Rouen
, Normandy
. Supergrass claimed to have been more "focused" despite the rural surroundings and rudimentary recording equipment. Aside from their traditional instrumentation, the band used zither
s, ukulele
s, brass, strings, and a drum machine
. The album's first single, "St. Petersburg
", was recorded in one take and features no overdubs. Drummer Danny Goffey said of the album's more acoustic, streamlined recording: "It was a kind of conscious decision to make an album that didn't have a three-minute single, something that had more of a mellow vibe about it. There have been those obscure tracks that have been on the albums that no one probably had heard, because people just buy our singles or see just what's on the charts or on the radio. So yeah, we wanted to make sure that that side of us come out of us a bit more, you know, and that we didn't just pick some radio friendly song to release."
In a 2008 interview, bassist Mick Quinn
said the introspection and orchestration of the album was "almost entirely" a direct reaction to the death of the Coombes brothers' mother, as well as Danny Goffey's tabloid ordeal. "Some of it was a reaction to other bad stuff that was going on," said Quinn. "I don't think anyone was in the mood to release another set of "Alright"-style jovial pop songs. Everyone was in a very stern frame of mind. Danny had a lot of personal stuff going on, thanks to the adult tabloid media. He was really messed up. You have to make the most of a bad situation though, and you try and express yourself through your music. It would have been a lie to try and do 'up' music at that point. The lyrics probably were commercial suicide though - it didn't sell particularly well... but I'm more proud that it actually exists than if it didn't."
, which assigns a normalized
rating out of 100 based on reviews from mainstream critics, the album has received a score of 73, based on 22 reviews. Stephen Thomas Erlewine
of Allmusic awarded the album 4.5 out of 5 stars, and said of the album, "...there's a mastery of tone, as the group creates a warm, trippy, late-night vibe and then never lets it flag over the course of nine songs." Erlewine then hailed the album as "a terrific little record" and concluded, "Supergrass have found new things to do with their sound without getting self-consciously mature or middlebrow." John Murphy of MusicOMH
lavished the album with praise, stating that Road to Rouen "adds up to the sound of a band developing and maturing nicely, without ever losing sight of what made them so great in the first place." By contrast, Jack Smith of the BBC
was more critical of the album, concluding that, "Supergrass have outlasted most of their contemporaries and still have it in them to make a truly amazing masterpiece. Unfortunately Road to Rouen is not quite it."
, France that crosses the A16 autoroute
, part of the route between Boulogne
and Abbeville
. It was taken at dusk using a Canon EOS 350D set to a 10 second exposure as a lorry passed under the bridge. (the photography is credited to Mick Quinn
and Paul Wilson). The inner photo was taken by Pierre Olivier Margerand (studio engineer) and shows the keyboard and drum set up in the live room of Studio St. Mard. Overall album design was by graphic company Traffic and Mick Quinn
.
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
rock band
Rock Band
Rock Band is a music video game developed by Harmonix Music Systems, published by MTV Games and Electronic Arts. It is the first title in the Rock Band series. The PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 versions were released in the United States on November 20, 2007, while the PlayStation 2 version was...
Supergrass
Supergrass
Supergrass was an English alternative rock band from Oxford. The band consisted of brothers Gaz and Rob Coombes , Mick Quinn and Danny Goffey ....
. The album was released in the UK on 15 August 2005 by Parlophone
Parlophone
Parlophone is a record label that was founded in Germany in 1896 by the Carl Lindström Company as Parlophon. The British branch was formed in 1923 as "Parlophone" which developed a reputation in the 1920s as a leading jazz label. It was acquired in 1927 by the Columbia Graphophone Company which...
, and in the US on 27 September 2005 by Capitol Records
Capitol Records
Capitol Records is a major United States based record label, formerly located in Los Angeles, but operating in New York City as part of Capitol Music Group. Its former headquarters building, the Capitol Tower, is a major landmark near the corner of Hollywood and Vine...
. The title refers to the city in northern France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
where the album was recorded, as well as the 1978 album Road to Ruin
Road to Ruin (Ramones album)
Road to Ruin is the fourth studio album by the American punk rock band The Ramones. It was released on September 22, 1978 through Sire Records...
by punk rock
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...
band Ramones
Ramones
The Ramones were an American rock band that formed in the New York City neighborhood of Forest Hills, Queens, in 1974. They are often cited as the first punk rock group...
.
Road to Rouen was a difficult album for the band due to personal reasons, including Danny Goffey
Danny Goffey
Daniel Robert Goffey Daniel Robert Goffey Daniel Robert Goffey (born 7 February 1974 in Slough, Buckinghamshire (now Berkshire) is an English musician and singer-songwriter best known as the drummer and backing vocalist for the English Britpop band, Supergrass...
's tabloid ordeal and the death of Gaz
Gaz Coombes
Gaz Coombes is an English musician and singer-songwriter, best known as the lead vocalist and guitarist of the English alternative rock band, Supergrass. He first entered the music scene aged sixteen as the lead singer of the band The Jennifers which featured Supergrass band mate Danny Goffey...
and Rob Coombes
Rob Coombes
Rob Coombes was the keyboard player for Supergrass.He is the older brother of Gaz Coombes and was the newest member of Supergrass, officially joining in 2002...
' mother. The album reflected a rough period for the band and was oriented towards longer, looser, more orchestral material. The record was highly acclaimed and well received by most fans of the band; it reached a respectable number 9 on the UK Album Charts. Three singles were released from the album: "St. Petersburg
St. Petersburg (song)
"St. Petersburg" is a song from British rock band Supergrass' 2005 album, Road to Rouen. It was released on 8 August 2005 as the first single from the album and charted at #22 in the UK Singles Chart .-Change of style:...
" in August 2005, which peaked on the UK Singles Chart
UK Singles Chart
The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ...
at number 22; "Low C
Low C (song)
"Low C" is a song from British rock band Supergrass' 2005 album, Road to Rouen. It was released on 24 October 2005 as the second single from the album and peaked at #52 in the UK charts, lasting only the one week in total....
" in October 2005, which peaked at number 52; and "Fin
Fin (song)
"Fin" is a song from British rock band Supergrass' 2005 album, Road to Rouen. It was released on 2 January 2006 as the third single from the album . It was only available as a 7" and digital download, and only charted in the UK at #111....
" in January 2006, which failed to enter the Top 100.
Recording
In 2004, the band opted to move away from Sawmills StudioSawmills Studio
Sawmills Studios, created in 1974 near Golant on the banks of the River Fowey in Cornwall, England is best known as the recording studio used by musicians such as Robert Plant, Oasis, The Coronas, The Verve, Supergrass, Muse, The Holloways, Razorlight, The Stone Roses, The Dukes of Stratosphear ...
in Cornwall
Cornwall
Cornwall is a unitary authority and ceremonial county of England, within the United Kingdom. It is bordered to the north and west by the Celtic Sea, to the south by the English Channel, and to the east by the county of Devon, over the River Tamar. Cornwall has a population of , and covers an area of...
, where their first three albums had been recorded, and settled at Studio St. Mard, a converted barn in Rouen
Rouen
Rouen , in northern France on the River Seine, is the capital of the Haute-Normandie region and the historic capital city of Normandy. Once one of the largest and most prosperous cities of medieval Europe , it was the seat of the Exchequer of Normandy in the Middle Ages...
, Normandy
Normandy
Normandy is a geographical region corresponding to the former Duchy of Normandy. It is in France.The continental territory covers 30,627 km² and forms the preponderant part of Normandy and roughly 5% of the territory of France. It is divided for administrative purposes into two régions:...
. Supergrass claimed to have been more "focused" despite the rural surroundings and rudimentary recording equipment. Aside from their traditional instrumentation, the band used zither
Zither
The zither is a musical string instrument, most commonly found in Slovenia, Austria, Hungary citera, northwestern Croatia, the southern regions of Germany, alpine Europe and East Asian cultures, including China...
s, ukulele
Ukulele
The ukulele, ; from ; it is a subset of the guitar family of instruments, generally with four nylon or gut strings or four courses of strings....
s, brass, strings, and a drum machine
Drum machine
A drum machine is an electronic musical instrument designed to imitate the sound of drums or other percussion instruments. They are used in a variety of musical genres, not just purely electronic music...
. The album's first single, "St. Petersburg
St. Petersburg (song)
"St. Petersburg" is a song from British rock band Supergrass' 2005 album, Road to Rouen. It was released on 8 August 2005 as the first single from the album and charted at #22 in the UK Singles Chart .-Change of style:...
", was recorded in one take and features no overdubs. Drummer Danny Goffey said of the album's more acoustic, streamlined recording: "It was a kind of conscious decision to make an album that didn't have a three-minute single, something that had more of a mellow vibe about it. There have been those obscure tracks that have been on the albums that no one probably had heard, because people just buy our singles or see just what's on the charts or on the radio. So yeah, we wanted to make sure that that side of us come out of us a bit more, you know, and that we didn't just pick some radio friendly song to release."
In a 2008 interview, bassist Mick Quinn
Mick Quinn
Mick Quinn is an English musician and singer-songwriter, best known as founding member of English rock band Supergrass. He formed the DB Band with bassist Paul Wilson, formerly of Shake Appeal in 2010 and released début EP "Stranger In The Alps" on the 17th September 2011...
said the introspection and orchestration of the album was "almost entirely" a direct reaction to the death of the Coombes brothers' mother, as well as Danny Goffey's tabloid ordeal. "Some of it was a reaction to other bad stuff that was going on," said Quinn. "I don't think anyone was in the mood to release another set of "Alright"-style jovial pop songs. Everyone was in a very stern frame of mind. Danny had a lot of personal stuff going on, thanks to the adult tabloid media. He was really messed up. You have to make the most of a bad situation though, and you try and express yourself through your music. It would have been a lie to try and do 'up' music at that point. The lyrics probably were commercial suicide though - it didn't sell particularly well... but I'm more proud that it actually exists than if it didn't."
Critical reception
Road to Rouen was released to generally favourable reviews. At MetacriticMetacritic
Metacritic.com is a website that collates reviews of music albums, games, movies, TV shows and DVDs. For each product, a numerical score from each review is obtained and the total is averaged. An excerpt of each review is provided along with a hyperlink to the source. Three colour codes of Green,...
, which assigns a normalized
Standard score
In statistics, a standard score indicates how many standard deviations an observation or datum is above or below the mean. It is a dimensionless quantity derived by subtracting the population mean from an individual raw score and then dividing the difference by the population standard deviation...
rating out of 100 based on reviews from mainstream critics, the album has received a score of 73, based on 22 reviews. Stephen Thomas Erlewine
Stephen Thomas Erlewine
Stephen Thomas Erlewine is a senior editor for Allmusic. He is the author of many artist biographies and record reviews for Allmusic, as well as a freelance writer, occasionally contributing liner notes. He is also frontman and guitarist for the Ann Arbor-based band Who Dat?Erlewine is the nephew...
of Allmusic awarded the album 4.5 out of 5 stars, and said of the album, "...there's a mastery of tone, as the group creates a warm, trippy, late-night vibe and then never lets it flag over the course of nine songs." Erlewine then hailed the album as "a terrific little record" and concluded, "Supergrass have found new things to do with their sound without getting self-consciously mature or middlebrow." John Murphy of MusicOMH
MusicOMH
musicOMH is a United Kingdom-based website which publishes independent reviews, featues and interviews from across all musical genres including classical, metal, rock and R&B.-History:...
lavished the album with praise, stating that Road to Rouen "adds up to the sound of a band developing and maturing nicely, without ever losing sight of what made them so great in the first place." By contrast, Jack Smith of the BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
was more critical of the album, concluding that, "Supergrass have outlasted most of their contemporaries and still have it in them to make a truly amazing masterpiece. Unfortunately Road to Rouen is not quite it."
Packaging
The front cover photo depicts a cattle bridge near LefauxLefaux
Lefaux is a commune in the Pas-de-Calais department in the Nord-Pas-de-Calais region of France.-Geography:Lefaux is situated 8 miles north of Montreuil-sur-Mer on the D148 road.-Population:-Places of interest:...
, France that crosses the A16 autoroute
A16 autoroute
The A16 autoroute – also known as L'Européenne and forming between Abbeville and Dunkirk a part of the larger Autoroute des estuaires – is a motorway in northern France....
, part of the route between Boulogne
Boulogne-sur-Mer
-Road:* Metropolitan bus services are operated by the TCRB* Coach services to Calais and Dunkerque* A16 motorway-Rail:* The main railway station is Gare de Boulogne-Ville and located in the south of the city....
and Abbeville
Abbeville
Abbeville is a commune in the Somme department in Picardie in northern France.-Location:Abbeville is located on the Somme River, from its modern mouth in the English Channel, and northwest of Amiens...
. It was taken at dusk using a Canon EOS 350D set to a 10 second exposure as a lorry passed under the bridge. (the photography is credited to Mick Quinn
Mick Quinn
Mick Quinn is an English musician and singer-songwriter, best known as founding member of English rock band Supergrass. He formed the DB Band with bassist Paul Wilson, formerly of Shake Appeal in 2010 and released début EP "Stranger In The Alps" on the 17th September 2011...
and Paul Wilson). The inner photo was taken by Pierre Olivier Margerand (studio engineer) and shows the keyboard and drum set up in the live room of Studio St. Mard. Overall album design was by graphic company Traffic and Mick Quinn
Mick Quinn
Mick Quinn is an English musician and singer-songwriter, best known as founding member of English rock band Supergrass. He formed the DB Band with bassist Paul Wilson, formerly of Shake Appeal in 2010 and released début EP "Stranger In The Alps" on the 17th September 2011...
.
Track listing
Release history
| Country | Date | Label | Format | Catalogue # |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| United Kingdom | 15 August 2005 | Parlophone Parlophone Parlophone is a record label that was founded in Germany in 1896 by the Carl Lindström Company as Parlophon. The British branch was formed in 1923 as "Parlophone" which developed a reputation in the 1920s as a leading jazz label. It was acquired in 1927 by the Columbia Graphophone Company which... |
CD | 00946 333334 2 0 |
| LP | 00946 333334 1 3 | |||
| Japan | 7 September 2005 | Toshiba EMI | eCD Enhanced CD Enhanced CD, also known as CD Extra and CD Plus, is a certification mark of the Recording Industry Association of America for various technologies that combine audio and computer data for use in both Compact Disc and CD-ROM players.... (includes "St. Petersburg" video) |
TOCP-66449 |
| United States | 27 September 2005 | Capitol Records Capitol Records Capitol Records is a major United States based record label, formerly located in Los Angeles, but operating in New York City as part of Capitol Music Group. Its former headquarters building, the Capitol Tower, is a major landmark near the corner of Hollywood and Vine... |
CD | CDP 0946 3 38392 2 9 |
Credits
- Gaz CoombesGaz CoombesGaz Coombes is an English musician and singer-songwriter, best known as the lead vocalist and guitarist of the English alternative rock band, Supergrass. He first entered the music scene aged sixteen as the lead singer of the band The Jennifers which featured Supergrass band mate Danny Goffey...
– vocals, guitar - Mick QuinnMick QuinnMick Quinn is an English musician and singer-songwriter, best known as founding member of English rock band Supergrass. He formed the DB Band with bassist Paul Wilson, formerly of Shake Appeal in 2010 and released début EP "Stranger In The Alps" on the 17th September 2011...
– bass, vocals - Danny GoffeyDanny GoffeyDaniel Robert Goffey Daniel Robert Goffey Daniel Robert Goffey (born 7 February 1974 in Slough, Buckinghamshire (now Berkshire) is an English musician and singer-songwriter best known as the drummer and backing vocalist for the English Britpop band, Supergrass...
– drums - Robert CoombesRob CoombesRob Coombes was the keyboard player for Supergrass.He is the older brother of Gaz Coombes and was the newest member of Supergrass, officially joining in 2002...
– keyboards - Written and produced by Supergrass
- Engineered by Pierre Olivier Margerand
- Mixed by Michael Ilbert, except:
- Tracks 1 and 4 mixed by Michael Ilbert and Supergrass
- Track 5 mixed by Pierre Olivier Margerand
- Strings and horns arranged by Simon Hale and Supergrass
- Conducted by Simon Hale
- Backing singers on "Low C": Andy Lovegrove, Laura Capillaire, and Jules Francis
- Arranged and recorded by Andy Lovegrove
- Photography by P. Wilson, M. Quinn, and P.O.M.