Separation Sunday
Encyclopedia
Separation Sunday is the second studio album by The Hold Steady
, released on May 3, 2005 through Frenchkiss Records. A concept album
, Separation Sunday follows the stories of Craig (the narrator), Holly (short for Halleluiah), a sometimes addict, sometimes prostitute, sometimes born again Christian/Catholic (and sometimes all three simultaneously); Charlemagne, a pimp; and Gideon, a skinhead, as they travel from city to city and party to party. (All three characters made appearances on the band's previous album, Almost Killed Me
, and reappear in "First Night", and "Same Kooks" on Boys and Girls in America
, and then again in "Ask Her For Adderall", a bonus track from Stay Positive.)
Separation Sunday is lyrically dense, full of Biblical
allusions, intertextual and self references (e.g., in "Don't Let Me Explode," when Holly is asked about Charlemagne, "she just smiled all polite-like and said something vague"; in Almost Killed Me
s closing track, "Killer Parties," the narrator instructs listeners, "If they ask about Charlemagne/Be polite, say something vague"), word play, and puns ("Stevie Nix": "She got screwed up by religion/she got screwed by soccer players"). Vocalist/songwriter Craig Finn
typically delivers these lyrics in a distinct flavor of sing-speak.
Musically, Separation Sunday engages Classic rock
motifs -- guitar solos, riff-based structures, use of piano
and organ
, and guitar harmony
. Structurally, however, most songs eschew the standard "verse-chorus-verse" song structure, frequently foregoing choruses or refrains altogether. In a review of the album, Blender
described The Hold Steady as "sound[ing] like the best bar band in the world."
The album received an 8.7 on Pitchfork Media
, and ranked at number eight on the 2005 Pazz & Jop
critic's poll. The album was named the number ten album of the year by Spin.
The album cover
was photographed at the corner of Maspeth Avenue and Conselyea Street in Williamsburg
, Brooklyn
.
The Hold Steady
The Hold Steady is an American indie rock band from Brooklyn, New York, formed in 2004. The band consists of Craig Finn , Tad Kubler , Galen Polivka , Bobby Drake , and Steve Selvidge...
, released on May 3, 2005 through Frenchkiss Records. 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...
, Separation Sunday follows the stories of Craig (the narrator), Holly (short for Halleluiah), a sometimes addict, sometimes prostitute, sometimes born again Christian/Catholic (and sometimes all three simultaneously); Charlemagne, a pimp; and Gideon, a skinhead, as they travel from city to city and party to party. (All three characters made appearances on the band's previous album, Almost Killed Me
Almost Killed Me
Almost Killed Me is the debut studio album by Brooklyn-based rock band The Hold Steady, released on March 16, 2004 on Frenchkiss Records. It is considered by many to be a concept album, with several recurring themes such as near-death experiences, parties and the fictional character Charlemagne...
, and reappear in "First Night", and "Same Kooks" on Boys and Girls in America
Boys and Girls in America
Boys and Girls in America is the third studio album by The Hold Steady, released on October 3, 2006 by Vagrant Records.On August 18, 2006, first single "Chips Ahoy!" was released as a free download from music site Pitchfork Media...
, and then again in "Ask Her For Adderall", a bonus track from Stay Positive.)
Separation Sunday is lyrically dense, full of Biblical
Bible
The Bible refers to any one of the collections of the primary religious texts of Judaism and Christianity. There is no common version of the Bible, as the individual books , their contents and their order vary among denominations...
allusions, intertextual and self references (e.g., in "Don't Let Me Explode," when Holly is asked about Charlemagne, "she just smiled all polite-like and said something vague"; in Almost Killed Me
Almost Killed Me
Almost Killed Me is the debut studio album by Brooklyn-based rock band The Hold Steady, released on March 16, 2004 on Frenchkiss Records. It is considered by many to be a concept album, with several recurring themes such as near-death experiences, parties and the fictional character Charlemagne...
s closing track, "Killer Parties," the narrator instructs listeners, "If they ask about Charlemagne/Be polite, say something vague"), word play, and puns ("Stevie Nix": "She got screwed up by religion/she got screwed by soccer players"). Vocalist/songwriter Craig Finn
Craig Finn
Craig Finn is an American singer and guitarist. He is best known as the front man for bands Lifter Puller and The Hold Steady. He currently lives in New York City...
typically delivers these lyrics in a distinct flavor of sing-speak.
Musically, Separation Sunday engages Classic rock
Classic rock
Classic rock is a radio format which developed from the album-oriented rock format in the early 1980s. In the United States, the classic rock format features music ranging generally from the late 1960s to the late 1980s, primarily focusing on the hard rock genre that peaked in popularity in the...
motifs -- guitar solos, riff-based structures, use of piano
Piano
The piano is a musical instrument played by means of a keyboard. It is one of the most popular instruments in the world. Widely used in classical and jazz music for solo performances, ensemble use, chamber music and accompaniment, the piano is also very popular as an aid to composing and rehearsal...
and organ
Organ (music)
The organ , is a keyboard instrument of one or more divisions, each played with its own keyboard operated either with the hands or with the feet. The organ is a relatively old musical instrument in the Western musical tradition, dating from the time of Ctesibius of Alexandria who is credited with...
, and guitar harmony
Harmony
In music, harmony is the use of simultaneous pitches , or chords. The study of harmony involves chords and their construction and chord progressions and the principles of connection that govern them. Harmony is often said to refer to the "vertical" aspect of music, as distinguished from melodic...
. Structurally, however, most songs eschew the standard "verse-chorus-verse" song structure, frequently foregoing choruses or refrains altogether. In a review of the album, Blender
Blender (magazine)
Blender was an American music magazine that billed itself as "the ultimate guide to music and more". It was also known for sometimes steamy pictorials of celebrities....
described The Hold Steady as "sound[ing] like the best bar band in the world."
The album received an 8.7 on 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...
, and ranked at number eight on the 2005 Pazz & Jop
Pazz & Jop
The Pazz & Jop critics' poll is a poll of music critics run by The Village Voice newspaper. It is compiled every year from the top ten lists of hundreds of music critics...
critic's poll. The album was named the number ten album of the year by Spin.
The album cover
Album cover
An album cover is the front of the packaging of a commercially released audio recording product, or album. The term can refer to either the printed cardboard covers typically used to package sets of 10" and 12" 78 rpm records, single and sets of 12" LPs, sets of 45 rpm records , or the front-facing...
was photographed at the corner of Maspeth Avenue and Conselyea Street in Williamsburg
Williamsburg, Brooklyn
Williamsburg is a neighborhood in the New York City borough of Brooklyn, bordering Greenpoint to the north, Bedford-Stuyvesant to the south, Bushwick to the east and the East River to the west. The neighborhood is part of Brooklyn Community Board 1. The neighborhood is served by the NYPD's 90th ...
, Brooklyn
Brooklyn
Brooklyn is the most populous of New York City's five boroughs, with nearly 2.6 million residents, and the second-largest in area. Since 1896, Brooklyn has had the same boundaries as Kings County, which is now the most populous county in New York State and the second-most densely populated...
.
Track listing
- "Hornets! Hornets!" - 4:48
- "Cattle and the Creeping Things" - 3:47
- "Your Little Hoodrat Friend" - 3:54
- "Banging Camp" - 4:16
- "Charlemagne in Sweatpants" - 3:59
- "Stevie Nix" - 5:28
- "Multitude of Casualties" - 3:06
- "Don't Let Me Explode" - 2:23
- "Chicago Seemed Tired Last Night" - 3:20
- "Crucifixion Cruise" - 1:51
- "How a Resurrection Really Feels" - 5:32
Personnel
- Craig FinnCraig FinnCraig Finn is an American singer and guitarist. He is best known as the front man for bands Lifter Puller and The Hold Steady. He currently lives in New York City...
– guitar, vocals - Tad KublerTad KublerTad Kubler is an American guitarist, known for his work with Lifter Puller, Song of Zarathustra, and, most-notably, The Hold Steady. He grew up in Janesville, Wisconsin and currently lives in Brooklyn, New York.-Education:...
– guitar - Galen Polivka – bass
- Franz NicolayFranz NicolayFranz Nicolay is an American multi-instrumentalist and composer currently based in Brooklyn, New York. He is perhaps best known for playing the accordion and the piano in The World/Inferno Friendship Society and playing keyboards in The Hold Steady from 2005 to 2010...
– keyboards - Bobby Drake – drums
- Judd Counsell – drums
Additional musicians
- Nicole Wills – vocals
- Peter Hess – horns
- Tim Byrnes – horns
- Alan Ferber – horns