Tao of the Dead
Encyclopedia
Tao of the Dead is the seventh studio album by Texas
rock band ...And You Will Know Us by the Trail of Dead
. The first single, "Summer of All Dead Souls", was posted on Spin.com on November 11, 2010, and later on Soundcloud
. The digital single released officially on November 29. The album released on CD digipak
format, including a limited edition two-disc booklet with 30 minutes of bonus music.
; Part I in D
and Part II in F
.
The album can be listened to as 16 different movement
s or two lengthy tracks. Part I, "Tao of the Dead," is split into eleven tracks, whereas Part II, "Strange News From Another Planet," is five songs combined into one. Conrad Keely
, in an interview with Spin.com, described the album's composition. "It's the way I listened to albums when I was a kid, seeing as some of my favorite records were Pink Floyd
's Dark Side of the Moon, Yes
's Relayer
and Close to the Edge... I always liked listening to records that were just a continuous piece, like an orchestra or a symphony."
Cover art
and packaging was revealed over a six-day period in December on www.taoofthedead.com, designed by Conrad Keely
. When asked in an interview about the title, Jason Reece
responded, "It's kind of an impolite joke. We had a Tao Te Ching at the studio and used it as a lyrical reference tool. I said, 'Why don't we call the record "Tao of the Dead"?' It sounds like we're a bunch of pompous assholes. 'Oh yes, we're going to give you the meaning of life here.' Which is really not true at all...We're not Taoists by any means but it's really nice to use some of the text as daily inspirational things to live by. But we read everything. So the "Tao" is just as meaningful as Henry Miller
's Tropic of Cancer
, which is probably just as Taoist, just with a little more sex."
The first 11 tracks on Disc 2 of the Deluxe Edition are each longer than their correspondent on the standard version, some more significant than others. The songs are mainly the same but have longer fade outs, or extra effects at the end, and sometimes extended intros as well.
; all music composed by ...And You Will Know Us by the Trail of Dead
.
Tao of the Dead Part I: Tao of the Dead
Tao of the Dead Part II: Strange News From Another Planet - 16:32
Limited Edition Disc one
Limited Edition Disc two
Paul Thompson of Pitchfork Media: "Tao of the Dead does feel, in its songs and structure alike, like the first post-Source Tags record not cooled in the giant shadow of their decade-old triumph; more patient, more potent, more dynamic, less overloaded..."
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
rock band ...And You Will Know Us by the Trail of Dead
...And You Will Know Us by the Trail of Dead
…And You Will Know Us by the Trail of Dead is an American alternative rock band from Austin, Texas. The chief creative members of the band are Jason Reece and Conrad Keely . The two switch between drumming, guitar and lead vocals, both on recordings and live shows...
. The first single, "Summer of All Dead Souls", was posted on Spin.com on November 11, 2010, and later on Soundcloud
SoundCloud
SoundCloud is an online audio distribution platform which allows collaboration, promotion and distribution of audio recordings.-History:SoundCloud was originally started in Stockholm, Sweden, but was established in Berlin, Germany in August, 2007 by sound designer Alex Ljung and artist Eric Wahlforss...
. The digital single released officially on November 29. The album released on CD digipak
Digipak
Digipak is a patented style of CD, DVD or BD packaging, and is a registered trademark of AGI World Ltd., an Atlas Holdings company.-Features:...
format, including a limited edition two-disc booklet with 30 minutes of bonus music.
Background and recording
Tao of the Dead was recorded in ten days. The band stripped down to its core four-piece lineup for the record, deviating from the past two records that featured a filled-out six-piece band. This resulted in a stripped-down record with heavy emphasis on guitar. It is a two-part record, each side with a specific musical tuningMusical tuning
In music, there are two common meanings for tuning:* Tuning practice, the act of tuning an instrument or voice.* Tuning systems, the various systems of pitches used to tune an instrument, and their theoretical bases.-Tuning practice:...
; Part I in D
D (musical note)
D is a musical note a whole tone above C, and is known as Re within the solfege system.When calculated in equal temperament with a reference of A above middle C as 440 Hz, the frequency of middle D is approximately 293.665 Hz. See pitch for a discussion of historical variations in...
and Part II in F
F (musical note)
F is a musical note, the fourth above C. It is also known as fa in fixed-do solfège.When calculated in equal temperament with a reference of A above middle C as 440 Hz, the frequency of Middle F is approximately 349.228 Hz. See pitch for a discussion of historical variations in...
.
The album can be listened to as 16 different movement
Movement (music)
A movement is a self-contained part of a musical composition or musical form. While individual or selected movements from a composition are sometimes performed separately, a performance of the complete work requires all the movements to be performed in succession...
s or two lengthy tracks. Part I, "Tao of the Dead," is split into eleven tracks, whereas Part II, "Strange News From Another Planet," is five songs combined into one. Conrad Keely
Conrad Keely
Conrad Keely is a British-born, American musician, known primarily as the lead singer for the rock band ...And You Will Know Us by the Trail of Dead. He is also an artist and writer...
, in an interview with Spin.com, described the album's composition. "It's the way I listened to albums when I was a kid, seeing as some of my favorite records were Pink Floyd
Pink Floyd
Pink Floyd were an English rock band that achieved worldwide success with their progressive and psychedelic rock music. Their work is marked by the use of philosophical lyrics, sonic experimentation, innovative album art, and elaborate live shows. Pink Floyd are one of the most commercially...
's Dark Side of the Moon, Yes
Yes (band)
Yes are an English rock band who achieved worldwide success with their progressive, art, and symphonic style of rock music. Regarded as one of the pioneers of the progressive genre, Yes are known for their lengthy songs, mystical lyrics, elaborate album art, and live stage sets...
's Relayer
Relayer
-Personnel:*Jon Anderson – lead vocals*Steve Howe – acoustic and electric guitars, vocals*Patrick Moraz – keyboards*Chris Squire – bass guitar and vocals*Alan White – drums, percussion-Production:*Produced By Yes & Eddie Offord...
and Close to the Edge... I always liked listening to records that were just a continuous piece, like an orchestra or a symphony."
Cover art
Cover art
Cover art is the illustration or photograph on the outside of a published product such as a book , magazine, comic book, video game , DVD, CD, videotape, or music album. The art has a primarily commercial function, i.e...
and packaging was revealed over a six-day period in December on www.taoofthedead.com, designed by Conrad Keely
Conrad Keely
Conrad Keely is a British-born, American musician, known primarily as the lead singer for the rock band ...And You Will Know Us by the Trail of Dead. He is also an artist and writer...
. When asked in an interview about the title, Jason Reece
Jason Reece
Jason Reece is a member of Austin, TX rock band ...And You Will Know Us by the Trail of Dead, pulling double duties as both drummer and part-time frontman.-Biography:...
responded, "It's kind of an impolite joke. We had a Tao Te Ching at the studio and used it as a lyrical reference tool. I said, 'Why don't we call the record "Tao of the Dead"?' It sounds like we're a bunch of pompous assholes. 'Oh yes, we're going to give you the meaning of life here.' Which is really not true at all...We're not Taoists by any means but it's really nice to use some of the text as daily inspirational things to live by. But we read everything. So the "Tao" is just as meaningful as Henry Miller
Henry Miller
Henry Valentine Miller was an American novelist and painter. He was known for breaking with existing literary forms and developing a new sort of 'novel' that is a mixture of novel, autobiography, social criticism, philosophical reflection, surrealist free association, and mysticism, one that is...
's Tropic of Cancer
Tropic of Cancer
The Tropic of Cancer, also referred to as the Northern tropic, is the circle of latitude on the Earth that marks the most northerly position at which the Sun may appear directly overhead at its zenith...
, which is probably just as Taoist, just with a little more sex."
The first 11 tracks on Disc 2 of the Deluxe Edition are each longer than their correspondent on the standard version, some more significant than others. The songs are mainly the same but have longer fade outs, or extra effects at the end, and sometimes extended intros as well.
Track listings
All lyrics written by Conrad KeelyConrad Keely
Conrad Keely is a British-born, American musician, known primarily as the lead singer for the rock band ...And You Will Know Us by the Trail of Dead. He is also an artist and writer...
; all music composed by ...And You Will Know Us by the Trail of Dead
...And You Will Know Us by the Trail of Dead
…And You Will Know Us by the Trail of Dead is an American alternative rock band from Austin, Texas. The chief creative members of the band are Jason Reece and Conrad Keely . The two switch between drumming, guitar and lead vocals, both on recordings and live shows...
.
Tao of the Dead Part I: Tao of the Dead
- "Introduction: Let's Experiment" – 2:23
- "Pure Radio CosplayCosplay, short for "costume play", is a type of performance art in which participants don costumes and accessories to represent a specific character or idea. Characters are often drawn from popular fiction in Japan, but recent trends have included American cartoons and science fiction...
" – 5:26 - "Summer of All Dead Souls" – 4:17
- "Cover the Days Like a Tidal Wave" – 2:51
- "Fall of the Empire" – 2:27
- "The Wasteland" – 2:33
- "The Spiral Jetty" – 1:48
- "Weight of the Sun (or the Post-Modern PrometheusThe Post-Modern Prometheus"The Post-Modern Prometheus" is the fifth episode of the fifth season of the American science fiction television series The X-Files. It was written and directed by series creator Chris Carter and aired in the United States on November 30, 1997 on the Fox network...
)" – 2:19 - "Pure Radio Cosplay (Reprise)" – 3:18
- "Ebb Away" – 2:41
- "The Fairlight Pendant" – 5:43
Tao of the Dead Part II: Strange News From Another Planet - 16:32
-
- "Know Your Honor"
- "Rule by Being Just"
- "The Ship Impossible"
- "Strange Epiphany"
- "Racing and Hunting"
Limited Edition Disc one
- Part I: Tao of the Dead (35:50)
- Part II: Strange News From Another Planet (16:32)
Limited Edition Disc two
- "Introduction: Let's Experiment"- 2:59
- "Pure Radio Cosplay"- 6:06
- "Summer of All Dead Souls"- 4:20
- "Cover the Days Like a Tidal Wave"- 3:08
- "Fall of the Empire"- 2:38
- "The Wasteland"- 2:42
- "Spiral Jetty"- 2:04
- "Weight of the Sun (or the Post-Modern PrometheusThe Post-Modern Prometheus"The Post-Modern Prometheus" is the fifth episode of the fifth season of the American science fiction television series The X-Files. It was written and directed by series creator Chris Carter and aired in the United States on November 30, 1997 on the Fox network...
)"- 2:30 - "Pure Radio Cosplay (Reprise)"- 3:39
- "Ebb Away"- 2:58
- "The Fairlight Pendant"- 5:50
- The Bubble Demo (33:00)
Release history
- February 4, 2011 GERMANY / AUSTRIA / SWITZERLAND / BENELUX / ITALY
- February 7, 2011 UK / FRANCE / GREECE / DENMARK / NORWAY / REST OF EUROPE
- February 8, 2011 SPAIN / PORTUGAL / NORTH AMERICA
- February 9, 2011 SWEDEN / FINLAND / HUNGARY
Reception
Tao of the Dead received a mostly positive review from critics, achieving 74 out of 100 at review aggregator Metacritic. Music OMH called it a, "genre defining release and a welcome return to boundary surfing music."Paul Thompson of Pitchfork Media: "Tao of the Dead does feel, in its songs and structure alike, like the first post-Source Tags record not cooled in the giant shadow of their decade-old triumph; more patient, more potent, more dynamic, less overloaded..."
Chart performance
| Chart (2011) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| German Albums Chart | 18 |
External links
- ...And You Will Know Us By The Trail Of Dead – "Tao Of The Dead" – Out Now!
- Full CD Listening Party at Spinner.comSpinner.comSpinner is an AOL Music property, which bills itself as "the ultimate music blog for free MP3s, free CD listening, [and] discovering new artists."...