The Good, the Bad & the Queen

Infobox Album
Name = The Good, the Bad & the Queen
Type = Album


Artist = Damon Albarn, Tony Allen, Paul Simonon and Simon Tong
Recorded = 2005 - 2006
Released = 22 January 2007
Genre = Alternative rock
Length = 42:49
Label = Parlophone, Honest Jon's
Producer = Danger Mouse
Reviews = * Allmusic Rating|4|5 [http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=10:dx6htro8kl7x link]
* "Blender" Rating|3|5 [http://www.blender.com/guide/reviews.aspx?id=4340 link]
* "Entertainment Weekly" (B+) [http://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,20009040,00.html link]
* "The Guardian" Rating|4|5 [http://music.guardian.co.uk/pop/alexispetridis/story/0,,1993419,00.html link]
* "NME" (8/10) [http://www.nme.com/reviews/the-good-the-bad-and-the-queen/8116 link]
* Pitchfork Media (6.8/10) [http://www.pitchforkmedia.com/article/record_review/40448/The_Good_the_Bad_and_the_Queen_The_Good_the_Bad_and_the_Queen link]
* "Rolling Stone" Rating|4|5 [http://www.rollingstone.com/reviews/album/13135058/review/13142828/the_good_the_bad_and_the_queen link]
* "The Times" Rating|4|5 [http://entertainment.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,14932-2542339,00.html link]
* "Wired" (7/10) [http://www.wired.com/wired/archive/15.01/play.html?pg=8 link]
Last album =
This album = "The Good, the Bad & the Queen"
(2007)
Next album =
Misc = Extra chronology 2
Artist = Damon Albarn
Type = studio album
Last album = "Demon Days"
by
Gorillaz
(2005)
This album = "The Good The Bad and the Queen"
with
Tony Allen, Paul Simonon and Simon Tong
(2007)
Next album = "D-Sides"
by
Gorillaz
(2007)

"The Good, the Bad & the Queen" is the album by an unnamed British alternative rock supergroup, made up of Damon Albarn, Paul Simonon, Simon Tong and Tony Allen, released in January 2007.cite web | url=http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/entertainment/therazz/daily/tm_method=full%26objectid=18569699%26siteid=66633-name_page.html | title = It's all a bit of a blur for Damon | date= 2007-02-02 | accessdate = 2008-03-24 | publisher = DailyRecord.co.uk] cite web | url=http://www.timeout.com/newyork/Details.do?page=1&xyurl=xyl://TONYWebArticles1/591/music/the_band_with_no_name.xml | title = The band with no name | date = 2007-01-31 | accessdate = 2008-03-24 | publisher = Time Out New York] The album debuted at number two in the UK Albums Chart and was certified Gold in the UK within days of its release despite little media recognition and airplay.cite web|title=Album Goes Gold in UK|publisher=The Good, the Bad and the Queen — official website|url=http://www.thegoodthebadandthequeen.com/index.php?ID=142] In the United States, the album entered the "Billboard 200" at #49.

Although "The Good, The Bad & The Queen" was first reported as a solo album by Albarn with Danger Mouse producing, NME revealed in late July 2006 that the solo project had been switched to a new group formed by Albarn.cite web|title=Damon Albarn forms new band|date=28 July 2006
accessdate=2006-07-28|publisher=NME|url=http://www.nme.com/news/blur/23752] Subsequently "The Good, the Bad & the Queen" was mistaken as being the name of the band. It is stated that the record is in a sense a concept album, as its songs are all themed around modern life in London.cite web|title=Damon Albarn starts new band|date=30 July 2006 |accessdate=2006-07-30 |url=http://www.moture.net/modules.php?name=News&file=article&sid=49] It was described by Albarn as "a song cycle that's also a mystery play about London" in an interview with "Mojo".

Album history

The band, which formed in 2006, released their first single, "Herculean" on October 30, 2006. The single followed the band's appearance at the BBC's Electric Proms season at the redeveloped Roundhouse in Camden on October 26, during which they performed the entire album. Three warm-up gigs in East Prawle at the Pig's Nose Inn, [cite web|title=The Good, the Bad and the Queen: Gigography|accessdate=2008-01-21|publisher=blur studio|url=http://www.blur.hk/tgtbatq/gigography/details.asp?tdYear=2006&tdMonth=10&tdDay=20&tdType=Tour] Ilfracombes Marlboro Club and The Exeter Cavern Club preceded their gig on the BBC's "Electric Proms", where the album was performed in order with two other songs inserted, "Intermission Jam" and "Mr. Whippy"; the latter was a B-side for "Herculean". The band performed four tracks from the album at Abbey Road Studios on December 13, 2006, during a recording session for "Live from Abbey Road".

The track listing was originally unveiled and commented upon by Damon Albarn and Paul Simonon in an interview in the November 2006 issue of "UNCUT". ["UNCUT" (Nov. 2006, pages 86-88)] . The second major gig of the band's career took place on 12 December 2006, at Wilton's Music Hall in East London. It was watched by 300 specially selected fans, as the launch gig of MySpace's The List. The band released their first Top 20 single, "Kingdom of Doom", a week prior to the release of the album.cite web|title=Damon Albarn's new band announce new single|publisher=NME|date=2006-11-28|accessdate=2006-11-28|url=http://www.nme.com/news/the-good-the-bad-and-the-queen/25245] In April, "Green Fields" was released as the third single from the album and debuted at #51 in its first week.cite web|title=The Good, The Bad & The Queen announce new single|publisher=NME|date=2007-02-20|accessdate=2007-02-20|url=http://www.nme.com/news/the-good-the-bad-and-the-queen/26565]

On April 4, 2007, "The Good, The Bad & The Queen" became the first EMI album to be made available for download in the new DRM-free, high quality MP3 format (320 kbit/s). [cite web|title=EMI press release|url=http://www.emigroup.com/Press/2007/press19.htm|accessdate = 2007-04-04]

Further plans

Damon Albarn talked to NME in early March 2007 and discussed the band's future plans, which include a recording session in early September intended to produce a release not long after that: "We're going to do another whole recording session in early September. It will be totally different, more funky. We'll try to get it out in early autumn."cite journal|author=Elan, Priya|date=2007-03-03|title=Damon Albarn: "I'll Work With Graham"|journal=NME|pages=8]

Track listing

All songs written by Damon Albarn.
#"History Song" - 3:05
#"'80's Life" - 3:28
#"Northern Whale" - 3:54
#"Kingdom of Doom" - 2:42
#"Herculean" - 3:59
#"Behind the Sun" - 2:38
#"The Bunting Song" - 3:47
#"Nature Springs" - 3:10
#"A Soldier's Tale" - 2:30
#"Three Changes" - 4:15
#"Green Fields" - 2:26
#"The Good, The Bad & The Queen" - 7:00

Bonus DVD

#"Nature Springs" (live at the Tabernacle)citeweb|title=Amazon.co.uk: The Good the Bad and the Queen CD+DVD|accessdate=2006-12-23|url=http://www.amazon.co.uk/o/ASIN/B000KCI9OC/ref=s9_asin_title_1/203-3214764-2800711]
#"The Bunting Song" (live at the Tabernacle)
#"The Good, The Bad And The Queen" (live at the Tabernacle)
#"A Soldier's Tale" (rehearsal footage)
#"The Good, The Bad and The Queen" (interview)

ingles and EPs

* "Herculean" (30 October 2006; UK #22)
* "Kingdom of Doom" (15 January 2007; UK #20)
* "Green Fields" (2 April 2007; UK #51)
* "Live from SoHo" (3 April 2007; iTunes Exclusive EP)

Personnel

* Damon Albarn - Lead vocals, keyboards
* Paul Simonon - Bass, backing vocals
* Simon Tong - Guitar
* Tony Allen - Drums
* Danger Mouse - Percussion (4), Synthesizers (5,12)
* James Dring - Programming
* Choir (5) - Harry Christophers, Julia Doyle, Grace Davidson, Kirsty Hopkin, Charlotte Mobbs, Andrew Olleson, Ian Aitkenhead, David Clegg, Christopher Royall, Adrian Lowe, Ben Rayfield, Mark Dobell, Simon Berridge, James Holliday, Julian Empett, Sam Evans
* Violins - Antonia Pagulatos (5,6,8,9,10,12), Gillon Cameron (6,10), Sally Jackson (5,8,9,12), Alice Pratley (5,8,9,12)
* Violas - Emma Owens (6,10), Stella Page (5,6,8,9,10,12), Amanda Drummond (5,8,9,12)
* Cello - Izzi Dunn (5,6,8,9,10,12)
* Double basses - Al Mobbs (5,6,8,9,10,12), Emma Smith (6,10)

References

External links

* [http://www.thegoodthebadandthequeen.com/ The Good, The Bad & The Queen] - official website.
* [http://www.myspace.com/thegoodthebadandthequeen The Good, The Bad & The Queen] at MySpace.
* [http://www.youtube.com/GBQvideos The Good, The Bad & The Queen] at YouTube.