The Odd Couple (album)

Infobox Album
Name = The Odd Couple
Type = studio
Artist = Gnarls Barkley


Background =
Released = Start date|2008|3|18
Recorded = 2007–2008
Genre = Neo Soul
Alternative
Length = 39:11
Label = Atlantic
Producer = Danger Mouse
Reviews =
* Allmusic rating|3.5|5 [http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=10:azfuxzejldse~T1 link]
* "Billboard" (positive) [http://www.billboard.com/bbcom/content_display/reviews/albums/e3ie4bd24ee9875ae56917dac6dc26d87f0 link]
* "The Guardian" rating|4|5 [http://music.guardian.co.uk/pop/alexispetridis/story/0,,2268564,00.html link]
* TMM (8/10) [http://www.themusicmagazine.co.uk/page.php?al=Gnarls_Barkley_The_Odd_Couple link]
* "NME" (8/10) [http://www.nme.com/reviews/gnarls-barkley/9601 link]
* "The Observer" rating|4|5 [http://music.guardian.co.uk/pop/reviews/story/0,,2274787,00.html link]
* Pitchfork Media (7.2/10) [http://www.pitchforkmedia.com/article/record_review/49460-the-odd-couple link]
* PopMatters (9/10) [http://www.popmatters.com/pm/music/reviews/56500/gnarls-barkley-the-odd-couple/ link]
* "Rolling Stone" rating|3.5|5 [http://www.rollingstone.com/reviews/album/19381914/the_odd_couple link]
* "Uncut" rating|4|5 [http://www.uncut.co.uk/music/gnarls_barkley/reviews/11290 link]
Last album = "St. Elsewhere"
(2006)
This album = "The Odd Couple"
(2008)
Next album =

"The Odd Couple" is the second studio album by Gnarls Barkley, released digitally on March 18 and in stores March 25, 2008. Due to an early leak of the album over the internet in early March 2008, the duo decided to push up the release from April 8. The album was released to the iTunes Store and Amazon MP3 on March 18.

Pre-release

In late January, an assumed leaked track appeared on several music blogs. "Run (I'm a Natural Disaster)", the previously unknown song, was given positive reviews from most music outlets. [cite web|url=http://www.pitchforkmedia.com/article/news/48337-gnarls-barkley-are-ithe-odd-couplei-on-new-lp|title=Gnarls Barkley Are The Odd Couple on New LP|accessdate=2008-02-06|work=Pitchfork Media] "Run" was released as a digital download in the U.S. on February 5, 2008.

In early March, the second single "Who's Gonna Save My Soul" was premiered by hip hop band The Roots' drummer Questlove through a video uploaded to YouTube. [ [http://www.pitchforkmedia.com/article/download/49054-gnarls-barkley-whos-gonna-save-my-soul Pitchfork Forkcast: Video: Gnarls Barkley: "Who's Gonna Save My Soul" ] ]

An early leak of the album over the internet in early March, 2008, prompted the duo to push the release of the album from April 8. Digital versions of the sophomore effort were released to the iTunes Store and Amazon MP3 on March 18. [Entertainment Weekly, "Life After Crazy" http://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,20186641,00.html ] Physical copies of the album were slated for March 25, however some copies hit independent record stores on March 18.

Despite "Run" being the lead single at the time, "Going On" was the highest charting album track on iTunes having made it as high as #23 on the Top 100 chart as of March 25, subsequently debuting at #88 on the "Billboard" Hot 100.It has now also been confirmed that "Going On" will be their third single, the video for which, premiered on March 20, 2008.

"elpuoc ddo eht"

A reverse edition of the album, retitled "elpuoc ddo eht", was released on April 17, 2008. An instrumental version of the entire album (With the exception of "Charity Case") is fused into one 38 minute, 44 second track played completely in reverse, starting with the album's last song and ending with the album's first. This unorthodox edition was released officially by Danger Mouse and is legally available as a second disc on the vinyl edition or for download free of charge at [http://www.fronttobackbacktofront.com/signup/index.html fronttobackbacktofront.com]

Track listing

#"Charity Case" – 3:12
#"Who's Gonna Save My Soul" – 3:15
#"Going On" – 2:54
#"Run (I'm a Natural Disaster)" – 2:44
#"Would Be Killer" – 2:22
#"Open Book" – 3:20
#"Whatever" – 2:18
#"Surprise" – 3:50
#"No Time Soon" – 2:55
#"She Knows" – 2:44
#"Blind Mary" – 3:25
#"Neighbors" – 3:05
#"A Little Better" – 3:07

amples

* "Going On" samples "Folder Man" performed by Please
* "Run (I'm A Natural Disaster)" samples "Junior Jet Set" by Keith Mansfield
* "Would Be Killer" samples "Fluid" by Twink
* "Open Book" incorporates sampled elements from "Träume" by Françoise Hardy
* "Whatever" samples "The Hair On My Chinny Chin Chin" by Sam the Sham & the Pharoahs
* "Surprise" contains elements of "Building With A Steeple" performed by Ron Dante
* "She Knows" samples "Gentle Flute" performed by Cy Payne
* "A Little Better" incorporates elements of "Trying To Be Free" written by Nacabal and Yvon-Goudy

References

External links

* [http://www.gnarlsbarkley.com/ Official website]