''Fate to Fatal'' is an
EP by the American
alternative rock
Alternative rock, or alt-rock, is a category of rock music that emerged from the independent music underground of the 1970s and became widely popular in the 1990s. "Alternative" refers to the genre's distinction from Popular culture, mainstre ...
band
the Breeders
The Breeders are an American alternative rock band based in Dayton, Ohio, consisting of members Kim Deal (rhythm guitar, lead vocals), her twin sister Kelley Deal (lead guitar, vocals), Josephine Wiggs (bass guitar, vocals) and Jim Macpherson ...
, released on Period Music, on April 21, 2009. It was recorded in three different locations by multiple engineers: the title track was recorded at the Fortress Studios, London with producer
Gareth Parton
Sir Gareth (; Old French: ''Guerehet'', ''Guerrehet'') is a Knight of the Round Table in Arthurian legend. He is the youngest son of King Lot and Queen Morgause, King Arthur's half-sister, thus making him Arthur's nephew, as well as brother to ...
; "The Last Time", which features lead vocals by
Mark Lanegan
Mark William Lanegan (November 25, 1964 – February 22, 2022) was an American singer, songwriter, and poet. First becoming prominent as the lead singer for the early grunge band Screaming Trees, he was also known as a member of Queens of the St ...
, and "Pinnacle Hollow" were recorded by
Ben Mumphrey in
Dayton, OH
Dayton () is the sixth-largest city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Montgomery County. A small part of the city extends into Greene County. The 2020 U.S. census estimate put the city population at 137,644, while Greater Day ...
; "Chances Are", a cover of a
Bob Marley
Robert Nesta Marley (6 February 1945 – 11 May 1981; baptised in 1980 as Berhane Selassie) was a Jamaican singer, musician, and songwriter. Considered one of the pioneers of reggae, his musical career was marked by fusing elements o ...
song, was recorded by
Steve Albini
Steve Albini (pronounced ; born July 22, 1962) is an American musician, record producer, audio engineer and music journalist. He was a member of Big Black, Rapeman and Flour, and is a member of Shellac. He is the founder, owner and principal en ...
at
Electrical Audio
Electrical Audio is a recording studio, recording facility founded in Chicago, Illinois by musician and recording engineer Steve Albini in 1997. Hundreds of independent music projects have been recorded there. Unlike most producers, Albini refuses ...
in
Chicago
(''City in a Garden''); I Will
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.
Development and recording
The Breeders released their fourth studio album, ''
Mountain Battles
''Mountain Battles'' is the fourth studio album by American band The Breeders. It was released in the United Kingdom on April 7, 2008, and in the United States on April 8, 2008. The album was gradually recorded in a number of different locales i ...
'', in the spring of 2008, and the Deals continued writing new songs.
Near the end of their 2008 tour, they were in the United Kingdom, and decided to record the new composition "Fate to Fatal" at Fortress Studios in London.
[ The song took about two days to record and mix, including time spent moving their musical equipment into the studio and setting up.] The engineer
Engineers, as practitioners of engineering, are professionals who invent, design, analyze, build and test machines, complex systems, structures, gadgets and materials to fulfill functional objectives and requirements while considering the l ...
was Gareth Parton, with assistants Tom Morris and Nick Trepka.
Later, the Breeders found out that they would be curating the All Tomorrow's Parties
"All Tomorrow's Parties" is a song by the Velvet Underground and Nico, written by Lou Reed and released on the group's 1967 debut studio album, ''The Velvet Underground & Nico''.
Inspiration for the song came from Reed's observation of Andy Warh ...
music festival[—held on May 15, 2009 in ]Minehead
Minehead is a coastal town and civil parish in Somerset, England. It lies on the south bank of the Bristol Channel, north-west of the county town of Taunton, from the boundary with the county of Devon and in proximity of the Exmoor National P ...
, United Kingdom. They had been playing their ''Mountain Battles'' material for several months, and decided that it would be nice to have new songs to perform. Their first thought was to put out one or two songs on a single, but subsequently decided to release an EP instead. They had three original compositions that they wanted to release, but felt that this would be too short for an EP, so they decided to also do a cover of Bob Marley's "Chances Are".[ They recorded this at ]Electrical Audio
Electrical Audio is a recording studio, recording facility founded in Chicago, Illinois by musician and recording engineer Steve Albini in 1997. Hundreds of independent music projects have been recorded there. Unlike most producers, Albini refuses ...
in Chicago, with engineer Steve Albini
Steve Albini (pronounced ; born July 22, 1962) is an American musician, record producer, audio engineer and music journalist. He was a member of Big Black, Rapeman and Flour, and is a member of Shellac. He is the founder, owner and principal en ...
and assistants Dominique D'Amico and Gregoire Yeche.[
The Breeders recorded "Pinnacle Hollow" and "The Last Time" in Kim Deal's basement, at her home in ]Dayton, Ohio
Dayton () is the sixth-largest city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Montgomery County. A small part of the city extends into Greene County. The 2020 U.S. census estimate put the city population at 137,644, while Greater Day ...
,[ with engineer Ben Mumphrey.][ Kim and Kelley recorded the latter track in January 2009; Breeders Mondo Lopez and ]Jose Medeles
Jose is the English transliteration of the Hebrew and Aramaic name ''Yose'', which is etymologically linked to ''Yosef'' or Joseph. The name was popular during the Mishnaic and Talmudic periods.
* Jose ben Abin
* Jose ben Akabya
*Jose the Galile ...
were not present. They then sent the track to Mark Lanegan, who recorded his vocals elsewhere, and sent it back to them.[ The assistant engineer for "Pinnacle Hollow" was James Hutchinson.][
]
Songs
Reviewers have characterized "Fate to Fatal" as "ramshackle", "jarring and ... exuberant". The music and singing alternates between loud and quiet,[ reminiscent of the dynamic that Kim's former group, ]Pixies
A pixie (also pisky, pixy, pixi, pizkie, and piskie in Cornwall and Devon, and pigsie or puggsy in the New Forest) is a mythical creature of British folklore. Pixies are considered to be particularly concentrated in the high moorland areas arou ...
, is known for.[ Kim notes that the song's title refers to the line "What men pray for, what men cradle/I've gone from fate to fatal";] she describes the song as about a lonesome person who does not know how to connect with other people.[
Kim Deal has stated that "The Last Time" is about "moments where ... ne feelsgutted, taken down in life".][ When she wrote the song, she imagined it being sung by a man.][ She recorded a version with her singing it herself,][ but felt that she did not convey enough pain in her performance.][ While discussing Mark Lanegan's work with a friend, she decided to ask him to sing on the track, and he agreed.][ Lanegan's vocals have been compared to ]Lou Reed
Lewis Allan Reed (March 2, 1942October 27, 2013) was an American musician, songwriter, and poet. He was the guitarist, singer, and principal songwriter for the rock band the Velvet Underground and had a solo career that spanned five decades. ...
's,[ and described as "weary"][ and as a "pallbearer growl".][
Kim and Kelley Deal had been listening to,][ and considering recording a cover of,][ "Chances Are" for about ten years. They had experimented with adding instruments such as drums and ]stand-up bass
The double bass (), also known simply as the bass () (or by other names), is the largest and lowest-pitched bowed (or plucked) string instrument in the modern symphony orchestra (excluding unorthodox additions such as the octobass). Similar ...
,[ but their version on ''Fate to Fatal'' is a more minimalist,] acoustic rendition.[ In interviews, the Deals have noted that while Bob Marley is associated with ]reggae
Reggae () is a music genre that originated in Jamaica in the late 1960s. The term also denotes the modern popular music of Jamaica and its diaspora. A 1968 single by Toots and the Maytals, " Do the Reggay" was the first popular song to use ...
, "Chances Are" comes from his earlier, doo-wop
Doo-wop (also spelled doowop and doo wop) is a genre of rhythm and blues music that originated in African-American communities during the 1940s, mainly in the large cities of the United States, including New York, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Chica ...
period.[
"Pinnacle Hollow", in which Kim hears a ]Neil Young
Neil Percival Young (born November 12, 1945) is a Canadian-American singer and songwriter. After embarking on a music career in Winnipeg in the 1960s, Young moved to Los Angeles, joining Buffalo Springfield with Stephen Stills, Richie Furay ...
influence,[ has been described as having a "bluesy"][ and a "slightly spooky"][ sound. There are approximately two and a half minutes of instrumentation before the vocals start.][ Kim and Kelley sing—in a manner that has been characterized as "deadpan"][—lines such as "I don't know a sin I haven't found"][ and "up and down the road...." Kim was originally going to call the composition "Up and Down" but later decided on "Pinnacle Hollow", named after Pinnacle Holler, a place where the Deals' mother grew up in West Virginia.][
]
Cover
The EP's cover was designed by Chris Glass. Not long before this, Glass had designed the logo for U.S. president Barack Obama
Barack Hussein Obama II ( ; born August 4, 1961) is an American politician who served as the 44th president of the United States from 2009 to 2017. A member of the Democratic Party, Obama was the first African-American president of the U ...
's American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009
The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA) (), nicknamed the Recovery Act, was a stimulus package enacted by the 111th U.S. Congress and signed into law by President Barack Obama in February 2009. Developed in response to the Gr ...
.[ The ''Fate to Fatal'' design was Glass's first work doing a record cover.] Glass, who is related to the Deals through marriage,[ had been a fan of the Breeders' music and of the work of ]Vaughan Oliver
Vaughan Oliver (12 September 1957 – 29 December 2019) was a British graphic designer based in Epsom, Surrey. Oliver was best known for his work with graphic design studios 23 Envelope and v23. Both studios maintained a close relationship with ...
,[ who had designed most of the group's covers for 4AD.
]
Release and reception
All of the Breeders' previous albums and EPs had been released on the record label 4AD: up until 2002's ''Title TK
''Title TK'' is the third studio album by American alternative rock band the Breeders, released on May 20 and 21, 2002 by 4AD in the United Kingdom and Elektra Records in the United States, and on May 10 by P-Vine Records in Japan. The albumâ ...
'' Kim Deal was under contract with that label, and the Breeders released 2008's ''Mountain Battles
''Mountain Battles'' is the fourth studio album by American band The Breeders. It was released in the United Kingdom on April 7, 2008, and in the United States on April 8, 2008. The album was gradually recorded in a number of different locales i ...
'' with 4AD as a "one-off".[ For ''Fate to Fatal'', they considered whether it was worthwhile to negotiate again with 4AD to release it as well.][ They conferred with friends in the music industry, including Albini, ]Bob Weston
Bob Weston (born 1965) is an American musician, producer, recording engineer, and record mastering engineer. Critic Jason AnkenyAnkeny, Jason. " Bob Weston: Overview from Allmusic.com declares that "Weston's name and fingerprints are all over th ...
, and former 4AD owner Ivo Watts-Russell
Ivo Watts-Russell (born 1954) is a British music producer and record label executive. He was joint-founder with Peter Kent of the indie record label 4AD. He has produced several records, although he prefers to use the term "musical director".
Ea ...
, and decided to release the EP themselves independently, on Period Music.[ On April 21, 2009,][ they released 1000 copies on vinyl for ]Record Store Day
Record Store Day is an annual event inaugurated in 2007 and held on one Saturday (typically the third) every April and every Black Friday in November to "celebrate the culture of the independently owned record store". The day brings together fa ...
; they also made the EP available digitally.[
]
Video
The Breeders made a music video
A music video is a video of variable duration, that integrates a music song or a music album with imagery that is produced for promotion (marketing), promotional or musical artistic purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a m ...
for the song "Fate to Fatal", co-directed by Lopez and James Ford. They shot the video at the St. Louis Skatium, a roller rink in St. Louis
St. Louis () is the second-largest city in Missouri, United States. It sits near the confluence of the Mississippi and the Missouri Rivers. In 2020, the city proper had a population of 301,578, while the bi-state metropolitan area, which e ...
, where they filmed the Arch Rival Rollergirls women's roller derby
Roller derby is a roller skating contact sport played by two teams of fifteen members. Roller derby is played by approximately 1,250 amateur leagues worldwide, mostly in the United States.
Game play consists of a series of short scrimmages (jam ...
team.[ The idea for this setting came when by chance Kelley met groups of roller derby athletes in the summer and autumn of 2008: first, an Arch Rival member named Amy Whited that the Deals had known since her childhood; next, a roller derby team at a ]Barack Obama
Barack Hussein Obama II ( ; born August 4, 1961) is an American politician who served as the 44th president of the United States from 2009 to 2017. A member of the Democratic Party, Obama was the first African-American president of the U ...
benefit in Cincinnati; then, a different team at a craft competition in Minnesota.[ The "Fate to Fatal" video also includes footage of the Breeders in studio.][
]
Track listing
Personnel
*Kim Deal
Kimberley Ann Deal (born June 10, 1961) is an American singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist. She was the bassist and the co-vocalist in the alternative rock band Pixies, before forming the Breeders in 1989.
Deal joined Pixies in January ...
– guitar, vocals
*Kelley Deal
Kelley Deal (born June 10, 1961) is an American musician and singer. She has been lead guitarist and co-vocalist of the alternative rock band The Breeders since 1992, and has formed her own side-projects with bands such as R. Ring and The Kelley ...
– guitar, vocals
*Mando Lopez – bass
*Jose Medeles
Jose is the English transliteration of the Hebrew and Aramaic name ''Yose'', which is etymologically linked to ''Yosef'' or Joseph. The name was popular during the Mishnaic and Talmudic periods.
* Jose ben Abin
* Jose ben Akabya
*Jose the Galile ...
– drums
*Mark Lanegan
Mark William Lanegan (November 25, 1964 – February 22, 2022) was an American singer, songwriter, and poet. First becoming prominent as the lead singer for the early grunge band Screaming Trees, he was also known as a member of Queens of the St ...
– lead vocals on "The Last Time"
Notes
References
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Fate To Fatal
2009 EPs
The Breeders albums
Albums produced by Steve Albini