''Surgery'' is the third full-length album by American
psychedelic rock
Psychedelic rock is a rock music Music genre, genre that is inspired, influenced, or representative of psychedelia, psychedelic culture, which is centered on perception-altering hallucinogenic drugs. The music incorporated new electronic sound ...
band
the Warlocks
The Warlocks are an American rock band formed in Los Angeles, California, in 1998 by the guitarist/singer Bobby Hecksher. The band's music has ranged from psychedelic rock to drone music. There have been many changes in personnel since its forma ...
. It was released by major label
Mute
Muteness is a speech disorder in which a person lacks the ability to speak.
Mute or the Mute may also refer to:
Arts and entertainment Film and television
* ''Mute'' (2005 film), a short film by Melissa Joan Hart
* ''Mute'' (2018 film), a scien ...
in 2005, and was produced by
Tom Rothrock
Tom or TOM may refer to:
* Tom (given name), a diminutive of Thomas or Tomás or an independent Aramaic given name (and a list of people with the name)
Characters
* Tom Anderson, a character in ''Beavis and Butt-Head''
* Tom Beck, a character ...
.
The album also marks the first time the US and UK releases have featured identical track listings.
Content
''Surgery'' has been remarked on by critics for having a more refined sound to 2002's ''
Phoenix
Phoenix most often refers to:
* Phoenix (mythology), a legendary bird from ancient Greek folklore
* Phoenix, Arizona, a city in the United States
Phoenix may also refer to:
Mythology
Greek mythological figures
* Phoenix (son of Amyntor), a ...
'',
a sound described by band leader Bobby Hecksher as "space age
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 ...
".
The average track length is notably shorter to previous releases, and the album is lyrically darker to the drug-centric ''Phoenix'' and ''
Rise and Fall''.
According to the
liner notes
Liner notes (also sleeve notes or album notes) are the writings found on the sleeves of LP record albums and in booklets that come inserted into the compact disc jewel case or the equivalent packaging for cassettes.
Origin
Liner notes are desce ...
, the album is dedicated to the memory of fellow Los Angeles-based musician
Elliott Smith
Steven Paul Smith (August 6, 1969 – October 21, 2003), known professionally as Elliott Smith, was an American singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist. Smith was born in Omaha, Nebraska, raised primarily in Texas, and lived much of hi ...
and to
Bomp! Records founder
Greg Shaw
Greg Shaw (January 1949 – October 19, 2004) was an American writer, publisher, magazine editor, music historian and record executive.
Biography
Shaw was born in San Francisco, California. He began writing about rock and roll music as a ...
.
Reception
''Surgery'' has been generally well-received by critics. ''
Drowned in Sound
''Drowned in Sound'', sometimes abbreviated to ''DiS'', is a UK-based music webzine financed by artist management company Silentway. Founded by editor Sean Adams, the site features reviews, news, interviews, and discussion forums.
History
''D ...
'' wrote: "
'''Surgery''
' isn't the unlistenable, depression-fest it's lyrical content threatens it to be. Instead, it's heartfelt message combined with the monstrous sound behind it make it one of the most curiously uplifting records of the year."
Track listing
#"Come Save Us" – 4:43
#"It's Just Like Surgery" – 4:06
#"Gypsy Nightmare" – 4:20
#"Angels in Heaven, Angels in Hell" – 4:15
#"We Need Starpower" – 4:26
#"Thursday's Radiation" – 7:44
#"Evil Eyes Again" – 3:32
#"The Tangent" – 5:01
#"Above Earth" – 4:20
#"Bleed Without You Babe" – 4:24
#"Suicide Note" – 12:12
References
External links
*
2005 albums
The Warlocks albums
Albums produced by Tom Rothrock
Mute Records albums
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