''Up at the Lake'' is the eighth album by the British
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 mainstream or commerci ...
band
The Charlatans, released on 17 May 2004 through
Universal
Universal is the adjective for universe.
Universal may also refer to:
Companies
* NBCUniversal, a media and entertainment company
** Universal Animation Studios, an American Animation studio, and a subsidiary of NBCUniversal
** Universal TV, a ...
and
Island Records Group. As promotion wrapped up for their seventh album ''
Wonderland'' (2001), Universal wanted them to follow it up with another one quickly. However, frontman
Tim Burgess began working on his debut solo album in late 2002. At the end of the year, the band reconvened to write songs; by March 2003, they relocated to their own studio, Big Mushroom in
Cheshire,
Greater Manchester
Greater Manchester is a metropolitan county and combined authority area in North West England, with a population of 2.8 million; comprising ten metropolitan boroughs: Manchester, Salford, Bolton, Bury, Oldham, Rochdale, Stockport, Tam ...
with them and James Spencer serving as producers. Recording halted in May 2003 to allow for Burgess to finish on his album, ''
I Believe'' (2003); sessions would resume by the end of the year, and finish in February 2004. ''Up at the Lake'' is a
pop rock
Pop rock (also typeset as pop/rock) is a fusion genre with an emphasis on professional songwriting and recording craft, and less emphasis on attitude than rock music. Originating in the late 1950s as an alternative to normal rock and roll, earl ...
album that pursues the
country rock direction that they had first explored on their sixth album ''
Tellin' Stories'' (1997).
''Up at the Lake'' received generally favourable reviewers from music critics, many of whom praised the songwriting. It peaked at number six in Scotland, number 13 in the United Kingdom and number 32 in Ireland; being certified silver in the UK 11 days after its release. Both "Up at the Lake" and "Try Again Today" reached the top 30 on the
Scottish and
UK Singles Chart
The UK Singles Chart (currently titled Official Singles Chart, with the upper section more commonly known as the Official UK Top 40) is compiled by the Official Charts Company (OCC), on behalf of the British record industry, listing the top-s ...
s. "Up at the Lake" was released as the album's
lead single
A lead single (also known as a debut single) is the first single to be released from a studio album by an artist or a band, usually before the album itself is released and also occasionally on the same day of the album's release date.
Release s ...
in May 2004, which was promoted with a tour of the UK and appearances at the
Isle of Wight
The Isle of Wight ( ) is a Counties of England, county in the English Channel, off the coast of Hampshire, from which it is separated by the Solent. It is the List of islands of England#Largest islands, largest and List of islands of England#Mo ...
and
T in the Park
T in the Park festival was a major Scottish music festival that was held annually from 1994 to 2016. It was named after its main sponsor, Tennents. The event was held at Strathclyde Park, Lanarkshire, until 1996. It then moved to the disused B ...
festivals until the following month. "Try Again Today" was released as the second single from the album in July 2004; afterwards, the Charlatans performed at the
V Festival. In December 2004, the band embarked on another tour of the UK, and "Loving You Is Easy" was released as a radio-only promotional single. A video album from that tour was released in early 2005 under the title ''Live at Last Brixton Academy''.
Background and development
The Charlatans released their seventh studio album ''
Wonderland'' in September 2001 through
Universal Records
Universal Music Group N.V. (often abbreviated as UMG and referred to as just Universal Music) is a Dutch–American multinational music corporation under Dutch law. UMG's corporate headquarters are located in Hilversum, Netherlands and its ...
. As it was released in the United States on
September 11
Events Pre-1600
* 9 – The Battle of the Teutoburg Forest ends: The Roman Empire suffers the greatest defeat of its history and the Rhine is established as the border between the Empire and the so-called barbarians for the next four hu ...
, it would perform poorly commercially in that territory.
[ In the United Kingdom, it peaked at number two in the ]UK Albums Chart
The Official Albums Chart is a list of albums ranked by physical and digital sales and (from March 2015) audio streaming in the United Kingdom. It was published for the first time on 22 July 1956 and is compiled every week by the Official Charts ...
, while its two singles – "Love Is the Key" and "A Man Needs to Be Told" – charted within the top 40 of the UK Singles Chart
The UK Singles Chart (currently titled Official Singles Chart, with the upper section more commonly known as the Official UK Top 40) is compiled by the Official Charts Company (OCC), on behalf of the British record industry, listing the top-s ...
. They promoted it with two tours in the UK and one in the US, alongside appearances at the
Coachella Coachella may refer to:
* Coachella, California
* Coachella Canal, in California
* Coachella (festival), an annual music and arts festival in California
* "Coachella – Woodstock in My Mind", a 2017 song by Lana del Rey
See also
* Coachell ...
, Isle of Wight
The Isle of Wight ( ) is a Counties of England, county in the English Channel, off the coast of Hampshire, from which it is separated by the Solent. It is the List of islands of England#Largest islands, largest and List of islands of England#Mo ...
and Glastonbury Festivals. After supporting Stereophonics at Slane Castle
Slane Castle (Irish ''Cáisleán Bhaile Shláine'') is located in the village of Slane, within the Boyne Valley of County Meath, Ireland. The castle has been the family seat of the Conyngham family since it was built in the late 18th century, on ...
in Dublin, Ireland in August 2002, the Charlatans played three club shows to end the month. Universal wanted a follow-up quickly, threatening the band with dropping them from the roster if they did not work on one; frontman Tim Burgess was not happy with the situation.[ He wanted to continue writing, but the rest of the band members wanted a break.
In October 2002, '']Dotmusic
''Dotmusic'' was a music webzine that existed as a standalone website from 1 June 1995 to December 2003. Initially intended as the web complement to the UK music industry trade magazine ''Music Week'', the site was relaunched in December 1998 as a ...
'' reported that Burgess was recording on a solo album with Linus of Hollywood. Few days later, the band denied rumours that they would be splitting up, but mentioned that the other members worked with different artists: drummer Jon Brookes with Preacher Man and keyboardist Tony Rogers with Moco.[ In the same announcement, they mentioned that they would start demoing material for their next album in early 2003, which they were aiming to release later that year.] In December 2002, the band started writing new songs; guitarist Mark Collins subsequently visited Burgess in February 2003 at his home in Los Angeles, California, where the pair worked for three weeks, finishing four tracks in the process. The two of them would then spend sometime in a cottage in Bodmin Moor, Cornwall
Cornwall (; kw, Kernow ) is a historic county and ceremonial county in South West England. It is recognised as one of the Celtic nations, and is the homeland of the Cornish people. Cornwall is bordered to the north and west by the Atlantic ...
.[ As the pair left behind a CD of the material they were working on, the material made it out to the public as a bootleg.
]
Recording
In March 2003, the band relocated to their own studio, Big Mushroom in Cheshire, Greater Manchester
Greater Manchester is a metropolitan county and combined authority area in North West England, with a population of 2.8 million; comprising ten metropolitan boroughs: Manchester, Salford, Bolton, Bury, Oldham, Rochdale, Stockport, Tam ...
, with them and engineer James Spencer serving as producers.[ Burgess said that unlike ''Wonderland'', they had no firm idea of what musical direction they wanted to take for ''Up at the Lake'' when they got into the studio.] By May 2003, they had finished seven songs, but had to pause recording as Burgess shifted focus to his solo debut, '' I Believe'' (2003).[ Bassist Martin Blunt said the plan was for Burgess to finish promoting his album before they would return to work on their album.] While this was occurring, the band held a warm-up show in London, prior to their appearances at the Move and T in the Park
T in the Park festival was a major Scottish music festival that was held annually from 1994 to 2016. It was named after its main sponsor, Tennents. The event was held at Strathclyde Park, Lanarkshire, until 1996. It then moved to the disused B ...
festivals in July 2003. At the former festival, the band premiered new track "Feel the Pressure".[
Collins, meanwhile, worked with Adam Masterson, marking his first producer role outside of the band; Rogers performed on one of his tracks. The band regrouped at Big Mushroom in December 2003, after the conclusion of Burgess' solo tour of the UK. They expected to have an album's worth of tracks finished by early 2004, eventually ending in February 2004. Linus of Hollywood recorded Burgess' vocals for "Try Again Today"; ]Mike Cave
Mike Cave (born Michael Cave on 1 January 1978) is a musician, record producer and mix engineer, whose clients have included The Noisettes, Professor Green, Tinchy Stryder, Elvis Costello, The Charlatans and The Coral.
Early life
Cave was bor ...
did additional engineering on it,[ as Blunt thought the song sounded a bit overproduced. The songs were mixed by Spencer, Ken Nelson and ]the Chemical Brothers
The Chemical Brothers are an English electronic music duo formed by Tom Rowlands and Ed Simons in Manchester in 1989. They were pioneers (along with the Prodigy, Fatboy Slim, the Crystal Method, and other acts) in bringing the big beat gen ...
at Parr Street Studios in Liverpool and Mayfair and Miloco Studios
Miloco Studios are a group of recording studios based in London, England.
History
Miloco was formed out of the merging of three former London recording studios: Milo Music, The Garden and Orinoco Studios.
Milo Music began in 1984 as a small stu ...
in London, before the album was mastered by Frank Arkwright at Townhouse Studios
The Town House (also known as Townhouse Studios) was a recording studio located at 150 Goldhawk Road, Shepherd's Bush in London, built in 1978 under the direction of Richard Branson for Virgin Records. The studios changed ownership and eventuall ...
, also in London. Johnny Marr helped compile the final track listing.[
]
Composition and lyrics
Musically, ''Up at the Lake'' is a pop rock
Pop rock (also typeset as pop/rock) is a fusion genre with an emphasis on professional songwriting and recording craft, and less emphasis on attitude than rock music. Originating in the late 1950s as an alternative to normal rock and roll, earl ...
album,[ which continues the country rock direction that the band initially explored on their sixth album '' Tellin' Stories'' (1997). '']Cokemachineglow
Cokemachineglow was a Canadian webzine dedicated mainly to music criticism, though it also featured articles about local music scenes. It was founded in 2002 and closed down permanently at the end of 2015. In 2006, it was described as one of "the ...
'' writer David M. Goldstein explained that ''Up at the Lake'' had the "same hazy, guitar-centered production, and an emphasis on la-di-da country-rockers evoking the ollingStones at their late '60s/early '70s peak" as ''Tellin' Stories''.[ ]AllMusic
AllMusic (previously known as All Music Guide and AMG) is an American online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on musicians and bands. Initiated in 1991, the databa ...
reviewer Jason Damas wrote that the " classic-rock coloring that dominated discs" such as the band's self-titled
An eponym is a person, a place, or a thing after whom or which someone or something is, or is believed to be, named. The adjectives which are derived from the word eponym include ''eponymous'' and ''eponymic''.
Usage of the word
The term ''epon ...
(1995) and ''Tellin' Stories'' albums return, in addition to "brief flirtations with classic folk".[ The band's trademark Hammond organ sound also returned,][ though in a reduced presence, as Collins' guitarwork was placed higher in the mix. Burgess largely dropped the falsetto vocal styling that he used on the majority of ''Wonderland'',][ though it was used on "Up at the Lake".][ According to Burgess, the album's title is taken from a never-made David Lynch film, and "I thought we could at least provide the soundtrack to this unmade film".
The opening track, "Up at the Lake", is a British traditional rock song;][ its first line is adapted from " Loose Fit" (1990) by former contemporaries ]Happy Mondays
Happy Mondays are an English rock band formed in Salford in 1980. The original line-up was Shaun Ryder (vocals), his brother Paul Ryder (bass), Gary Whelan (drums), Paul Davis (keyboard), and Mark Day (guitar). Mark "Bez" Berry later joine ...
. The indie disco song "Feel the Pressure"[ evokes the ''Tellin' Stories'' track "One to Another".][ Burgess said its "full horror movie" intro section was made by collaborataors the Chemical Brothers. For the rest of the track, Collins came up with music that was more akin to the rest of the album until Blunt said the Chemical Brothers "did their thing to it". Burgess had Brookes play a drum pattern akin to the sound of ]Adam and the Ants
Adam and the Ants were an English rock band formed in London in 1977. The group existed in two incarnations, both fronted by Adam Ant, over the period 1977 to 1982. The first, founded in May 1977 and known simply as The Ants until November of t ...
and Bow Wow Wow
Bow Wow Wow are an English new wave band, created by manager Malcolm McLaren in 1980. McLaren recruited members of Adam and the Ants to form the band behind 13-year-old Annabella Lwin on vocals. They released their debut EP '' Your Cassette ...
.[ The opening portion of the following track, "As I Watch You in Disbelief", is taken from "Heroes" (1977) by ]David Bowie
David Robert Jones (8 January 194710 January 2016), known professionally as David Bowie ( ), was an English singer-songwriter and actor. A leading figure in the music industry, he is regarded as one of the most influential musicians of the ...
. Burgess said it detailed "being broken", and was influenced by "When I Paint My Masterpiece
"When I Paint My Masterpiece" is a 1971 song written by Bob Dylan. It was first released by The Band, who recorded the song for their album '' Cahoots'', released on September 15, 1971.
Background
Dylan himself first recorded the song at New Y ...
" (1971) by Bob Dylan
Bob Dylan (legally Robert Dylan, born Robert Allen Zimmerman, May 24, 1941) is an American singer-songwriter. Often regarded as one of the greatest songwriters of all time, Dylan has been a major figure in popular culture during a career sp ...
. "Cry Yourself to Sleep" retreads the American country and folk
Folk or Folks may refer to:
Sociology
*Nation
*People
* Folklore
** Folk art
** Folk dance
** Folk hero
** Folk music
*** Folk metal
*** Folk punk
*** Folk rock
** Folk religion
* Folk taxonomy
Arts, entertainment, and media
* Folk Plus or Fo ...
direction that Burgess tackled on ''I Believe''.[ It was written by Rogers, though Burgess said he potentially contributed a few lyrics to it. Rogers described it as a melancholic song about his daughters moving to Australia. ]Ged Lynch
Ged Lynch (born 19 July 1968, Blackburn, England) is an English percussionist and composer.
Lynch had early commercial success drumming with the Ruthless Rap Assassins. In 1989 he joined The Icicle Works. He joined Shaun Ryder and Bez in Bla ...
, formerly of Black Grape
Black Grape are an English rock band, featuring former members of Happy Mondays and Ruthless Rap Assassins. Their musical style fuses funk and electronic rock with electronic programming and samples.
History Formation, first two albums and ...
, contributed percussion to the track.[
"Bona Fide Treasure" is done in the style of Electric Light Orchestra, while "High Up Your Tree" was compared to ]Ween
Ween is an American rock band from New Hope, Pennsylvania, formed in 1984 by Aaron Freeman and Mickey Melchiondo, better known by their respective stage names, Gene and Dean Ween. Generally categorized as an alternative rock band, the band a ...
, specifically on their album ''White Pepper
Black pepper (''Piper nigrum'') is a flowering vine in the family Piperaceae, cultivated for its fruit, known as a peppercorn, which is usually dried and used as a spice and seasoning. The fruit is a drupe (stonefruit) which is about in diam ...
'' (2000).[ Discussing the latter, Burgess found it difficult to "keep the band and my marriage together". "Blue for You" is a ]psychedelic blues
Psychedelic rock is a rock music genre that is inspired, influenced, or representative of psychedelic culture, which is centered on perception-altering hallucinogenic drugs. The music incorporated new electronic sound effects and recording tech ...
track,[ which was written about their former, deceased keyboardist Rob Collins. "I'll Sing a Hymn (You Came to Me)", another one in the vein of Burgess' solo album,][ apes the sound of ]Bob Dylan
Bob Dylan (legally Robert Dylan, born Robert Allen Zimmerman, May 24, 1941) is an American singer-songwriter. Often regarded as one of the greatest songwriters of all time, Dylan has been a major figure in popular culture during a career sp ...
, circa ''New Morning
New is an adjective referring to something recently made, discovered, or created.
New or NEW may refer to:
Music
* New, singer of K-pop group The Boyz
Albums and EPs
* ''New'' (album), by Paul McCartney, 2013
* ''New'' (EP), by Regurgitator, ...
'' (1970).[ Burgess said he tried emulating "Please Don't Leave Me Lonely" (1971) by ]King Floyd
King Floyd (February 13, 1945 – March 6, 2006) was a New Orleans soul singer and songwriter, best known for his top 10 hit from 1970, "Groove Me".
Early career
King Floyd III was born in New Orleans in 1945. His musical career started as a s ...
, though he admitted unsuccessfully. "Loving You Is Easy" is a soul ballad that recalled the work of Minnie Riperton
Minnie Julia Riperton Rudolph (November 8, 1947 – July 12, 1979)
was an American singer-songwriter best known for her 1975 single " Lovin' You" and her four octave D3 to F7 coloratura soprano range. She is also widely known for her use ...
,[ who had a song with the same name. Rogers sings lead vocals on the track, though he did not wish to;] he wished for the song to be dropped entirely, but the rest of the band wanted it on the album. "Try Again Today" is a Beatlesque
"Beatlesque" () or "Beatles-esque" describes a musical resemblance to the English rock band the Beatles. The term is loosely defined and has been applied inconsistently to a wide variety of disparate artists.
Definitions
To better explain what ...
ballad,[ being co-written by Linus of Hollywood, who helped Burgess on ''I Believe''. Burgess wanted to talk about "when things are not going that well ..having another go," and not having high expectations. He said he was unhappy when he composed the lyrics to "Apples and Oranges". The album concludes with "Dead Love", which talks about communication with the band breaking down, and Burgess feeling alone while promoting ''I Believe''. It features cello and viola from Ian Bracken and Heather Wallington, respectively, of the ]Royal Liverpool Philharmonic
Royal Liverpool Philharmonic is a music organisation based in Liverpool, England, that manages a professional symphony orchestra, a concert venue, and extensive programmes of learning through music. Its orchestra, the Royal Liverpool Philharmon ...
.[
]
Release
American label MCA Records
MCA Records was an American record label owned by MCA Inc., which later became part of Universal Music Group.
Pre-history
MCA Inc., a powerful talent agency and a television production company, entered the recorded music business in 1962 w ...
was absorbed by Universal Music Group
Universal Music Group N.V. (often abbreviated as UMG and referred to as just Universal Music) is a Dutch– American multinational music corporation under Dutch law. UMG's corporate headquarters are located in Hilversum, Netherlands and its ...
(UMG) subsidiary Geffen Records
Geffen Records is an American record label established by David Geffen and owned by Universal Music Group through its Interscope Geffen A&M Records imprint.
Founded in 1980, Geffen Records has been a part of Interscope Geffen A&M since 1999 and h ...
in mid-2003, which resulted in its staff and roster being moved to Geffen. As a result, the band were dropped from the roster.[ On 22 March 2004, ''Up at the Lake'' was announced for release in two months' time; alongside this, the track listing was posted online.] The band debuted material from the album at two one-off shows in London in early May 2004. Initially planned for 3 May 200,[ "Up at the Lake" was released as the album's ]lead single
A lead single (also known as a debut single) is the first single to be released from a studio album by an artist or a band, usually before the album itself is released and also occasionally on the same day of the album's release date.
Release s ...
on 10 May 2004.[ The CD version included "For Where There Is Love, There Will Always Be Miracles", while the seven-inch vinyl edition featured "I'll Sing A Hymn (You Came to Me)" as the B-side. After being available to stream on the band's website two and a half weeks ahead of schedule,] ''Up at the Lake'' was released on 17 May 2004.[ Its artwork was taken at Pickmere Lake in Cheshire, outside of Burgess' home town of Northwich.
In May and June 2004, the band embarked on a tour of the UK, leading up to appearances at the Isle of Wight, ]T in the Park
T in the Park festival was a major Scottish music festival that was held annually from 1994 to 2016. It was named after its main sponsor, Tennents. The event was held at Strathclyde Park, Lanarkshire, until 1996. It then moved to the disused B ...
[ and Fleadh festivals. Additional shows were added, with two shows apiece in Glasgow and Manchester. "Try Again Today" was released as the album's second single on 26 July 2004. The CD edition featured "M.I.A.", " Give Me a Reason" and the music video for "Try Again Today", while the DVD version included videos of "Up at the Lake" and footage from ]Keele University
Keele University, officially known as the University of Keele, is a public research university in Keele, approximately from Newcastle-under-Lyme, Staffordshire, England. Founded in 1949 as the University College of North Staffordshire, Keele ...
, alongside audio of "Try Again Today". while the seven-inch vinyl edition featured "I'll Sing A Hymn (You Came to Me)" as the B-side. In August 2004, the band performed at the V Festival. They ended the year with a short tour of the UK in December 2004; extra shows were added twice, increasing it to an eight-date tour. "Loving You Is Easy" was released as a radio-only promotional single on 20 December 2004. In April 2005, the band's second video album, ''Live at Last Brixton Academy'', was released, consisting of footage from the December 2004 tour.
''Up at the Lake'' was re-pressed on vinyl in 2018 through UMC, Universal's catalogue label. "Up at the Lake" and "Try Again Today" were featured on the band's third compilation album '' Forever: The Singles'' (2006), while four demos from the sessions were included on the special edition version of it. "High Up Your Tree" and "Blue for You" appeared on their fourth compilation album ''Collection'' (2007). "Up at the Lake" was included on their fifth compilation album ''A Head Full of Ideas'' (2021).
Reception
''Up at the Lake'' was met with generally favourable reviews from music critics
Music journalism (or music criticism) is media criticism and reporting about music topics, including popular music, classical music, and traditional music. Journalists began writing about music in the eighteenth century, providing commentary on w ...
. At Metacritic
Metacritic is a website that aggregates reviews of films, TV shows, music albums, video games and formerly, books. For each product, the scores from each review are averaged (a weighted average). Metacritic was created by Jason Dietz, Marc ...
, which assigns a normalized rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream publications, the album received an average
In ordinary language, an average is a single number taken as representative of a list of numbers, usually the sum of the numbers divided by how many numbers are in the list (the arithmetic mean). For example, the average of the numbers 2, 3, 4, 7 ...
score of 72, based on ten reviews.[
Reviewers praised the songwriting. Damas felt that there was a "defined sense that this is the beginning of a new chapter for the band, and that Up at the Lake is their first work as 'mature' artists". He added that was "relaxed and assured ..the work of craftsmen who know how to produce something solid and consistent".][ Goldstein said it was "surprisingly their strongest effort" since ''Tellin' Stories'', agreeing with Damas that they "actually sound drelaxed", making it the type of album that the band could compose in their sleep.][ '']The Independent
''The Independent'' is a British online newspaper. It was established in 1986 as a national morning printed paper. Nicknamed the ''Indy'', it began as a broadsheet and changed to tabloid format in 2003. The last printed edition was publish ...
'' critic Any Gill also was impressed, saying that the "simple and direct Up at the Lake is a surprise", adding that it was the "most focused, coherent and unmediated that the band have sounded in years". Steve McQueen of '' Gigwise'' called it "soothingly British, with authentic flavourings throughout. Like an English summer’s day – you cannot take this for granted".[ Chris Nye Browne of ]Yahoo! Launch
Yahoo! Music Radio (formerly known as LAUNCHcast) was an Internet radio service offered by Clear Channel Communications' iHeartRadio through Yahoo! Music. The service, formerly offered by LAUNCH Media, and originally developed by Todd Beaupré, ...
said that "although, essentially, there’s nothing exceptional here, as an album 'Up At The Lake' flows seamlessly".[
Other critics felt that it was uninspiring. '']Entertainment.ie
''Entertainment.ie'' is an Irish web company based in Dublin. The company provides news and reviews of programs and films for TV and the cinema. It also provides information on upcoming comedies, festivals, theater shows and music in Ireland, a ...
'' Andrew Lynch wrote that "while it doesn't break any new ground, it's just as enjoyable" as their past releases.[ The staff at '']Uncut
Uncut may refer to:
* ''Uncut'' (film), a 1997 Canadian docudrama film by John Greyson about censorship
* ''Uncut'' (magazine), a monthly British magazine with a focus on music, which began publishing in May 1997
* '' BET: Uncut'', a Black Enter ...
'' said it was "hardly the album-length E-rush of career peak" ''Tellin' Stories'',[ while Stephen Ackroyd of '']This Is Fake DIY
''DIY'' is a United Kingdom-based music publication, in print and online. Its free print edition is released monthly with a physical circulation of 40,000 in UK venues, clubs and shops.
DIY Magazine
''DIY'' was launched in 2002 by then-editor ...
'' said the band "could do worse, rcould do a lot better".[ ]RTÉ.ie
RTÉ.ie is the brand name and home of Irish broadcaster Raidió Teilifís Éireann (RTÉ)'s online activities, located at the URL https://www.rte.ie/. The site began publishing on 26 May 1996. According to RTÉ, it operates on an entirely com ...
writer Seamus Leonard said "unfortunately the songs are pretty inconsistent," with "Cry Yourself to Sleep" and "I'll Sing a Hymn (You Came to Me)" were "well worth listening to, but ..The rest are reasonable but unremarkable". ''God Is in the TV
''God Is in the TV'' is an independent music and culture online magazine founded by editor Bill Cummings in Cardiff in 2003. It publishes independent music reviews, features, interviews, podcasts and media. The webzine's coverage varies from un ...
'' Alex Worsnip, meanwhile, thought they had "run their course at this stage, although they themselves seem positive about their direction ..for the rest of us, 'Up At The Lake' will be both familiar and uninspiring".[ ]Playlouder
Playlouder was a digital music and media company. providing news, reviews, and other music-related content. It also claimed to be the world's first music service provider— an Internet service provider bundling access to music content along with ...
writer Richard Smirke said the album "plays more like Burgess & Co hijacking ''Stars in Their Eyes
''Stars in Their Eyes'' is a British television talent series, based on Joop van den Ende's Dutch format ''Soundmixshow''. It featured a singing contest in which members of the public impersonate showbiz stars.
The show premiered on 21 July 1 ...
'', rather than a band trying to sound fresh or relevant ..Unfortunately, as artistically redundant as that concept sounds, this 45-minute pop-rock opus doesn’t fare much better.[
''Up at the Lake'' peaked at number 13 in the UK;][ it reached number six in Scotland][ and number 32 in Ireland.][ It was certified silver in the UK by the ]British Phonographic Industry
British Phonographic Industry (BPI) is the British recorded music industry's Trade association. It runs the BRIT Awards, the Classic BRIT Awards, National Album Day, is home to the Mercury Prize, and co-owns the Official Charts Company with ...
11 days after its release.[ "Up at the Lake" charted at number 20 in Scotland and number 23 in the UK.][ "Try Again Today" charted at number 24 in Scotland] and the UK.[
]
Track listing
All songs by Martin Blunt, Jon Brookes, Tim Burgess, Mark Collins and Tony Rogers, except "Try Again Today" by the band and Linus of Hollywood.[ "I'll Sing a Hymn (You Came to Me)" is not included on all versions.
# "Up at the Lake" – 3:45
# "Feel the Pressure" – 3:35
# "As I Watch You in Disbelief" – 3:48
# "Cry Yourself to Sleep" – 4:25
# "Bona Fide Treasure" – 3:24
# "High Up Your Tree" – 4:01
# "Blue for You" – 3:56
# "I'll Sing a Hymn (You Came to Me)" – 2:43
# "Loving You Is Easy" – 5:00
# "Try Again Today" – 3:42
# "Apples and Oranges" – 4:20
# "Dead Love" – 2:21
]
Personnel
Personnel per sleeve.
The Charlatans
* Jon Brookes – drums, percussion
* Tim Burgess – lead vocals, underwater piano
* Mark Collins – guitars, pedal steel, backing vocals
* Tony Rogers – Hammond, piano, backing vocals, lead vocals (track 9)
* Martin Blunt – bass guitar
Additional musicians
* Ged Lynch
Ged Lynch (born 19 July 1968, Blackburn, England) is an English percussionist and composer.
Lynch had early commercial success drumming with the Ruthless Rap Assassins. In 1989 he joined The Icicle Works. He joined Shaun Ryder and Bez in Bla ...
– percussion (track 4)
* Ian Bracken – cello (track 12)
* Heather Wallington – viola (track 12)
Production and design
* The Charlatans – producer
* James Spencer – producer, mixing, engineer
* Ken Nelson – mixing
* The Chemical Brothers
The Chemical Brothers are an English electronic music duo formed by Tom Rowlands and Ed Simons in Manchester in 1989. They were pioneers (along with the Prodigy, Fatboy Slim, the Crystal Method, and other acts) in bringing the big beat gen ...
– mixing
* Mike Cave
Mike Cave (born Michael Cave on 1 January 1978) is a musician, record producer and mix engineer, whose clients have included The Noisettes, Professor Green, Tinchy Stryder, Elvis Costello, The Charlatans and The Coral.
Early life
Cave was bor ...
– additional engineering (track 10)
* Johnny Marr – compiler
* Linus of Hollywood – recording (track 10)
* Frank Arkwright – mastering
* Tom Sheehan – photography
* John Mark James – design
Charts and certifications
Weekly charts
Certifications
References
Citations
Sources
*
External links
''Up at the Lake''
at YouTube
YouTube is a global online video sharing and social media platform headquartered in San Bruno, California. It was launched on February 14, 2005, by Steve Chen, Chad Hurley, and Jawed Karim. It is owned by Google, and is the second mo ...
(streamed copy where licensed)
Live review from May 2004
at BBC Manchester
at ''musicOMH''
{{Authority control
The Charlatans (English band) albums
2004 albums
Universal Records albums
Island Records albums