Knock Knock (album)

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Knock knock
Studio album from Smog

Publication
(s)

January 12, 1999

Label (s) Drag City , Domino Records

Format (s)

CD , LP

Genre (s)

Folk
Lo-Fi

Title (number)

10

running time

42:47 min

occupation
  • Guitar: Loren Mazzacane Connors

production

Jim O'Rourke

Studio (s)

1998

chronology
Red Apple Falls
(1997) 		Knock knock Dongs of Sevotion (2000)

Knock Knock is the seventh studio album by Bill Callahan under the pseudonym Smog. It was released in January 1999 in America on Drag City and in Europe through Domino Records . The album is the fourth and final collaboration with producer and musician Jim O'Rourke .

background

Knock Knock is considered to be the artist's most famous album. It takes Callahan's sound further into a folky style with rough edges. Held was the album's first single. This was followed by the single Cold Blooded Old Times , which cemented the success of Callahan through its appearance in the film High Fidelity with John Cusack and Jack Black . The song was also featured on the film's soundtrack.

The song "Teenage Spaceship" was also on the soundtrack for the German film Crazy (2000) by director Hans-Christian Schmid . "Hit the Ground Running" appeared in the movie "Swimming" (2000).

In addition to the two singles already mentioned, the single Look Now was released, which listed the two Japanese bonus tracks as B-sides .

Guest musician

On the track "Sweet Treat" the American guitarist Loren Mazzacane Connors plays guitar and Tim Mulvenna sat on the drums. Jim O'Rourke also played the piano on the record and an unknown "Wurley" also played guitar.

Cover

A stuffed wild cat can be seen on the cover, while a photo of a lightning strike dominates the cover in the background. Bill Callahan referred the cover to two Zen metaphors, according to which life is like lightning or the scream of a wild cat, although it is also speculated that it is a reference to Cat Power , Callahan's girlfriend at the time.

reception

Pitchfork Media gave the record a very positive rating with 9.7 / 10 points. Also allmusic forgave 4.5 of 5 points to the plate. The critic Heather Phares writes:

“It's a moving album on many levels; the songs not only have the emotional intimacy typical of smog, the themes move away from difficult, claustrophobic situations towards maturity and acceptance "

- Heather Phares, allmusic

Track list

All Bill Callahan's songs .

  1. "Let's Move to the Country" - 3:05
  2. "Hero" - 4:02
  3. "River Guard" - 6:22
  4. "No Dancing" - 3:00
  5. "Teenage Spaceship" - 3:58
  6. "Cold Blooded Old Times" - 4:14
  7. "Sweet Treat" - 2:59
  8. "Hit the Ground Running" - 6:56
  9. "I Could Drive Forever" - 5:15
  10. "Left Only with Love" - ​​2:52

Bonus tracks on the Japan edition:

  2. "Look Now" - 3:24
  3. "The Only Mother" - 3:29

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Swimming - Starring Lauren Ambrose of HBO's Six Feet Under
  2. ^ Goodman, Ellen: Cat Power: A Good Woman
  3. ↑ Engl. Original: It's a moving album on many levels; not only do the songs have Smog's usual emotional intimacy, their subjects move away from difficult, claustrophobic situations toward maturity and acceptance.
  4. ↑ https://www.allmusic.com/album/mw0000046727