Opposites

Opposites
Studio album by Biffy Clyro
Publication (s)	January 28, 2013
admission	2011 and 2012
Label (s)	14th Floor Records
Format (s)	CD , vinyl , download
Genre (s)	Alternative rock
Title (number)	20 14 (Single Edition)
running time	01:18:45 39:47 (CD 1) 38:58 (CD 2) 55:04 (Single Edition)
occupation	Vocals , guitar : Simon Neil Bass , vocals: James Johnston Drums , vocals: Ben Johnston
production	Garth Richardson
Studio (s)	The Village Studios ( Los Angeles )
chronology Only Revolutions (2009) Opposites Ellipsis (2016)
Single releases January 14, 2013 Black Chandelier March 29, 2013 Biblical June 24, 2013 Opposite September 8, 2013 Victory Over the Sun

Opposites is the sixth studio album by the British alternative rock band Biffy Clyro , which was released on January 28, 2013. The album is a double album with 20 songs, but is also available as a shortened version with 14 songs. Originally, two separate albums, The Land at the End of Our Toes and The Sand and the Core of Our Bones, were announced.

background

After the tours to Only Revolutions ended , the band became increasingly estranged, drummer Ben Johnston also got into an increasing alcohol problem and Simon Neil said he was smoking too much. The band's existence was threatened in between, but composing together brought the members back together.

Opposites was released more than three years after its predecessor Only Revolutions , which is the longest break between two albums by Biffy Clyro. During this time, Biffy Clyro toured a lot. They started writing songs in the spring of 2010. In March 2011, singer and guitarist Simon Neil said that 15 or 16 songs were ready for the album and Biffy Clyro would go into the studio as soon as they finished touring.

In May 2012, NME announced two new albums from Biffy Clyro, The Land at the End of Our Toes and The Sand at the Core of Our Bones . A month later it was reported that the band had changed their mind and wanted to release a double album . The title of the double album was featured on Zane Lowe 's show on BBC Radio 1. On September 18, the Biffy Clyro website posted the track listing and was scheduled for January. In an interview with Q magazine , the band stated that they had written 45 songs by the end of 2011 and felt that it was necessary to release a double album. But later they also emphasized that there was no filler song on the album and that you could enjoy it from beginning to end.

The main recording time for Opposites began in early 2012 and lasted five months. The producer was Garth Richardson , who also mixed the two previous albums Puzzles and Only Revolutions . Biffy Clyro himself acted as co-producer. The recording took place at The Village Studios in Los Angeles . David Campbell was responsible for the choral singing and orchestral arrangements on the album . The keyboard parts in the songs were played by Jamie Muhoberac . British Theater's Mike Vennart played an extra guitar, and Eric Rigler the bagpipes.

Ben Bridwell of the Band of Horses can be heard as a guest singer in the songs Opposite and Accident Without Emergency .

concept

Singer and guitarist Simon Neil described the concept of Opposites as follows:

“Each album is the exact opposite vibe to the other lyrically. [...] One's about putting things in the worst possible way and thinking you're getting yourself into a hole. The other looks at things more positively ”

“In terms of lyrics, each album has exactly the opposite mood to the other. [...] One thing is to put things in the worst possible situation and think yourself in a hole. The other sees things more positively. "

- Simon Neil : BBC

Bassist James Johnston described the concept in an interview with rockyourlife.fr:

The Sand… is about past and things that brought you to that point, the difficult things in your life, the things you can't change, the things which are difficult. And The Land ... is about what comes next and your hopes and fears about the future, how you can make things better and bring things together in order to move forward

“ The Sand… is about the past and things that got you there, the complicated things in your life, the things that you cannot change, the things that are complicated. And The Land ... is about what's next and your hopes and fears about the future, how you can do things better and fix them together to move forward. "

- James Johnston : rockyourlife.fr

Biffy Clyro himself claimed that the album was very diverse. You can also hear a lot of instruments. Among other things, a bagpipe , a kazoo , tap dance , a church organ and bells can be heard. But there are also the two songs Pocket and Skylight on the album, which were already written before the predecessor Only Revolutions .

Musically, according to the band, the first half of the album is more based on pop music , while the second is more adventurous. According to the German music magazine Visions , this concept was followed less strictly.

Cover design

The cover of Opposites was designed by Storm Thorgerson , who is considered one of the most important designers for rock albums in history and who also designed the covers for Biffy Clyro's last two albums. Opposites was his last job before he died of cancer in 2013. To publish the cover, the band called on their fans to tweet under the hashtag #biffyopposites . After 9,000 tweets in 12 hours, the cover was published on October 19, 2012 on Biffy Clyro's website. The cover is said to represent the oldest tree in the world in Chile. Simon Neil explained the connection to the band as follows:

"I loved the original image of the tree, and I got thinking about how strong the roots must be, and how strong my band is - how we can deal with anything, because we have each other"

"I love the original picture of the tree and have thought about how strong the roots have to be and how strong my band is - how we can deal with everything because we have each other"

- Simon Neil : Kerrang

Track list

All songs were written by Simon Neil.

Double edition

Part 1: The Sand at the Core of Our Bones

1. Different People - 5:11
2. Black Chandelier - 4:04
3. Sounds Like Balloons - 3:46
4. Opposite - 3:55
5. The Joke's on Us - 3:34
6. Biblical - 3:29
7. A Girl and His Cat - 3:29
8. The Fog - 4:41
9. Little Hospitals - 3:32
10. The Thaw - 3:42
11. The Sand at the Core of Our Bones - 1:47 ( Instrumental , iTunes bonus song)

Part 2: The Land at the End of Our Toes

1. Stingin 'Belle - 4:25
2. Modern Magic Formula - 3:54
3. Spanish Radio - 3:51
4. Victory Over the Sun - 3:59
5. Pocket - 3:06
6. Trumpet or Tap - 3:56
7. Skylight - 3:44
8. Accident Without Emergency - 4:52
9. Woo Woo - 2:18
10. Picture a Knife Fight - 3:53
11. The Land at the End of Our Toes - 2:16 ( Instrumental , iTunes bonus song)

Single edition

1. Different People - 5:08
2. Black Chandelier - 4:04
3. Sounds Like Balloons - 3:45
4. Opposite - 3:55
5. The Joke's on Us - 3:33
6. Spanish Radio - 3:51
7. Victory Over the Sun - 3:59
8. Biblical - 3:57
9. Stingin 'Belle - 4:25
10. Skylight - 3:44
11. Trumpet or Tap - 3:56
12. Modern Magic Formula - 3:54
13. The Thaw - 3:42
14. Picture a Knife Fight - 3:53
15. Pocket (Acoustic) [Bonus Track] - 3:02

Songs

The first publicly presented song by Opposites was The Joke's on Us , which was played on July 3, 2011 in Milton Keynes at one of the last concerts before the studio work began. Other songs, including Stingin 'Belle , Sounds Like Balloons , Modern Magic Formula , Victory Over the Sun , Black Chandelier and Opposite , were also played live before Opposites were released.

On July 31, 2012, the first song from the album, Stingin 'Belle, was released as a studio version, and it aired on BBC Radio 1 . The song was available online along with videos of live performances and studio recordings in Los Angeles. Although the song was discussed as a single, it ended up only becoming available digitally.

Singles

The song Black Chandelier was first introduced on November 19, 2012 via BBC Radio 1 and YouTube , and was released as a single on January 14, 2013. The accompanying video was released on December 11.

The single Biblical was featured on Zane Lowe 's show on BBC Radio 1 in the UK and by Gary Cool's Rock Dimension in South Africa, with the single being released on March 29, 2013.

In a teaser published on YouTube , a video for the song Opposite was announced and the artwork for the single was presented. The video was released on May 15, 2013, the single on June 24.

On December 13, 2012 , actor Ev Salomon tweeted that the video shoot for Victory Over the Sun was finished. The song was released on September 8, 2013 as the fourth and final single.

reception

Average rating
source	rating
Metacritic	68%
reviews
source	rating
Allmusic
BBC Music	favorable
Daily Record
The Daily Telegraph
The Guardian
The Irish Times
Kerrang
Mojo
NME	7/10
The Observer
Rock sound	9/10
Visions	8.9 / 12

Opposites received mostly positive ratings. Metacritic calculated an average rating of 68 out of 100 possible points on the basis of 16 reviews, which is "generally favorable reviews". Among other things, the creative, yet solid songwriting and the reliable musical implementation were praised. The length of the album, which according to some magazines contains several filler songs, as well as the songs that are more boring compared to previous albums were criticized. It was album of the month February 2013 in the German music magazine Visions . In the magazine's end-of-year list, Opposites was ranked 2nd among readers and 4th among editors.

Chart positions

Opposites was the first album by Biffy Clyro to place itself at number 1 in the British charts. In Germany the album landed at number 5, in Austria at 12 and in Switzerland at 2. In the United States, the album did not make it into the Billboard charts . The singles could only place in the British charts, Victory Over the Sun not there either.

album

year	title	Top ranking, total weeks, awardChart placementsChart placements (Year, title, rankings, weeks, awards, notes)				Remarks
		DE	AT	CH	UK
2013	Opposites	DE5 gold (12 weeks)DE	AT12 (3 weeks) AT	CH2 (16 weeks) CH	UK1 gold (41 weeks)UK	First published: January 28, 2013

Singles

year	Title album	Top ranking, total weeks, awardChartsChart placements (Year, title, album , rankings, weeks, awards, notes)	Remarks
		UK
2013	Black Chandelier Opposites	UK14 (5 weeks) UK	First published: January 14, 2013
	Biblical Opposites	UK70 (4 weeks) UK	First published: March 29, 2013
	Opposite Opposites	UK49 (2 weeks) UK	First published: June 24, 2013

Individual evidence

1. ↑ ^{a b} Biffy Clyro reveal name of their double album . NME . May 3, 2012. Retrieved December 22, 2013.
2. ↑ Visions 239 p. 27
3. ↑ Biffy Clyro to Begin Writing Sixth Studio Album . Crackhead. June 11, 2010. Archived from the original on March 7, 2012. Retrieved on December 23, 2013.
4. ↑ 6 Music News - Biffy Clyro start next album . BBC . March 2, 2011. Accessed December 23, 2013.
5. ^ Biffy Clyro changed their mind over new album . NME . June 13, 2012. Retrieved December 23, 2013.
6. ↑ 'OPPOSITES' TRACKLISTINGS AND RELEASE DATE ANNOUNCED !! . Biffy Clyro . August 18, 2013. Retrieved December 23, 2013.
7. ↑ ^{a b} Biffy Clyro reveal new double album and sinle names . BBC . August 1, 2012. Retrieved December 23, 2013.
8. ^ Biffy Clyro Records at Ocean Way with producer Gggarth Richardson . digitalmedianet.com. September 4, 2012. Archived from the original on January 21, 2013. Info: The archive link was automatically inserted and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. Retrieved December 23, 2013. 
9. ↑ ^{a b c d} Interview: BIFFY CLYRO . rockyourlife.fr. November 27, 2012. Archived from the original on June 17, 2013. Info: The archive link was automatically inserted and not yet checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. Retrieved December 23, 2013. 
10. ↑ Band Of Horses' Ben Bridwell to appear on Biffy Clyro's new album 'Opposites' . NME . September 5, 2012. Accessed December 23, 2013.
11. ↑ ^{a b c} Visions , 239, p. 90.
12. ↑ Visions 243 p. 14
13. ^ Biffy Clyro reveal artwork for new album 'Opposites' . NME . October 19, 2012. Retrieved December 23, 2013.
14. ↑ Kerrang , 16/01, pp. 18-23
15. ↑ Music - Opposites (Deluxe) . iTunes . Retrieved December 24, 2013.
16. ↑ Biffy Clyro debut new song 'The Joke's On Us' at Ibiza Rocks . NME . July 3, 2011. Retrieved December 23, 2013.
17. ↑ BIFFY ANNOUNCE NEW ALBUM TITLE AND UNLEASH STINGIN 'BELLE! . Biffy Clyro . July 31, 2012. Retrieved December 22, 2013.
18. ↑ FIRST PLAY OF NEW SINGLE 'BLACK CHANDELIER' TONIGHT !! . Biffy Clyro . November 19, 2012. Retrieved December 22, 2013.
19. ↑ Biffy Clyro premiere new video 'Black Chandelier' - watch . NME . December 11, 2012. Retrieved December 22, 2013.
20. ↑ Biffy Clyro - Opposite Video Teaser . YouTube . May 10, 2013. Retrieved December 22, 2013.
21. ↑ Twitter / HaitianEv: Thats a wrap on Biffy Clyro… . Twitter . December 13, 2012. Retrieved December 23, 2013.
22. ^ ^{A b} Opposites Reviews . Metacritic . Retrieved December 23, 2013.
23. ^ Opposites - Biffy Clyro . Allmusic . Retrieved December 24, 2013.
24. ^ Review of Biffy Clyro - Opposites . BBC . Retrieved December 24, 2013.
25. ↑ John Dingwall: Biffy Clyro Opposites album review . Daily Record . February 1, 2013. Accessed December 24, 2013.
26. ^ Neil McCormick: Biffy Clyro, Opposites, album review . The Daily Telegraph . January 25, 2013. Retrieved December 24, 2013.
27. ↑ Alexis Petridis: Biffy Clyro: Opposites - review . The Guardian . January 24, 2013. Accessed December 24, 2013.
28. ↑ Kerrang 16/01
29. ↑ Opposites by Biffy Clyro reviews . anydecentmusic.com. Retrieved December 24, 2013.
30. ^ Dan Stubbs: Album Reviews - Biffy Clyro - 'Opposites' . January 24, 2013. Retrieved December 14, 2013.
31. ^ Phil Mongredien: Biffy Clyro: Opposites - review . The Observer . January 27, 2013. Retrieved December 24, 2013.
32. ^ Andy Ritchie: Reviews: Biffy Clyro - 'Opposites' . Rock sound . Retrieved December 24, 2013.
33. ↑ Visions , 251, pp. 62ff.
34. ^ Biffy Clyro - Chart history . Billboard . Retrieved December 24, 2013.
35. ↑ ^{a b} Chart sources: DE AT CH UK