Employment (album)
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| Employment | |||||
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| Studio album by Kaiser Chiefs | |||||
| Released | 7 March 2005 | ||||
| Recorded | Summer-December 2004 | ||||
| Genre | Post-punk revival | ||||
| Length | 44:12 | ||||
| Label | B-Unique | ||||
| Producer | Stephen Street, Stephen Harris | ||||
| Professional reviews | |||||
| Kaiser Chiefs chronology | |||||
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Employment is the debut album by English alternative rock band Kaiser Chiefs, released in March 2005 on B-Unique Records. Employment takes its inspirations from the Britpop and New Wave movements, as well as 70s'-era punk rock, and Beach Boys-esque West Coast music.
Originally the album charted at number three in the UK Albums Chart on 13 March 2005, but charted one place higher at number two almost a year after its release, due to the band's success at the Brit Awards. Employment went on to becoming the fourth best-selling album in the United Kingdom that year.
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[edit] Album information
The motorbike that appears at the beginning of "Saturday Night" is owned and 'played' by Graham Coxon. The sleeve notes read "Graham Coxon's motorbike, (1935 Kaiser 'Chief' 750cc Manx TT Works Racer) appears courtesy of Transcopic Records". "Caroline, Yes" is named in reference to The Beach Boys' song "Caroline, No". The track's original working title was called "Hail to the Chief", according to the Kaiser Chiefs' book A Record of Employment.
[edit] Reception
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This section may require cleanup to meet Wikipedia's quality standards. Please improve this section if you can. (June 2009) |
- Rolling Stone (p.76) - 4 stars out of 5 - "[D]anceable art-punk gems full of guitar fuzz, na-na-na choruses and boyish energy..."
- Spin (p.62) - Ranked #19 in Spin's "40 Best Albums Of 2005" - "[A] cohesive debut that recalls the glory days of Britpop and second-wave punk."
- Spin (p.102) - "[T]he quintet bash through nervy, synth-stoked guitar pop....[With] a dedication to daffy English humor and bouncy music-hall folderol that creates the illusion of cultural import." - Grade: B+
- Entertainment Weekly (No. 814, p.64) - "[T]he Leeds five have polished their ability to craft catchy songs." - Grade: B
- Uncut (p.105) - 4 stars out of 5 - "Employment is a gem...In the smart-pop steeplechase, Hot Hot Heat have got serious competition."
- Mojo (p.64) - Ranked #50 in Mojo's "The 50 Best Albums Of 2005" - "Ricky Wilson's cheeky chappies proved the power of knowing daftness."
- Mojo (p.109) - 4 stars out of 5 - "[E]mploying ill-fitting suits, tongue-in-cheek lyricism and a jerky guitar attack that smelts the classic rock canon into an infectious, head-spinning punch."
- Allmusic - 3.5 stars out of 5 - "Employment is an uneven but still very promising debut that suggests that one day the Kaiser Chiefs will pull off something even more ambitious."
[edit] Track listing
All tracks by Ricky Wilson, Andrew White, Simon Rix, Nick Baines, and Nick Hodgson.
- "Everyday I Love You Less and Less" – 3:37
- "I Predict a Riot" – 3:53
- "Modern Way" – 4:03
- "Na Na Na Na Naa" – 3:01
- "You Can Have It All" – 4:35
- "Oh My God" – 3:35
- "Born to Be a Dancer" – 3:30
- "Saturday Night" – 3:27
- "What Did I Ever Give You?" – 4:09
- "Time Honoured Tradition" – 2:45
- "Caroline, Yes" – 4:13
- "Team Mate" – 3:24
Track 12 is omitted in some territories.
[edit] Limited edition bonus CD
- "I Heard It Through The Grapevine" (Marvin Gaye Cover) - 4:59
Live CD recorded between May 2004 and January 2005.
- "Hard Times Send Me" – 2:47
- "Modern Way" – 3:55
- "I Predict a Riot" – 4:01
- "Time Honoured Tradition" – 3:13
- "Na Na Na Na Naa" – 3:09
- "Oh My God" – 3:40
[edit] Sales
- Europe: Top 10 (2x Platinum) (Sales:2,000,000)
- United Kingdom: #2 (6x Platinum) (Sales:1,880,001)
- Greece: #3 (Gold) (Sales:10,000)
[edit] External links
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