Blackbird (album)
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| Blackbird | |||||
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| Studio album by Alter Bridge | |||||
| Released |  October 8, 2007 October 9, 2007, October 20, 2007 December 4, 2007 |
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| Recorded | February 2007 - May 2007 | ||||
| Genre | Hard rock, alternative metal, post-grunge | ||||
| Length | 59:17 | ||||
| Label | Universal Republic | ||||
| Producer | Michael "Elvis" Baskette | ||||
| Professional reviews | |||||
| Alter Bridge chronology | |||||
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| Singles from Blackbird | |||||
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Blackbird is the second album of rock band Alter Bridge. The album was released on October 9, 2007. The first single, "Rise Today", was released on July 30, 2007.
Contents |
[edit] Personnel
- Myles Kennedy - Lead Vocals, Rhythm Guitar
- Mark Tremonti - Lead Guitar, Backing Vocals
- Scott Phillips - Drums, Percussion
- Brian Marshall - Bass
[edit] Production
[edit] Songwriting
The band stated in early 2006 that the song writing process was two thirds complete.[1]
On February 8, 2007, the band announced that all of the album's songwriting was finished and that they would be entering the studio to begin the recording process for the new record.
[edit] Recording
It was announced on May 11, 2007 (by Mark Tremonti on the alterbridgeband.net forums), that the recording of the album was complete, the mixing has been finished, and only a few small minor things are still to be done.
"We felt like 'Blackbird' was the perfect song to use as the title track for this record,” commented lead singer/guitarist Myles Kennedy.
| “ | Though a majority of the album is not as dark thematically, we really hoped to draw attention to what we felt was one of the most challenging yet gratifying songs we’ve ever written. It was inspired by a friend of mine who passed away as the song was completed; it’s a story about the struggle to move on to a better place. It was my wish for him to finally find his peace. | ” |
There are many differences between One Day Remains and the Blackbird with the most notable being the full integration of Myles Kennedy as a guitarist and songwriter. While One Day Remains was largely written before Myles came on board, this time around it was a collaborative effort with Mark and Myles sharing the songwriting duties, while all four band members worked on the arrangements.
| “ | It’s a natural evolution after three years of working together. We knew Myles was an amazing singer, that’s why we hired him. What we found out when we toured the first record was that he’s also an incredibly gifted guitar player and songwriter, as well as a vocalist. It would have been a crime not to utilize all that talent. We wanted to use every weapon we had in our arsenal for this album. | ” |
- Mark Tremonti
On this note, it is worth mentioning that Myles Kennedy hits his longest recorded vocal note on the title track Blackbird, a high F#(F#5).
[edit] Pre-release reviews
"This weekend's postbag contained a watermarked promo of Alter Bridge's new album, 'Blackbird', which knocked me senseless. A notch heavier than the band's debut, 'One Day Remains', it's a right l'il belter from start to finish. Pick it up on October 8 or miss out on something special." - Dave Ling's music review from Daveling.co.uk
[edit] Label changes
Alter Bridge left Wind-Up Records in 2006, and have now signed to Universal Republic Records. Mark Tremonti is quoted saying "The material we’ve been working on is really aggressive and I think it’s the best work we’ve ever done".
[edit] Singles
"Rise Today" was the first single from the album. It was officially released on July 30, 2007. The music video of "Rise Today" was released on Yahoo! on October 4, 2007. It was also made available for download on iTunes on July 31, 2007.
The single has since received a release date within the UK set for October 15th, on both CD and 7" Picturedisc.[2]
At their concert on Oct. 30 in Dallas, Texas, the group recorded a live music video for a future single, "Ties That Bind". It was later announced by Michael Tremonti that "Ties That Bind" will be released as a single in the UK and Europe and that the video will be used to promote that single. On January 2, 2008, it was announced that "Watch Over You" will be the third single from Blackbird. "Before Tomorrow Comes" has been said to be the fourth single off the album, and the third to be released in the U.S. according to Michael Tremonti as of April 3, 2008
[edit] Release information
On July 23, 2007, there was another official press release containing the official release date of the first single from the album, the track listing for the album and that tour dates will be released at a later date.
On July 26, 2007, Alter Bridge uploaded two new songs on to their official MySpace page for fans to listen to as a taste of the new album. The songs were "Ties That Bind" and the album's single "Rise Today." The single "Rise Today" can now be purchased from iTunes.
A UK Version of the album Blackbird will be released on October 8th with a special UK bonus track.
Universal Republic Records put up a page of e-cards on their main home page on Friday 24th of August, which contained the yet unreleased: Before Tomorrow Comes, Watch Over You, Buried Alive and Come to Life. They were then removed on Saturday 25th of August, as their discovery resulted in many fans accessing them in a short period of time. Their accessibility online appears to have been a mistake on Universal's part (but it can also have been a marketing strategy).
[edit] Chart history
Blackbird debuted at #37 on the UK Album Chart, and at #2 on the UK Rock Album Chart. In the US, it debuted at number 13 on the Billboard 200 chart and #4 on the Billboard Rock Album chart, selling about 47,000 copies in its first week.[3]
[edit] Album Chart performance
| Chart Title | Year | Peak Position |
|---|---|---|
| Billboard 200 | 2007 | #13 |
| UK Album Chart | 2007 | #37 |
| UK Rock Album Chart | 2007 | #2 |
[edit] Singles
| Year | Title | Hot 100 |
Main. Rock |
Mod. Rock |
Pop 100 |
Pop 100 Airplay |
Rock Chart |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2007 | "Rise Today" | - | #3 | #32 | - | - | #3 |
| 2008 | "Ties That Bind" | - | - | - | - | - | #3 |
| 2008 | "Watch Over You" | - | #19 | - | - | - | - |
| 2008 | "Before Tomorrow Comes" | - | #29 | - | - | - | - |
[edit] Official track listing
- "Ties That Bind" - 3:19
- "Come to Life" - 3:51
- "Brand New Start" - 4:54
- "Buried Alive" - 4:35
- "Coming Home" - 4:19
- "Before Tomorrow Comes" - 4:06
- "Rise Today" - 4:21
- "Blackbird" - 7:58
- "One by One" - 4:20
- "Watch Over You" - 4:19
- "Break Me Down" - 3:56
- "White Knuckles" - 4:24
- "Wayward One" - 4:47
- Bonus Tracks
- "The Damage Done" - (Best Buy Bonus Track and on "Ties That Bind" single) - 3:45
- "New Way to Live" - (Best Buy Bonus Track and on "Rise Today" single) - 5:40
- "We Don't Care At All" - (UK and iTunes Bonus Track) - 3:42 [4]
[edit] References
- ^ Video Interview with Alter Bridge
- ^ Rise Today: UK Release Information
- ^ Jonathan Cohen, "Kid Rock Rolls To No. 1 Album Chart Debut", Billboard.com, October 17, 2007.
- ^ Blackbird UK Release Edition
[edit] External links
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