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Empire (Kasabian album)

Summary

Empire is the second album by British rock[5] band Kasabian, released in August 2006. The album went on to No. 1 in the UK Albums Chart upon its release and was preceded by the release of new single "Empire" on 24 July 2006.

Empire
Studio album by
Kasabian
Released28 August 2006
RecordedFebruary 2006
Genre
Length39:24
LabelParadise, RCA
ProducerJim Abbiss, Kasabian
Kasabian chronology
Kasabian
(2004) 		Empire
(2006) 		West Ryder Pauper Lunatic Asylum
(2009)
Singles from Empire
  1. "Empire"
    Released: 24 July 2006
  2. "Shoot the Runner"
    Released: 6 November 2006
  3. "Me Plus One"
    Released: 29 January 2007

According to Tom Meighan in an interview on the album with the NME in early 2006, "Empire" is a word used by the band to describe something that is good. As of 3 May 2017 the album has sold over 800,000 copies in the band's home country of the UK.[6]

Empire was the first full Kasabian album to feature drummer Ian Matthews, who was recruited in 2005. Lead songwriter and guitarist Christopher Karloff left the band in early 2006, during recording of the album, having contributed the music for three tracks.

Composition edit

Tracks edit

The album opens with the title track, beginning with a recording left on one of the band members' mobile phone answering services. The song features a prominent string section and has drawn comparisons to The Killers and Slade, and incorporates a bridge with a sound collage[7] and backing vocals from Joana Glaza of Joana and the Wolf. "Shoot The Runner" is a glam rock song in swing time which features Tom Meighan and Sergio Pizzorno trading lead vocals, as well as a Euro-disco style bridge.[1][8] "Last Trip (In Flight)" was regarded as "Beatles-in-Marrakech psychedelia", followed by the sunshine pop track "Me Plus One", featuring Pizzorno on lead vocals.[2]

"Sun Rise Light Flies" has been compared to "L.S.F" from the band's debut album, with a faster tempo, strings and "airy vocals" from Meighan and Pizzorno.[7] The brief track "Apnoea", deriving its name from sleep apnea was labelled as having a 'lego-techno instrumental'.[2] "By My Side", one of the few tracks to feature writing credits from Christopher Karloff was described as "a memorable, lush tune that suggests what it would sound like if James Bond film themes had proper B-sides".[1] "Stuntman" has a strong rave influence, starting off with a "hard and fast dance beat and then adds keys and a fantastic rhythm section to it".[7] In 2009, it was included on the compilation album Brand Neu!, citing its influence from the krautrock band Neu!.

The penultimate track "British Legion" is an acoustic ballad showcasing the band's "surprisingly tender gentle side",[3] featuring Pizzorno on lead vocals and bassist Chris Edwards playing a Wurlitzer piano. The closing track "The Doberman" was highly praised by critics, considered an "epic, Morricone-tinged closer" and compared to a "big-budget season finale" that opens with "country-tinged guitars" and "builds and builds with a retro-tinged hippie feel", featuring a time signature change at its climax topped off with a trumpet solo by Gary Alesbrook, who would become a regular recording and touring member of the band after the album's release.[2][3][7][8]

Critical reception edit

Professional ratings
Aggregate scores
SourceRating
Metacritic65/100[9]
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic     [1]
Boston Phoenix     [10]
Entertainment.ie     [4]
The Guardian     [3]
The Independent      link[dead link]
NME9/10[2]
PopMatters          [7]
Q      (#243, Oct. 2006, p. 116)
Rolling Stone     [11]
Sputnikmusic3.5/5.0[8]

Empire received mixed-to-positive reviews. Music critics were divided by the band's choices in production and lyricism, despite many considering them better than their self-titled debut. At Metacritic, which assigns a normalised rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream critics, the album received an average score of 65, based on 20 reviews.[9]

Dan Martin of NME found the album better than their self-titled debut, praising the band for mixing all their influences into tracks that can be called their own, saying that: "Through sheer, bloody-minded relief, weapons-graded stamina and a big, big imagination, Kasabian have willed themselves into brilliance."[2] Jason MacNeil of PopMatters found some production choices on the tracks off-putting but said that Empire shows the band's potential of crafting better projects in their given ilk, concluding that: "On the whole, it’s a good second step, but hopefully step three is more in line with the shock and awe the first album contained."[7] Chris Salmon of The Guardian noted that Kasabian's boastful talk of the album resulted in a mixed bag of tracks that fall just shy of their claim, in terms of influenced production and lyricism, saying that: "While Empire isn't an exceptional record, it offers enough to be described as a good one."[3]

AllMusic's David Jeffries commended the band for taking a grand-scale approach to mixing their influences into an Oasis-sized project, but felt they forgot to write catchy tracks to lead the album, saying that: "Lost in all this is the instantly grabbing songwriting of Kasabian's debut, and to some extent, the bandmembers themselves, who often seem to be riding this swirl instead of guiding it."[1] Despite praising a few tracks, Lauren Murphy of Entertainment.ie felt the album was just a retread of their debut with Tom Meighan's vocals starting to sound strained throughout, concluding with: "If Kasabian hadn't attempted to build their Empire by recounting its wonderment prematurely, it might have stood a chance; instead, their audacity just proves them to be, unsurprisingly, more geezer, less Caesar."[4] Peter Relic of Rolling Stone criticized the album for sounding like a rehash of established British rock bands and Meighan for having weak vocal delivery on the tracks, calling it "miles worse than their shallow but tasty first, its big-budget production only making its shortcomings more apparent."[11]

Track listing edit

All lyrics are written by Sergio Pizzorno; all music is composed by Pizzorno, except where noted

No.TitleMusicLength
1."Empire"Pizzorno, Christopher Karloff3:53
2."Shoot the Runner" 3:27
3."Last Trip (In Flight)" 2:53
4."Me Plus One" 2:28
5."Sun Rise Light Flies" 4:08
6."Apnoea" 1:48
7."By My Side"Pizzorno, Karloff4:14
8."Stuntman"Pizzorno, Karloff5:19
9."Seek & Destroy" 2:15
10."British Legion" 3:19
11."The Doberman" 5:34
US iTunes Store bonus tracks[12]
No.TitleLength
12."Ketang" (Bonus Track)2:11
13."Heroes (David Bowie cover)" (David Bowie, Brian Eno) (Bonus Track)2:30
14."Empire" (Video)4:52
15."Empire" (Commentary) (Bonus Video)9:43
European iTunes Store bonus tracks[13]
No.TitleLength
12."Shoot the Runner" (Live from XFM)5:21
13."Reason Is Treason" (Live from XFM)4:52
14."Empire" (Live from XFM)4:00
15."The Doberman" (Live from XFM)5:52
16."L.S.F. (Lost Souls Forever)" (Live from XFM)6:25
Special Edition Bonus DVD
No.TitleLength
1."Empire" (Video) 
2."Empire" (Documentary) 
3."Empire" (Making of) 
Japan Only Bonus Tracks
No.TitleLength
12."Stuntman" (Live from the Radio One Zane Lowe Session) 
13."Empire" (Homecoming with XFM) 
14."Shoot the Runner" (Homecoming with XFM) 
15."Me Plus One" (Homecoming with XFM) 
16."Last Trip (In Flight)" (Homecoming with XFM) 
Japan Only Bonus DVD
No.TitleLength
1."Empire" (Video) 
2."Empire" (Making of) 
3."Empire" (Live at 4Music Presents) 
4."Shoot the Runner" (Video) 
5."Shoot the Runner" (Video - Pre-animation) 
6."Shoot the Runner" (Live at 4Music Presents) 
7."Stuntman" (Live at 4Music Presents) 
8."By My Side" (Live at 4Music Presents) 

On digital editions, "Sun Rise Light Flies" is styled as "Sun/Rise/Light/Flies" or "Sun / Rise / Light / Flies".

Personnel edit

Adapted from the Empire liner notes.[14]

Charts and certifications edit

References edit

  1. ^ a b c d e Jeffries, David. "Empire - Kasabian". AllMusic. Archived from the original on 11 April 2019. Retrieved 8 November 2015.
  2. ^ a b c d e f g Martin, Dan (25 August 2006). "Kasabian: Empire". NME. Archived from the original on 10 February 2021. Retrieved 17 February 2021.
  3. ^ a b c d e Salmon, Chris (25 August 2006). "CD: Kasabian, Empire". The Guardian. London. Archived from the original on 3 March 2016. Retrieved 8 November 2015.
  4. ^ a b c Murphy, Lauren (31 August 2006). "Kasabian - Empire". Entertainment.ie. Archived from the original on 20 April 2024. Retrieved 20 April 2024.
  5. ^ Murray, Robn (28 May 2010). "Kasabian Planning Special Festival Slots". Clash. Archived from the original on 1 November 2023. Retrieved 12 March 2011.
  6. ^ Copsley, Rob. "Kasabian's Official Top 10 Singles Revealed". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 3 May 2017.
  7. ^ a b c d e f MacNeil, Jason (5 November 2006). "Kasabian: Empire". PopMatters. Archived from the original on 1 October 2020. Retrieved 17 February 2021.
  8. ^ a b c Kiran (17 November 2007). "Kasabian - Empire (album review)". Sputnikmusic. Archived from the original on 20 April 2024. Retrieved 12 January 2024.
  9. ^ a b "Reviews for Empire by Kasabian". Metacritic. Archived from the original on 12 July 2018. Retrieved 8 November 2015.
  10. ^ Wood, Mikael (11 September 2006). "Review: Kasabian - Empire". Boston Phoenix. Archived from the original on 18 April 2016. Retrieved 27 August 2011.
  11. ^ a b Relic, Peter (7 September 2006). "Kasabian: Empire". Rolling Stone. Wenner Media. Archived from the original on 3 April 2010. Retrieved 24 September 2007.
  12. ^ "iTunes - Music - Empire (Bonus Track Version) by Kasabian". iTunes. 26 August 2006.
  13. ^ "iTunes - Music - Empire by Kasabian". iTunes. 25 August 2006.
  14. ^ Empire (liner notes). Kasabian. RCA Records. 2006. 82876 88323-2.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  15. ^ Ryan, Gavin (2011). Australia's Music Charts 1988–2010 (PDF ed.). Mt Martha, Victoria, Australia: Moonlight Publishing. p. 151.
  16. ^ "Austriancharts.at – Kasabian – Empire" (in German). Hung Medien. Retrieved 28 October 2021.
  17. ^ "Lescharts.com – Kasabian – Empire". Hung Medien.
  18. ^ "Offiziellecharts.de – Kasabian – Empire" (in German). GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved 28 October 2021.
  19. ^ "GFK Chart-Track Albums: Week 35, 2006". Chart-Track. IRMA.
  20. ^ "Italiancharts.com – Kasabian – Empire". Hung Medien. Retrieved 28 October 2021.
  21. ^ "Charts.nz – Kasabian – Empire". Hung Medien.
  22. ^ "Swisscharts.com – Kasabian – Empire". Hung Medien.
  23. ^ "Kasabian | Artist | Official Charts". UK Albums Chart.
  24. ^ "Kasabian Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved 6 April 2016.
  25. ^ "End of Year Album Chart Top 100 – 2006". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 8 March 2021.
  26. ^ "End of Year Album Chart Top 100 – 2007". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 8 March 2021.
  27. ^ Copsey, Rob (3 May 2017). "Kasabian's Official Top 10 biggest singles revealed". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 3 May 2017.
  28. ^ "British album certifications – Kasabian – Empire". British Phonographic Industry.

External links edit

  • Official website
  • BMG site – Kasabian (Japan)
  • BMG site – Empire (Australia)

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