Calenture (album)
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''Calenture'' is the fourth studio album by Australian rock group
The Triffids The Triffids were an Australian alternative rock and pop band, formed in Perth in Western Australia in May 1978 with David McComb as singer-songwriter, guitarist, bass guitarist and keyboardist.McFarlane (1999). Encyclopedia entry fo"The Triff ...
, it was released in November 1987 and saw them explore themes of insanity, deception and rootlessness—the title refers to a fever suffered by sailors during long hot voyages. It reached No. 32 on the Australian
Kent Music Report The Kent Music Report was a weekly record chart of Australian music singles and albums which was compiled by music historian David Kent from May 1974 through to January 1999. The chart was re-branded the Australian Music Report (AMR) in July 19 ...
Albums Chart. In November 1987, it reached No. 24 on the
Swedish Albums Chart Sverigetopplistan (, lit. "the Sweden top list") is the Swedish national record chart, based on sales data from IFPI Sverige. It was formerly known as Topplistan (1975–1997) and Hitlistan (1998–2007) and has been known by its current name s ...
, in May 1988 it peaked at No. 25 on the
New Zealand Albums Chart The Official Aotearoa Music Charts, formerly the Official New Zealand Music Chart (), is the weekly New Zealand top 40 singles and albums charts, issued weekly by Recorded Music NZ (formerly Recording Industry Association of New Zealand). The Mu ...
. The album spawned three singles, " Bury Me Deep in Love" (1987), " Trick of the Light" and "
Holy Water Holy water is water that has been blessed by a member of the clergy or a religious figure, or derived from a well or spring considered holy. The use for cleansing prior to a baptism and spiritual cleansing is common in several religions, from ...
" (both in 1988). The latter track was recorded with American producer
Craig Leon Craig Leon (born 7 January 1952) is an American-born record producer, composer and arranger currently living in England.''International Who's Who in Classical Music 2005'', Routledge, 2005. Leon was instrumental in launching the careers of many ...
. In 2007 ''Calenture'' was re-released as a 2× CD with five bonus tracks on the first disc and twelve tracks on the second disc, mostly rehearsal or studio demos of the original album tracks. In February it appeared on the Belgium Albums Chart Top 60.


Background


Production

The recording sessions for ''Calenture'' began in April 1987 with American producer
Craig Leon Craig Leon (born 7 January 1952) is an American-born record producer, composer and arranger currently living in England.''International Who's Who in Classical Music 2005'', Routledge, 2005. Leon was instrumental in launching the careers of many ...
appointed by
Island Records Island Records is a multinational record label owned by Universal Music Group. It was founded in Jamaica by Chris Blackwell, Graeme Goodall, and Leslie Kong in 1959, and was eventually sold to PolyGram in 1989. Island and A&M Records, another ...
. However, it became clear, at least to
The Triffids The Triffids were an Australian alternative rock and pop band, formed in Perth in Western Australia in May 1978 with David McComb as singer-songwriter, guitarist, bass guitarist and keyboardist.McFarlane (1999). Encyclopedia entry fo"The Triff ...
, that Leon (and Island Records) were primarily interested in lead singer and lead guitarist
David McComb David Richard McComb (17 February 19622 February 1999) was an Australian musician. He was the singer-songwriter and guitarist of the Australian bands, The Triffids (1976–89) and The Blackeyed Susans (1989–93). He also had a solo career incl ...
and not the rest of the band:
Alsy MacDonald Alan MacDonald (born 14 August 1961) is an Australian musician and lawyer, best known as the drummer of the 1980s band the Triffids, where he performed under his nickname 'Alsy'. He was born on 14 August 1961 to Bill MacDonald, a professor of c ...
on drums and backing vocals; Robert McComb on guitar, backing vocals and violin;
Martyn P. Casey Martyn Paul Casey (born 10 July 1960) is an English-born Australian rock bass guitarist. He has been a member of the Triffids, Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds and Grinderman. Casey plays either his Fender Precision Bass or Fender Jazz Bass. B ...
on bass guitar; Jill Birt on keyboards; and Graham Lee on guitar. " Bury Me Deep in Love" and "
Holy Water Holy water is water that has been blessed by a member of the clergy or a religious figure, or derived from a well or spring considered holy. The use for cleansing prior to a baptism and spiritual cleansing is common in several religions, from ...
" were recorded as singles but the group were not satisfied with Leon. According to Lee:
In the tried and true way of all major labels at the time, they really wanted to sign Dave but got a troublesome band instead. It was probably Island's insistence that Alsy and Marty weren't up to it that caused the Craig Leon sessions to be the unmitigated disaster that they were. Now I could be wrong here, maybe Craig wanted them out, maybe both. We were pretty much forced to let a couple of session guys stand in – no names because it wasn't their fault – and we could tell straight away that this was applying a straightener to the normally unruly quiff that was the band. It was also sucking the essence of the band out. Anyway, it's a sorry little interlude that I should draw the curtain on. The sessions were scrapped and we were allowed to be The Triffids again.
Island Records then brought in
Lenny Kaye Lenny Kaye (''né'' Kusikoff; born December 27, 1946) is an American guitarist, composer, and writer, notable for his work with the Patti Smith Group, his contributions to music magazines, and his garage rock retrospective anthology '' Nuggets' ...
, "who made a few suggestions... 'Some of them were a bit odd' David recalls, 'like his calypso/reggae version of "Trick of the Light"' Rob: 'A bit odd! Basically we just shot them down in flames'". Nevertheless Kaye felt that the Triffids and their material were impressive enough and that they did not need his help. Eventually
Gil Norton Gil Norton (born in Liverpool) is an English record producer known for his work with alternative rock bands such as Pixies, Echo & the Bunnymen, Foo Fighters, Tribe, Jimmy Eat World, Dashboard Confessional, Feeder, the Distillers, Maxïm ...
who had worked on their 1986 album, ''
Born Sandy Devotional ''Born Sandy Devotional'' is the second studio album by the Triffids, released in March 1986. The album was recorded at Mark Angelo Studios in London in August 1985 with Gil Norton co-producing with the band, and mixed at Amazon Studios in Liv ...
'', was brought back to re-record ''Calenture''. The album was released in November 1987 by White/Hot Records for the Australian market and by Island Records for Europe, United Kingdom, and United States.Strong, Martin C. (1999) ''The Great Alternative & Indie Discography'', Canongate, , p. 661 In 2007 Domino Records released a remastered edition as a 2× CD with five bonus tracks on the first disc and a second disc including 12 bonus tracks, mostly rehearsal demos of the original album's tracks.


Composition

The term '' calenture'' is described in the sleeve notes as: "Tropical fever or delirium suffered by sailors after long periods away from land, who imagine the seas to be green fields and desire to leap into them". In February 1988 David McComb, in an interview with Paul Mathur and Stephen Phillips for ''Rock Australia Magazine'' (''RAM''), described ''Calenture'' as an "over-the-top record" and even called it the Triffids' '' Heaven's Gate''. The Triffids were nomadic, travelling back and forth from Australia to England to record the 'difficult' album and related to the disoriented sailors.McFarlane (1999). Encyclopedia entry fo
'The Triffids'
Retrieved 19 December 2009.
David McComb is the principal songwriter, "it's upon isshoulders that most of the weight has been borne. It's the weight of lyrics which have been far more personal now... so intensely personal you can almost feel the pain". Wilson Neate of Perfect Sound Forever found that a "sense of alienation, betrayal, insanity and solitude still permeates his writing, although ''Calenture'' seems less explicitly imbued with Western Australian imagery than the previous records". Mathur and Phillips describe the album as "far and away the most 'produced' record The Triffids have ever done... packed full of little electronic surprises: drum computers, synthesisers, samplers, even a gadget that goes 'woop'".


Reception

''Calenture'', saw The Triffids explore themes of insanity, deception and rootlessness.
AllMusic AllMusic (previously known as All-Music Guide and AMG) is an American online database, online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on Musical artist, musicians and Mus ...
's Michael Sutton found "there's an undeniably spiritual feel to several of the songs" where "David McComb spews his words with the fiery passion of a backwoods preacher". Sutton advises "Fans of
Nick Cave Nicholas Edward Cave (born 22 September 1957) is an Australian musician, writer, and actor who fronts the rock band Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds. Known for his baritone voice, Cave's music is characterised by emotional intensity, a wide variety ...
will immediately be seduced by McComb's bluesy croon; deep and brimming with palpable sorrow, isvoice never dwindles in intensity".
David Fricke David Fricke (born ) is an American music journalist who serves as the senior editor at ''Rolling Stone'' magazine, where he writes predominantly about rock music. One of the best known names in rock journalism, his career has spanned over 40 ye ...
writing for ''
Rolling Stone ''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason. The magazine was first known fo ...
'' observed that the album "is about the chills and delusions suffered by lovers separated too long from each other and from reality". Mathur and Phillips summarised, " tis a precise and masterful record. Eleven songs and one instrumental together illustrate the heights which such finely crafted music can attain". ''
NME ''New Musical Express'' (''NME'') is a British music, film, gaming and culture website, bimonthly magazine, and brand. Founded as a newspaper in 1952, with the publication being referred to as a "Rock music, rock inkie", the ''NME'' would be ...
''s Stephen Worthy reviewed the 2007 version and felt it was "even more difficult to understand why he bandweren’t at rock’s top table with U2 and
R.E.M. R.E.M. was an American alternative rock band formed in Athens, Georgia, in 1980 by drummer Bill Berry, guitarist Peter Buck, bassist Mike Mills, and lead vocalist Michael Stipe, who were students at the University of Georgia. One of the fir ...
". ''Mess+Noise''s Lauren Zoric compared the 2007 versions of ''Calenture'' and ''
In the Pines "In the Pines" (Roud 3421) is a traditional American folk song originating from two songs, "In the Pines" and "The Longest Train", both of whose authorship is unknown and date back to at least the 1870s. The songs originated in the Southern Appal ...
'' (originally issued in 1986), "''Calenture'' emerged from the woolshed chrysalis. It is The Triffids' pop album, and remains a sweeping, majestic masterpiece. McComb's voice is overwhelming, a terrifying embodiment of ruinous emotions reined into literary form".


Legacy

The album was included in the book ''
1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die ''1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die'' is a musical reference book first published in 2005 by Universe Publishing. Part of the ''1001 Before You Die'' series, it compiles writings and information on albums chosen by a panel of music criti ...
''.


Track listing


2007 Reissue


Chart performance


Personnel

Credits for ''Callenture'': ;The Triffids members * Jill Birt – keyboards *
Martyn P. Casey Martyn Paul Casey (born 10 July 1960) is an English-born Australian rock bass guitarist. He has been a member of the Triffids, Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds and Grinderman. Casey plays either his Fender Precision Bass or Fender Jazz Bass. B ...
 – bass guitar * Graham Lee – guitar, autoharp *
Alsy MacDonald Alan MacDonald (born 14 August 1961) is an Australian musician and lawyer, best known as the drummer of the 1980s band the Triffids, where he performed under his nickname 'Alsy'. He was born on 14 August 1961 to Bill MacDonald, a professor of c ...
 – drums, backing vocals *
David McComb David Richard McComb (17 February 19622 February 1999) was an Australian musician. He was the singer-songwriter and guitarist of the Australian bands, The Triffids (1976–89) and The Blackeyed Susans (1989–93). He also had a solo career incl ...
 – vocals, guitar, arrangement (strings) * Robert McComb – guitar, backing vocals, violin ;Other musicians * Nick Allum – drums * Neil Conti – drums * Mick Doonan – musician * Keith Hancock – musician * Ben Hoffnung – musician * Billy Kinsely – musician *
Craig Leon Craig Leon (born 7 January 1952) is an American-born record producer, composer and arranger currently living in England.''International Who's Who in Classical Music 2005'', Routledge, 2005. Leon was instrumental in launching the careers of many ...
 – background vocals (track 1) * Jane Norton – musician * Adam Peters – guitar, keyboards, arrangement (strings) * Sean Pugh – musician (Piano) ;Production work * Producer – Adam Peters, David McComb, Gil Norton, Craig Leon * Engineer – Andy Mason, Ben Kape, George Schilling (
George Shilling George Edward Shilling (born 1966 in Redbridge, London) is an English musician, record producer, composer and audio engineer. He is the son of Eric Shilling, formerly of the English National Opera and actress Erica Johns. He studied cello at t ...
), Gil Norton, Keith Andrews, Marc Crellin, Mark Angelo Lusardi, Tony Harris * Mastering – Tim Young **Reissue mastering – Lachlan Carrick,
François Tétaz François "Franç" Tétaz (born 22 December 1970) is an Australian film composer, music producer and mixer, who won the Australasian Performing Right Association (APRA) / Australian Guild of Screen Composers (AGSC) 2006 'Feature Film Score of the ...
(2007 version) * Mixing – Ben Kape, David Bascombe, Gil Norton, Mark Wallis * Programmer – Adam Peters ;Art work * Artwork – Island Art


References


External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Calenture (Album) 1987 albums Domino Recording Company albums Island Records albums The Triffids albums Albums produced by Gil Norton Albums produced by Craig Leon