''Strung Out in Heaven'' is the seventh full-length album by American

psychedelic rock Psychedelic rock is a rock music Music genre, genre that is inspired, influenced, or representative of psychedelia, psychedelic culture, which is centered on perception-altering hallucinogenic drugs. The music incorporated new electronic sound ...

band

The Brian Jonestown Massacre The Brian Jonestown Massacre is an American musical project and band led and started by Anton Newcombe. It was formed in San Francisco in 1990. The group was the subject of the 2004 documentary film called '' Dig!'', and have gained media noto ...

. It was released in June 1998 and was the band's first and only recording with the large independent label,

TVT Records TVT Records (Tee-Vee Tunes) was an American record label founded by Steve Gottlieb. Over the course of its 24-year history, the label released 25 Gold, Platinum and Multi-Platinum releases. Its roster included Nine Inch Nails, Ja Rule, Lil Jon ...

Background

After releasing a number of well-received recordings on the smaller psychedelia-focused Bomp! Records label, The Brian Jonestown Massacre were signed to a multi-record deal with TVT.

Recording and content

Matt Hollywood Matt Hollywood (born June 11, 1973) is an American indie rock guitarist and singer. He was a founding member and leader of the Portland-based indie rock band The Out Crowd, as well as a founding member of the psychedelic rock band The Brian Jones ...

contributed more to this record due to

Anton Newcombe Anton Alfred Newcombe (born August 29, 1967) is an American singer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, producer, and founder of the music group The Brian Jonestown Massacre. Newcombe was the subject of the 2004 documentary film '' Dig!'', alo ...

being incapable of writing as many songs as he was addicted to heroin at the time. The album is named after a lyric from the

David Bowie David Robert Jones (8 January 194710 January 2016), known professionally as David Bowie ( ), was an English singer-songwriter and actor. A leading figure in the music industry, he is regarded as one of the most influential musicians of the ...

song " Ashes to Ashes". "Wisdom" is a re-recording of the same song that originally appeared on the band's second album, '' Methodrone''. "Dawn" is also a re-recording, with the original version appearing on ''

Take It from the Man! ''Take It from the Man!'' is the third studio album by American psychedelic rock band the Brian Jonestown Massacre. After recording their shoegaze-influenced debut album '' Methodrone'' (1995) and releasing a collection of early recordings, '' Spa ...

''. "Spun" is also a re-recording of the same song that appears on the band's album '' Thank God for Mental Illness''.

Musical style

AllMusic AllMusic (previously known as All-Music Guide and AMG) is an American online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on musicians and bands. Initiated in 1991, the dat ...

's Jason Ankeny writes, "Settling into a blissfully

psychedelic Psychedelics are a subclass of hallucinogenic drugs whose primary effect is to trigger non-ordinary states of consciousness (known as psychedelic experiences or "trips").Pollan, Michael (2018). ''How to Change Your Mind: What the New Science ...

drift, the album opts not for the

Stones In geology, rock (or stone) is any naturally occurring solid mass or aggregate of minerals or mineraloid matter. It is categorized by the minerals included, its chemical composition, and the way in which it is formed. Rocks form the Earth's ...

-inspired raunch of before but for

Byrds The Byrds () were an American rock band formed in Los Angeles, California, in 1964. The band underwent multiple lineup changes throughout its existence, with frontman Roger McGuinn (known as Jim McGuinn until mid-1967) remaining the sole cons ...

-like guitars, muffled drums and pulsating

Hammond organ The Hammond organ is an electric organ invented by Laurens Hammond and John M. Hanert and first manufactured in 1935. Multiple models have been produced, most of which use sliding #Drawbars, drawbars to vary sounds. Until 1975, Hammond organs ...

lines, all topped off by Anton Newcombe's half-stoned, half-shamanic vocals".

Release

The recording didn't sell as many records as TVT had hoped, and they later mutually dissolved their remaining contractual obligations. "Love" was released as a CD single, with a demo of "Wasting Away" as a

B-side The A-side and B-side are the two sides of phonograph records and cassettes; these terms have often been printed on the labels of two-sided music recordings. The A-side usually features a recording that its artist, producer, or record company ...

on TVT Records in 1998. "Love" and "Nothing to Lose" was also released as a double A-side single independently in 1997. The release featured "Let's Pretend It's Summer", "I've Been Waiting", "The Devil May Care (Mom & Dad Don't)" and an alternate version of "I've Been Waiting" as B-sides.

Critical reception

AllMusic praised the album, calling it "their least immediate, most restrained record to date ..''Strung Out in Heaven'' proves as engaging as their past efforts, with a focus and cohesiveness often lacking from their more visceral work", also calling it "the BJM's most mature outing yet".

Head Heritage Julian David Cope (born 21 October 1957) is an English musician and author. He was the singer and songwriter in Liverpool post-punk band the Teardrop Explodes and has followed a solo career since 1983 in addition to working on musical side proj ...

described it as "BJM's most easily accessible and truly genius album thus far."

Legacy

The song ''Going to Hell'' is featured in American Pie as well as the "

Faith, Hope & Trick "Faith, Hope & Trick" is the third episode of season three of the television show '' Buffy the Vampire Slayer''. This episode introduces the character Faith, another vampire slayer, who will become a key player in Sunnydale. While the rest of the ...

" episode of Buffy the Vampire Slayer .Paul Gregory Attinello, Janet K. Halfyard, Vanessa Knights ''Music, Sound and Silence in Buffy the Vampire Slayer'' 2010 Page 171-172 "The infamous independent band Brian Jonestown Massacre, a band known for its references to the psychedelic rhythm ... sound opening of their song "Going to Hell" evokes emotional reminiscences of the liberated 1960s, specifically the Rickenbacker sound associated with the Byrds and the Beatles."

Track listing

Personnel

– vocals, guitar, bass, drums *

– bass, guitar, vocals * Jeffrey Davies – guitar, organ * Dean Taylor – guitar *

Joel Gion Joel Gion (; born ) is an American musician, best known as the tambourine player for the psychedelic rock band The Brian Jonestown Massacre. He was a guest star on the U.S. television show ''Gilmore Girls'', where he played the tambourine in th ...

– percussion *

Miranda Lee Richards Miranda Lee Richards (born April 4, 1975) is an American singer-songwriter. Her 2001 release ''The Herethereafter'' included original compositions such as "The Beginner", and a cover of The Rolling Stones' 1967 single "Dandelion". Her single "Th ...

– vocals, flute *Adam Hamilton – drums *Norm Block – drums *Johnny Haro – drums

References

{{Authority control 1998 albums The Brian Jonestown Massacre albums TVT Records albums