Jump to content

Room on Fire

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
For the song by Stevie Nicks, seeRooms on Fire.

Room on Fire
Studio albumby
The Strokes
ReleasedOctober 28, 2003
Recorded2003
StudioTMF (New York City)
Genre
Length32:15
LabelRCA
ProducerGordon Raphael
The Strokeschronology
Is This It
(2001) 		Room on Fire
(2003) 		First Impressions of Earth
(2006)
SinglesfromRoom on Fire
  1. "12:51"
    Released: November 4, 2003
  2. "Reptilia"
    Released: February 9, 2004
  3. "The End Has No End"
    Released: November 1, 2004

Room on Fireis the second studio album by Americanrockbandthe Strokes,released on October 21, 2003, throughRCA Records.[4]Its title is derived from a lyric in the song "Reptilia".

Room on Firereceived positive reviews upon its release, and reached number four on theUSBillboard200(where it went on to sell 597,000 units by October 2006[5]and wascertified gold) and number two on theUK Albums Chart.Threesingleswere released from the album: "12:51","Reptilia",and"The End Has No End".

Recording

[edit]

Immediately after touring for their debut albumIs This It,the Strokes returned to the studio. They hiredRadioheadproducerNigel Godrich,but fired him when, according to the band, their work together proved "soulless".[6]Godrich said of the failed collaboration: "The problem there was that me and [singerJulian Casablancas] are just too similar, we're both control freaks. He wanted to do it his way, I wanted to do it my way, and obviously that's the point of me being there. And I'm saying 'Well, why am I here if you're not prepared to try and do it the way I want to do it?' We got on great, it was just one of those laughable things where it just doesn't work. I wanted them to change, and they didn't. "[7]

Those sessions were ultimately scrapped and the band returned to their original producer,Gordon Raphael.The Strokes had exactly only three months of studio time to record the album. GuitaristNick Valensistated that "the album would've ended up a lot better if we'd had another couple of weeks."[8]

Critical reception

[edit]
Professional ratings
Aggregate scores
SourceRating
Metacritic77/100[9]
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[10]
Blender[11]
Entertainment WeeklyB[12]
The Guardian[13]
NME9/10[14]
Pitchfork8.0/10[15]
9.2/10 (reappraisal)[16]
Q[17]
Rolling Stone[18]
The Rolling Stone Album Guide[19]
SpinA−[20]
Uncut[21]

Room On Firereceived generally positive reviews from critics: on the review aggregating websiteMetacritic,it currently has a score of 77 out of 100 based on 31 reviews, which indicates "generally favorable reviews".[9]However, in general, reviewers found the album too similar toIs This It.[8]Rob Mitchum ofPitchforkgave the album an 8 out of 10, but stated that the band "have all but given birth to an identical twin."[15]A positive review fromRolling Stonesaid that "the Strokes have resisted the temptation to hit the brakes, grow up and screw around with a sound that doesn't need fixing — yet." The review also stated that "if you want comfort and clarity, you're definitely in the wrong room. This record was built for thrills and speed."[18]Dan Tallis ofBBC Musicgave it a favorable review and said, "Bands should think themselves lucky to achieve such heights just once in their careers. However, they've done all they could have done. They've madeIs This Itpart two. It's more of the same plus extras. And I'm more than happy to settle for that. "[22]

Ben Thompson ofThe Observergave it all five stars and said, "This is a feeling that can be inspired only by people making the absolute most of an opportunity to communicate: cutting through all the rubbish that surrounds them to make a clear and memorable artistic statement. And that the Strokes should have managed to do such a thing at this stage in their careers, is - I think - an achievement of real significance."[23]Greg Milner ofSpingave it a score of eight out of ten and said that its "similarity to its predecessor ultimately bespeaks a purity of vision, not a dearth of new ideas."[20]Jenny Tatone of Neumu gave it a score of nine stars out of ten and said, "The Strokes don't make the most original sounding music you've ever heard, but they make something that is only the Strokes."[24]In his Consumer Guide, Robert Christgau gave the album a three-star honorable mention ((3-star Honorable Mention)(3-star Honorable Mention)(3-star Honorable Mention)) while picking out two songs from the album ( "Between Love and Hate" and "What Ever Happened?" ) and stating simply, "Narcissism repeats itself."[25]

Not all reviews were positive, however. Raoul Hernandez ofThe Austin Chroniclegave the album a score of two stars out of five and stated that "even the half-hearted retreads... cashing in on the notoriously unwashed NYC quintet's debut can't muster a wink."[26]Iain Moffat ofPlayloudergave the album only one star and said of the Strokes, "There's little of the pop sparkle that shone through the likes of 'The Modern Age' and 'Last Nite' even when - as with 'You Talk Way Too Much' - they're rewriting old material, and Julian's vocals are, to be blunt, awful, sounding uncomfortable to record and rather complacently nasal."[27]

In 2013,Room On Firewas listed at number 360 onNME's list ofthe 500 greatest albums of all time.In 2018, the BBC included it in their list of "the acclaimed albums that nobody listens to any more".[28]

Reappraisal

[edit]

In 2021,PitchforkincludedRoom on Fireon its list of album review scores they "would change if they could", upgrading its score from 8.0 to 9.2 out of 10, though they stated this would not change the actual score. Lane Brown ofPitchforkpraised it as a "different, better album with major improvements over its predecessor". Scoring a 0.1 bonus point more thanIs This It,Room on Fireis commended in marking confident progress and "at least partially thwarting rock history's most inevitable backlash."[16]

Commercial performance

[edit]

The album peaked at number four on theBillboard200in the US, and was later certified Gold by theRIAAin December 2003,[29][30]andplatinum certificationfor selling over one million units in June 2021.[31]

Track listing

[edit]

All tracks are written byJulian Casablancas,with "Automatic Stop" co-written byAlbert Hammond Jr.[32]

Room on Firetrack listing
No.TitleLength
1."What Ever Happened?"2:49
2."Reptilia"3:35
3."Automatic Stop"3:21
4."12:51"2:33
5."You Talk Way Too Much"2:58
6."Between Love & Hate"3:10
7."Meet Me in the Bathroom"2:56
8."Under Control"3:02
9."The Way It Is"2:17
10."The End Has No End"3:00
11."I Can't Win"2:34

Personnel

[edit]

The Strokes

Production

Design

  • Peter Phillips– cover art ( "War/Game", used with permission and courtesy of Zoe Phillips)
  • Colin Lane – photography
  • Brett Kilroe –art direction

Singles

[edit]
Singles fromRoom on Fire
Title Information
"12:51"
"Reptilia"
  • Released: February 9, 2004
  • Chart positions:
    No. 17 (UK Singles Chart)
    No. 19 (US Modern Rock)
"The End Has No End"
  • Released: November 1, 2004
  • Chart positions:
    No. 27 (UK Singles Chart)
    No. 35 (US Modern Rock)

Charts

[edit]

Certifications

[edit]
Certifications forRoom on Fire
Region Certification Certified units/sales
Australia (ARIA)[55] Platinum 70,000‡
Canada (Music Canada)[56] Gold 50,000^
Japan (RIAJ)[57] Gold 100,000^
New Zealand (RMNZ)[58] Gold 7,500^
United Kingdom (BPI)[59] Platinum 300,000^
United States (RIAA)[60] Platinum 1,000,000‡

^Shipments figures based on certification alone.
‡Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

References

[edit]
  1. ^"Top 100 Indie Rock albums of the '00s".www.treblezine.com.July 12, 2017.RetrievedJuly 24,2017.
  2. ^Sharples, Grant (October 27, 2018)."The Strokes' Room on Fire Still Exists on Its Own Terms".Consequence of Sound.RetrievedFebruary 18,2020.
  3. ^Sharples, Grant (October 27, 2018)."The Strokes' Room on Fire Still Exists on Its Own Terms".Consequence of Sound.RetrievedApril 18,2023.
  4. ^The Strokes - Room on Fire Album Reviews, Songs & More | AllMusic,retrievedNovember 5,2023
  5. ^"First Impressions of Earth Turns 10".January 4, 2016.
  6. ^McKinnon, Matthew (July 24, 2006)."Everything in Its Right Place".CBC News.RetrievedDecember 15,2013.
  7. ^"From The Basement On A Television: DiS talks to Nigel Godrich".DrownedInSound.Archived fromthe originalon May 21, 2018.RetrievedMay 21,2018.
  8. ^abJonathan Garrett (7 March 2011).Is This It: Ten Years of the StrokesArchivedMarch 8, 2011, at theWayback MachinePitchfork Media.Retrieved 10 December 2011.
  9. ^ab"Reviews for Room On Fire by The Strokes".Metacritic.RetrievedDecember 10,2011.
  10. ^Phares, Heather."Room on Fire – The Strokes".AllMusic.RetrievedDecember 10,2011.
  11. ^Power, Tony (November 2003)."The Strokes: Room on Fire".Blender(21): 106. Archived fromthe originalon November 22, 2005.RetrievedApril 30,2016.
  12. ^Browne, David(October 31, 2003)."Room on Fire".Entertainment Weekly.Archived fromthe originalon July 29, 2019.RetrievedDecember 10,2011.
  13. ^Petridis, Alexis(October 16, 2003)."The Strokes, Room on Fire".The Guardian.RetrievedMarch 23,2013.
  14. ^Needham, Alex (September 25, 2003)."The Strokes: Room On Fire".NME.Archived fromthe originalon March 3, 2016.RetrievedFebruary 20,2011.
  15. ^abMitchum, Rob (October 26, 2003)."The Strokes: Room on Fire".Pitchfork.RetrievedDecember 10,2011.
  16. ^ab"Pitchfork Reviews: Rescored".Pitchfork.October 5, 2021.RetrievedOctober 6,2021.
  17. ^"The Strokes: Room on Fire".Q(208): 102. November 2003.
  18. ^abFricke, David(October 7, 2003)."Room on Fire".Rolling Stone.RetrievedDecember 10,2011.
  19. ^Cross, Charles R.(2004). "The Strokes". In Brackett, Nathan; Hoard, Christian (eds.).The New Rolling Stone Album Guide(4th ed.).Simon & Schuster.pp.788.ISBN0-7432-0169-8.
  20. ^abMilner, Greg (October 26, 2003)."Room at the Top".Spin.19(12): 121–22.RetrievedApril 30,2016.
  21. ^"Not So Different Strokes".Uncut(78): 108. November 2003. Archived fromthe originalon June 1, 2016.RetrievedApril 30,2016.
  22. ^Tallis, Dan (November 20, 2003)."Review of The Strokes - Room On Fire".BBC Music.RetrievedFebruary 20,2011.
  23. ^Thompson, Ben (February 9, 2011)."The Strokes, Room on Fire: 5 stars | OMM | The Observer".The Observer.RetrievedFebruary 20,2011.
  24. ^Tatone, Jenny."The Strokes: Room on Fire".Neumu.RetrievedMarch 23,2013.
  25. ^Christgau, Robert."CG: The Strokes".RobertChristgau.com.RetrievedMarch 23,2013.
  26. ^Hernandez, Raoul (October 24, 2003)."The Strokes: Room on Fire (RCA)".The Austin Chronicle.RetrievedMarch 23,2013.
  27. ^Moffat, Iain (October 18, 2003)."Room On Fire".Playlouder.Archived fromthe originalon November 4, 2003.RetrievedMarch 23,2013.
  28. ^"7 acclaimed albums that no one listens to anymore - BBC Music".February 9, 2018.
  29. ^Room on Fire - The StrokesBillboard.Retrieved 10 December 2011.
  30. ^RIAA - Searchable DatabaseRIAA.Note: reader must define search parameters as "Strokes".
  31. ^"Gold & Platinum".Recording Industry Association of America.
  32. ^"ACE Repertory".
  33. ^"Australiancharts.com – The Strokes – Room On Fire".Hung Medien.
  34. ^"Austriancharts.at – The Strokes – Room On Fire"(in German). Hung Medien.
  35. ^"Ultratop.be – The Strokes – Room On Fire"(in Dutch). Hung Medien.
  36. ^"Ultratop.be – The Strokes – Room On Fire"(in French). Hung Medien.
  37. ^"The Strokes Chart History (Canadian Albums)".Billboard.
  38. ^"Danishcharts.dk – The Strokes – Room On Fire".Hung Medien.
  39. ^"Dutchcharts.nl – The Strokes – Room On Fire"(in Dutch). Hung Medien.
  40. ^"The Strokes: Room On Fire "(in Finnish).Musiikkituottajat – IFPI Finland.
  41. ^"Lescharts.com – The Strokes – Room On Fire".Hung Medien.
  42. ^"Offiziellecharts.de – The Strokes – Room On Fire"(in German).GfK Entertainment Charts.
  43. ^"Irish-charts.com – Discography The Strokes".Hung Medien.
  44. ^"Italiancharts.com – The Strokes – Room On Fire".Hung Medien.
  45. ^"Charts.nz – The Strokes – Room On Fire".Hung Medien.
  46. ^"Norwegiancharts.com – The Strokes – Room On Fire".Hung Medien.
  47. ^"Portuguesecharts.com – The Strokes – Room On Fire".Hung Medien.
  48. ^"Official Scottish Albums Chart Top 100".Official Charts Company.Retrieved November 17, 2021.
  49. ^"Swedishcharts.com – The Strokes – Room On Fire".Hung Medien.
  50. ^"Swisscharts.com – The Strokes – Room On Fire".Hung Medien.
  51. ^"Official Albums Chart Top 100".Official Charts Company.Retrieved September 22, 2021.
  52. ^"The Strokes Chart History (Billboard200) ".Billboard.
  53. ^"End of Year Album Chart Top 100 – 2003".Official Charts Company.RetrievedSeptember 22,2021.
  54. ^"The Official UK Albums Chart 2004"(PDF).Official Charts Company.RetrievedSeptember 22,2021.
  55. ^"ARIA Charts – Accreditations – 2020 Albums"(PDF).Australian Recording Industry Association.
  56. ^"Canadian album certifications – The Strokes – Room on Fire".Music Canada.
  57. ^"Japanese album certifications – The Strokes – Room on Fire"(in Japanese).Recording Industry Association of Japan.RetrievedJune 2,2019.Select2004 niên 10 nguyệton the drop-down menu
  58. ^"New Zealand album certifications – The Strokes – Room on Fire".Recorded Music NZ.RetrievedJune 2,2019.
  59. ^"British album certifications – The Strokes – Room on Fire".British Phonographic Industry.
  60. ^"American album certifications – The Strokes – Room on Fire".Recording Industry Association of America.
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Room_on_Fire&oldid=1188460851"