We'll All Go Riding on a Rainbow
| We'll All Go Riding on a Rainbow | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio albumby | ||||
| Released | 1 July 2003 | |||
| Genre | ||||
| Length | 51:29 | |||
| Label | V/Vm Test | |||
| Producer | Leyland Kirby | |||
| The Caretakerchronology | ||||
| ||||
| Audio sample | ||||
"The weeping dancefloor" | ||||
We'll All Go Riding on a Rainbow(stylized as “We'll all go riding on a rainbow”) is the thirdstudio albumbythe Caretaker,an alias of musician Leyland Kirby. Released in 2003, it was the last of Kirby's "haunted ballroom trilogy", which spans his albums influenced by the filmThe Shining.It featuresloopedmelodies and vinyl crackle to create the ambience ofThe Shining's ballroom, with its artwork emphasizing this style.We'll All Go Riding on a Rainbowwas met with positive reception frommusic critics,who praised its hauntedballroomambiance. However, other critics felt that the album's length was an issue. Kirby's next album as the Caretaker,Theoretically Pure Anterograde Amnesia(2005) would abandon the haunted ballroom concept and install themes ofmemory loss.
Background
[edit]The Caretaker's first record,Selected Memories from the Haunted Ballroom(1999), was inspired by the hauntedballroomscene from the filmThe Shining.[1]Leyland Kirby, the English musician responsible for the Caretaker's album, was involved in controversy due to hisV/Vmalias. He manipulatedpopsongs to create severalnoisereleases, including an extreme distortion of "The Lady in Red"by musicianChris de Burgh.[2][3]Following the Caretaker's debut,A Stairway to the Starsfound praise frommusic criticsfor its atmosphere.[4]His first three albums under the Caretaker alias were later named the "haunted ballroom trilogy" due to their influence fromThe Shining's scene.[5]Kirby's next release afterWe'll All Go Riding on a Rainbow,Theoretically Pure Anterograde Amnesia(2005) would add several layers of complexity to the pseudonym, as it directly exploredmemory loss.[6]
Composition and release
[edit]We'll All Go Riding on a Rainbowexploreshauntology,noise,[7]British dance band,electronic,experimental,[8]ambient,easy listening,[9]anddark ambient.[10]Its 16 trackssampleballroomsongs from the early 20th century,[9]Elements of the tracks includesaxophonebrasses,vinyl crackling, andechoing,reverberation,andpitcheffects. Like inThe Disintegration Loops(2002–2003) by composerWilliam Basinski,the record involves themes of decay, degradation, and deterioration.[7]The album's atmosphere is that ofThe Shining's hauntedballroom,with hissing sound effects overlayingorchestras.[8]The music intends to be eerie and atmospheric, placing the listener in the1920s.[10]It features both negative and positive track titles, such as "Driven beyond the limits" and "Roll up the carpet and dance" respectively.[7]
We'll All Go Riding on a Rainbowwas released on 1 July 2003.[11]When some of his audience asked Kirby if he could reissueWe'll All Go Riding on a RainboworA Stairway to the Stars,Kirby said: "I just need to work out what and when."[12]Most of the record's tracks feature the pattern ofhorns,vinyl crackle, and ambiance. They are composed ofloopsthat slightly change as they repeat, with the instruments sustaining a long note for a brief amount of time at the end of each loop. The background noises merge, producing the Caretaker's signature sound. A track that differs from these patterns is "Contemplation", whereby itssonar-like style, akin to musicianLoscil,connects various sound effects and melodies, making it stand out from the other compositions.[9]
Artwork
[edit]The artwork is the same as the 1977 compilation albumAnd the Bands Played On,albeit with the colours inverted, the names and title removed, The Caretaker's name added, and it being cropped.[13]It depicts a dancing couple in front of a band with white suits at a floating dancefloor. The faces are solidly black, with the man featuring a moustache and the woman, a mouth. It represents reality losing shape; the band seems to invite the viewer to join them.[7]
Critical reception
[edit]| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |    [8] |
| Stylus Magazine | B−[9] |
We'll All Go Riding on a Rainbowwas met with positive reception frommusic critics,who praised its hauntedballroomambiance.AllMusiccritic John Bush stated the record could even convince listeners that "Kirby has actually spent time in a haunted ballroom".[8]Writing forStylus Magazine,Todd Burns criticized the 50-minute length, which made it fall "prey to the problem of most screwed music".[9]Noting the record's difference to Kirby's V/Vm releases, Andy Slocombe ofComes with a Smilefelt the album's "depth is sometimes breathtaking, and the overall effect is totally all-consuming." Slocombe added that it is "highly recommended, if you're up to it."[10]When reviewing the Caretaker's later recordPatience (After Sebald)(2012),FactarguedWe'll All Go Riding on a Rainbowwas when the haunted ballroom concept started leaving listeners "wondering just how much mileage could be left in such an idiosyncratic and specific aesthetic."[14]The record's opener "I saw your face in a dream" was one of the listed tracks on a program of theBBC Radio 1.[15]
Track listing
[edit]| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "I Saw Your Face in a Dream" | 4:29 |
| 2. | "We'll All Go Riding on a Rainbow" | 1:22 |
| 3. | "That Old Feeling" | 3:08 |
| 4. | "The Weeping Dancefloor" | 5:50 |
| 5. | "Driven Beyond the Limits" | 2:05 |
| 6. | "The Memory of a Song" | 3:09 |
| 7. | "And the Bands Played On" | 2:05 |
| 8. | "Here I Am Broken Hearted" | 3:16 |
| 9. | "Hoping for Some Kind of Recognition" | 2:20 |
| 10. | "Under a Warm Golden Light" | 1:54 |
| 11. | "Unmasking at Midnight" | 2:47 |
| 12. | "Roll Up the Carpet and Dance" | 2:05 |
| 13. | "Contemplation" | 5:44 |
| 14. | "Faith in Time" | 3:14 |
| 15. | "We Have Been Here Before" | 4:23 |
| 16. | "Stardust" | 3:38 |
| Total length: | 51:29 | |
References
[edit]- ^O'Neal, Seal (31 October 2013)."A scene fromThe Shininginspired a haunting ode to dying memory ".The A.V. Club.Archivedfrom the original on 3 November 2019.Retrieved7 April2021.
- ^Doran, John (18 August 2016)."Cult Electronic Noise Act V/VM Return".The Quietus.Retrieved24 May2021.
- ^Kellman, Andy (24 March 2017)."James Leyland Kirby | Biography & History".AllMusic.Archivedfrom the original on 29 April 2015.Retrieved24 May2021.
- ^Siebelt, Olli (2002)."The Caretaker - A Stairway Review".BBC Music.Archivedfrom the original on 28 January 2010.Retrieved24 May2021.
- ^Hazelwood, Holly (18 January 2021)."Rediscover: The Caretaker:Everywhere at the End of Time".Spectrum Culture.Archivedfrom the original on 23 January 2021.Retrieved4 March2021.
- ^Doran, John (22 September 2016)."A Quietus Interview| Out Of Time: Leyland James Kirby And The Death Of A Caretaker ".The Quietus.Retrieved25 May2021.
- ^abcdCorsa, Zachary (24 April 2013)."The Revolving Bandstand: Remembering With The Caretaker".A Closer Listen.Archivedfrom the original on 2 June 2013.Retrieved24 May2021.
- ^abcdBush, John (24 March 2017)."We'll All Go Riding On a Rainbow - Review".AllMusic.Archivedfrom the original on 3 January 2013.Retrieved25 May2021.
- ^abcdeBurns, Todd (31 March 2004)."The Caretaker - We'll All Go Riding on a Rainbow - Review".Stylus Magazine.Retrieved25 May2021.
- ^abcSlocombe, Andy (2004)."Albums: The Caretaker | We'll All Go Riding On A Rainbow (VVM Test)".Comes with a Smile.Archivedfrom the original on 21 July 2004.Retrieved25 May2021.
- ^abCaretaker, The (1 July 2003)."We'll all go riding on a rainbow".Bandcamp.Archivedfrom the original on 26 July 2011.Retrieved25 May2021.
- ^Davenport, Joe (28 June 2011)."James Kirby (The Caretaker) | Interview".Tiny Mix Tapes.Archivedfrom the original on 30 June 2011.Retrieved26 May2021.
- ^"3524129".Rate Your Music.Archivedfrom the original on 11 June 2024.Retrieved11 June2024.
- ^"The Caretaker:Patience (After Sebald)".Fact.1 March 2012.Archivedfrom the original on 4 March 2012.Retrieved25 May2021.
- ^Peel, John (2 September 2003)."Keeping It Peel - Tracklistings".BBC Radio 3.Retrieved25 May2021.