Room on Fire
Room on Fire | ||||
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Studio albumby | ||||
Released | October 28, 2003 | |||
Recorded | 2003 | |||
Studio | TMF (New York City) | |||
Genre | ||||
Length | 32:15 | |||
Label | RCA | |||
Producer | Gordon Raphael | |||
The Strokeschronology | ||||
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SinglesfromRoom on Fire | ||||
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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]Aggregate scores | |
---|---|
Source | Rating |
Metacritic | 77/100[9] |
Review scores | |
Source | Rating |
AllMusic | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
Blender | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
Entertainment Weekly | B[12] |
The Guardian | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
NME | 9/10[14] |
Pitchfork | 8.0/10[15] 9.2/10 (reappraisal)[16] |
Q | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
Rolling Stone | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
The Rolling Stone Album Guide | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
Spin | A−[20] |
Uncut | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
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 fi xing — 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 () 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]
No. | Title | Length |
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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
- Julian Casablancas– vocals
- Albert Hammond, Jr.– guitar
- Nick Valensi– guitar
- Nikolai Fraiture– bass guitar
- Fabrizio Moretti– drums
Production
- Gordon Raphael–producer
- Toshikazu Yoshioka – headengineer
- William Kelly – second engineer
- Greg Calbi –mastering
- Steve Fallone – mastering
- J. P. Bowersock– "sensei"
Design
- Peter Phillips– cover art ( "War/Game", used with permission and courtesy of Zoe Phillips)
- Colin Lane – photography
- Brett Kilroe –art direction
Singles
[edit]Title | Information |
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"12:51" |
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"Reptilia" |
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"The End Has No End" |
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Charts
[edit]
Weekly charts[edit]
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Year-end charts[edit]
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Certifications
[edit]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. |
References
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- ^The Strokes - Room on Fire Album Reviews, Songs & More | AllMusic,retrievedNovember 5,2023
- ^"First Impressions of Earth Turns 10".January 4, 2016.
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- ^abJonathan Garrett (7 March 2011).Is This It: Ten Years of the StrokesArchivedMarch 8, 2011, at theWayback MachinePitchfork Media.Retrieved 10 December 2011.
- ^ab"Reviews for Room On Fire by The Strokes".Metacritic.RetrievedDecember 10,2011.
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- ^Power, Tony (November 2003)."The Strokes: Room on Fire".Blender(21): 106. Archived fromthe originalon November 22, 2005.RetrievedApril 30,2016.
- ^Browne, David(October 31, 2003)."Room on Fire".Entertainment Weekly.Archived fromthe originalon July 29, 2019.RetrievedDecember 10,2011.
- ^Petridis, Alexis(October 16, 2003)."The Strokes, Room on Fire".The Guardian.RetrievedMarch 23,2013.
- ^Needham, Alex (September 25, 2003)."The Strokes: Room On Fire".NME.Archived fromthe originalon March 3, 2016.RetrievedFebruary 20,2011.
- ^abMitchum, Rob (October 26, 2003)."The Strokes: Room on Fire".Pitchfork.RetrievedDecember 10,2011.
- ^ab"Pitchfork Reviews: Rescored".Pitchfork.October 5, 2021.RetrievedOctober 6,2021.
- ^"The Strokes: Room on Fire".Q(208): 102. November 2003.
- ^abFricke, David(October 7, 2003)."Room on Fire".Rolling Stone.RetrievedDecember 10,2011.
- ^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.
- ^abMilner, Greg (October 26, 2003)."Room at the Top".Spin.19(12): 121–22.RetrievedApril 30,2016.
- ^"Not So Different Strokes".Uncut(78): 108. November 2003. Archived fromthe originalon June 1, 2016.RetrievedApril 30,2016.
- ^Tallis, Dan (November 20, 2003)."Review of The Strokes - Room On Fire".BBC Music.RetrievedFebruary 20,2011.
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- ^Hernandez, Raoul (October 24, 2003)."The Strokes: Room on Fire (RCA)".The Austin Chronicle.RetrievedMarch 23,2013.
- ^Moffat, Iain (October 18, 2003)."Room On Fire".Playlouder.Archived fromthe originalon November 4, 2003.RetrievedMarch 23,2013.
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