2006 studio album by Beirut
Gulag Orkestar is the debut album of Beirut . It was recorded in 2005 in Albuquerque , New Mexico . The Gulag was a Soviet government agency administering criminal justice, while orkestar is the Serbo-Croatian word for "orchestra".
It is written in the booklet that the front and back photos were found in a library in Leipzig , torn out of a book. The original photographer was unknown to the creators of the album while it was recorded, but has since been discovered to be Sergey Chilikov .[1]
Reception
The album has received great critical acclaim and was later re-released to include the Lon Gisland EP .
As of 2009, sales in the United States have exceeded 79,000 copies, according to Nielsen SoundScan .[13]
Track listing
Many song titles are named after toponyms in Europe, such as cities, states and neighborhoods. Prenzlauerberg is a locality in Berlin . Brandenburg and Rhineland are geographical areas in Germany. Bratislava is the capital of Slovakia .
All tracks are written by Zach Condon
Title 1. "The Gulag Orkestar" 4:38 2. "Prenzlauerberg" 3:46 3. "Brandenburg" 3:38 4. "Postcards from Italy" 4:17 5. "Mount Wroclai (Idle Days)" 3:15 6. "Rhineland (Heartland)" 3:58 7. "Scenic World" 2:08 8. "Bratislava" 3:17 9. "The Bunker" 3:13 10. "The Canals of Our City" 2:21 11. "After the Curtain" 2:54 Total length: 37:25
UK Version Bonus CD: Lon Gisland Title 1. "Elephant Gun" 5:48 2. "My Family's Role in the World Revolution" 2:07 3. "Scenic World" 2:53 4. "The Long Island Sound" 1:18 5. "Carousels" 4:23 Total length: 16:29
The EP's version of "Scenic World" differs from the first in that it has a slower, stronger sound and is entirely acoustic, with a violin and accordion replacing the original MIDI keyboard .
Personnel
Beirut
Zach Condon - vocals , trumpet , flugelhorn , ukulele , percussion , mandolin , accordion , organ , piano , recording
Heather Trost - violin
Jeremy Barnes - percussion , accordion
Perrin Cloutier - cello
Hari Ziznewski - clarinet
Additional personnel
Alan Douches - mastering
Josh Clark - recording, mixing
Ben Goldberg - photography (all cover)
References
^ "Beirut's Condon Talks New LP, Obsession, Exhaustion" . May 2007. Archived from the original on 2007-05-09. Retrieved 2007-05-07 .
^ "Reviews for Gulag Orkestar by Beirut" . Metacritic . Retrieved June 24, 2016 .
^ Mason, Stewart. "Gulag Orkestar – Beirut" . AllMusic . Retrieved June 24, 2016 .
^ Greenblatt, Leah (May 26, 2006). "Gulag Orkestar" . Entertainment Weekly . Archived from the original on November 7, 2016. Retrieved June 24, 2016 .
^ Clarke, Betty (November 3, 2006). "Beirut, Gulag Orkestar" . The Guardian . Retrieved June 24, 2016 .
^ "Beirut: Gulag Orkestar". NME : 33. November 4, 2006.
^ Mardles, Paul (October 15, 2006). "Beirut, Gulag Orkestar" . The Observer . Retrieved June 24, 2016 .
^ Stosuy, Brandon (May 11, 2006). "Beirut: Gulag Orkestar" . Pitchfork . Retrieved June 24, 2016 .
^ "Beirut: Gulag Orkestar". Q (245): 141. December 2006.
^ Gitlin, Lauren (August 11, 2006). "Beirut: Gulag Orkestar" . Rolling Stone . Archived from the original on August 21, 2006. Retrieved June 24, 2016 .
^ "Beirut: Gulag Orkestar". Uncut (112): 83. September 2006.
^ Christgau, Robert (July 25, 2006). "Consumer Guide: History Lessons" . The Village Voice . Retrieved June 24, 2016 .
^ Ayers, Michael (2 February 2009). "Indie rock band Beirut ventures south of the border" . Reuters. Retrieved 27 April 2019 .
Studio albums Compilation albums EPs Singles Related