- Leaders of the Free World
Infobox Album | Name = Leaders of the Free World
Type =Album
Artist = Elbow
Released =September 12 ,2005 (UK)February 21 ,2006 (US)
Recorded = Blueprint Studios, Salford,Manchester
Genre =Indie rock
Length = 49:28
Label = V2
Producer = Elbow
Reviews = *Allmusic Rating|4|5 [http://allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?sql=10:hqkvikkdbb79 link]
*"NME " rating-10|9 [http://www.nme.com/reviews/elbow/7762 link]
*Pitchfork Media (6.2/10) [http://pitchforkmedia.com/article/record_review/17403/elbow_leaders_of_the_free_world 9/8/2005]
*"Rolling Stone " Rating|2|5 [http://www.rollingstone.com/reviews/album/7667064/leaders_of_the_free_world 2/6/2006]
*"Q " Rating|4|5| Last album = "Cast of Thousands "
(2003)
This album = "Leaders of the Free World"
(2005)
Next album = "The Seldom Seen Kid " (2008)"Leaders Of The Free World" is the third studio album from the band Elbow, released in 2005. The album went to #12 on the British albums chart.
"Leaders Of The Free World" was entirely self-produced at Blueprint Studios in Salford,
Manchester , a space the band hired for the duration of their recording sessions. They teamed up with video artists [http://www.soupcollective.co.uk/ The Soup Collective] to produce an integrated music and video DVD. In the UK, there was a limited edition release of the CD and the DVD (in a small gatefold sleeve).When released in the US, initial limited copies contained the bonus DVD (with alternately-colored green artwork). The Japanese release of the album (released on September 7, 2005) features two bonus tracks: "McGreggor" and "The Good Day" (both were B-sides to the first single "Forget Myself").
Track listing
# "Station Approach" - 4:22
# "Picky Bugger" - 3:04
# "Forget Myself" - 5:22
# "The Stops" - 5:03
# "Leaders Of The Free World" - 6:11
# "An Imagined Affair" - 4:43
# "Mexican Standoff" - 4:00
# "The Everthere" - 4:15
# "My Very Best" - 5:36
# "Great Expectations" - 5:05
# "Puncture Repair" - 1:48ingles
In the UK, there were two singles released from the album:
* "Forget Myself" (August 29, 2005)
* "Leaders Of The Free World" (November 7, 2005)Trivia
* The song "Mexican Standoff" was also recorded in Spanish. This version appears as a B-side to the "Leaders Of The Free World" single.
*The album cover is highly reminiscent of the 1976 album "A Trick of the Tail " by Genesis. This is, however, completely coincidental, as the cover's designer has never even seen the Genesis cover art. [http://elbow.heavenforum.com/elbow-patch-f1/leaders-of-free-world-picture-wanted-of-artwork-t191.htm Thread on Elbow Room forum.] The album cover depicts five characters from the songs on the album itself:
*The ticket conductor from the train in "Station Approach" (or possibly bus conductor in "Great Expectations")
*The bouncer ("man at the door") from "Forget Myself"
*The man "kicking up mischief", and drinking from "Picky Bugger" (or possibly the man who drinks "until the doorman is a Christmas tree" in "An Imagined Affair").
*A mexican, from "Mexican Standoff"
*A man needing patching up, and he has tea and a bike pump, as in "Puncture Repair"
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