- Congratulations (MGMT song)
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"Congratulations" 
Single by MGMT from the album Congratulations Released November 26, 2010 Format 7" vinyl Genre Psychedelic pop Length 3:55 Label Columbia Writer(s) Andrew VanWyngarden,
Ben GoldwasserMGMT singles chronology "It's Working"
(2010)"Congratulations"
(2010)Music video "Congratulations" on YouTube "Congratulations" is the fourth single released from the album Congratulations by MGMT, released as a music video on August 25, 2010.
Sonic Boom commentary of the track, before the Congratulations sessions at the Blanker Unsinn Studio on 2010: "The Half-arsed Hugs of routine celebrations. Realisations. Random Aging .... A World in tatters? Glitter that matters? The hollow victory. And then Sleep ......." [1]
The single was released on a limited edition 7″ vinyl with a special 20-page illustrated booklet, on Friday, November 26, 2010.[2]
On November 2, Record Store Day announced the limited edition "Congratulations" 7" as one of their Black Friday Exclusives which contains the Erol Alkan remix.[3]
The song was featured in the credits of 2010 Oscar award-winning film documentary Inside Job.
Contents
Reception
"The final track returns to the jangling '60s pop stylings of Waterloo Sunset. It's smooth and charming and sidesteps the awkward hooks of the rest of the album. It's Congratulations' lyrics here that are most important. As Andrew VanWyngarden sings that all he wants are your congratulations, he reveals the whole point of the album. MGMT don't need—or necessarily want—a big selling album. They want recognition and credibility. And they deserve them. Congratulations is an exciting step away from over-used pop tropes and a bold leap into the unknown." [4]
"Ah, cheeky little scamps – MGMT save their most simplistic song for last, 'Congratulations' playing out like a sequel to the reckless decadence of 'Time to Pretend', the duo overlooking their success with a sneering, sarcastic eye. "Out with a whimper/It's no blaze of glory" sings Van Wyngarden over a folky, tender rhythm section. Ending with a round of (we imagine) piss-taking handclaps, it's a fitting close to an album that will test the patience of MGMT fans who were only into the 'HITS', but perhaps that's the point; in one big, imaginative sidestep, MGMT might have just leapt the hurdle of becoming a one-album wonder, carving out a career at the true heirs to Flaming Lips' throne in the process. It's not an album that will thrill on first listen – I listened about, umm, ten times before I wrote this, but it’s a record that deserves your attention nonetheless."[5]
Track listing
7" vinyl[6][A] No. Title Length 1. "Congratulations" (album version) 3:55 2. "Congratulations" (Erol Alkan remix[7]) 6:35 - Notes
- A ^ The remix on the 7" is 6:30 long and the remix as digital download is 4:03 long (radio edit version).
Music video
The video for "Congratulations" shows two men, depicted by the two lead members of the band (Andrew VanWyngarden and Ben Goldwasser), walking through the desert with a strange four-legged creature that some have described as a "sad-eyed Duck-dog-o-saurus".[8] Throughout the video, the creature gradually falls apart, losing a leg and then its beak, each body part sinking into the sand. As the creature is falling apart, the character depicted by VanWyngarden attempts to comfort it. Towards the end of the video, the creature tumbles down a sand dune and falls completely apart. The two pick up what is left of the creature, and as dusk settles in, they come upon a portal-like structure. Just before reaching the structure, one of the creature's eyes falls off and sinks into the sand. From the sand, a cluster of lights rises towards the sky, blending with the stars, and shimmering in tune to the music. The songs ends with the two men (VanWyngarden's character now wearing sunglasses) looking up to the sky and applauding.
The video was filmed on the outskirts of Las Vegas,[9] and was directed by Tom Kuntz and edited by Steve Gandolfi.[10] The creature was created by Legacy Effects.[11]Personnel
- Andrew VanWyngarden – vocals, guitar, drums, bass
- Ben Goldwasser – synths and samples
- Gillian Rivers – strings
References
- ^ http://i64.photobucket.com/albums/h176/seanjohn344/oracback3.jpg
- ^ http://www.whoismgmt.com/us/news/congratulations-7-vinyl-available-friday
- ^ http://www.recordstoreday.com/Page/958
- ^ http://www.musicradar.com/news/guitars/mgmt-congratulations-review-track-by-track-241466/10#content
- ^ http://www.the-fly.co.uk/words/features/7161/mgmt-'congratulations'-//-first-listen
- ^ [1]
- ^ http://soundcloud.com/erolalkan/mgmterol
- ^ http://stereogum.com/484422/mgmt-congratulations-video/top-stories/lead-story/
- ^ http://www.coupdemainmagazine.com/music/tidbits/2029-mgmt-congratulations-music-video
- ^ "Congratulations" by MGMT Songfacts"
- ^ http://www.coupdemainmagazine.com/music/tidbits/2029-mgmt-congratulations-music-video
MGMT Andrew VanWyngarden · Ben Goldwasser · James Richardson · Matt Asti · Will Berman Albums Extended plays Demo Albums Live albums Qu'est-ce que c'est la vie, chaton? · We Hear of Love, of Youth, and of DisillusionmentCompilation albums Late Night Tales: MGMTSingles Oracular Spectacular"Time to Pretend" · "Electric Feel" · "Kids"Congratulations"Flash Delirium" · "Siberian Breaks" · "It's Working" · "Congratulations"Non album singles"Metanoia"Collaborations Related articles Discography · List of MGMT songs · AwardsCategories:- 2010 singles
- MGMT songs
- Record Store Day releases
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