The Vertigo of Bliss

Infobox Album | Name = The Vertigo of Bliss
Type = Album
Artist = Biffy Clyro


Released = 16 June 2003
Recorded = Linford Manor Milton Keynes, England
Genre = Alternative rock
Length = 62:13
Label = Beggars Banquet BBQCD233
Producer = Chris Sheldon Biffy Clyro
Reviews =
* "Kerrang!" Rating|4|5
* Playlouder Rating|4|5 [http://www.playlouder.com/review/+thevertigoofblis/ link]
* Drowned in Sound (8/10) [http://www.drownedinsound.com/articles/7231.html link]
* "MediaNext" (6/10)|Last album = "Blackened Sky" (2002)
This album = "The Vertigo of Bliss" (2003)
Next album = "Infinity Land" (2004)
Misc = Singles
Name = The Vertigo of Bliss
Type = studio
single 1 = Toys, Toys, Toys, Choke, Toys, Toys, Toys
single 1 date = 15 July 2002
single 2 = The Ideal Height
single 2 date = 24 March 2003
single 3 = Questions and Answers
single 3 date = 26 May 2003
single 4 = Eradicate the Doubt
single 4 date = 22 September 2003

"The Vertigo of Bliss" is the second studio album by Scottish group Biffy Clyro, and contributed to the perception of the band as one of the hardest working in the British rock scene: according to urban myth, principal recording on the album was recorded in just one day, leaving the band to "play PlayStation" for the remainder of the week that had been booked in Linford Manor.In an interview with Daniel P. Carter on BBC Radio 1's [http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio1/rockshow/tracklistingarchive.shtml?20070220 The Rock Show] , on 20 February 2007, Biffy Clyro admitted that this story was a "slight exaggeration".]

Overview

Recorded and released only one year after "Blackened Sky", the album arguably sounds more like a singular piece of work (the only track not recorded during the same sessions was "Toys, Toys, Toys..." which was originally a double-A-side single with "Joy.Discovery.Invention") as opposed to a collection of individual songs. The album remains a firm favourite with a lot of fans on the Biffy Clyro board, perhaps because of its more experimental style, which sees songs such as "Bodies in Flight" and "Toys Toys Toys, Choke, Toys, Toys, Toys" cramming several movements into the space of one song. Moreover, string sections are used to climactic effect on "Bodies In Flight", "With Aplomb" and "Now The Action Is On Fire!" showing a clear progression from their debut. An example of the diversity within each of the tracks would be that of "Now the Action is on Fire!", which switches from an unusual 5/4 timed opening section to a second, 3/4 timed passage, encorporating strings and off-beat triplets, to a climactic end in 4/4 time, with each section introducing new musical material. The distinctive cover art was created by Milo Manara, who also created the cover art for all the singles from "The Vertigo of Bliss". The album takes its name from one of Lucifer's musings in the novel, "I, Lucifer". As with each of the band's first three albums, it has only been played in full once, on 14 December 2005 at King Tut's Wah Wah Hut in Glasgow. The album reached #48 in the UK Albums Chart.

Track listing

All tracks written by Simon Neil, James Johnston, and Ben Johnston
# "Bodies In Flight" – 5:17
# "The Ideal Height" – 3:41
# "With Aplomb" – 5:29
# "A Day Of..." – 2:24
# "Liberate The Illiterate/A Mong Among Mingers" – 5:28
# "Diary of Always" – 4:04
# "Questions and Answers" – 4:02
# "Eradicate the Doubt" – 4:26
# "When The Faction’s Fractioned" – 3:36
# "Toys, Toys, Toys, Choke, Toys, Toys, Toys" – 5:28
# "All The Way Down: Prologue Chapter 1" – 6:43
# "A Man Of His Appalling Posture" – 3:25
# "Now The Action Is On Fire!" – 8:01
#*"Ewen's True Mental You" (hidden track contained within "Now The Action Is On Fire!" from – 6:24) – 1:37
* "The Ideal Height", "Questions and Answers", "Toys, Toys, Toys, Choke, Toys, Toys, Toys" and "Eradicate the Doubt" were released as singles.

B-sides From Vertigo of bliss

# "Ewans True Mental You"
# "And With The Scissorkick Is Victorious"
# "Do You Remember What You Came For"
# "Good Practice Makes Permanent"
# "Let's Get Smiling"
# "Muckquaikerjawbreaker"
# "I Hope You're Done"

Release history

"The Vertigo of Bliss" was released in the UK in 2003.

Notes