Is It Any Wonder?

Single infobox
Name = Is It Any Wonder?


Artist = Keane
from Album = Under the Iron Sea
B-side = "Let It Slide"
"He Used To Be A Lovely Boy"
Released = May 29, 2006
Format = 7" Vinyl
CD single
Download
Recorded = Helioscentric Studios, Rye, East Sussex
The Magic Shop, NY
Genre = Rock
Length = 3:06
Label = Island Records
Producer = Andy Green
Chart position = * #3 (UK Singles Chart)
Last single = "Atlantic" (2006)
This single = "Is It Any Wonder?" (2006)
Next single = "Crystal Ball" (2006)
Misc = Extra album cover 2
Upper caption = Alternate cover
Type = single


Cover size =
Lower caption = Extra album cover 2
Upper caption = Vinyl cover
Type = single


Cover size =
Lower caption = Extra tracklisting
Album = Under the Iron Sea
Type = studio
prev_track = "Atlantic"
prev_no = 1
this_track = "Is It Any Wonder?"
track_no = 2
next_track = "Nothing in My Way"
next_no = 3 |

"Is It Any Wonder?" is a song performed and composed by English piano rock and alternative rock band Keane and is featured on their second studio album, "Under the Iron Sea" as the second track. This is considered to be the second single on "Under the Iron Sea" era", after the download-only "Atlantic". However, it is also considered to be the album's first physical single release.

The song was released to the iTunes Store on May 16, and to shops on May 29, 2006 as the lead single from the album (see 2006 in British music). The single debuted at #15 in the UK Singles Chart on 28 May based on download sales alone but reached #3 with physical sales on June 4. [cite web|url=http://uk.launch.yahoo.com/c/uk/single_charts.html|title=Music Charts: Official Top 40 UK Singles Chart - Yahoo! Music|accessdate=May 28|accessyear=2006] The song was officially premiered on April 17 on Jo Whiley's BBC Radio 1 show. Soon after this, it was leaked into the Internet. "Is It Any Wonder?" is the first Keane single to be sold in Mexico and other Latin American countries, where it is even more expensive than the album (approx. US$15.00).

The song was featured on the compilation "Now That's What I Call Music! 64 (U.K. series)", the soundtrack of the 2006 film "" and in the video games Madden NFL 07 and Dance Dance Revolution Universe 2.

Although being a genre contradiction Fact|date=July 2007, the song was nominated for the Best Pop Performance by a Duo or Group With Vocal for the 2007 Grammy Awards.

Track listing

CD Single

Catalogue number: CID934
#"Is It Any Wonder?"
#"Let It Slide"
#"He Used to Be a Lovely Boy"

UK 7" Vinyl

Catalogue number: IS934
This version also included a poster with the art cover.
#"Is It Any Wonder?"
#"Let It Slide"

Composition and recording

"Is It Any Wonder?" was composed by Tim Rice-Oxley in 2005, being first demoed the same year. The "guitars" actually came out from Tim's pianos and synthesizers, so they are only sound effects. An early demo appeared on the "Under the Iron Sea DVD".It was mainly recorded at The Magic Shop studios, New York and programmed and engineered by Andy Green.

Musical structure

"Is It Any Wonder?" was composed under an 8 beat 4/4 time signature and a 130bpm tempo. The main key of the riff is A major, alternating to G major when the bass starts playing.At least three different synthesizer sounds are used through the song.

The riff starts with a deep guitar sound to prelude the distorsion synthesizer sound. Then, the bass and the drums begin to finally introduce Tom Chaplin with the vocals of the first verse. As with almost all Keane songs, it includes a bridge after the second chorus, preceding the outro. Live performances show several differences from the studio version. Firstly, the deep sound is changed for the same synthesizer used for the whole song, which is also quite different from the one of the studio album. During the first verse of the original version, only synthesizer strings are used as a background for Chaplin's singing. However, on the live performance, Rice-Oxley keeps playing his distorted Yamaha CP70 through all the song. Finally, drumming on the main riffs is modified, with Hughes beating the crash cymbal again and again.

Meaning

The song is about the Iraq War:

B-sides

Let It Slide

The "Under the Iron Sea DVD" includes bass recording sessions of this song. It was previously going to be a track on the album but it was released as a b-side.
It appeared also on the Japanese version of "Under the Iron Sea" as the closing track.

He Used to Be a Lovely Boy

Following a melancholic ballad style, the song suggest a reference to Chaplin by Rice-Oxley. This acoustic song has been compared by fans to Keane's Christmas song "A Heart to Hold You", and b-side "The Way You Want It".

Technical information on songs

Music video

Directed by Kevin Godley, the video is almost the same throughout the song. A camera moves along a metal track like a roller coaster. The camera runs through rails until the end of it, stopping again. Keane are in the middle of it, with Tom appearing sometimes on the scene. On the making of the video, it is said by Richard that they "have done something not quite done before."The CD+DVD edition of "Under the Iron Sea" includes a trailer for the making of the video, as well as the videoclip.

Cover art and packaging

The cover artwork for the single was designed by Sanna Annukka Smith, a Finnish artist in March 2006. Sanna originally wanted a red bird crying and Keane wanted a lonely soldier. During the first two weeks of April, the cover showed a soldier but the definite version shows the red bird crying on the soldier’s shoulder, with the soldier referring to war. Some versions didn't include the bird, like the first cover.

Similar to the bookshaped box of the DVD for "Under the Iron Sea", this biodegradable single's container is made of carbon neutral and recycled materials, without any plastics.

Chart performance

References

External links

* [http://www.keanemusic.com Official site]
* [http://www.keaneshaped.co.uk/disco/iiaw.htm Keaneshaped - Information about record]
* [http://www.keane.fr/groupe.php?choix=disco/iiaw Keane.fr - Information about record in French]