Absolution (album)

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Cover art
DVD Cover art
Vinyl Cover art
CD
Muse album
Name Absolution
Tracks
  • 14 »
  • 15 (JP)
  • 20 (AU re-release)
  • 6 (AU bonus disc promo)
  • 1 (AU re-release excerpt)
  • 4 (12" vinyl sampler)
Total length
  • 52:13 »
  • 57:13 (JP)
  • 37:00 (FR interview promo)
Recorded 2003
Writer/composer Matthew Bellamy, Dominic Howard, Christopher Wolstenholme
Producer John Cornfield, Rich Costey, Paul Reeve
Art work Storm Thorgerson
Publisher
Format(s)
  • CD, CD+DVD, double 12" vinyl »
  • Cassette
  • 12" vinyl (promo only)
  • CD-R (promo only)
  • DVD-R (promo only)
  • VHS (PAL) (promo only)
Catalogue №
  • 5050466-8555-1-0 (GB) »
  • CTCM-65049 (JP)
  • WPCR13672 (JP re-issue)[2]
  • 482.2020.020 (BX)
  • 482.2020.033 (BX Special Edition with DVD)
  • 5046751112 (AU re-release)
  • 0602498659489 (TR cassette)
  • 5050466-8587-4-0 (ID cassette)
  • 50466-8587-4 (KR, MY cassettes)
  • PROP05318 (promo)
  • CTCS-00356 (JP promo)
  • PRO4298 (12" vinyl sampler)
  • TMCDP1008 (CD-R promo)
  • MCD-017 (UA promo cassette)
Release date
  • 29th September 2003 (GB, AU) »
  • 15th September 2003 (JP)[3]
  • 23rd March 2004 (US)
  • 30th August 2004 (AU re-release)
  • 18th August 2009 (vinyl reissue)
  • 16th September 2009 (JP re-reissue)[2]
Chart position 1 (GB, FR)[4]
album chronology
Origin of Symmetry
←
Absolution
→
Black Holes and Revelations
Singles
Stockholm Syndrome.pngTIRO CDS cover.jpgHysteriacdcover.jpgSingforabsolutioncdcover.jpgApocalypse Please.jpgButterflies.jpg


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Information

Absolution is Muse's third album and was released worldwide during September 2003. The songs featured on Absolution were written whilst Muse toured in support of Origin of Symmetry and Hullabaloo, with some songs such as " Fury" originating as early as early 2000. Like the previous Muse album, Orgin of Symmetry, Absolution is influenced by classical composers such as Sergei Rachmaninov and Samuel Barber, whilst "Endlessly" introduces a more electronic sound with songs such as " The Small Print" and " Thoughts of a Dying Atheist" being guitar-led.

At the beginning of the album matt started to writing songs about mundane home matters, according to matt: "Showbiz was a bit of teenage angst, "Origin of Symmetry" was about going on tour all the time and losing connection with our family and friends so we don't really know anyone apart from ourselves and even ourselves we didn't know anymore and "Absolution" is more about us being personable, about us being normal people at home"[5]

Matt said that he started to experience violent mood swings in the studio: "The album goes from being the most amazing music I've heard in my life to the most laughable piece of shit I've ever heard within the space of a couple o minutes; I was moving between the extremes of doubt and absolute ridiculous confidence. There are moments when you, the rest of the band, the producer and the assistant productor all look at each other and think 'what the fuck are we doing? we've completely lost the plot'[5]

Matt explained that the songs are more "uplifting", mostly because he has fallen in love as he said: "I'm not married yet! But I've been drawn into this Italian world. I met this girl from over there so I'm into all that" Also in the same interview he said: "I think there'll be some songs that are straightforward rock, some of my favourite new songs are like ABBA!"[6]

Title

In an Interview about the name of the album matt said: "I think the absolution is not necessarily a religious word; It has meanings of purity, but its not necessarily talking from a Christian or any particular religious point of view. I think it's just suggesting that the act of making music is a way of understanding things." [7]

Recording

The album was recorded at Grouse Lodge Studios in Ireland and AIR Studios in London during 2003.[8], the songs " Fury"[9] and " Soldier's Poem"[10] were originally intended to appear on Absolution. Whilst Matt wanted to keep "Fury" on the album, it was dropped in favour of " The Small Print" as per Dom and Chris's preference,[9] and it became the Japanese bonus track and B-side to "Sing for Absolution". Matt suggested in 2008 that this was because the band did not like "Fury" as much after playing it live before the album's release.[11] "Soldier's Poem" was ultimately reworked for the follow-up to Absolution, Black Holes and Revelations.[10] Rich Costey began producing Absolution after a the tracks " Blackout" and " Butterflies & Hurricanes" were recorded with Paul Reeve, who co-produced Showbiz and John Cornfield, who engineered Showbiz and Orgin of Symmetry.[8]

Pre-release

The promo CD-R is encrypted so that the tracks cannot be ripped, and instead contains software through which the tracks can be played.

Release

There was an limited edition of Absolution released that featured an bonus DVD. The DVD had 40 minutes of 'The making of Absolution' footage, as well as pictures to view. Some editions of Absolution, including the limited editions, had inlay errors when it was released in September; the positions of "Interlude" and "Hysteria" were switched on the track list.[12] These could be returned and replaced with corrected inlays, although many were kept for collectors value.

The first single, "Stockholm Syndrome", was released on the 14th July 2003.

The Australian re-release contained an extra disc, featuring 6 tracks from the Big Day Out 2004 (23rd Jan 2004) in Sydney.

The album has gone double platinum in the UK since its release[13] and had been certified gold in the US.[source?]

Absolution was reissued in double 12" vinyl on the 18th of August, 2009 to commemorate the 10 year anniversary of the debut album, Showbiz.

Artwork

The artwork was designed by Storm Thorgerson. Dominic Howard: "The artwork can either been seen as people coming down to Earth or leaving the Earth, it's open to interpretation".[14]

Track list

CD, cassettes, promos

  1. Intro
  2. Apocalypse Please
  3. Time Is Running Out
  4. Sing for Absolution
  5. Stockholm Syndrome
  6. Falling Away with You
  7. Interlude
  8. Hysteria
  9. Blackout
  10. Butterflies & Hurricanes
  11. The Small Print
  12. Endlessly
  13. Thoughts of a Dying Atheist
  14. Ruled by Secrecy

Vinyl

Side A
  1. Intro
  2. Apocalypse Please
  3. Time Is Running Out
  4. Sing for Absolution
Side B
  1. Stockholm Syndrome
  2. Falling Away with You
  3. Interlude
  4. Hysteria
Side C
  1. Blackout
  2. Butterflies & Hurricanes
  3. The Small Print
Side D
  1. Endlessly
  2. Thoughts of a Dying Atheist
  3. Ruled by Secrecy

AU bonus CD, Bonus disc promo

  1. Stockholm Syndrome (live)
  2. New Born (live)
  3. Muscle Museum (live)
  4. Hysteria (live)
  5. Bliss (live)
  6. Time Is Running Out (live)

Special edition bonus DVD

  1. The making of Absolution

JP CD, JP promos

  1. Intro
  2. Apocalypse Please
  3. Time Is Running Out
  4. Sing for Absolution
  5. Stockholm Syndrome
  6. Falling Away with You
  7. Interlude
  8. Hysteria
  9. Blackout
  10. Butterflies & Hurricanes
  11. The Small Print
  12. Fury
  13. Endlessly
  14. Thoughts of a Dying Atheist
  15. Ruled by Secrecy

Instrumentals promo CD-Rs

All songs are instrumental versions

  1. Intro
  2. Apocalypse Please
  3. Time Is Running Out
  4. Sing for Absolution
  5. Stockholm Syndrome
  6. Falling Away with You
  7. Interlude
  8. Hysteria
  9. Blackout
  10. Butterflies & Hurricanes
  11. The Small Print
  12. Endlessly
  13. Thoughts of a Dying Atheist
  14. Ruled by Secrecy

Sampler 12" vinyl

  1. Time Is Running Out
  2. Stockholm Syndrome
  3. Hysteria
  4. The Small Print

AU Tour Edition promo excerpt

  1. Butterflies & Hurricanes

Absolution EPK VHS, Absolution EPK DVD

  1. Absolution EPK

Absolution gallery

  • Display gallery »

    • UA cover art

    • UA interior and disc

    • UA back cover

    • Vinyl cover art

    • Vinyl A side

    • Vinyl B side

    • Vinyl C side

    • Vinyl D side

    • Promo CD in foil packaging

    • Promo CD

    • JP promo cover art

    • JP promo interior and disc

    • Sampler 12" vinyl cover art

    • Sampler 12" vinyl cover art back

    • GB promo CD-R cover

    • GB promo CD-R disc

    • Untitled FR promo CD-R

    • FR promo CD-R

    • FR promo CD-R insert

    • FR promo CD-R disc

    • US promo CD-R

    • Gold-stamped promo

    • Instrumentals promo CD

    • Instrumentals promo CD back cover

    • AU promo CD-R cover

    • AU promo CD-R back cover

    • AU Live Bonus Disc promo CD-R

    • AU Tour Edition promo Butterflies & Hurricanes excerpt cover

    • AU Tour Edition promo Butterflies & Hurricanes excerpt CD-R

    • TR cassette cover

    • TR cassette back cover

    • ID cassette cover

    • ID cassette cover

    • MY cassette cover

    • MY cassette back cover

    • KR cassette cover

    • KR cassette back cover

    • UA promo cassette cover

    • UA PROMO cassette back cover

    • JP Promo Cassette cover art

    • JP Promo Cassette

    • JP Promo Cassette track list

    • FR Interview promo

    • DE Interview promo

    • Absolution EPK VHS

    • US Absolution EPK DVD-R cover art

    • US Absolution EPK DVD-R interior and disc

See also

References

  1. ↑ AU cover
  2. ↑ a b c (2009-0?). [Item listing]. HMV Japan. Retrieved 2009-07-15 from www.hmv.co.jp.
  3. ↑ Muselive.com 20030811
  4. ↑ Absolution charts (2003-11-14). Microcuts.net. Retrieved 2009-07-10 from microcuts.net.
  5. ↑ a b Mark Beaumont. (2013-09-13). It's the end of the world as we know it. Retrieved from microcuts.net.
  6. ↑ NME - Muse plug in again. September/2002
  7. ↑ Hall or Nothing - Muse - Album Review: Absolution (9/10) September/2003
  8. ↑ a b Richard Buskin. (2003-12). Rich Costey: Recording Muse's Absolution. Sound on Sound website. Retrieved 2006-11-04 from www.soundonsound.com. [verify]
  9. ↑ a b Thomas Kirk. (2005-03-02). Tom Kirk Live Webcast. Muselive. Retrieved 2007-03-07 from www.muselive.com. [verify]
  10. ↑ a b sam_linnett. (2006-06-01). Muse Interview In French Magazine. Retrieved from muselive.com.
  11. ↑ Grego Cochrane. (2008-08-13). Take a Bow. New Musical Express. Retrieved 2008-08-24. [verify]
  12. ↑ Absolution back inlay
  13. ↑ 1.000.000 copies sold (2005-12-04). Microcuts.net. Retrieved 2009-07-10 from microcuts.net.
  14. ↑ Absolution EPK


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