Wolfmother (album)

Infobox Album
Name = Wolfmother
Type = studio
Artist = Wolfmother


Released = 30 October 2005
Recorded = June–September 2005 at Sound City in Hollywood, California, USA
Genre = Hard rock, neo-psychedelia, stoner rock
Length = 51:17
Label = Modular
Producer = Dave Sardy
Reviews =
*"The Age" rating|4|5 [http://www.wolfmother.com/articles/theage_albumreview.html link]
*Allmusic rating|3|5 [http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=10:eeazqj1rojka link]
*"The Daily Telegraph" rating|4.5|5 [http://www.wolfmother.com/articles/daily_telegraph.html link]
*"Kerrang!" rating|5|5
*Pitchfork Media (7.5/10) [http://www.pitchforkmedia.com/article/record_review/23309/Wolfmother_Wolfmother link]
*"Q" rating|4|5 [http://www.wolfmother.com/articles/q_wolfmother_album_review.htm link]
*"Rolling Stone" (Australia) rating|3.5|5 [http://www.wolfmother.com/articles/rollingstone_albumreview.html link]
*"Slant Magazine" rating|4.5|5 [http://www.slantmagazine.com/music/music_review.asp?ID=828 link]
*Soundgenerator.com (7/10) [http://www.soundgenerator.com/burner/review_detail.cfm?reviewid=1250 link]
*"Stylus Magazine" (D+) [http://www.stylusmagazine.com/reviews/wolfmother/wolfmother.htm link]
*Xdafied rating|5|5 [http://www.xdafied.com.au/music/reviews/3.html link]
Last album = "Wolfmother"
(2004)
This album = "Wolfmother"
(2005)
Next album = "Dimensions"
(2006)
Misc = Extra album cover 2
Upper caption = Back cover
Type = studio

---

Lower caption = Some international printings misspelled the word 'thief' on the back cover. Singles
Name = Wolfmother
Type = studio
single 1 = Mind's Eye/Woman
single 1 date = 16 October 2005
single 2 = White Unicorn
single 2 date = 26 February 2006
single 3 = Dimension
single 3 date = 17 April 2006
single 4 = Woman
single 4 date = 17 June 2006
single 5 = Love Train
single 5 date = 18 September 2006
single 6 = Joker & the Thief
single 6 date = 28 October 2006

"Wolfmother" is the first full-length album by hard rock band Wolfmother, first released in their native Australia on 30 October 2005. The album was later released internationally with the addition of "Love Train" and a rearranged track listing.

All four tracks from the band's debut extended play - "Woman", "White Unicorn", "Dimension" and "Apple Tree" - were re-recorded and released on the album. The cover art is taken from "The Sea Witch" by Frank Frazetta, whose work appears throughout the album artwork. Because the original cover displayed nudity, the album is sold in Wal-Mart stores with an alternate cover featuring simply the band's white logo against a black background.

Six singles were released from Wolfmother's debut album: "Mind's Eye/Woman", "White Unicorn", "Dimension", "Woman", "Love Train" and "Joker & the Thief", the latter of which charted the highest, reaching #8 in the ARIA Singles Chart.

Release and reception

"Wolfmother" was first issued in Australia on 30 October 2005 through Modular Recordings. Prior to its release it was played on high rotation on radio station Triple J, and as a result was the featured album of the week starting 28 October, [cite web |url=http://www.abc.net.au/triplej/review/album/s1492744.htm |title=Wolfmother |work=Triple J Music Reviews |date=2005-10-28 |publisher=Triple J |accessdate=2008-08-13 ] won both the inaugural J Award [cite web |url=http://www.abc.net.au/triplej/jaward/2005.htm |title=The J Award 2005 |publisher=Triple J |accessdate=2008-08-13 ] and the listener's choice "Album of the Year", and had six tracks featured in the Hottest 100 chart, of which the highest was "Mind's Eye" at #6. [cite web |url=http://www.abc.net.au/triplej/hottest100/history/2005.htm |title=2005 |work=Hottest 100 History |publisher=Triple J |accessdate=2008-08-13 ] By 2007, the album had been certified five times platinum.cite web |url=http://www.aria.com.au/pages/httpwww.aria.com.aupagesARIACharts-Accreditations-2007Albums.htm |title=2007 Albums |work=Accreditations |publisher=ARIA |accessdate=2008-08-13 ]

For the international release of the album, the track listing was tweaked slightly and "Love Train", previously released as the B-side to "Mind's Eye/Woman", was added. It was not as well received in the UK and the US as in Australia, though "Wolfmother" still managed to reach #25 and #22 in the countries respectively. By 2007 it had also been certified gold by the British Phonographic Industry,cite web |url=http://www.bpi.co.uk/ |title=THE BPI |publisher=BPI |accessdate=2008-08-13 ] the Recording Industry Association of Americacite web |url=http://www.riaa.com/goldandplatinum.php |title=Gold & Platinum |publisher=RIAA |date=2008-08-13 |accessdate=2008-08-13 ] and the Canadian Recording Industry Association.cite web |url=http://www.cria.ca/goldplat.php |title=Gold & Platinum |publisher=CRIA |accessdate=2008-08-13 ]

Upon its release, "Wolfmother" received mainly positive reviews from critics. The album's sound was compared to such 1960s and 1970s hard rock and heavy metal bands as Led Zeppelin and Black Sabbath, though this lead some reviewers to go as far as accusing the trio of "ripping off" such bands. [cite web |url=http://www.wolfmother.com/articles/rollingstone_albumreview.html |title=Ham of the Gods |publisher="Rolling Stone" |author=Simon Wooldridge |accessdate=2008-08-13 ] "Q" were somewhat less critical, describing the music as "Far from rocket science, but immense fun nonetheless". [cite web |url=http://www.wolfmother.com/articles/q_wolfmother_album_review.htm |title=Aussie retro rock fiends party like it's 1969. |publisher="Q" |author=Dave Everley |accessdate=2008-08-13 ] "Total Guitar" gave the album ⁹/₁₀, describing it as "ruddy marvellous", adding that it "can't fail to bowl you over". [cite web |url=http://www.wolfmother.com/articles/total_guitar.html |title=WOLFMOTHER |publisher="Total Guitar" |author=Phil Ascott |accessdate=2008-08-13 ]

Track listing

tracklist
collapsed =
headline = Australian version
total_length = 48:10

all_writing = Andrew Stockdale, Chris Ross and Myles Heskett

title1 = Colossal
length1 = 5:02

title2 = Woman
length2 = 2:55

title3 = White Unicorn
length3 = 5:01

title4 = Pyramid
length4 = 4:28

title5 = Mind's Eye
length5 = 4:53

title6 = Joker & the Thief
length6 = 4:39

title7 = Dimension
length7 = 4:25

title8 = Where Eagles Have Been
length8 = 5:32

title9 = Apple Tree
length9 = 3:28

title10 = Tales from the Forest of Gnomes
length10 = 3:35

title11 = Witchcraft
length11 = 3:25

title12 = Vagabond
length12 = 3:47tracklist
collapsed =
headline = International version

title1 = Dimension
length1 = 4:21

title2 = White Unicorn
length2 = 5:04

title3 = Woman
length3 = 2:56

title4 = Where Eagles Have Been
length4 = 5:33

title5 = Apple Tree
length5 = 3:30

title6 = Joker & the Thief
length6 = 4:40

title7 = Colossal
length7 = 5:04

title8 = Mind's Eye
length8 = 4:54

title9 = Pyramid
length9 = 4:28

title10 = Witchcraft
length10 = 3:25

title11 = Tales
length11 = 3:39

title12 = Love Train
length12 = 3:03

title13 = Vagabond
length13 = 3:50

Credits

*Andrew Stockdale – vocals, guitars
*Chris Ross – bass, keyboards, synthesizer
*Myles Heskett – drums, percussion
*Lenny Castro – percussion
*Dan Higgins – flute on "Witchcraft"
*Dave Sardy – percussion, production, mixing
*Ryan Castle – engineering
*Stephen Marcussen – mastering
*Nicole Harding – production coordination
*Cameron Barton – assistant engineering
*Pete Martinez – assistant engineering
*Andy Brohard – digital editing, assistant engineering, Pro Tools editing
*Stewart Whitmore – digital editing
*Frank Frazetta – original artwork
*Jonathan Zawada – layout design
*Steve Pav – A&R
*Jeff Sosnow – A&R
*Luke Wood – A&R

Charts and certifications

References

External links

* [http://www.wolfmother.com/ The official Wolfmother site]
* [http://www.myspace.com/wolfmother The official Wolfmother MySpace]
* [http://www.wolfmother.net/ The Original Wolfmother Fan Site]