Gorillaz (album)

Gorillaz
Studio album by Gorillaz
Released	26 March 2001
Recorded	1998 – 2000
Studio	Studio 13, West London, England Geejam Studios, Portland, Jamaica
Genre	Alternative rock[1]
Length	56:42
Label	Parlophone Virgin
Producer	Tom Girling, Jason Cox, Dan the Automator, Gorillaz
Gorillaz album chronology
Gorillaz (2001) G Sides (2001)
Damon Albarn chronology
Ordinary Decent Criminal (2000) Gorillaz (2001) G Sides (2001)
Singles from Gorillaz
"Clint Eastwood" Released: 5 March 2001 "19-2000" Released: 25 June 2001 "Rock the House" Released: 22 October 2001 "Tomorrow Comes Today" Released: 15 February 2002

Gorillaz is the debut album by the British virtual band Gorillaz, released in March 2001. It includes the singles "Clint Eastwood", "19-2000", "Rock the House" and "Tomorrow Comes Today". The album reached number three in the UK, and was an unexpected hit in the US, hitting number 14 and selling over five million copies worldwide.^[2]

Album information

Throughout the album, the band experiments with many combinations of a variety of musical genres including rock, trip hop,^[3] rap rock,^[4] art rock,^[5] Britpop,^[6] hip hop,^[7][8] dub,^[9][10] reggae,^[10][11] Latin,^[11] psychedelia,^[10] and punk rock.^[8]

The album's first single "Clint Eastwood", is named after the famous movie actor. The theme from The Good, The Bad, and the Ugly can be heard periodically throughout the song; this was one of several Sergio Leone-directed Italian westerns of the late 1960s in which Eastwood plays a character with no name. Years after the release of this album, it was revealed that the track "Starshine" has an alternative version, which features Luton-based rap group Phi Life Cypher. This version is not available on any releases, but it is available on the Phi Life Cypher SoundCloud channel and also on the video-sharing website YouTube.^[12]

All editions of the Gorillaz album feature an enhanced section that included screen savers, wallpaper and an autoplay, featuring a short movie which opens the user's Internet browser to a special section of the Gorillaz website, which gives the user full access to Murdoc's Winnebago.^[13]

Del the Funky Homosapien collaborated on two songs on the album, "Clint Eastwood" and "Rock the House", both of which became singles and videos and achieved chart success. Del was not originally slated to collaborate on these songs. By the time Del came onto the project, the album was already finished, and Phi Life Cypher had recorded verses for "Clint Eastwood"; but when Del finished making Deltron 3030 with Dan the Automator, Automator asked if he could stay in the studio a little longer to record new verses for the Gorillaz songs.^[14] For the purposes of the music videos and the Gorillaz storyline canon, Del performed as Gorillaz character "Del the Ghost Rapper", who was said to be a spirit that was hiding from death within the band's drummer, Russel Hobbs. Del later commented in an interview on the success of "Clint Eastwood" by saying that he actually wrote the song with the book How to Write a Hit Song, a book that he bought with a coupon his mother gave him. After the song went platinum he gave the plaque to his mother.^[15] As part of Russel Hobbs' back-story, the character of Del was one of Russel's friends that was gunned down in a drive-by shooting, whose ghost possessed Russel.^[16]

In 2004, the album was packaged with 2002's Laika Come Home in a limited edition box set as part of EMI's "2CD Originals" collection. Other saw a release such as the reggae-dub "Dub Dumb", which features British-Jamaican artist Sweetie Irie; it is available on the PlayStation 2 game MTV Music Generator 2 rather than on G Sides or the album itself. Other tracks include "Gor Beaten", which was another track that didn't make the album; however, elements of the track's instrumental were once available on one of the Gorillaz member's computers in Kong Studios.^[17]

Reception

Professional ratings
Aggregate scores
Source	Rating
Metacritic	71/100[18]
Review scores
Source	Rating
AllMusic	[19]
Alternative Press	8/10[20]
The Guardian	[21]
Los Angeles Times	[22]
NME	6/10[23]
Pitchfork Media	7.0/10[24]
Q	[25]
Rolling Stone	[26]
Slant Magazine	[27]
Spin	7/10[28]

Gorillaz received generally positive reviews from critics. It was ranked number six in Spin's and Kludge's Albums of the Year 2001,^[29][30] ranked number 96 in Slant magazine's best of the 2000s list,^[31] Complex magazine ranked it in the top 100 albums of the 2000s,^[32] and Gigwise included it on their list the 19 best self-titled albums of all time.^[33]

Q listed the album as one of the best 50 albums of 2001.^[34] The album was also included in the book 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die.^[35]

Singles

• "Tomorrow Comes Today" was released as an EP before the album was released. A video for the single was also released.
• "Clint Eastwood" was the first single from the album, debuting on 4 March 2001. The single peaked at number four on the UK Singles Chart, number 57 on the Billboard Hot 100 and number three on the Billboard Hot Modern Rock Tracks chart.
• "19-2000" was the second single from the album, released in June 2001. The single peaked at number six on the UK Singles Chart and number 23 on the Billboard Hot Modern Rock Tracks.
• "Rock the House" was the third single from the album, released in October 2001. The single peaked at number 18 on the UK Singles Chart.
• "Tomorrow Comes Today" was the fourth and final single from the album, released almost a year after the album, in February 2002. It peaked at number 33 on the UK Singles Chart.
• "5/4" was repeatedly considered for a single but was edged out by "19-2000" and "Rock the House". A video was considered for this, but never got past the storyboarding stage.

Track listing

Gorillaz — Standard edition
No.	Title	Writer(s)	Length
1.	"Re-Hash"	Damon Albarn	3:37
2.	"5/4"	Albarn	2:39
3.	"Tomorrow Comes Today"	Albarn	3:12
4.	"New Genious (Brother)"	Albarn, Odetta Gordon	3:57
5.	"Clint Eastwood" (featuring Del the Funky Homosapien)	Albarn, Teren Jones	5:39
6.	"Man Research (Clapper)"	Albarn	4:32
7.	"Punk"	Albarn	1:36
8.	"Sound Check (Gravity)"	Albarn	4:40
9.	"Double Bass"	Albarn	4:44
10.	"Rock the House" (featuring Del the Funky Homosapien)	Albarn, Jones, Dan Nakamura, John Dankworth	4:08
11.	"19-2000"	Albarn	3:27
12.	"Latin Simone (¿Qué Pasa Contigo?)" (featuring Ibrahim Ferrer)	Albarn, Ibrahim Ferrer, Lázaro Villa	3:36
13.	"Starshine"	Albarn	3:31
14.	"Slow Country"	Albarn	3:35
15.	"M1 A1"	Albarn, John Harrison	3:54

Gorillaz — UK bonus tracks
No.	Title	Writer(s)	Length
16.	"Clint Eastwood" (Ed Case and Sweetie Irie refix edit)	Albarn, Jones	3:42
17.	"19-2000" (Soulchild remix)	Albarn	3:33

Gorillaz — US bonus tracks
No.	Title	Writer(s)	Length
16.	"Dracula"	Albarn	4:44
17.	"Left Hand Suzuki Method"	Albarn, Mel London, Ellas McDaniel, McKinley Morganfield	3:12
18.	"19-2000" (Soulchild remix) (deluxe edition bonus track)	Albarn	3:33
19.	"Clint Eastwood" (Ed Case and Sweetie Irie refix) (deluxe edition bonus track)	Albarn, Jones	4:28

Both sets of bonus tracks appear together on Warner Bros Records' 2014 reissue of the album.

Bonus discs

Korean limited edition bonus disc[36]
No.	Title	Length
1.	"Rock the House" (music video)	3:43
2.	"Noodle Fight" (video game)	30:00
3.	"Cymbalism" (video game)	35:24
4.	"Gorillaz wallpaper"	38:08
5.	"Rock the House" (screensaver)	40:01
6.	"19-2000 driving game" (Geep simulator)	64:37

French limited edition bonus disc[37]
No.	Title	Length
1.	"Dracula"	4:44
2.	"Hip Albatross"	2:43
3.	"Left Hand Suzuki Method" (featuring Miho Hatori)	3:11
4.	"The Sounder" (featuring Phi Life Cypher)	6:16

Malaysian limited edition bonus disc[38]
No.	Title	Length
1.	"12D3"	3:25
2.	"Dracula"	4:44
3.	"Left Hand Suzuki Method" (featuring Miho Hatori)	3:11
4.	"Hip Albatross"	2:43
5.	"Tomorrow Comes Today" (music video)	3:16
6.	"Clint Eastwood" (music video)	4:30
7.	"19-2000" (music video)	3:56

Unmastered version[39]
No.	Title	Length
1.	"Slow Country"	3:38
2.	"Tomorrow Comes Today"	3:13
3.	"Latin Simone (¿Que Pasa Contigo?)"	3:39
4.	"Latin Simone (¿Que Pasa Contigo?)" (lower BV's)	3:39
5.	"New Genious" (Unmastered version of "New Genious (Brother)")	4:01
6.	"19-2000"	3:29
7.	"5/4"	2:42
8.	"Clint Eastwood" (featuring Del the Funky Homosapien)	6:33
9.	"Sound Check" (Unmastered version of "Sound Check (Gravity)")	4:44
10.	"Man Research (Clapper)"	4:36
11.	"Re-Hash"	3:40
12.	"Exhumation" (Unmastered version of "Left Hand Suzuki Method")	5:15
13.	"Rock the House" (instrumental)	3:47
14.	"M1 A1" (incorrectly titled as "Mi Ai" on cover art)	3:52
15.	"Punk"	2:23
16.	"Double Bass"	4:46
17.	"Starshine"	3:35
18.	"Faust"	4:08

Sample credits^[40]

• "New Genious (Brother)" contains samples of "Hit or Miss", written by Odetta Gordon and performed by Bo Diddley.
• "Man Research (Clapper)" contains samples of "In the Hall of the Mountain Queen" written and performed by Raymond Scott.
• "Rock the House" contains samples of "Modesty Blaise", written and performed by John Dankworth.
• "Slow Country" contains samples of "Ghost Town" written by Jerry Dammers and performed by The Specials.
• "M1 A1" contains samples of music from the film Day of the Dead, written by John Harrison.
• "Left Hand Suzuki Method" contains samples of "Mannish Boy", written by Mel London, Ellas McDaniel and McKinley Morganfield, and performed by Muddy Waters.

Chart positions

Chart (2001) Peak position Brazil (HITS São Paulo)[41] 5 Canadian Billboard Albums 13 Canadian Billboard Albums 13 UK Albums Chart 3 US Billboard 200 14 Personnel Credits for Gorillaz adapted from liner notes.[40] Damon Albarn – vocals, keyboards, melodica, guitar Jason Cox – production, engineering Dan the Automator – production Del the Funky Homosapien – rapping on "Clint Eastwood" and "Rock the House" Ibrahim Ferrer – vocals on "Latin Simone (¿Que Pasa Contigo?)" Tom Girling – production, engineering, Pro Tools Miho Hatori – additional vocals on "Re-Hash" and "19-2000" Jamie Hewlett – artwork Jow – photography Kid Koala – turntables Ed Reeve – photography Tina Weymouth – additional vocals on "19-2000" Toby Whelan – engineering Zombie Flesh Eaters – artwork Release history Region Label Catalog Edition United Kingdom Parlophone 7243 5 32093 0 original 7243 5 31138 0 3 re-issue France 7243 5 34488 0 6 limited United States Virgin 7243 5 33748 0 8 original re-issue Malaysia EMI 7243 5 38704 0 9 limited USA Warner Bros. Records 337480-2PRL December 2013 reissue after the break-up of EMI References "Thwack! Pow! Damon's death-defying year inside a cartoon phenomenon! Gorillaz!". NME: 26. 13 October 2001. "Artist Profile – Gorillaz". EMI. 2006. Archived from the original on 4 May 2009. Retrieved 7 December 2008. Rees, Christina (3 July 2001). "Monkey Wrench". The Village Voice. Retrieved 3 April 2014. "Plastic Beach". HipHopDX. Retrieved November 30, 2014. "Gorillaz: Gorillaz". The A.V. Club. 26 March 2001. Retrieved 3 April 2014. http://www.allmusic.com/album/gorillaz-mw0000002817 Eaters, Gorillaz ; written by Cass Browne & Gorillaz ; design by J.C. Hewlett & Zombie Flesh (2006). Rise of the ogre. New York: Riverhead Books. pp. 42–295. ISBN 9781594482717. Eaters, Gorillaz ; written by Cass Browne & Gorillaz ; design by J.C. Hewlett & Zombie Flesh (2006). Rise of the ogre. New York: Riverhead Books. pp. 52–295. ISBN 9781594482717. Eaters, Gorillaz ; written by Cass Browne & Gorillaz ; design by J.C. Hewlett & Zombie Flesh (2006). Rise of the ogre. New York: Riverhead Books. pp. 46–295. ISBN 9781594482717. Eaters, Gorillaz ; written by Cass Browne & Gorillaz ; design by J.C. Hewlett & Zombie Flesh (2006). Rise of the ogre. New York: Riverhead Books. pp. 47–295. ISBN 9781594482717. Eaters, Gorillaz ; written by Cass Browne & Gorillaz ; design by J.C. Hewlett & Zombie Flesh (2006). Rise of the ogre. New York: Riverhead Books. pp. 50–295. ISBN 9781594482717. https://soundcloud.com/phi-life-cypher/starshine-ft-gorillaz http://www.networksolutions.com/whois-search/murdocswinnebago.com http://www.madeyoulookradio.com/del-the-funky-homosapien-interview qcluu (19 April 2010). "Del the Funky Homosapien Hit the Books for Famous Gorillaz Rap". Spinner. Retrieved 19 January 2012. Brown, Cass; Gorillaz (2 November 2006). Rise of the Ogre. United Kingdom: Penguin. pp. 24–25. ISBN 1-59448-931-9. http://www.gorillaz-unofficial.com/news/ "Reviews for Gorillaz by Gorillaz". Metacritic. Retrieved 19 August 2014. Phares, Heather. "Gorillaz – Gorillaz". AllMusic. Retrieved 13 December 2015. "Gorillaz: Gorillaz". Alternative Press (156): 68. July 2001. "Beaten to a pulp". The Guardian. 23 March 2001. Retrieved 17 March 2016. Hochman, Steve (15 June 2001). "Record Rack". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 13 December 2015. Kessler, Ted. "Gorillaz : Gorillaz". NME. Retrieved 13 December 2015. Juzwiak, Richard M. (31 May 2001). "Gorillaz: Gorillaz". Pitchfork Media. Retrieved 1 August 2015. "Gorillaz: Gorillaz". Q (176): 115. May 2001. Walters, Barry (29 May 2001). "Gorillaz : Gorillaz". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on 7 December 2008. Retrieved 13 December 2015. Cinquemani, Sal (20 August 2001). "Gorillaz: Gorillaz". Slant Magazine. Retrieved 13 December 2015. Frere-Jones, Sasha (June 2001). "Gorillaz: Gorillaz". Spin. 17 (6): 148. Retrieved 13 December 2015. Spin End of Year Lists: 2001 Perez, Arturo. "Top 10 Albums of 2001". Kludge. Archived from the original on 22 July 2004. Retrieved November 25, 2015. Best of the Aughts: Albums "100 best albums of the 2000s". Complex. 29 November 2011. Retrieved 1 June 2016. "The 19 best self titled albums of all time". Gigwise. 17 December 2013. Retrieved 5 August 2015. "The Best 50 Albums of 2001". Q. December 2001. pp. 60–65. Robert Dimery; Michael Lydon (23 March 2010). 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die: Revised and Updated Edition. Universe. ISBN 978-0-7893-2074-2. Gorillaz – Gorillaz [South Korea] Gorillaz – Gorillaz [France] Gorillaz – Gorillaz [Malaysia] – Gorillaz [Original un-mastered] Gorillaz (CD liner). Gorillaz. Parlophone. 2001. 7243 531138 1 0. "HITS — Os discos mais vendidos da semana". ISTOÉ. Retrieved 2014-11-13. External links Gorillaz at Metacritic