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Crooked Timber (album)

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Crooked Timber
Studio album by
Therapy?
Released23 March 2009
RecordedJuly–August 2008
StudioBlast Studios, Newcastle, England and August–September 2008 at The Beauchamp Building, London, England
GenreAlternative rock, alternative metal
Length49:22
67:58 (DGE)
LabelDemolition Records
ProducerAndy Gill
Therapy? chronology
Music Through a Cheap Transistor
(2007) 		Crooked Timber
(2009) 		We're Here to the End
(2010)
Singles from Crooked Timber
  1. "Crooked Timber"
    Released: 18 May 2009
  2. "Exiles"
    Released: 7 July 2010
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[1]
Drowned in Sound[2]

Crooked Timber is the twelfth studio album by the rock band Therapy?, and the first to be released on Demolition Records. It was released on 23 March 2009. The album was recorded from July to August 2008 at Blast Studios, Newcastle, with additional recording at The Beauchamp Building in London from August to September 2008. Produced by Andy Gill, the album features a bias towards rhythm rather than melody.

According to Andy Cairns; "I guess we're always challenging just what makes us Therapy?. After so many years, if we were formulaic about it, we'd have gotten bored with the band long ago. The album was written together as a band, and each track has its own concept and inspirations. They took a while to write and we've taken our time to write them."

"From the crooked timber of humanity, no straight thing was ever made." – Immanuel Kant (18th-century German philosopher)

Andy explains: "The recording is about celebrating people's quirks, the things which make us unique. These days everyone tries to fit in, instead of just being themselves. The songs examine what it means to be human – To realise that we are the only living things on the planet aware of our own deaths."[3]

Crooked Timber reached number 197 in the UK Album charts. As of early May 2009 (6 weeks following its release), the album had sold 30,000 copies in Europe and was certified silver.[4]

The album was released on limited edition white 12" vinyl, CD and Download.

On 19 July 2010 the album was re-released as a "Deluxe Gold Edition" digipak CD featuring two bonus tracks, two remixes and 4 alternate versions.[5]

On 10 June 2022 the album was once again re-released, this time as a 2CD "Extended Version" featuring the original album on disc 1 and a selection of previously released bonus tracks on disc 2.

Singles

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  • "Crooked Timber" – 18 May 2009 on CD and download. A single edit version of "Crooked Timber" with "Don't Try", "Low Winter Sun" and "Crooked Timber (Breathless FX Mix)".
  • "Exiles" – 7 July 2010 as a download only. "Exiles" (Gold Edition Sample Version), with "Exiles (Subglitch & Stitch Remix)" and "Magic Mountain (The Dubious Twins Babylon Remix)"
  • "Enjoy the Struggle" was scheduled to be released as the album's first single,[6] but in a change of heart, "Crooked Timber" was deemed to be a better choice by the band.[7]

Promo video

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  • "Crooked Timber": directed by 'Sitcom Soldiers'

Reception

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Reviews have been mostly positive. The album earned a rave review on Irish indie website drop-d, stating it "not only confirms their incredible legacy, but takes them to a new level",[8] and they earned the first ever 10/10 on The Mag".[9] Kerrang! gave the album a KKK review (the equivalent of 3/5). Kerrang!'s UK competitor, Metal Hammer gave the album 8/10. However, French websites have, on average, slated the album criticising its schizophrenic nature and the bands' refusal to focus on one particular sound.

Track listing

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All tracks are written by Therapy? except track 4 (Therapy? and Andy Gill)

No.TitleLength
1."The Head That Tried to Strangle Itself"3:24
2."Enjoy the Struggle"4:10
3."Clowns Galore"3:41
4."Exiles"5:36
5."Crooked Timber"5:52
6."I Told You I Was Ill"3:50
7."Somnambulist"4:04
8."Blacken the Page"2:48
9."Magic Mountain"10:05
10."Bad Excuse for Daylight"5:49
Total length:49:22
Deluxe Gold edition
No.TitleLength
1."The Head That Tried to Strangle Itself"3:27
2."Enjoy the Struggle"4:12
3."Clowns Galore"3:43
4."Exiles" (Sample Version)5:47
5."Crooked Timber" (Breathless FX Mix)5:55
6."I Told You I Was Ill"3:53
7."Somnambulist"4:08
8."Blacken the Page"2:49
9."Magic Mountain" (Sample Version)10:14
10."Bad Excuse for Daylight" (Sample Version)5:57
11."Exiles" (Bong-Ra Gutteral Exodus Mix)4:42
12."Magic Mountain" (Snug Slut Mix)4:32
13."Low Winter Sun"4:21
14."Don't Try"4:16
Total length:67:58
Extended Version (Disc 2)
No.TitleLength
1."Exiles" (Sample Mix)5:47
2."Crooked Timber" (Breathless FX Mix)5:55
3."Magic Mountain" (Sample Version)10:14
4."Bad Excuse For Daylight" (Sample Version)5:57
5."Exiles" (Bong-Ra Guttural Exodus Mix)4:42
6."Magic Mountain" (Snug Slut Mix)4:32
7."Low Winter Sun"4:21
8."Don't Try"4:16
Total length:45:31

Personnel

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Therapy?
Technical
  • Andy Gill – producer and engineer
  • Sam Morton – engineer
  • Adam Sinclair – mixing and additional recording
  • Tom Hoad – photography
  • Michael Surtees – design

Charts

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Chart (2009) Peak
position
Belgian Albums (Ultratop Flanders)[10] 98
UK Albums (OCC)[4] 197

References

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  1. ^ Prato, Greg. "Review: Crooked Timber". AllMusic. Retrieved 29 December 2009.
  2. ^ Winters, John. "Album Review: Therapy? - Crooked Timber". Drowned in Sound. Retrieved 29 December 2009.
  3. ^ "Andy Cairns interview in press release for new album". Archived from the original on 7 August 2011.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
  4. ^ a b "Album Goes Silver". Archived from the original on 7 July 2012. Retrieved 28 June 2009.
  5. ^ "Crooked Timber Deluxe Gold Edition". Archived from the original on 7 August 2011.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
  6. ^ "Micheal McKeegan message board post regarding track listing". Archived from the original on 7 August 2011.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
  7. ^ "Micheal McKeegan diary regarding first single". Archived from the original on 20 July 2011.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
  8. ^ "drop-d review of Crooked Timber". 4 December 2019.
  9. ^ "The Mag Review of Crooked Timber". Archived from the original on 19 April 2009. Retrieved 7 May 2009.
  10. ^ "Therapy? - Crooked Timber" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved 4 November 2021.
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