The Good, the Bad & the Queen | ||||
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Studio album by Damon Albarn, Tony Allen, Paul Simonon and Simon Tong | ||||
Released | 22 January 2007 | |||
Recorded | 2005–2006 | |||
Studio |
Studio 13 (West London, England) Townhouse Studios (West London, England) |
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Genre | Alternative rock, art rock | |||
Length |
42:49 75:43 (Limited Edition) |
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Label | Parlophone, Honest Jon's, EMI, Virgin | |||
Producer | Danger Mouse | |||
Damon Albarn chronology | ||||
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Tony Allen chronology | ||||
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Paul Simonon chronology | ||||
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Simon Tong chronology | ||||
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Singles from The Good, the Bad & the Queen | ||||
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Professional ratings | |
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Aggregate scores | |
Source | Rating |
Metacritic | 76/100 |
Review scores | |
Source | Rating |
AllMusic | |
The A.V. Club | C |
Entertainment Weekly | B+ |
The Guardian | |
Los Angeles Times | |
NME | 8/10 |
Pitchfork | 6.8/10 |
Q | |
Rolling Stone | |
Spin |
The Good, the Bad & the Queen is the album by an unnamed British alternative rock supergroup also commonly referred to as The Good, The Bad & The Queen, and made up of Damon Albarn, Paul Simonon, Simon Tong and Tony Allen and produced by Danger Mouse. The album was released in January 2007. The album debuted at number two in the UK Albums Chart and was certified Gold in the UK within days of its release despite little media recognition and airplay. In the United States, the album entered the Billboard 200 at No. 49.
It is stated that the record is, in a sense, a concept album, as its songs are all themed around modern life in London. It was described by Albarn as "a song cycle that's also a mystery play about London" in an interview with Mojo.
Although The Good, The Bad & The Queen was first reported as a solo album by Albarn with Danger Mouse producing, NME revealed in late July 2006 that the solo project had been switched to a new group formed by Albarn. The band, which formed in 2006, released their first single, "Herculean" on 30 October 2006. The single followed the band's appearance at the BBC's Electric Proms season at the redeveloped Roundhouse in Camden on 26 October, during which they performed the entire album. Three warm-up gigs in East Prawle at the Pig's Nose Inn, Ilfracombes Marlboro Club and The Exeter Cavern Club preceded their gig on the BBC's Electric Proms, where the album was performed in order with two other songs inserted, "Intermission Jam" and "Mr. Whippy"; the latter was a B-side for "Herculean". The band performed four tracks from the album at Abbey Road Studios on 13 December 2006, during a recording session for Live from Abbey Road.