Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix
| Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix | ||||
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| Studio album by Phoenix | ||||
| Released | 25 May 2009 | |||
| Recorded | 2008 | |||
| Studio | Motorbass Studio (Paris, France) |
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| Length | 37:02 | |||
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| Phoenix chronology | ||||
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| Singles from Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix | ||||
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| Alternative cover | ||||
Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix Remixes cover
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| Professional ratings | |
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| Aggregate scores | |
| Source | Rating |
| Metacritic | 82/100 |
| Review scores | |
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   |
| The A.V. Club | A |
| Chicago Tribune |  |
| Entertainment Weekly | A− |
| The Guardian | |
| NME | 8/10 |
| Pitchfork Media | 8.5/10 |
| Q | |
| Rolling Stone | |
| Spin | 7/10 |
Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix is the fourth studio album by French indie pop band Phoenix. It was released on 25 May 2009 by V2 Records. While the band's previous work enjoyed a moderate underground following, the release of Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix drew the attention of a more mainstream audience. In the US, Phoenix began a promotional tour including performances on several late night talk shows. Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix continued to gain momentum with the increased exposure of the tour. The album had the critics' attention, and despite a slow climb in alternative music charts it eventually reached the top 10 for the year.Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix earned the band a Grammy Award for Best Alternative Music Album at the 52nd Grammy Awards held on 31 January 2010.
The album credits Phoenix band members Thomas Mars on vocals, Deck D'Arcy on bass, and Laurent Brancowitz and Christian Mazzalai on guitar, as well as the collaboration of Phillipe Zdar Cerboneschi, who mixed the album and played drums on the song "Fences". Phoenix produced 10 songs for release on the album in the US and Canada under the Glassnote label.
The album name plays off of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, using his first and middle name and replacing his last with the band's name "Phoenix". Of the name, Phoenix, Thomas Mars says, "The album title is almost like a childish thing, like you’re unleashing a child into the museum and he draws a mustache on the Mona Lisa or something ... It’s kind of bratty, especially with me, my mom is German and Mozart is Austrian and in Germany it’s like messing with the Pope or something."
Co-producer Philippe Zdar hosted the recording of the album from his in home studio in Paris. During the production of the album, the band recorded video of the sessions, which they have released as mini documentaries of their journey to create Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix. The videos are available on the band's website.
Throughout the process, lead singer Thomas Mars, noted the use of Oblique Strategies flash cards to promote his creative thinking during the development of the album.
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Wikipedia