Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga

"Don't Make Me a Target" was originally written by Daniel while Spoon was producing its previous album, Gimme Fiction. The band practiced it "quite a bit" before the release of Gimme Fiction, but ended up shelving it for a year after unsuccessful attempts to work out an arrangement they liked.[http://www.emusic.com/features/spotlight/293_200707-ata-spoon.html "About the Album: Spoon's Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga by Britt Daniel"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070716203935/http://www.emusic.com/features/spotlight/293_200707-ata-spoon.html |date=July 16, 2007 }}, eMusic Magazine, July 5, 2007. When it was recorded a year later, the drum part was recorded without tom-toms the first time. Drummer Jim Eno then recorded the tom-toms separately with a drastically different microphone arrangement. This gave them a much more reverb-laden sound, as if "in a tunnel".

The track "You Got Yr. Cherry Bomb" was a song the band "really struggled with". This led them to record it three different ways, including a "space rock" version found on the bonus disc and heard distantly at the end of the album arrangement.

At the beginning of "Don't You Evah", Daniel can be heard repeatedly asking "Jim, can you record the talkback?". According to Daniel, he was asking Jim Eno to record the talkback microphone that was being manned by producer Mike McCarthy to a separate track. McCarthy would make comments to Daniel over the talkback microphone at the studio desk as Daniel was singing, and Daniel and Eno considered McCarthy's comments to be ridiculous. As the intro continued, Daniel began singing along with the guitar line, which can also be heard on the final mix.

The vinyl version has no run-out groove on side two. Instead, it ends on a continuous loop of music that appears after the end of the song "Black Like Me".

The album's title is the former title for the song "The Ghost of You Lingers", which was meant to sound like the song's staccato piano part.Joe Gross, [http://www.austin360.com/music/content/music/stories/2007/07/0707spoon.html "In Tune with Spoon"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071011232801/http://www.austin360.com/music/content/music/stories/2007/07/0707spoon.html |date=October 11, 2007 }}, Austin360.com, July 5, 2007. The band changed the song's title, but decided to adopt the name "Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga" as the album title, with Britt Daniel calling it a "great little Dadaist term". Its cover art comes from a portrait of the artist and sculptor Lee Bontecou, taken by the Italian photographer Ugo Mulas in 1963.{{cite web|url=http://www.pitchforkmedia.com/page/news/42601-exclusive-spoon-reveal-iga-ga-ga-ga-gai-cover-art|title=Pitchfork.com|access-date=2007-07-11|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070629115405/http://www.pitchforkmedia.com/page/news/42601-exclusive-spoon-reveal-iga-ga-ga-ga-gai-cover-art|archive-date=June 29, 2007|df=mdy-all}} The completed sculpture on the right is now in the collection of the Honolulu Museum of Art.{{Cite web|url=http://www.honolulumuseum.org/art/5409-untitleda_z|title=Honolulu Museum of Art » Untitled|website=www.honolulumuseum.org|access-date=2018-08-28|archive-date=August 29, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180829072158/http://www.honolulumuseum.org/art/5409-untitleda_z|url-status=live}}

An iTunes-exclusive bonus track, "Deep Clean", was packaged with Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga. A limited edition copy of the album was released along with a bonus disc entitled Get Nice! The disc includes 23 minutes of mostly instrumental songs and a few demo tracks. Early buyers of the album also received a free 7" containing a demo of "The Underdog", and the B-side "It Took a Rumor to Make Me Wonder, Now I'm Convinced I'm Going Under", which had previously appeared on the UK edition of the "Sister Jack" single.{{citation needed|date=October 2012}}

{{Music ratings

| MC = 84/100{{cite web |url=http://www.metacritic.com/music/ga-ga-ga-ga-ga/spoon |title=Reviews for Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga by Spoon |publisher=Metacritic |accessdate=September 19, 2012 |archive-date=April 4, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130404000418/http://www.metacritic.com/music/ga-ga-ga-ga-ga/spoon |url-status=live }}

| rev1 = AllMusic

| rev1Score = {{Rating|5|5}}{{cite web |url=http://www.allmusic.com/album/ga-ga-ga-ga-ga-mw0000746410 |title=Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga – Spoon |publisher=AllMusic |accessdate=September 4, 2020 |last=Phares |first=Heather |archive-date=January 9, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210109201159/https://www.allmusic.com/album/ga-ga-ga-ga-ga-mw0000746410 |url-status=live }}

| rev2 = The A.V. Club

| rev2Score = B+{{cite journal |url=http://www.avclub.com/review/spoon-emga-ga-ga-ga-gaem-7715 |title=Spoon: Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga |journal=The A.V. Club |date=July 10, 2007 |accessdate=July 31, 2015 |last=Murray |first=Noel |archive-date=September 24, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150924150720/http://www.avclub.com/review/spoon-emga-ga-ga-ga-gaem-7715 |url-status=live }}

| rev3 = Entertainment Weekly

| rev3Score = A−{{cite magazine |url=http://www.ew.com/article/2007/07/07/ga-ga-ga-ga-ga |title=Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga |magazine=Entertainment Weekly |date=July 7, 2007 |accessdate=August 1, 2015 |last=Howe |first=Sean |archive-date=September 24, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150924064407/http://www.ew.com/article/2007/07/07/ga-ga-ga-ga-ga |url-status=live }}

| rev4 = The Guardian

| rev4Score = {{Rating|3|5}}{{cite news |url=https://www.theguardian.com/music/2007/jul/06/popandrock.shopping3 |title=Spoon, Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga |work=The Guardian |date=July 6, 2007 |accessdate=July 31, 2015 |last=Costa |first=Maddy |archive-date=October 5, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151005121240/http://www.theguardian.com/music/2007/jul/06/popandrock.shopping3 |url-status=live }}

| rev5 = MSN Music (Consumer Guide)

| rev5Score = B+{{cite web |url=http://www.robertchristgau.com/xg/cg/cg2007-09.php |title=Consumer Guide |work=MSN Music |date=September 2007 |accessdate=July 31, 2015 |last=Christgau |first=Robert |author-link=Robert Christgau |archive-date=June 24, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150624015955/http://www.robertchristgau.com/xg/cg/cg2007-09.php |url-status=live }}

| rev6 = Pitchfork

| rev6Score = 8.5/10{{cite web |url=http://pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/10390-ga-ga-ga-ga-ga/ |title=Spoon: Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga |work=Pitchfork |date=July 11, 2007 |accessdate=July 31, 2015 |last=Harvey |first=Eric |archive-date=August 16, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150816072844/http://pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/10390-ga-ga-ga-ga-ga/ |url-status=live }}

| rev7 = Q

| rev7Score = {{Rating|4|5}}{{cite journal |title=Spoon: Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga |journal=Q |issue=254 |date=September 2007 |page=96}}

| rev8 = Rolling Stone

| rev8Score = {{Rating|4|5}}{{cite magazine |url=https://www.rollingstone.com/reviews/album/15237727/review/15523972/ga_ga_ga_ga_ga |title=Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga : Spoon |magazine=Rolling Stone |date=July 18, 2007 |accessdate=July 31, 2015 |last=Hoard |first=Christian |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20070824003652/http://www.rollingstone.com/reviews/album/15237727/review/15523972/ga_ga_ga_ga_ga |archivedate=August 24, 2007}}

| rev9 = Spin

| rev9Score = {{Rating|4|5}}{{cite journal |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Ezn8AaqFtHUC&pg=PA104 |title=Sketch Artists |journal=Spin |volume=23 |issue=8 |date=August 2007 |accessdate=July 31, 2015 |last=Peisner |first=David |page=104 |archive-date=January 20, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160120015112/https://books.google.com/books?id=Ezn8AaqFtHUC&pg=PA104 |url-status=live }}

| rev10 = Uncut

| rev10Score = {{Rating|4|5}}{{cite journal |title=Spoon: Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga |journal=Uncut |issue=124 |date=September 2007 |page=95}}

}}

Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga received critical acclaim from music critics. At Metacritic, which assigns a normalized rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream publications, the album received an average score of 84 based on 33 reviews, indicating "universal acclaim". In a review for Entertainment Weekly, Sean Howe complimented the "inventory of sounds" on Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga, calling it "one of those 'taking stock' records that refines and collates everything that came before". PopMatters{{'}} Zeth Lundy cited the album as the band's "most groove-oriented effort", thanks in part to the addition of Eric Harvey and Rob Pope to the band's recording line-up, and concluded by writing that "there's plenty on Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga to suggest that the band harbors its most intimate operational relationships outside the norm."{{cite web |url=http://www.popmatters.com/review/spoon-ga-ga-ga-ga-ga/ |title=Spoon: Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga |work=PopMatters |date=July 10, 2007 |accessdate=July 31, 2015 |last=Lundy |first=Zeth |archive-date=January 20, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160120015112/http://www.popmatters.com/review/spoon-ga-ga-ga-ga-ga/ |url-status=live }} Heather Phares of AllMusic praised its "remarkable blend of focus and creativity" and noted that "even if Spoon's modus operandi seems overly regimented on paper, the results are just as elegant as they are fun." Giving it a "Best New Music" designation, Eric Harvey of Pitchfork called the album a "wonderfully singular indie rock record".

The album appeared on several year-end and decade-end lists released by music publications. cokemachineglow rated it the best album of 2007.{{cite web|url=http://cokemachineglow.com/category/top-50-albums-2007/?pg=5|title=Top 50 Albums 2007|first1=Dom|last1=Sinacola|website=cokemachineglow.com|access-date=October 18, 2014|archive-date=September 27, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150927164835/http://cokemachineglow.com/category/top-50-albums-2007/?pg=5|url-status=live}} Pitchfork ranked it the 7th best album of 2007{{cite web|url=http://pitchfork.com/features/staff-lists/6753-top-50-albums-of-2007/|work=Pitchfork|title=Top 50 Albums of 2007|date=December 18, 2007|access-date=2015-09-26|archive-date=October 17, 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141017042107/http://pitchfork.com/features/staff-lists/6753-top-50-albums-of-2007/|url-status=live}} and later ranked it the 35th best album of the decade.{{cite web|url=http://pitchfork.com/features/staff-lists/7709-the-top-200-albums-of-the-2000s-50-21/|date=October 1, 2009|access-date=2015-09-26|title=The Top 200 Albums of the 2000s: 50–21|work=Pitchfork|archive-date=August 22, 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130822235004/http://pitchfork.com/features/staff-lists/7709-the-top-200-albums-of-the-2000s-50-21/|url-status=dead}} The album was at #10 on Rolling Stone's list of the Top 50 Albums of 2007.Robert Christgau, David Fricke, Christian Hoard, Rob Sheffield (December 17, 2007) Delusions of Adequacy rated it the 2nd best album of 2007 and the 43rd best of the decade. Tiny Mix Tapes ranked it the 9th best of the year.{{cite web|url=http://www.tinymixtapes.com/features/2007-tiny-mix-tapes-favorite-albums-2007|title=2007: Tiny Mix Tapes Favorite Albums of 2007|publisher=Tiny Mix Tapes|website=tinymixtapes.com|date=December 2007|access-date=2015-09-26|archive-date=April 7, 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140407073621/http://www.tinymixtapes.com/features/2007-tiny-mix-tapes-favorite-albums-2007|url-status=live}} Treble ranked it the 3rd best album of 2007{{cite web|url=http://www.treblezine.com/top-50-albums-of-2007/|website=treblezine.com|access-date=2015-09-26|date=December 17, 2007|title=Top 50 Albums of 2007|publisher=Treblezine|archive-date=August 20, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150820025848/http://www.treblezine.com/top-50-albums-of-2007/|url-status=live}} and the 31st best of the decade.{{cite web|url=http://www.treblezine.com/the-best-albums-of-the-00s/|title=The Best Albums of the '00s|date=January 18, 2010|access-date=2015-09-26|website=treblezine.com|publisher=Treblezine|archive-date=August 21, 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140821053858/http://www.treblezine.com/the-best-albums-of-the-00s/|url-status=live}} Q and Glide also ranked it the 66th and 28th best albums of the decade respectively.

{{clear}}

All songs produced by Britt Daniel, Jim Eno and Mike McCarthy, and engineered by Jim Eno and Mike McCarthy, except "The Underdog", produced by Jon Brion and Spoon, and engineered by Greg Koller.

{{track listing

| total_length = 36:26

| all_writing = Britt Daniel, except where noted

| title1 = Don't Make Me a Target

| length1 = 3:55

| title2 = The Ghost of You Lingers

| length2 = 3:34

| title3 = You Got Yr. Cherry Bomb

| length3 = 3:08

| title4 = Don't You Evah

| note4 = written by Julian Tepper, Max Tepper, Derek Vockins

| length4 = 3:36

| title5 = Rhthm {{sic}} & Soul

| length5 = 3:30

| title6 = Eddie's Ragga

| note6 = written by Britt Daniel, Jim Eno, Eric Harvey, Eddie Robert

| length6 = 3:39

| title7 = The Underdog

| length7 = 3:42

| title8 = My Little Japanese Cigarette Case

| length8 = 3:03

| title9 = Finer Feelings

| length9 = 4:54

| title10 = Black Like Me

| length10 = 3:25

}}

{{track listing

| headline = iTunes edition

| title11 = Deep Clean

| length11 = 3:45

}}

{{track listing

| headline = Japanese edition

| title11 = I Summon You (Cool)

| length11 = 1:28

| note11 = from the Get Nice! bonus EP

| title12 = You Got Yr. Cherry Bomb (Garage Reverb)

| length12 = 3:13

| note12 = from the Get Nice! bonus EP

}}

The first pressing of the Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga CD release included the bonus EP Get Nice!, which contains alternative versions of "I Summon You" (from the previous album Gimme Fiction) and "You Got Yr. Cherry Bomb". It also includes many previously unreleased instrumental tracks.Paul Thompson, [http://www.pitchforkmedia.com/article/news/43182-spoon-augment-ga-ga-ga-ga-ga-with-bonus-ep "Spoon Augment Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga With Bonus EP"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081218052650/http://www.pitchforkmedia.com/article/news/43182-spoon-augment-ga-ga-ga-ga-ga-with-bonus-ep |date=December 18, 2008 }}, Pitchfork Media, posted on May 24, 2007 at 3:57 pm

{{track listing

| total_length = 23:03

| title1 = I Got Mine

| length1 = 2:34

| title2 = Be Still My Servant

| length2 = 1:24

| title3 = Leave Your Effects Where They're Easily Seen

| length3 = 0:56

| title4 = I Summon You (Cool)

| length4 = 1:28

| title5 = Mean Mad Margaret

| length5 = 1:37

| title6 = Love Makes You Feel

| length6 = 2:38

| title7 = You Got Yr. Cherry Bomb (Garage Reverb)

| length7 = 3:13

| title8 = Tasty Fish

| length8 = 1:18

| title9 = Dracula's Cigarette

| length9 = 1:24

| title10 = 1975

| length10 = 1:39

| title11 = I Can Feel It Fade Like an AM Single

| length11 = 3:12

| title12 = Curfew Tolls

| length12 = 1:33

}}

Pre-orders for the vinyl release of Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga included a 7" vinyl single with a demo version of "The Underdog". The B-side of the single is "It Took A Rumor To Make Me Wonder, Now I'm Convinced I'm Going Under" a song which has been previously released under the name "It Took A Rumor To Make Me Wonder Now I'm Afraid I'm Going Under" on the UK release of "Sister Jack".

{{track listing

| total_length = 7:59

| title1 = The Underdog (demo)

| length1 = 3:12

| title2 = It Took A Rumor To Make Me Wonder, Now I'm Convinced I'm Going Under

| length2 = 4:47

| note2 = from the "Sister Jack" UK release

}}

• Britt Daniel – vocals, guitar
• Jim Eno – drums
• Eric Harvey – piano, keyboards
• Rob Pope – bass
• Jason Freese – sax
• Ron Blake – trumpet
• Francisco Torres – trombone

• "Don't You Evah" is a cover of the song "Don't You Ever" by The Natural History.On February 25, 2005, The Natural History performed "Don't You Ever" at Maxwell's in Hoboken, New Jersey. The concert can be found [http://www.emusic.com/album/The-Natural-History-The-Natural-History-Live-at-Maxwell-s-02-25-2005-MP3-Download/10848094.html here] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071030021919/http://www.emusic.com/album/The-Natural-History-The-Natural-History-Live-at-Maxwell-s-02-25-2005-MP3-Download/10848094.html |date=October 30, 2007 }} at eMusic; Please note that eMusic has mislabeled "Don't You Ever" as "Princeton Junction". The original song can be found on the album People That I Meet and on Spoon's EP Don't You Evah.
• "Eddie's Ragga" is named after Eddie Robert from the band I Love You But I've Chosen Darkness, which also comes from Austin, Texas.{{cite web|url=http://www.anti.com/artist.php?id=50 |title=Anti.com |access-date=2007-07-11 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070930193950/http://www.anti.com/artist.php?id=50 |archive-date=September 30, 2007 |url-status=dead |df=mdy }} Eddie Robert has also written parts of the song.
• "Finer Feelings" uses a sample from the song "Industrial Spy" by the Jamaican reggae artist Mikey Dread. The song was written by Micheal G. Campbell and can be found on Dread's 1979 album African Anthem.
• "Don't You Evah" in part of the soundtrack of Hulu miniseries 11.22.63, episode "The Rabbit Hole".
• "The Underdog" was featured in the 2017 film Spider-Man: Homecoming.{{cite web|url=http://www.denofgeek.com/us/movies/spider-man-homecoming/266173/spider-man-homecoming-uses-music-perfectly|title=Spider-Man: Homecoming Uses Music Perfectly|last=Cecchini|first=Mike|publisher=Den of Geek|date=July 7, 2017|access-date=September 18, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171004081921/http://www.denofgeek.com/us/movies/spider-man-homecoming/266173/spider-man-homecoming-uses-music-perfectly|archive-date=October 4, 2017|url-status=live|df=mdy-all}}

Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga debuted at number 10 on the Billboard 200 at 46,000 copies sold. In week 2, it fell to 35 with 19,000, then 55 with 12,000 on August 1, 2007. In week 4, it fell to number 58, selling 11,000—a total of 88,000 copies in 4 weeks.

{{col-begin}}

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{{col-2}}

{{col-end}}

The song "You Got Yr. Cherry Bomb" was ranked number 16 on Rolling Stone{{'}}s list of the 100 Best Songs of 2007.No byline (December 11, 2007). [https://web.archive.org/web/20071220102320/http://www.rollingstone.com/news/story/17601851/the_top_50_albums_of_2007/5 "The 100 Best Songs of 2007"] Rolling Stone. Retrieved 2007-12-21

{{Reflist}}

{{refbegin}}

• Sean O'Neal, [http://www.avclub.com/content/interview/britt_daniel_of_spoon "Britt Daniel of Spoon,"] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080306090348/http://www.avclub.com/content/interview/britt_daniel_of_spoon |date=March 6, 2008 }} July 19, 2007. Retrieved October 12, 2007.
• {{Cite web |last1=Yoshida |first1=Emily |title=Spoon's Britt Daniel on the 10th Anniversary of Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga |work=Vulture |date=2017-08-29 |url=https://www.vulture.com/2017/08/interview-britt-daniel-spoon.html |language=en-us |access-date=2022-09-06 |df=mdy-all |archive-date=March 23, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220323225040/https://www.vulture.com/2017/08/interview-britt-daniel-spoon.html |url-status=live }}

{{refend}}

• [https://web.archive.org/web/20070701151410/http://www.mergerecords.com/gagagajuke/ Free webstream of the album in its entirety]

{{Spoon}}

{{Authority control}}

Category:2007 albums

Category:Spoon (band) albums

Category:Anti- (record label) albums

Category:Merge Records albums

Category:Albums produced by Mike McCarthy (producer)

Category:Albums produced by Jon Brion