Pull the Pin

Lead singer Kelly Jones had to take ten months off before commencing to write songs for the album due to an illness in his family.{{cite web |url=http://drownedinsound.com/in_depth/4146137-album-by-album--kelly-jones-on-the-stereophonics-back-catalogue |title=Album by Album: Kelly Jones on the Stereophonics' back catalogue |publisher=Drowned in Sound |date=8 May 2013 |access-date=29 June 2013 |archive-date=18 October 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131018032808/http://drownedinsound.com/in_depth/4146137-album-by-album--kelly-jones-on-the-stereophonics-back-catalogue |url-status=dead }} About two years prior to the release of Pull the Pin, he had written the lyrics for "It Means Nothing" and "Daisy Lane" in a hotel in Germany—the latter was written for Language. Sex. Violence. Other? (2005) but it wasn't completed during that time.

"It Means Nothing" was written based on the 7/7 London attacks, it is about the feeling of unease in the city and people realising what was important in their lives.{{cite news |url=https://www.theguardian.com/music/2008/oct/28/popandrock |title=Portrait of the artist: Kelly Jones, musician |last=Barnett |first=Laura |newspaper=The Guardian |date=28 October 2008 |access-date=9 August 2013}} "Daisy Lane" is about a young boy who was stabbed to death on the street where Jones lives. The song "Stone" contains lyrics which were also featured in their earlier single "Moviestar", namely: "You're in my soul / You're in my mind".{{cite AV media notes |title=You Gotta Go There To Come Back |others=Stereophonics |year=2003 |publisher=V2 Records |type=CD booklet}} It was considered for the album's lead single but the band and record company decided for "It Means Nothing" instead.

"Bank Holiday Monday" was made available to download on 28 May 2007 to those who purchased tickets for the band's tour in November 2007.{{cite web |url=http://www.stereophonics.com/music/release/bank-holiday-monday |title=Bank Holiday Monday |publisher=The Stereophonics Ltd |access-date=23 July 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130811174953/http://www.stereophonics.com/music/release/Bank-Holiday-Monday |archive-date=11 August 2013 |url-status=dead }} Pull The Pin was released on 12 October 2007{{cite web |url=http://www.stereophonics.com/music/release/pull-the-pin |title=Pull The Pin |publisher=The Stereophonics Ltd |access-date=23 July 2013}} on three formats, including CD, digital and LP.{{cite web |url=https://www.allmusic.com/album/pull-the-pin-mw0000797146/releases |title=Pull The Pin releases |website=AllMusic |access-date=23 July 2013}}

The artwork of the two lips was designed by Miles Aldridge while Graham Rounthwaite and Stereophonics handled the art direction. The band photographs inside the CD booklet were taken by Hans Peter van Velthoven. The title and cover art of Pull the Pin was negatively received. When reviewing the album, Ian Cohen from Pitchfork called them "awful" while Drowned in Sound contributor Cpt Howling Mad Murdock called the cover art "some of the worst artwork of the year." Sonja D'Cruze at the BBC also disliked the artwork, commenting, "And that's not to mention the distasteful artwork of two sets of psychedelic glossed-up lips pulling a grenade pin."{{cite web |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/music/reviews/8wcz |title=Stereophonics Pull The Pin Review |last=D'Cruze |first=Sonja |publisher=BBC |date=2007 |access-date=29 July 2013}}

The band's newsletter on 24 July 2007 confirmed details and artwork of the first single to be released from the album. "It Means Nothing" was released as the first single from the album in digital form on 24 September 2007{{cite web |url=http://www.stereophonics.com/news/post/it-means-nothing-released-digitally-today |title='It Means Nothing' released digitally today! |publisher=The Stereophonics Ltd |date=24 September 2007 |access-date=23 July 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140715002145/http://www.stereophonics.com/news/post/it-means-nothing-released-digitally-today |archive-date=15 July 2014 |url-status=dead }} and later on 1 October three major versions were released, including one CD single and two vinyl singles.{{cite web |url=http://www.stereophonics.com/news/post/it-means-nothing-out-today |title=It Means Nothing – Out todday! |publisher=The Stereophonics Ltd |date=1 October 2007 |access-date=23 July 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140714220804/http://www.stereophonics.com/news/post/it-means-nothing-out-today |archive-date=14 July 2014 |url-status=dead }} It charted at number twelve in the UK Singles chart,{{cite web |url=https://www.officialcharts.com/charts/singles-chart/20071007/7501/ |title=2007 Top 40 Official UK Singles Archive |publisher=Official Charts Company |date=13 October 2007 |access-date=23 July 2013}} making it the first lead single to miss out on the top five since "Local Boy in the Photograph".{{cite web|url=http://www.everyhit.com/searchsec.php |title=Search Results -- Singles |publisher=everyHit |access-date=23 July 2013 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081012195559/http://www.everyhit.com/searchsec.php |archive-date=12 October 2008 }} "My Friends" was released as the second single on 10 December 2007 on three formats, CD, 7" vinyl and USB,{{cite web |url=http://www.stereophonics.com/news/post/my-friends-release-details |title=My Friends release details |publisher=The Stereophonics Ltd |access-date=23 July 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140714120844/http://www.stereophonics.com/news/post/my-friends-release-details |archive-date=14 July 2014 |url-status=dead }} and charted at number thirty-two on the UK charts.{{cite web |url=https://www.officialcharts.com/charts/singles-chart/20071216/7501/ |title=2007 Top 40 Official UK Singles Archive |publisher=Official Charts Company |date=22 December 2007 |access-date=23 July 2013}}

{{Music ratings

| MC = 46/100

| rev1 = AllMusic

| rev1Score = {{Rating|2.5|5}}{{cite web |url={{AllMusic|class=album|id=r1185843|pure_url=yes}} |title=Stereophonics – Pull the Pin |last=Erlewine |first=Stephen Thomas |access-date=23 July 2013}}

| rev2 = Drowned in Sound

| rev2Score = 4/10{{cite web |url=http://drownedinsound.com/releases/11465/reviews/2525381 |title=Stereophonics – Pull The Pin |last=Cpt. Murdock |first=Howling Mad |publisher=Drowned in Sound |date=24 October 2007 |access-date=29 July 2013 |archive-date=2 February 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140202210655/http://drownedinsound.com/releases/11465/reviews/2525381 |url-status=dead }}

| rev3 = The Guardian

| rev3Score = {{Rating|2|5}}{{cite news |url=https://www.theguardian.com/music/2007/oct/12/popandrock.shopping2 |title=Stereophonics, Pull the Pin |newspaper=The Guardian |last=Lynskey |first=Dorian| date=12 October 2007 |access-date=24 June 2013}}

| rev4 = Hot Press

| rev4Score = {{Rating|1.5|5}}{{cite magazine |url=http://www.hotpress.com/music/reviews/albums/4155563.html |title=PULL THE PIN |magazine=Hot Press |last=Wasser |first=Chris |date=15 October 1997 |access-date=24 June 2013}}

| rev5 = The Independent

| rev5Score = {{Rating|2|5}}{{cite news |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/music/reviews/album-stereophonics-396608.html |title=Album: Stereophonics |newspaper=The Independent |last=Gill |first=Andy |date=12 October 2007 |access-date=24 June 2013}}

| rev6 = Mojo

| rev6Score = {{Rating|3|5}}The whole thing sounds effortless, and not always in a god way. [Dec 2007, p.109]

| rev7 = NME

| rev7Score = 7/10{{cite web |url=https://www.nme.com/reviews/stereophonics/9084 |title=Stereophonics: 'Pull The Pin' |last=McNamee |first=Paul |work=NME |date=12 October 2007 |access-date=23 July 2013}}

| rev8 = Pitchfork

| rev8Score = 3.4/10{{cite web |url=https://pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/12255-pull-the-pin/ |title=Stereophonics: Pull The Pin |last=Cohen |first=Ian |website=Pitchfork |date=7 October 2008 |access-date=23 July 2013}}

| rev9 = The Skinny

| rev9Score = {{Rating|2|5}}{{cite magazine |url=http://www.theskinny.co.uk/music/records/40706-the_stereophonics_pull_pin |title=The Stereophonics – Pull The Pin |magazine=The Skinny |access-date=24 July 2013}}

| rev10 = Uncut

| rev10Score = {{Rating|3|5}}It's harder to fault the tunes, however, smeared thick with QOTSA sludge or pretty 'Dakota' clones 'It Means Nothing' and 'Daisy Lane.' [Nov 2007, p.123]

}}

Pull the Pin received generally mixed to negative reviews. At Metacritic, which assigns a normalized rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream critics, the album has received an average score of 46, based on 12 reviews.{{cite web | url=https://www.metacritic.com/music/pull-the-pin/stereophonics | title=Stereophonics:Pull the Pin (2007): Reviews | work=Metacritic | publisher=CNET Networks, Inc | access-date=2009-03-24 }} Contrasting with the negative reviews however, NME – who have been critical of the band's past albums – contributor Paul McNamee praised the album, stating it lives up as a successor album to Language. Sex. Violence. Other? and summarised it as "an unapologetic rock’n’roll record by a band who are hard to like but impossible to ignore."

In the negative, Sonja D'Cruze from the BBC summarised the album as having "no real depth, imagination or anything to connect with."{{cite web |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/music/reviews/8wcz |title=Stereophonics Pull The Pin Review |last=D'Cruze |first=Sonja |publisher=BBC |date=2007 |access-date=29 July 2013}} Dorian Lynskey of The Guardian criticised the album, saying "the only things worse than Kelly Jones's aggrieved bellow and flatpack songwriting are his lyrics" and compared them to someone "performing brain surgery in boxing gloves: the patient always dies." Pitchfork contributor Ian Cohen also criticised Jones' lyrical content and said the rock genre of the album was different by having "no sex, no spark." Cpt H.M. 'Howling Mad' Murdock from Drowned in Sound was negative toward Jones' vocals by calling them "least-sincere" and compared them to "as if a diseased cat’s being garrotted in his throat." He summarised the album as: "... absolutely without spark and wholly forgettable."

The album reached number one in the UK, becoming the band's fifth consecutive studio album to do so.{{cite web |url=http://www.officialcharts.com/artist/_/stereophonics/ |title=STEREOPHONICS |publisher=Official Charts Company |access-date=29 July 2013}} Despite this, record sales were at an all-time low for the band, receiving only a gold certification{{efn |All the band's previous studio albums have been certified at least platinum.}} for sales over 200,000 copies. The album didn't fare well outside of the UK either. In Ireland the record reached number fifteen, breaking the band's three number-one albums streak.{{cite web|url=http://irish-charts.com/showinterpret.asp?interpret=Stereophonics |title=Discography Stereophonics |publisher=Irishcharts.com |year=2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140715040211/http://irish-charts.com/showinterpret.asp?interpret=Stereophonics |archive-date=15 July 2014 |url-status=live |access-date=7 June 2014 }}

{{track listing

| all_writing = Kelly Jones; "I Could Lose Ya" co-written by Richard Jones and Javier Weyler

| title_width = 400px

| title1 = Soldiers Make Good Targets

| length1 = 4:37

| title2 = Pass the Buck

| length2 = 3:24

| title3 = It Means Nothing

| length3 = 3:48

| title4 = Bank Holiday Monday

| length4 = 3:14

| title5 = Daisy Lane

| length5 = 3:37

| title6 = Stone

| length6 = 4:17

| title7 = My Friends

| length7 = 3:35

| title8 = I Could Lose Ya

| length8 = 3:17

| title9 = Bright Red Star

| length9 = 3:39

| title10 = Ladyluck

| length10 = 3:45

| title11 = Crush

| length11 = 3:56

| title12 = Drowning

| length12 = 5:08

| total_length = 46:25

}}

{{track listing

| title_width = 400px

| headline = Japanese release bonus tracks

| title13 = Hangman

| length13 = 2:48

| title14 = Helter Skelter

| note14 = Beatles cover

| length14 = 4:19

| title15 = Have a Nice Day

| length15 = 3:26

}}

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;Stereophonics{{cite AV media notes |title=Pull The Pin |others=Stereophonics |year=2007 |publisher=V2 Records |type=CD booklet}}

• Kelly Jones – vocals, guitar
• Richard Jones – bass guitar
• Javier Weyler – drums

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;Technical

• Production – Kelly Jones, Jim Lowe
• Engineering – Lowe
• Mixing – Mark 'Spike' Stent
• Studio assistants – Dario Dendi, Alex Dromgoole, Marco Migliari, Rowen Rossiter
• Mastering – Ted Jensen

{{col-end}}

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{{Certification Table Top|caption=Certifications for Pull the Pin}}

{{Certification Table Entry |region=Ireland |access-date=23 July 2013 |type=album |award=Gold |artist=Stereophonics |title=Pull The Pin |certyear=2007 |relyear=2007 |certref={{cite web |url=http://www.irishcharts.ie/awards/gold07.htm |title=Certified Awards |work=IRMA |publisher=The Irish Charts |date=2007 |access-date=29 June 2013}}}}

{{Certification Table Entry |region=United Kingdom |discount=true |access-date=7 October 2013 |type=album |award=Gold |salesamount=200,000 |artist=Stereophonics |title=Pull The Pin |relyear=2007 |certref={{cite web |url=http://www.bpi.co.uk/certified-awards/search.aspx |title=Search by parameters |publisher=BPI |date=22 July 2013 |access-date=7 October 2013}} Note: Pull the Pin must be searched manually. |salesref=}}

{{Certification Table Bottom | nosales=true}}

{{col-end}}

;Notes

{{notelist}}

;Footnotes

{{reflist}}

• [http://www.stereophonics.com/music/release/pull-the-pin Pull the Pin] at Stereophonics.com

{{Stereophonics}}

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Category:Stereophonics albums

Category:2007 albums

Category:V2 Records albums