The Fabled City
{{Use mdy dates|date=March 2024}}{{Infobox album
| name = The Fabled City
| type = studio
| artist = The Nightwatchman
| cover = TomMorelloTheNightwatchmanTheFabledCity.gif
| alt =
| released = September 30, 2008[http://www.ultimate-guitar.com/news/upcoming_releases/tom_morello_readies_new_release.html Tom Morello Readies New Release]
| recorded = 2008
| venue =
| studio =
| genre = Folk rock, acoustic rock, anti-folk, protest music
| length =
| label = Epic
| producer = Brendan O'Brien
| prev_title = One Man Revolution
| prev_year = 2007
| next_title = Live at Lime
| next_year = 2009
}}
The Fabled City is the second studio album by The Nightwatchman, the alter ego of Tom Morello. It was released on September 30, 2008.
The album was released under the Nightwatchman's new full title: Tom Morello: The Nightwatchman.
Serj Tankian (of System of a Down), Shooter Jennings, and Perry Farrell (of Jane's Addiction) are featured guests on the album, which was produced by Brendan O'Brien (Pearl Jam, Rage Against the Machine, Audioslave).
On August 8, 2008, the track 'Whatever It Takes' was released on The Nightwatchman's MySpace.[https://www.myspace.com/thenightwatchman The Nightwatchman at MySpace.com] On October 25, the bonus track "Shake My Shit" (featuring Perry Farrell) was released on Morello's Myspace page.
Critical reception
{{Album ratings
| rev1 = AllMusic
| rev1score = {{Rating|4|5}}[{{AllMusic|class=album|id=r1424131|pure_url=yes}} Allmusic review]
| rev2 = Blender
| rev2score = {{Rating|2.5|5}}{{Cite web |last=Eells |first=Josh |date=2008-10-06 |title=Tom Morello: The Night Watchmen : The Fabled City Review |url=http://www.blender.com/guide/reviews.aspx?id=5290 |access-date=2024-03-08 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081006202235/http://www.blender.com/guide/reviews.aspx?id=5290 |archive-date=October 6, 2008 |url-status=dead |website=Blender}}
| rev3 = Drowned in Sound
| rev3score = 2/10{{Cite web |last=Perry |first=Tom |date=2008-09-30 |title=Album Review: The Nightwatchman, Tom Morello - The Fabled City |url=http://drownedinsound.com/releases/13703/reviews/4097574-the-nightwatchman-tom-morello-the-fabled-city |access-date=2024-03-08 |website=Drowned in Sound |language=en}}
| rev4 = Entertainment Weekly
| rev4score = A−{{Cite magazine |last=Vozick-Levinson |first=Simon |date=September 23, 2008 |title=The Fabled City |url=http://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,20228361,00.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080929203225/http://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,20228361,00.html |archive-date=September 29, 2008 |access-date=2024-03-08 |magazine=Entertainment Weekly |language=en}}
| rev5 = Los Angeles Times
| rev6 = MSN Music (Consumer Guide)
| rev6score = {{Rating-Christgau|dud}}{{Cite web |last=Christgau |first=Robert |author-link=Robert Christgau |date=July 2009 |title=Consumer Guide |url=https://www.robertchristgau.com/xg/cg/cg2009-07.php |access-date=2024-03-08 |website=MSN Music |via=robertchristgau.com}}
| rev7 = PopMatters
| rev7score = 3/10{{Cite web |last=Savanadasa |first=Rajith |date=2008-10-26 |title=The Nightwatchman: Fabled City |url=https://www.popmatters.com/the-nightwatchman-fabled-city-2496111545.html |access-date=2024-03-08 |website=PopMatters |language=en-US}}
| rev8 = Rolling Stone
| rev8score = {{Rating|3|5}}{{Cite magazine |last=Kemp |first=Mark |author-link=Mark Kemp |date=October 16, 2008 |title=The Fabled City : The Nightwatchman : Review |url=http://www.rollingstone.com/reviews/album/23224582/review/23306247/the_fabled_city |url-status=dead |archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20090503092134/http://www.rollingstone.com/reviews/album/23224582/review/23306247/the_fabled_city |archive-date=2009-05-03 |access-date=2024-03-08 |magazine=Rolling Stone}}
| rev9 = Spin
| rev9score = {{Rating|2.5|5}}{{Cite magazine |last=Uhelszki |first=Jaan |date=October 2008 |title=Reviews: New CDs |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=IkZox6XK6oAC&dq=nightwatchman+fabled+city+spin&pg=PA112 |magazine=Spin |volume=24 |issue=10 |page=112}}
| rev10 = Under the Radar
| rev10score = 7/10{{Cite web |last=Valish |first=Frank |date=November 2, 2008 |title=The Fabled City |url=https://www.undertheradarmag.com/reviews/the_fabled_city |access-date=2024-03-08 |website=Under the Radar |language=en}}
}}
Media reception to The Fabled City was generally favorable; aggregating website Metacritic reported a rating of 61% in December 2009 based on 11 critical reviews.{{cite web |title=The Fabled City (2008): Reviews |url=http://www.metacritic.com/music/artists/nightwatchman/fabledcity |publisher=Metacritic |accessdate=2009-12-11}}
Track listing
{{tracklist
| all_writing = Tom Morello, except where noted
| title1 = The Fabled City
| length1 = 3:10
| title2 = Whatever It Takes
| writer2 = {{hlist|Morello|Anne Preven}}
| length2 = 4:11
| title3 = The King of Hell
| length3 = 3:14
| title4 = Night Falls
| length4 = 3:48
| title5 = The Lights Are On in Spidertown
| length5 = 3:21
| title6 = Midnight in the City of Destruction
| length6 = 4:53
| title7 = Saint Isabelle
| length7 = 3:31
| title8 = Lazarus On Down
| note8 = featuring Serj Tankian
| length8 = 3:34
| title9 = Gone Like Rain
| length9 = 3:39
| title10 = The Iron Wheel
| note10 = featuring Shooter Jennings
| length10 = 2:40
| title11 = Rise to Power
| length11 = 3:57
| title12 = Facing Mount Kenya
| note12 = iTunes Bonus Track
| length12 = 4:08
| title13 = Shake My Shit
| note13 = featuring Perry Farrell) (iTunes Bonus Track
| length13 = 3:46
}}
Bonus Disc Track listing
{{tracklist
| title1 = Shadow of the Cannon
| length1 = 3:17
| title2 = Fighting Song
| note2 = written by Outernational; performed by Outernational and Tom Morello
| length2 = 3:39
| title3 = Stars of Orion
| length3 = 2:41
}}
Personnel
- The Nightwatchman (Tom Morello) - vocals, guitar
- Serj Tankian - additional vocals on "Lazarus on Down"
- Shooter Jennings - additional vocals on "The Iron Wheel"
- Perry Farrell - additional vocals on "Shake My Shit"
- Daniel Laufer - cello on "Night Falls" and "Lazarus on Down"
- Brendan O'Brien - various instruments
References
{{Reflist|2}}
{{Tom Morello}}
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Fabled City, The}}
Category:Albums produced by Brendan O'Brien (record producer)