United Nations of Sound (album)
{{EngvarB|date=September 2013}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=October 2024}}
{{Infobox album
| name = United Nations of Sound
| type = studio
| artist = RPA & The United Nations of Sound (Richard Ashcroft)
| cover = United Nations of Sound.jpg
| alt =
| released = 19 July 2010
| recorded = 2009–2010 in Los Angeles, New York and London
| venue =
| studio =
| genre = Alternative rock
| length = 56:06
| label = Parlophone
| producer = No I.D.
| prev_title =
| prev_year =
| next_title =
| next_year =
| misc = {{Extra chronology
| artist = Richard Ashcroft
| type = studio
| prev_title = Keys to the World
| prev_year = 2006
| title = United Nations of Sound
| year = 2010
| next_title = These People
| next_year = 2016
}}
{{Singles
| name = United Nations of Sound
| type = studio
| single1 = Born Again
| single1date = 19 July 2010
| single2 = Are You Ready?
| single2date = 15 October 2010 (US-only)
}}
}}
United Nations of Sound is the debut album by British alternative rock band RPA & The United Nations of Sound, Richard Ashcroft's project, released on 19 July 2010 through Parlophone (see 2010 in British music). The album was released in the United States on 22 March 2011 under the name "Richard Ashcroft" through the record company Razor & Tie.
Reception
{{Music ratings
| rev1 = Spin
| rev1Score = {{Rating|6|10}}{{cite web|url=http://www.spin.com/reviews/richard-ashcroft-united-nations-sound-razor-tie|title=SPIN Review}}
| rev2 = Billboard
| rev2Score = {{Rating|3.75|5}}{{cite web|url=https://www.billboard.com/ |title=Billboard |access-date=24 March 2020}}
| rev3 = Hot Press
| rev3Score = {{Rating|3|5}}{{cite web|url=https://www.hotpress.com/music/united-nations-of-sound-6767846/ |title=United Nations of Sound |access-date=24 March 2020}}
| rev4 = AllMusic
| rev4Score = {{Rating|2.5|5}}{{cite web|url=https://www.allmusic.com/album/united-nations-of-sound-mw0002024192/ |title=Richard Ashcroft / RPA & the United Nations of Sound |website=AllMusic |access-date=24 March 2020}}
}}
United Nations of Sound received generally scathing reviews from critics on its initial release. At Metacritic, which assigns a normalised rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream critics, the album received an average score of 39, based on eight reviews, which indicates "Generally unfavorable reviews".{{cite web|url=http://www.metacritic.com/music/united-nations-of-sound|publisher=Metacritic|title=United Nations of Sound by RPA & the United Nations of Sound}}
UK-based review aggregation website AnyDecentMusic? correlated 23 reviews with an ADM Rating of 4.5.{{cite web|url=http://www.anydecentmusic.com/review/1987/United-Nations-Of-Sound.aspx |title=United Nations of Sound by RPA and the United Nations of Sound reviews |publisher=Any Decent Music |access-date=2012-03-13}} In the United States, Spin Magazine said the result a "fruitful collaboration" and Nylon Magazine called the new album "a commanding performance".{{cite web|url=http://www.richardashcroft.co.uk/news-page/|work=Richard Ashcroft official website|title=US release date & live shows|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101025172532/http://www.richardashcroft.co.uk/news-page/|archive-date=25 October 2010|url-status=dead}}
Track listing
{{Track listing
| headline =
| total_length = 56:06
| title1 = Are You Ready?
| writer1 = Richard Ashcroft, Maurice Gibb
| length1 = 6:31
| title2 = Born Again
| writer2 = Richard Ashcroft
| length2 = 4:55
| title3 = America
| writer3 = Richard Ashcroft
| length3 = 4:17
| title4 = This Thing Called Life
| writer4 = Richard Ashcroft
| length4 = 5:25
| title5 = Beatitudes
| writer5 = Richard Ashcroft
| length5 = 4:23
| title6 = Good Lovin'
| writer6 = Richard Ashcroft
| length6 = 4:45
| title7 = How Deep Is Your Man?
| writer7 = Richard Ashcroft, John Lee Hooker, E. Wilson, Kevin Randolph
| length7 = 3:28
| title8 = She Brings Me the Music
| writer8 = Richard Ashcroft
| length8 = 4:15
| title9 = Royal Highness
| writer9 = Richard Ashcroft
| length9 = 4:13
| title10 = Glory
| writer10 = Richard Ashcroft
| length10 = 3:11
| title11 = Life Can Be So Beautiful
| writer11 = Richard Ashcroft, David Axelrod, E. Wilson, Kevin Randolph
| length11 = 5:28
| title12 = Let My Soul Rest
| writer12 = Richard Ashcroft
| length12 = 4:58
}}
{{Track listing
| headline = European iTunes edition
| title13 = Captain Rock
| writer13 = Richard Ashcroft
| length13 = 5:04
}}
{{Track listing
| headline = US edition
| title9 = Third Eye
| writer9 = Richard Ashcroft
| length9 = 4:53
}}
{{Track listing
| headline = RPA Fan Club Exclusive Tracks
| title9 = Third Eye
| writer9 = Richard Ashcroft
| length9 = 4:53
| title14 = Here We Go Again
| writer14 = Richard Ashcroft
| length14 = 5:10
| title15 = Lead the Way
| writer15 = Richard Ashcroft
| length15 = 6:12
| title16 = Screw You Screw Me
| writer16 = Richard Ashcroft
| length16 = 6:19
}}
Trivia
- "Are You Ready?" is featured in the 2011 Volkswagen Jetta's commercial, it has been used in Fox Sports broadcasts of Major League Baseball's postseason games including the opening of the 2010 World Series,{{cite web|url=https://www.facebook.com/richardashcroft|via=Facebook|title=Watching game one of the World Series tonight? Listen for 'Are You Ready?' to kick off the series on Fox!}} and it was played in many ESPN promos during the 2010 FIFA World Cup.{{cite web|url=http://www.richardashcroft.co.uk/brain-page/entry/are_you_ready_-_world_cup_2010/|work=Richard Ashcroft official website|title=Are You Ready? from ESPN's World Cup coverage 2010}} The song is also featured over the closing credits of the film The Adjustment Bureau in March 2011, along with "Future's Bright", a song written and performed specifically for the film's opening by Richard and ten-time Oscar-nominated composer Thomas Newman.{{cite web|url=http://www.razorandtie.com/artist/richard-ashcroft|work=Razor & Tie official website (Richard Ashcroft BIO)|title=Are You Ready? on The Adjustment Bureau|access-date=2 November 2010|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101118014015/http://www.razorandtie.com/artist/richard-ashcroft|archive-date=18 November 2010|url-status=dead}}
- "She Brings Me the Music" appears in an episode of Chuck, Season 4 Episode 4.{{cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_yjx_BvkR_c |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211215/_yjx_BvkR_c |archive-date=2021-12-15 |url-status=live|via=YouTube|title=Chuck, Season 4 Episode 4 (final part)}}{{cbignore}}
- "Are You Ready?" has an incorrect credit to Robin Gibb in the accompanying booklet. The sample used in the song is from the song "On Time" which is a song Maurice Gibb wrote and recorded in 1971 and issued as a B-side to Bee Gees' "My World" in January 1972.{{cite web|url=https://www.umusicpub.com/us/Digital-Music-Library/song/105770/richard-ashcroft-are-you-ready|work=Universal Music Publishing Group|title=Are You Ready?|access-date=1 February 2020}}
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
- [http://www.richardashcroft.co.uk/ Richard Ashcroft] – Richard Ashcroft official website
- http://www.fye.com/United-Nations-of-Sound-Front-Page_stcVVproductId127303422VVcatId455366VVviewprod.htm
{{Richard Ashcroft}}
{{Authority control}}