You Gotta Go There to Come Back

Kelly Jones produced the album himself, working fast in hoping to capture the "vibe" of the band's concerts; "I wanted to create a record that was very raw, very spontaneous but had loads of detail and textures and layers," Jones noted, "We pushed ourselves in many places we've never been before." He later recalled that recording the album was, for many years, the best recording experience the band ever had, saying: "All the crew were in the room, all the girlfriends were in the room, all the band were there, it was the best recording session ever. It just felt like a fucking really good time."

You Gotta Go There to Come Back features a blues rock styled sound in the mold of early 1970s rock bands, and also displays influences of garage rock and soul. Kelly Jones described the album, with its "very 70s, Stevie Wonder, rock overdub feel", as the fulfillment of his desire to make an album like his favourite soul music: "I was really into soul music - it's not something I'm ashamed about. I was brought up on Stevie Wonder and I love Talking Book and all the overdubs on it, and all that freestyling Marvin Gaye thing. I'd always wanted to make a record like that, and this was the first one I produced so that's probably why I went 'Fuck it I'm just going to do it'."{{cite web|last1=Burrows|first1=Marc|title=Album by Album: Kelly Jones on the Stereophonic's Back Catalogue|url=http://drownedinsound.com/in_depth/4146137-album-by-album--kelly-jones-on-the-stereophonics-back-catalogue|website=Drowned in Sound|access-date=9 June 2017|date=8 March 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}} The NME felt that the album's "retro-garage" style made it "accidentally hip," comparing it to acclaimed contemporary garage rock revival "headbanger blues" bands like the White Stripes, a sentiment also shared by music critic Neil McCormick.{{cite web|last1=McCormick|first1=Neil|title=Let's be nice to the Stereophonics|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/music/rockandjazzmusic/3598733/Lets-be-nice-to-the-Stereophonics.html|website=The Telegraph|access-date=9 June 2017|date=17 April 2003}}

Throughout the album there are "different moods and changes." Jones stated: "Every few bars, when your brain's saying, 'Have you heard that now', I wanted to put something new in there." He felt this set the album apart from most other contemporary albums, which he felt "sound like one song from beginning to end." Jack Smith of the BBC detected influences from AC/DC, Stevie Wonder, the Isley Brothers and Creedence Clearwater Revival.{{cite web|last1=Smith|first1=Jack|title=HOMECLIPS Stereophonics You Gotta Go There To Come Back Review|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/music/reviews/xw3n/|website=BBC|access-date=11 June 2017|date=2003}} The album also sporadically features "ornate strings reminiscent of Chris Farlowe's British soul in the 1960s." Jones' emotional lyrics for the albums draw on his break-up with his girlfriend of 12 years, and one critic noted how Jones' "life unfolds through words" on the album. Jones said of the lyrics:

{{blockquote|"The songwriting has changed because as a person you change. It's been an emotional rollercoaster these last two years, whether it be divorce, sex, drink, drugs, arguments, whatever it might be, I can only write about what I'm experiencing. Life is about making mistakes and learning from them, learning about yourself and becoming a better person. That's what the title of the album basically means."}}

The opening song, "Help Me (She's Out of Her Mind)", has been described as "easy funk", and comparisons were drawn between Jones' vocals on the song and John Lennon's "Cold Turkey" vocals. Jason MacNeil of PopMatters compared the "moody, murky blues rock" song to Southern soul, while describing "Maybe Tomorrow" as "English soul."{{cite web|last1=MacNeil|first1=Jason|title=Stereophonics You Gotta Go There to Come Back|url=https://www.popmatters.com/review/stereophonics-yougottago/|website=PopMatters|access-date=11 June 2017|date=9 October 2003}} Lead single "Madame Helga" has been described as gospel and glam metal, with "dirty guitars duplicating a funky brass section." The acoustic, country-styled "Climbing the Wall" features horn and string sections and a Southern rock guitar solo, while the "pseudo-experimentalism" of "I'm Alright (You Gotta Go There To Come Back)" features looped drums and a piano.{{cite web|last1=Future|first1=Andrew|title=Stereophonics You Gotta Go There To Come Back|url=http://drownedinsound.com/releases/3184/reviews/6986-|website=Drowned in Sound|access-date=11 June 2017|date=17 May 2003|archive-date=15 November 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181115030713/http://drownedinsound.com/releases/3184/reviews/6986-|url-status=dead}} The quieter "Rainbows and Pots of Gold" has soul influences and concerns "a friend who stole [Jones'] girl."

{{Music ratings

| MC = 60/100

| rev1 = AllMusic

| rev1Score = {{Rating|3|5}}{{AllMusic|class=album|id=r642565|first=MAcKenzie|last=Wilson}}

| rev2 = Entertainment Weekly

| rev2Score = B[Kelly Jones'] occasionally catchy songs are besotted with American-style blues-derived stomp. [26 Sep 2003, p.94]

| rev3 = Dotmusic

| rev3score = 7/10{{cite web|url=http://www.dotmusic.com/reviews/Albums/June2003/reviews29705.asp|title=Stereophonics 'YOU GOTTA GO THERE TO COME BACK'|website=Dotmusic|last=Webb|first=Adam|date=2 June 2003|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20030611034743/http://www.dotmusic.com/reviews/Albums/June2003/reviews29705.asp |access-date=8 March 2025|archive-date=11 June 2003 }}

| rev4 = The Guardian

| rev4Score = {{Rating|2|5}}{{cite web |last1=Petridis |first1=Alexis |title=CD: Stereophonics: You Gotta Go There to Come Back |url=https://www.theguardian.com/music/2003/may/30/popandrock.artsfeatures |website=The Guardian |access-date=5 July 2022 |language=en |date=30 May 2003}}

| rev5 = Mojo

| rev5Score = {{Rating|2|5}}{{cite magazine |title=Stereophonics: You Gotta Go There To Come Back |magazine=Mojo |date=July 2003 |page=107}}

| rev6 = NME

| rev6Score = 6/10{{cite web |url=https://www.nme.com/reviews/7113 |title=Stereophonics : You Gotta Go There To Come Back |last=Dalton |first=Stephen |work=NME |date=7 June 2003 |access-date=24 July 2013}}

| rev7 = PopMatters

| rev7score = 8/10

| rev8 = Q

| rev8Score = {{Rating|3|5}}{{cite magazine |title=Stereophonics: You Gotta Go There To Come Back |magazine=Q |date=July 2003 |page=109}}

| rev9 = Uncut

| rev9Score = {{Rating|2|5}}Sees them attempt the same move The Charlatans made with their last LP, but less successfully. [Jul 2003, p.111]

| rev10 = Under the Radar

| rev10Score = {{Rating|3|5}}

}}

You Gotta Go There to Come Back received generally mixed reviews. At Metacritic, which assigns a weighted average rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream critics, the album received an average score of 60 based on 10 reviews.{{cite web |url=https://www.metacritic.com/music/you-gotta-go-there-to-come-back/stereophonics |title=You Gotta Go There To Come Back |work=Metacritic |publisher=CBS Interactive |access-date=24 July 2013}}

You Gotta Go There to Come Back joined its predecessors at #1 on release. It was re-issued with bonus tracks in February 2004, coming into the UK charts again at #35, finally re-entering at #16 in September 2004. It was the 28th biggest selling album of 2003 in the UK.{{cite web|title=UK Top 40 Hit Database |publisher=Every Hit |url=http://www.everyhit.com/searchsec.php |access-date=2010-02-28 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081012195559/http://www.everyhit.com/searchsec.php |archive-date=12 October 2008 }} The track "Maybe Tomorrow" became one of their biggest hits; it was played over the credits of the Academy Award-winning movie Crash (2004) and also during the opening scene of the film Wicker Park (2004). It was also used in a season one episode of One Tree Hill and featured on the first Charmed soundtrack.

{{Track listing

| all_writing = Kelly Jones{{cite AV media notes |title=You Gotta Go There To Come Back |others=Stereophonics |year=2003 |publisher=V2 Records |type=CD booklet}}

| title_width = 400px

| title1 = Help Me (She's Out of Her Mind)

| length1 = 6:55

| title2 = Maybe Tomorrow

| length2 = 4:33

| title3 = Madame Helga

| length3 = 3:55

| title4 = You Stole My Money Honey

| length4 = 4:18

| title5 = Getaway

| length5 = 4:08

| title6 = Climbing the Wall

| length6 = 4:55

| title7 = Jealousy

| length7 = 4:26

| title8 = I'm Alright (You Gotta Go There to Come Back)

| length8 = 4:36

| title9 = Nothing Precious at All

| length9 = 4:20

| title10 = Rainbows and Pots of Gold

| length10 = 4:11

| title11 = I Miss You Now

| length11 = 4:50

| title12 = High as the Ceiling

| length12 = 3:19

| title13 = Since I Told You It's Over

| length13 = 4:43

| total_length = 59:12

}}

{{Track listing

| headline = Japanese release bonus track

| title_width = 400px

| title14 = Lying to Myself Again

| length14 = 3:50

}}

The track "Moviestar" appears on later editions of the album as track 4 and was released with a DVD containing the videos for the singles.

The album was released in gatefold sleeve at first, containing two records. When "Moviestar" was included on the album the gatefold sleeve contained three records.

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Stereophonics{{cite web |url=https://www.allmusic.com/album/you-gotta-go-there-to-come-back-mw0000321252/credits |title=You Gotta Go There to Come Back credits |website=AllMusic |access-date=16 July 2013}}

• Kelly Jones – lead vocals, guitar, keyboards, harmonica, Clavinet, Fender Rhodes, Mellotron, Wurlitzer
• Richard Jones – bass guitar, harmonica
• Stuart Cable – drums, percussion

Technical

• Production – Kelly Jones, Jim Lowe
• Engineering – Andy Burden, Jim Lowe, Steve McNichol, Chris Steffenl, Brian Vibberts
• Mixing – Kelly Jones, Jim Lowe, Jack Joseph Puig
• Mastering – Dick Beetham, Chris Blair
• Digital editing – Steve McNichol
• Studio assistants – Chris Bolster, Andy Davies, Max Dingle, Javier Weyler

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Additional

• Tony Kirkham – mellotron, piano, clavinet, Hammond organ, Fender Rhodes, Wurlitzer organ{{Cite web|url=https://www.allmusic.com/album/you-gotta-go-there-to-come-back-mw0000321252/credits|title = You Gotta Go There to Come Back - Stereophonics |website = AllMusic}}
• Javier Weyler – hand clapping, percussion
• Jim Lowe – mellotron, piano
• Stephen Papworth – hand clapping, kettle drums, percussion
• Paul Spong – cornet, flugelhorn
• Backing vocalists – Angie Brown, Sam Brown, Sam Leigh Brown, Melanie Marcus, Aileen McLaughlin, Anna Ross

Orchestra

• Strings – Mark Berrow, Rachel Bolt, Ben Chappell, Gustav Clarkson, David Daniel, David Daniels, Patrick Kiernan, Boguslaw Kostecki, Peter Lale, Paddy Lannigan, Julian Leaper, Rita Manning, Perry Mason, Anthony Pleeth, Mary Scully, Katherine Shave, Chris Tobling, Bruce White, Gavyn Wright, Naomi Wright
• Alto Sax – Steve Hamilton
• Cornet and flugelhorn – Paul Spong
• Tenor sax – Andy Hamilton
• Trombone – Neil Sidwell
• Trumpet – Sid Gauld

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• [https://web.archive.org/web/20130709004553/http://www.stereophonics.com/music/P16 You Gotta Go There To Come Back] at stereophonics.com

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Category:Stereophonics albums

Category:2003 albums

Category:V2 Records albums

Category:Blues rock albums by British artists