Maps of Music
Sam's Town (2006)
Where the lyrics of Sam's Town take you, and where it was really made.
The title comes from a Las Vegas casino, but the sign behind it was something bassist Mark Stoermer saw from his room window as a boy.
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Recorded at Studio at the Palms (2006)
Recording site Studio at the Palms — Sam's Town was recorded at Studio at the Palms in Las Vegas, the studio named in the album credits. Google Maps · Apple Maps
How to get there: See the map for directions.
Additional recording in London (2006)
Recording site Wild Bunch Studios (London) — Additional recording for the album was done at Criterion Studios in London, a city-level location. Google Maps · Apple Maps
How to get there: See the map for directions.
Album story
Overview
- Second studio album by American rock band the Killers
- Released 27 September 2006 by Island Records
- Has sold almost five million copies worldwide
Background
- Named after Sam's Town Hotel and Gambling Hall, a hotel and casino in Las Vegas, the band's hometown
- A huge Sam's Town sign was visible to Mark Stoermer through his room window when he was young
- Frontman Brandon Flowers said the album was meant to capture everything important that led the band to where it stood
- Sam's Town Tour began in Las Vegas on 23 August 2006 and ended in Melbourne on 14 November 2007
Recording
- Recorded at Studio at the Palms, Las Vegas
- Additional recording at Criterion Studios, London
- Mixed at Assault & Battery, London; mastered at Masterdisk, New York City
- Produced by Flood, Alan Moulder and the Killers
Cover
- Photographed by Anton Corbijn
- Cover features model and singer Felice LaZae
- Desert bighorn sheep, Nevada's state mammal, also appears in the artwork
Sources: en.wikipedia.org · www.discogs.com · www.discogs.com · pt.wikipedia.org
Tracklist
| 1 | Sam’s Town | 4:06 |
| 2 | Enterlude | 0:50 |
| 3 | When You Were Young | 3:40 |
| 4 | Bling (Confession of a King) | 4:08 |
| 5 | For Reasons Unknown | 3:32 |
| 6 | Read My Mind | 4:07 |
| 7 | Uncle Jonny | 4:26 |
| 8 | Bones | 3:47 |
| 9 | My List | 4:08 |
| 10 | This River Is Wild | 4:38 |
| 11 | Why Do I Keep Counting? | 4:24 |
| 12 | Exitlude | 2:32 |
| 13 | Where the White Boys Dance | 3:29 |
| 14 | All the Pretty Faces | 4:46 |
Sources: musicbrainz.org
Artist
Formation
- Formed in Las Vegas, Nevada, in 2001 by Brandon Flowers (lead vocals, keyboards, bass) and Dave Keuning (lead guitar, backing vocals).
- Mark Stoermer (bass, rhythm guitar, backing vocals) and Ronnie Vannucci Jr. (drums, percussion) joined in 2002, completing the lineup.
- The name comes from a fictional band in the music video for the New Order song "Crystal".
Members
- Brandon Flowers: lead vocals, keyboards, synthesizer.
- Dave Keuning: guitar, backing vocals; on hiatus since 2017, returned in 2020.
- Ronnie Vannucci Jr.: drums, percussion.
- Mark Stoermer: bass, backing vocals; on hiatus 2020–2022.
Career
- Seven studio albums, each topping the UK Albums Chart, from Hot Fuss (2004) to Pressure Machine (2021).
- Sold more than 35 million records worldwide and performed in over 50 countries.
- Annual Christmas singles for Product Red from 2006 to 2016 raised over $1 million for AIDS-related charity.
Sources: en.wikipedia.org
Reception
At release
- Received generally positive reviews from music critics
- Metacritic average of 64 based on 32 reviews
- Dan Martin of The Observer awarded the album five out of five stars
- Rob Sheffield of Rolling Stone noted a significant departure from Hot Fuss
- Sia Michel of The New York Times called the album painful
Reappraisal
- Later gained a cult following and critical praise as a classic
- Named one of the best rock albums of the 2000s
- Q magazine ranked it 11th best album of the 21st century
- Rolling Stone readers voted it the most underrated album of the decade in December 2009
Records
- Debuted at number two on the US Billboard 200, selling 315,000 copies in its first week
- Became the band's second number-one album on the UK Albums Chart, selling 268,946 copies in its first week
- Sold 1.57 million copies in the UK by July 2017
- Certified Platinum or multi-Platinum in the US, UK, Australia, Canada and Ireland
Sources: en.wikipedia.org · es.wikipedia.org · pt.wikipedia.org
Trivia
- Sam's Town was also a huge sign visible to Mark Stoermer through his room window when he was young.
- Enterlude is listed as track 2 rather than track 1 on the album.
- Flowers said the band did not use many vocal effects on this album.
- A bonus track, Peace of Mind, was added for the 10th anniversary.
- A Philippine pressing differs from another in its back cover, barcode and matrix.
Sources: en.wikipedia.org · www.discogs.com · es.wikipedia.org · pt.wikipedia.org · fr.wikipedia.org
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