La Peste (album)

La Peste
Studio album by
Alabama 3
Released16 October 2000
Recorded1999
StudioMilo Studios, Hoxton, London; Orinoco Studios, London SE1; Steam Rooms, Isle of Wight; The Fuzzpit; Olympic Studios, Barnes, London
Length51:59
LabelOne Little Indian
Columbia[1]
ProducerJohn "Segs" Jennings, Steve "Dub" Jones
Alabama 3 chronology
Exile on Coldharbour Lane
(1997) 		La Peste
(2000) 		Power in the Blood
(2003)
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[2]
The Encyclopedia of Popular Music[3]

La Peste is the second studio album by Alabama 3, released in 2000.[4][5]

The album peaked at No. 80 on the UK Albums Chart.[6]

Critical reception

Record Collector called the album "a dreamy romp through cinematic mini-masterpieces including 'Sad Eyed Lady Of The Low Life', 'Mansion On The Hill' and 'The Thrills Are Gone'."[7] Trouser Press called it "a disappointing disgrace of an album," writing "the new, gussied-up A3 (designed, perhaps, not to offend Sopranos fans) is merely overproduced and out of ideas."[8] NME deemed it "deeply pointless, if hilarious" and an "almost monumental waste of time."[9] The Independent judged it "infectiously intelligent," writing that the band still operates "fruitfully at the convergence of country, funk, gospel and drug culture."[10]

Track listing

  1. "Too Sick to Pray" (Love, Love, Love, Empiricist) - 4:44
  2. "Mansion on the Hill" (Love, Love, Love, Dope) - 3:00
  3. "Sad Eyed Lady of the Lowlife" (Love, Love, Love, Love, The Spirit) - 4:43
  4. "Walking in My Sleep" (Love, Love, Love, Love, Empiricist, The Spirit) - 6:09
  5. "Wade into the Water" (Love, Love, Empiricist) - 5:15
  6. "Hotel California" (Don Felder, Don Henley, Glenn Frey) - 5:34
  7. "Cocaine (Killed My Community)" (Love, Love, Love, Dope) - 4:44
  8. "The Thrills Have Gone" (Love, Empiricist, The Spirit, Paddy Hill) - 4:30
  9. "2129" (Love, Love, Empiricist, Dope) - 4:24
  10. "Strange" (Love, Love, Empiricist, The Spirit) - 5:27
  11. "Sinking..." (Love, Love, Love, The Spirit) - 5:29
  • Bonus track (limited UK release)
  1. "Woke Up This Morning" (Chosen One mix) (Love, Love, Love, The Very Reverend Dr. D. Love) - 4:09

Personnel

Alabama 3

  • Larry Love (Rob Spragg) – lead vocals
  • D Wayne Love (Jake Black) – vocals
  • The Mountain of Love (Piers Marsh) – programming, harmonica, synthesiser
  • Sir "Real" Love L.S.D.O.P.T. (Simon Edwards) – percussion
  • Captain Empiricist (Mark Sams) – guitar
  • L.B. Dope (Johnny Delafons) – drums
  • The Spirit (Orlando Harrison) – keyboards
  • John "Segs" Jennings – guitars, bass, backing vocals

with:

  • Steve "Dub" Jones – additional programming, synthesizers
  • Val Harrison – vocals on 2, 9, 10, 11
  • Paddy Hill and Treat – vocals on "The Thrills Have Gone"
  • The Street Angels Choir 2000 – backing vocals
  • Steve Roberts – backing vocals on "Sad Eyed Lady of the Low Life", "Strange" and "Sinking..."
  • Jenna Spencer – backing vocals on "Walking in My Sleep" and "Sinking..."
  • Eileen Rose – vocals on "Wade Into the Water"
  • Bobby Valentino – mandolin on "Wade Into the Water"
  • Ben Chapman – DJ cuts on "Sad Eyed Lady of the Low Life", "Hotel California" and "Cocaine (Killed My Community)"
  • Bernie Clarke – organ on "Hotel California", horn arrangement on "Sinking..."
  • Ned Morant – triangle on "Hotel California"
  • Lushlife – horns on "Sinking..."
  • Delrig, JC, Ray Mascarenas – backing vocals on "Sinking..."
  • Simon Limbrick – steel drums on "Sinking..."
  • Mr. Shifta – vocals on "Woke Up This Morning"

Technical

  • John Collyer, Steve "Dub" Jones - engineer
  • Nigel Bennett - photography

Charts

Chart performance for La Peste
Chart (2000) Peak
position
Scottish Albums (OCC)[11] 72
UK Albums (OCC)[12] 80
UK Independent Albums (OCC)[13] 9

References

  1. ^ "A3: La Peste". PopMatters. Retrieved 23 April 2021.
  2. ^ La Peste at AllMusic
  3. ^ Larkin, Colin (2006). The Encyclopedia of Popular Music. Vol. 1. MUZE. p. 93.
  4. ^ "Alabama 3 | Biography & History". AllMusic.
  5. ^ "Jake Black obituary". the Guardian. 29 May 2019.
  6. ^ "ALABAMA 3 | full Official Chart History | Official Charts Company". www.officialcharts.com.
  7. ^ "La Peste - Record Collector Magazine".
  8. ^ "Alabama 3". Trouser Press. Retrieved 22 April 2021.
  9. ^ "La Peste". 12 September 2005.
  10. ^ Gill, Andy (13 October 2000). "Album review: ALABAMA 3 La Peste". The Independent: 14.
  11. ^ "Official Scottish Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 19 October 2023.
  12. ^ "Official Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 19 October 2023.
  13. ^ "Official Independent Albums Chart Top 50". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 19 October 2023.


Stub icon

This 2000 rock album–related article is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it.