It's Not How Far You Fall, It's the Way You Land

It's Not How Far You Fall, It's the Way You Land
Studio album by
Soulsavers
Released2 April 2007
Recorded2006
Genre
Length46:32
Label
ProducerSoulsavers
Soulsavers chronology
Tough Guys Don't Dance
(2003) 		It's Not How Far You Fall, It's the Way You Land
(2007) 		Broken
(2009)
Mark Lanegan chronology
Ballad of the Broken Seas
(2006) 		It's Not How Far You Fall, It's the Way You Land
(2007) 		Saturnalia
(2008)
Singles from It's Not How Far You Fall, It's the Way You Land
  1. "Revival"
    Released: 30 April 2007
  2. "Kingdoms of Rain" / "Jesus of Nothing"
    Released: 20 August 2007
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[1]
Arkansas Online4/5[2]
The A.V. ClubB[3]
Cokemachineglow78%[4]
The Guardian[5]
laut.de[6]
Now[7]
PopMatters6/10[8]
The Skinny[9]
Uncut[10]

It's Not How Far You Fall, It's the Way You Land is the second studio album by English-American production team Soulsavers, released on 2 April 2007 in the UK and 16 October 2007 in the US. The album also produced two singles.

Background

The album features American singer Mark Lanegan as primary vocalist. Lanegan is also credited as a co-writer for five of the album's songs.

The album also features guests Jimi Goodwin of Doves, Will Oldham (a.k.a. Bonnie "Prince" Billy), P.W. Long and Richard Warren. The album spawned two singles, "Revival" and "Kingdoms of Rain". "Kingdoms of Rain" was initially released on Lanegan's second solo album, Whiskey for the Holy Ghost, in 1994. The album also features cover versions of Neil Young's "Through My Sails", Josh Haden's "Spiritual", and the Rolling Stones' "No Expectations". An instrumental titled "End Title Theme" is also included as a hidden track after "No Expectations" ends.

"Kingdoms of Rain" was featured in a season 2 episode of the TV series Lie to Me, in the episode "Truth or Consequences", which premiered in October 2009.

Reception

Trevor Kelly in his review for The A.V. Club wrote that the album "sounds more like the work of a slow-moving rock band than the moody electronica they honed early in their career. Throughout, the duo borrows heavily from the teary-eyed soul of Spiritualized and the gothic balladry of Sparklehorse, resulting in a few moments that require undivided attention."[3] Dorian Lynskey of The Guardian stated, "Grunge survivor Mark Lanegan roams the rock landscape like a gun-for-hire, leasing his eerie gravitas to the likes of Queens of the Stone Age and Isobel Campbell, before moving on. His leathery, careworn baritone is always a welcome presence, and British duo the Soulsavers have reconfigured their previously unremarkable downtempo beats around it, to everyone's benefit. Respectful but not sycophantic, Ian Glover and Richard Machin bring out the tenderness and battered grace in their guest's voice."[5] Neil Ferguson of The Skinny added, "Elusive and almost fragile, [the album] follows the archetypal Soulsavers sound closely but becomes, nevertheless, a satisfying, heartening and warm journey for the listener."[9]

Track listing

No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Revival" (vocals by Mark Lanegan)Lanegan, Machin, Glover4:11
2."Ghosts of You and Me" (vocals by Mark Lanegan and P.W. Long)Lanegan, Machin, Glover4:19
3."Paper Money" (vocals by Mark Lanegan)Lanegan, Machin, Glover3:19
4."Ask the Dust" (instrumental)Machin, Glover4:17
5."Spiritual" (vocals by Mark Lanegan)Haden5:34
6."Kingdoms of Rain" (vocals by Mark Lanegan and Jimi Goodwin)Lanegan, Machin, Glover3:52
7."Through My Sails" (vocals by Mark Lanegan and Bonnie 'Prince' Billy)Young3:27
8."Arizona Bay" (instrumental)Machin, Glover4:59
9."Jesus of Nothing" (vocals by Mark Lanegan)Lanegan, Machin, Glover4:13
10."No Expectations" / "End Title Theme" (vocals by Mark Lanegan)Jagger, Richards; Machin, Glover8:26
Total length:46:32

Charts

Chart (2007) Peak
position
Belgian Albums (Ultratop Wallonia)[11] 98
Italian Albums (FIMI)[12] 83

Singles

In the UK, two singles were released (with music videos produced):

  • "Revival" (7" vinyl, 30 April 2007)
    1. "Revival" – 4:11
    2. "Blues Run the Game" (Jackson C. Frank) – 2:53
  • "Kingdoms of Rain" (20 August 2007)
    • Released as a one-sided etched 7" vinyl single or a limited edition 10" single:
    1. "Kingdoms of Rain" – 3:55
    2. "Jesus of Nothing" – 4:12

References

  1. ^ Deming, Mark. "It's Not How Far You Fall, It's the Way You Land – Soulsavers". AllMusic. Retrieved 1 June 2021.
  2. ^ Stewart, Shea (23 October 2007). "Not passing through again". Arkansas Online. Retrieved 1 June 2021.
  3. ^ a b Kelley, Trevor (11 June 2007). "Soulsavers: It's Not How Far You Fall, It's The Way You Land". The A.V. Club. Retrieved 1 June 2021.
  4. ^ Guppy, Philip (26 July 2007). "Soulsavers: I'ts [sic] Not How Far You Fall It's the Way You Land (V2; 2007) | Record Reviews @ Cokemachineglow.com". Archived from the original on 15 September 2012. Retrieved 1 June 2021.
  5. ^ a b Lynskey, Dorian (29 March 2007). "CD: Soulsavers, It's Not How Far You Fall, It's the Way You Land". The Guardian. Retrieved 1 June 2021.
  6. ^ Benassi, Giuliano. "Ein eiskalter Friedhofswind weht durch die Lautsprecher" (in German). laut.de. Retrieved 1 June 2021.
  7. ^ "Fall Music Preview". Now. 4 October 2007. Retrieved 1 June 2021.
  8. ^ "Soulsavers: Its Not How Far You Fall, Its the Way You Land, PopMatters". PopMatters. 11 November 2007. Retrieved 1 June 2021.
  9. ^ a b Ferguson, Neil (11 April 2007). "Soulsavers - It's Not How Far You Fall, It's The Way You Land | The Skinny". The Skinny. Retrieved 1 June 2021.
  10. ^ Martin, Gavin (23 April 2007). "Soulsavers - It's Not How Far You Fall, It's The Way You Land". Uncut. Retrieved 1 June 2021.
  11. ^ "Ultratop.be – Soulsavers – It's Not How Far You Fall, It's The Way You Land" (in French). Hung Medien. Retrieved 13 May 2024.
  12. ^ "Italiancharts.com – Soulsavers – It's Not How Far You Fall, It's The Way You Land". Hung Medien. Retrieved 13 May 2024.