| The Bees Made Honey in the Lion's Skull | ||
|---|---|---|
 Inner cover. Sleeve below. | ||
| Studio album by Earth | ||
| Released | February 26 2008 | |
| Recorded | 2007 at Aleph Studios in Seattle, Washington, USA | |
| Genre | Drone, Country, Experimental | |
| Length | 53:26 | |
| Label | Southern Lord Records | |
| Producer | Randall Dunn | |
| Earth chronology | ||
| Earth / Tribes of Neurot (2007) |
The Bees Made Honey in the Lion's Skull (2008) |
Earth / Sir Richard Bishop (2008) |
| Alternative Cover | ||
| ||
The Bees Made Honey in the Lion's Skull is the fifth studio album by Earth. Recorded in 2007 and a continuation on the gradually developed melodic themes, Bees draws influence from jazz, country and western, gospel and film music. Unlike previous material, Hammond organ and acoustic piano is prominently featured on this album.[1] The album also continues the partial trend of Earth material being influenced by Cormac McCarthy's Blood Meridian, with certain songs named after phrases from the book (for example, "Hung from the Moon" and "Engine of Ruin").[2][3] The Bees Made Honey in the Lion's Skull would see release in February 2008 to further critical acclaim.
The title is a reference to Judges 14:8 in the Bible. It tells the story of Samson, who tore apart a lion and when he returned, noticed a swarm of bees and some honey on the lion's carcass.[4][5]
Background[]
Following extensive touring in support of Earth's 2005 return album Hex; or Printing in the Infernal Method, Earth would begin work on their next album. The band would comprise initial recording at Avast Studios (The same studio where Earth recorded Earth 2 - Special Low Frequency Version). Working again with producer Randall Dunn, the remainder of the recording would take place at Aleph Studios in Seattle.[6] Notably Steve Moore had sent a copy of Hex to legendary guitarist Bill Frisell, which led to Frisell playing guitar on three songs on the album.[7] The band had also developed more of an improvisational nature in the studio with the recording of Bees.[8]
The Bees Made Honey in the Lion's Skull would be released on 26 February 2008 on CD and Vinyl, the latter's initial pressings housed in a faux-leather, gold embossed, bound triple gatefold sleeve, referred to as "The Bible Edition".[9][10] The 2014 vinyl reissues would also be hosted in the Bible sleeve but the 2018 vinyl reissue (Done for the album's tenth anniversary and Southern Lord's twentieth anniversary) would be housed in an old-style Stoughton jacket.
T he Bees Made Honey would receive critical acclaim upon release. The A.V. Club, awarding an "A" would cite the record as "A richer, more emulsified mix of Americana and spacious prog, the album envisions an Old West whose dust is entirely interstellar." along with praising Frisell's contributions.[11] Pitchfork would award a 7.7/10 , referring to Bees as "the biggest, cleanest, and most flagrantly melodic record Earth's ever recorded." along with praising the general melodic tone of the record.[12] Other notable reviews include the likes of the BBC,[13] The Guardian (Four Stars),[14] Drowned in Sound (9/10)[15] and Tiny Mix Tapes (9/10).[16] Both CVLT Nation[17] and Everything is Noise would both write extensive tributes for the albums' tenth anniversary, eliciting further praise.[18]
The Bees Made Honey in The Lion's Skull would rank #3 on Stonerrock.com's Top 28 Albums of 2008.[19]
Tracklist[]
NOTE: Track 8 is exclusive to the vinyl edition.
- 1. Omens and Portents I: The Driver (9:06)
- 2. Rise to Glory (5:47)
- 3. Miami Morning Coming Down II (Shine) (8:01)
- 4. Engine of Ruin (6:28)
- 5. Omens and Portents II: Carrion Crow (8:04)
- 6. Hung From The Moon (7:44)
- 7. The Bees Made Honey in the Lion's Skull (8:15)
- 8. Junkyard Priest (7:13)
Personnel[]
- Dylan Carlson - Electric Guitar, Amplifier
- Adrienne Davies - Drums, Percussion
- Steve Moore - Acoustic Grand Piano, Hammond Organ, Wurlitzer
- Don McGreevy - Bass Guitar, Double Bass
- Bill Frisell - Electric Guitar (1, 4, 5)
- Milky Burgess - Slide Guitar (8)
- Randall Dunn - Engineer, Mixing, Producer
- Mell Dettmer - Engineer, Mastering
- Seldon Hunt - Layout, Design
- Arik Roper - Artwork
External Links[]
References[]
- ↑ AllMusic
- ↑ VICE
- ↑ Burning Ambulance
- ↑ VICE
- ↑ Burning Ambulance
- ↑ Southern Lord Records Official
- ↑ Self Titled Magazine
- ↑ VICE
- ↑ Discogs
- ↑ Discogs
- ↑ AV Club
- ↑ Pitchfork
- ↑ BBC
- ↑ The Guardian
- ↑ Drowned in Sound
- ↑ Tiny Mix Tapes
- ↑ Sargent House
- ↑ Everything Is Noise
- ↑ Stonerrock.com via Wayback Machine