Demon Days
A loose concept album exploring 'the world in a state of night', blending alternative rock, hip-hop, and trip hop with darker, post-apocalyptic themes.
Demon Days is the second studio album by the British virtual band Gorillaz, released on 11 May 2005 in Japan, followed by 23 May 2005 in the United Kingdom and 24 May 2005 in the United States. Produced primarily by Danger Mouse alongside the band, Jason Cox, and James Dring at London's Studio 13, the record shifts away from the lighter tone of their debut to address darker, post-9/11 political themes. The album features guest appearances from De La Soul, Neneh Cherry, Martina Topley-Bird, Roots Manuva, MF Doom, Ike Turner, Bootie Brown, Shaun Ryder, and Dennis Hopper. It was promoted through interactive websites and animated music videos by co-creator Jamie Hewlett, culminating in the Demon Days Live residencies in Manchester and New York City.
Quick Facts
- Artist
- Gorillaz
- Released
- 11 May 2005
- Recorded
- 2004
- Studio
- Unit 13 at Buspace
- London
- Pierce Entertainment (Pierce Room Studios)
- London
- Genre
- Alternative rock
- hip hop
- trip hop
- pop
- art rock
- Length
- 50:47
- Label
- Parlophone
- Virgin
- EMI
- Producer
- Gorillaz
- Danger Mouse
- Jason Cox
- James Dring
Lore & Background
The album's narrative is rooted in frontman Damon Albarn's train journey from Beijing to Mongolia, where he witnessed a landscape of dust bowls and dying towns that inspired the concept of 'the world in a state of night'. This visual and thematic shift was further shaped by discarded ideas from a scrapped Gorillaz movie script, which focused on ego and an endless night. The lyrics tackle apocalyptic realities and the brutalisation of a generation, exemplified by tracks like 'Kids with Guns', inspired by a school incident involving a knife, and Dennis Hopper's narration in 'Fire Coming Out of the Monkey's Head', a parable about greed and retribution set to reggae. Albarn described the album as an allegory for their current reality, aiming to achieve 'dark pop' that reflects the nightmare of environmental decay and societal collapse.
Reader's Guide
Demon Days achieved massive commercial success, debuting at number one on the UK Albums Chart and number six on the US Billboard 200, eventually selling eight million copies worldwide. It earned six-times platinum certification in the UK and double platinum in the US. The lead single 'Feel Good Inc.' topped the US Billboard Modern Rock Tracks chart for eight consecutive weeks and won the band their sole Grammy Award in 2006 for Best Pop Collaboration with Vocals. Instead of a traditional tour, the band promoted the album through Demon Days Live residencies in Manchester and New York City, performing the full album across five shows in each city. These performances featured almost all guest artists, with Albarn and the band appearing on stage in silhouette against Hewlett's visuals. The era also saw the release of B-sides on D-Sides (2007) and multimedia compilations in Phase Two: Slowboat to Hades (2006).
Track listing
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Intro | Damon Albarn, Jamie Hewlett, Don Harper | 1:03 |
| 2 | Last Living Souls | Albarn, Hewlett | 3:10 |
| 3 | Kids with Guns (featuring Neneh Cherry) | Albarn, Hewlett, Brian Burton | 3:46 |
| 4 | O Green World | Albarn, Hewlett, Burton | 4:32 |
| 5 | Dirty Harry (featuring Bootie Brown) | Albarn, Hewlett, Burton, Romye Robinson | 3:44 |
| 6 | Feel Good Inc. (featuring De La Soul) | Albarn, Hewlett, Burton, David Jolicoeur | 3:41 |
| 7 | El Mañana | Albarn, Hewlett, Burton | 3:50 |
| 8 | Every Planet We Reach Is Dead | Albarn, Hewlett | 4:53 |
| 9 | November Has Come (featuring MF Doom) | Albarn, Hewlett, Daniel Dumile | 2:41 |
| 10 | All Alone (featuring Roots Manuva & Martina Topley-Bird) | Albarn, Hewlett, Burton, Rodney Smith, Simon Tong | 3:30 |
| 11 | White Light | Albarn, Hewlett | 2:08 |
| 12 | Dare (featuring Shaun Ryder & Rosie Wilson) | Albarn, Hewlett, Burton, Ryder | 4:04 |
| 13 | Fire Coming Out of the Monkey's Head | Albarn, Hewlett | 3:16 |
| 14 | Don't Get Lost in Heaven | Albarn, Hewlett | 2:00 |
| 15 | Demon Days | Albarn, Hewlett | 4:29 |
| Total length | 50:47 | ||
Did You Know?
- The album's main inspiration came from Albarn's train journey through impoverished rural China, where he saw 'dead trees as far as the eye can see'.
- Dennis Hopper narrated the track 'Fire Coming Out of the Monkey's Head' in a basement studio owned by EMI Publishing next to London's Astoria Theatre.
- Albarn recorded vocal harmonies by smiling for three takes and looking miserable for one to mimic the dynamic of Brian Wilson versus the Beach Boys.
Elsewhere in Gorillaz
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