Wolfmother is the debut studio album by Australian rock band Wolfmother, originally released on 31 October 2005 in Australia. The album was later released internationally at various dates in 2006, with the addition of "Love Train" and a rearranged track listing. Wolfmother peaked at number three on the Australian ARIA Albums Chart[1] and was certified five times platinum by the Australian Recording Industry Association.[2] Six singles were released from Wolfmother's debut album: "Mind's Eye" (with "Woman"), "White Unicorn", "Dimension", "Woman", "Love Train" and "Joker & the Thief", the latter of which charted the highest at number eight on the ARIA Singles Chart.[1] The album cover, which is taken from The Sea Witch by Frank Frazetta, shows a nymph standing against a blue/orange sky, on a rock, though because it displays nudity the album is sold in Wal-Mart stores with an alternate cover featuring simply the band's white logo against a black background. It is the only album to feature co-founding members Chris Ross and Myles Heskett, who left the band in August 2008.

Wolfmother
Studio album by
Released31 October 2005 (2005-10-31)
RecordedJune–September 2005
StudioSound City Studios, Los Angeles, California
Genre
Length51:17 (Australian version)
54:27 (International version)
LabelModular
ProducerDave Sardy
Wolfmother chronology
Wolfmother EP
(2004)
Wolfmother
(2005)
Dimensions EP
(2006)
Singles from Wolfmother
  1. "Mind's Eye"
    Released: 16 October 2005
  2. "White Unicorn"
    Released: 26 February 2006
  3. "Dimension"
    Released: 17 April 2006
  4. "Woman"
    Released: 17 June 2006
  5. "Love Train"
    Released: 18 September 2006
  6. "Joker & the Thief"
    Released: 28 October 2006

At the J Award of 2005, the album won Australian Album of the Year.[3]

Release and reception

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Professional ratings
Aggregate scores
SourceRating
Metacritic76/100[4]
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic      link
Blender      link
NME           link
Pitchfork7.5/10 link
Rolling Stone(favourable) link

Wolfmother was first issued in Australia on 30 October 2005 through Modular Recordings.[5] Prior to its release it was played on high rotation on radio station Triple J, and as a result was the featured album of the week starting 28 October,[6] won both the inaugural J Award[7] and the listener's choice Album of the Year.[5] It also contributed a record total of six songs to the Hottest 100 chart, of which the highest was "Mind's Eye" at No. 6.[8] By 2007, the album had been certified five times platinum[2] and had peaked at No. 3.[1]

For the international release of the album, the track listing was tweaked slightly and "Love Train", previously released as the B-side to "White Unicorn", was added. It was not as well received in the UK and the US as in Australia, though Wolfmother still managed to reach No. 25[9] and No. 22[10] respectively. By 2007 it had also been certified gold by the British Phonographic Industry,[11] the Recording Industry Association of America[12] and the Canadian Recording Industry Association.[13]

Upon its release, Wolfmother received mainly positive reviews from critics. It was named 15th greatest album of 2006 by Rolling Stone magazine. The album's sound was compared to such 1960s and 1970s hard rock and heavy metal bands as Led Zeppelin[14][15][16][17][18] and Black Sabbath,[14][15][18][19] as well as more modern bands including Queens of the Stone Age[14][15] and The White Stripes,[14][15][19] though this led some reviewers to go as far as accusing the trio of "ripping off" such bands.[18] Q were somewhat less critical, describing the music as "Far from rocket science, but immense fun nonetheless".[19] Total Guitar gave the album 9/10, describing it as "ruddy marvellous", adding that it "can't fail to bowl you over".[20] The Record Review also praised the band and its debut, remarking that if they "continue to produce such epic songs and memorable riffs, there’s no doubt they will be at the forefront of rock and roll for years to come."[21]

Following the release of the debut, Yahoo! critic Rob O'Connor noted them as number 15 on his list of 'The Greatest Australian Acts' on his 'List of the Day' blog.[22] Furthermore, he compared their sound to be more reminiscent of psychedelic rock bands like Blue Cheer, Toe Fat Revival, Bloodrock and Frijid Pink, rather than comparing them to straight forward hard rock bands like Black Sabbath.[22] Lars Ulrich of Metallica fame has gone on record as a huge fan of the debut, noting their debut to be "awesome", and that following its release, he would listen to it "every day".[23] In 2009, the song "Vagabond" was used in the movie 500 Days of Summer. The song "Apple Tree" was used in the trailer for The Hangover Part III. The song "Dimension" was used in season 3, episode 16 of House. "Dimension" was also used in the soundtrack of the game FlatOut 2.

The album has sold over one million copies worldwide.

Track listings

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All songs written and composed by Andrew Stockdale, Chris Ross and Myles Heskett.

Original Australian version

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No.TitleLength
1."Colossal"5:02
2."Woman"2:55
3."White Unicorn"5:01
4."Pyramid"4:28
5."Mind's Eye"4:53
6."Joker & the Thief"4:39
7."Dimension"4:25
8."Where Eagles Have Been"5:32
9."Apple Tree"3:28
10."Tales from the Forest of Gnomes"3:35
11."Witchcraft"3:25
12."Vagabond"3:47

International version

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No.TitleLength
1."Dimension"4:21
2."White Unicorn"5:04
3."Woman"2:56
4."Where Eagles Have Been"5:33
5."Apple Tree"3:30
6."Joker & the Thief"4:40
7."Colossal"5:04
8."Mind's Eye"4:54
9."Pyramid"4:28
10."Witchcraft"3:25
11."Tales"3:39
12."Love Train"3:03
13."Vagabond"3:50

United States 14-track edition

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No.TitleLength
14."Colossal" (Live at the Big Day Out)5:52

United States 15-track edition

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No.TitleLength
14."Woman" (MSTRKRFT remix)3:28
15."Love Train" (Chicken Lips remix)5:44

10th anniversary deluxe edition

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Bonus B-Sides
No.TitleLength
14."The Earth's Rotation Around the Sun"2:48
15."Vagabond" (Acoustic Version)2:41
16."Joker & the Thief" (Loving Hands Remix)9:19
17."Woman" (MSTRKRFT Remix)3:31
18."Love Train" (Chicken Lips Malfunction Remix)5:46
Disc 2: Demos, B-sides & Live Tracks
No.TitleLength
1."Dimension" (Demo)4:17
2."White Unicorn" (Demo)8:16
3."Woman" (Early Days Demo)2:18
4."Apple Tree" (Demo)3:27
5."Not Goin' Home" ("Joker & the Thief" Demo)4:46
6."Colossal" (Demo)5:26
7."Pyramid" (Early Jam Demo)4:51
8."Witchcraft" (Rehearsal Room Demo)4:02
9."Love Train" (Rehearsal Room Demo)2:37
10."Vagabond" (Rehearsal Room Demo)3:10
11."Woman" (Live)4:16
12."Tales from the Forest of Gnomes" (Live)3:49
13."Mind's Eye" (Live)5:54
14."Dimension" (Live)6:15
15."Where Eagles Have Been" (Live)6:05

Personnel

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Charts

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Certifications

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Region Certification Certified units/sales
Australia (ARIA)[37] 5× Platinum 350,000^
Canada (Music Canada)[38] Gold 50,000^
Germany (BVMI)[39] Gold 100,000
United Kingdom (BPI)[40] Gold 100,000^
United States (RIAA)[41] Gold 500,000^

^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.
Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

Release history

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Region Date Label Format Catalog Ref.
Australia 31 October 2005 Modular Compact Disc MODCD036 [42][43]
United States (14-track version) 18 April 2006 Modular Digital download [44]
Europe (13-track version) 24 April 2006 Island Compact Disc 9877684 [45][46]
United Kingdom (13-track version) 24 April 2006 Island Double 12-inch vinyl 986 500-4 [47][48]
North America (13-track version) 2 May 2006 Modular Compact Disc MODCD041 [45][49]
Australia (13-track reissue) 3 June 2006 Modular Compact Disc MODCD043 [45][50]
Japan (13-track version) 11 July 2006 Universal Compact Disc 9051 [51]
United States (15-track reissue) 2 January 2007 Modular Digital download [52]
Japan (13-track version) 22 January 2007 Universal Compact Disc and DVD 9054 [53]

References

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  1. ^ a b c d "Discography Wolfmother". australian-charts.com. Archived from the original on 21 July 2015. Retrieved 12 October 2008.
  2. ^ a b "ARIA Charts - Accreditations - 2007 Albums". Australian Recording Industry Association. 31 December 2007. Archived from the original on 7 August 2008. Retrieved 12 October 2008.
  3. ^ "The J Award 2005". Triple J. Australian Broadcasting Corporation. 2005. Retrieved 15 August 2020.
  4. ^ "Reviews for Wolfmother by Wolfmother - Metacritic". CBS Interactive. Retrieved 17 September 2014.
  5. ^ a b "Wolfmother Bio" (PDF). William Morris Agency. Retrieved 12 October 2008.
  6. ^ "Wolfmother". Triple J Music Reviews. Triple J. 28 October 2005. Retrieved 13 August 2008.
  7. ^ "The J Award 2005". Triple J. Retrieved 13 August 2008.
  8. ^ "2005". Hottest 100 History. Triple J. Retrieved 13 August 2008.
  9. ^ a b "The Official Charts Company - Wolfmother". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 1 September 2008.
  10. ^ a b "Artist Chart History - Wolfmother". Billboard. Retrieved 1 September 2008.
  11. ^ "Platinum Awards Content". British Phonographic Industry. Archived from the original on 22 January 2009. Retrieved 12 October 2008.
  12. ^ "Search Results". Recording Industry Association of America. 4 October 2008. Archived from the original on 1 February 2013. Retrieved 12 October 2008.
  13. ^ "Gold & Platinum - January 2005". Canadian Recording Industry Association. Archived from the original on 8 February 2012. Retrieved 12 October 2008.
  14. ^ a b c d Erlewine, Stephen Thomas. "Wolfmother > Overview". AllMusic. Retrieved 12 October 2008.
  15. ^ a b c d Donovan, Patrick. "Wolfmother : Wolfmother: (Universal)". Wolfmother (originally published by The Age). Archived from the original on 28 May 2008. Retrieved 12 October 2008.
  16. ^ Downie, Stephen. "Listen up: album of the week". Wolfmother (originally published by The Daily Telegraph). Archived from the original on 27 April 2008. Retrieved 12 October 2008.
  17. ^ Byrom, Cory D. (25 April 2006). "Wolfmother". Pitchfork Media. Archived from the original on 15 October 2008. Retrieved 12 October 2008.
  18. ^ a b c "Ham of the Gods". Wolfmother (originally published by Rolling Stone). Archived from the original on 28 May 2008. Retrieved 12 October 2008.
  19. ^ a b c Everley, Dave. "Wolfmother : Wolfmother". Wolfmother (originally published by Q). Archived from the original on 17 September 2008. Retrieved 12 October 2008.
  20. ^ Ascott, Phil. "WOLFMOTHER". Total Guitar. Archived from the original on 8 December 2008. Retrieved 13 August 2008.
  21. ^ Rice, Ian (18 May 2006). "Wolfmother: A Rock Revival". Recordreview.wordpress.com. Retrieved 13 August 2011.
  22. ^ a b "The 25 Greatest Australian Acts - List of the Day". New.music.yahoo.com. 20 October 2008. Retrieved 13 August 2011.
  23. ^ "Metallica Working Extra Hard To Compete, Music And Payola - Youtube". 5 May 2007. Archived from the original on 21 December 2021. Retrieved 13 August 2011 – via YouTube.
  24. ^ "Discographie Wolfmother" (in German). austriancharts.at. Retrieved 27 September 2008.
  25. ^ "Top 100 Albums". Jam!. Archived from the original on 14 June 2006. Retrieved 29 November 2023.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
  26. ^ "Discography Wolfmother". danishcharts.dk. Retrieved 27 September 2008.
  27. ^ "Discography Wolfmother". finnishcharts.com. Retrieved 27 September 2008.
  28. ^ "Discographie Wolfmother" (in French). lescharts.com. Retrieved 27 September 2008.
  29. ^ "Discographie Wolfmother" (in German). germancharts.com. Retrieved 27 September 2008.
  30. ^ "Discography Wolfmother". irish-charts.com. Retrieved 27 September 2008.
  31. ^ "狼牙生誕!" (in Japanese). Oricon ME inc. Retrieved 20 January 2019.
  32. ^ "Discografie Wolfmother" (in Dutch). dutchcharts.nl. Retrieved 27 September 2008.
  33. ^ "Discography Wolfmother". norwegiancharts.com. Retrieved 27 September 2008.
  34. ^ "Discography Wolfmother". swedishcharts.com. Retrieved 27 September 2008.
  35. ^ "Discography Wolfmother". swisscharts.com. Retrieved 27 September 2008.
  36. ^ "2009 ARIA End of Decade Albums Chart". ARIA. January 2010. Retrieved 16 January 2020.
  37. ^ "ARIA Charts – Accreditations – 2007 Albums" (PDF). Australian Recording Industry Association. Retrieved 27 December 2021.
  38. ^ "Canadian album certifications – Wolfmother – Wolfmother". Music Canada. Retrieved 27 December 2021.
  39. ^ "Gold-/Platin-Datenbank (Wolfmother; 'Wolfmother')" (in German). Bundesverband Musikindustrie. Retrieved 27 December 2021.
  40. ^ "British album certifications – Wolfmother – Wolfmother". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved 27 December 2021.
  41. ^ "American album certifications – Wolfmother – Wolfmother". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved 27 December 2021.
  42. ^ "Release: Wolfmother". MusicBrainz. Retrieved 29 May 2009.
  43. ^ "Wolfmother - Wolfmother (CD, Album)". Discogs. Retrieved 29 May 2009.
  44. ^ "Release: Wolfmother". MusicBrainz. Retrieved 29 May 2009.
  45. ^ a b c "Release: Wolfmother". MusicBrainz. Retrieved 29 May 2009.
  46. ^ "Wolfmother - Wolfmother (CD, Album)". Discogs. Retrieved 29 May 2009.
  47. ^ "Wolfmother - Wolfmother (2xLP, Album, Gat)". Discogs. Retrieved 29 May 2009.
  48. ^ "Wolfmother [UK] > Overview". allmusic. Retrieved 29 May 2009.
  49. ^ "Wolfmother - Wolfmother (CD, Album)". Discogs. Retrieved 29 May 2009.
  50. ^ "Wolfmother - Wolfmother (CD, Album)". Discogs. Retrieved 29 May 2009.
  51. ^ "Wolfmother [Bonus Track] > Overview". allmusic. Retrieved 29 May 2009.
  52. ^ "Release: Wolfmother". MusicBrainz. Retrieved 29 May 2009.
  53. ^ "Wolfmother [Bonus DVD] > Overview". AllMusic. Retrieved 29 May 2009.