The Great Destroyer

This article is about the Low album. For the Nine Inch Nails song, see Year Zero (album). For the "The Great Destroyer" book about Barack Obama, see David Limbaugh.

2005 studio album by Low

The Great Destroyer

Studio album by

Low

Released| January 25, 2005 (2005-01-25)
Recorded| May 3 – September 27, 2004
Studio| Tarbox Road Studios, Cassadaga, New York, United States
Genre| Slowcore
Length| 52:48
Label| Sub Pop
Producer|

* Dave Fridmann
* Low

Low chronology
| Trust
(2002)  | The Great Destroyer
(2005)  | Drums and Guns
(2007)

|
|

The Great Destroyer is the seventh studio album by American indie rock band Low. It was released on January 25, 2005, as their first recording on Sub Pop Records.[1]

"California", a song about Sparhawk's mother, was released as the album's first single, backed with a demo of "Cue the Strings".[2] A remix EP of "Monkey", entitled "Tonight the Monkeys Die", soon followed.[3] Music videos were created for both.[2][3]

The title of the album (as well as the song "Silver Rider") is taken from the story within the album art.[4]

## Critical reception

[edit]

This section needs expansion. You can help by adding to it. (January 2020)

|

Professional ratingsAggregate scores

Source| Rating
Metacritic| 82/100[5]
Review scores
Source| Rating
AllMusic| [1]
Blender| [6]
Entertainment Weekly| A−[7]
The Guardian| [8]
Mojo| [9]
NME| 8/10[10]
Pitchfork| 5.5/10[11]
Q| [12]
Rolling Stone| [13]
Spin| A−[14]

According to the review aggregator Metacritic, The Great Destroyer received "universal acclaim" based on a weighted average score of 82 out of 100 from 34 critic scores. The site named it the 46th-best reviewed album of 2005.[5]

## Track listing

[edit]

All songs written by Mimi Parker, Zak Sally, and Alan Sparhawk

1. "Monkey" – 4:19
2. "California" – 3:23
3. "Everybody's Song" – 3:55
4. "Silver Rider" – 5:03
5. "Just Stand Back" – 3:04
6. "On the Edge Of" – 3:49
7. "Cue the Strings" – 3:30
8. "Step" – 3:18
9. "When I Go Deaf" – 4:41
10. "Broadway (So Many People)" – 7:14
11. "Pissing" – 5:08
12. "Death of a Salesman" – 2:28
13. "Walk into the Sea" – 2:56

## Personnel

[edit]

Low

* Mimi Parker – percussion, vocals, production, mixing
* Zak Sally – bass guitar, production, mixing, painting, illustrations
* Alan Sparhawk – guitar, vocals, production, mixing

Additional personnel

* Gerry Beckley – backing vocals on "Everybody's Song"
* Greg Calbi – mastering at Sterling Sound
* Dave Fridmann – production, mixing, keyboards on "California", "Everybody's Song", "Step", and "Broadway (So Many People)"
* Tom Herbers – engineering
* Jeff Kleinsmith – layout
* Hollis Mae Sparhawk – vocals on "Step", photography

## Charts

[edit]

Chart (2005)  | Peak
position

|

Belgian Albums (Ultratop Flanders)[15] | 67
French Albums (SNEP)[16] | 190
Irish Albums (IRMA)[17] | 30
UK Albums (OCC)[18] | 72
US Heatseekers Albums (Billboard)[19] | 13
US Independent Albums (Billboard)[20] | 19

## References

[edit]

1. ^ a b Phares, Heather. "The Great Destroyer – Low". AllMusic. Retrieved November 11, 2016.
2. ^ a b Sub Pop Records : Low : California Single
3. ^ a b Sub Pop Records : Low : Tonight The Monkeys Die
4. ^ "RELEVANT Magazine - Low, The Great Destroyer". Archived from the original on March 22, 2012. Retrieved August 15, 2011.
5. ^ a b "Reviews for The Great Destroyer by Low". Metacritic. Retrieved November 11, 2016.
6. ^ Wolk, Douglas (March 2005). "Low: The Great Destroyer". Blender (34): 141. Archived from the original on April 3, 2005. Retrieved November 11, 2016.
7. ^ Chen, Steven (January 21, 2005). "Low: The Great Destroyer". Entertainment Weekly. p. 88.
8. ^ Peschek, David (February 11, 2005). "Low, The Great Destroyer". The Guardian. Retrieved November 11, 2016.
9. ^ "Low: The Great Destroyer". Mojo (135): 94. February 2005.
10. ^ "Low: The Great Destroyer". NME: 59. January 29, 2005.
11. ^ Raposa, David (January 26, 2005). "Low: The Great Destroyer". Pitchfork. Retrieved November 11, 2016.
12. ^ "Low: The Great Destroyer". Q (224): 100. March 2005.
13. ^ Fricke, David (February 10, 2005). "Low: The Great Destroyer". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on December 14, 2007. Retrieved November 11, 2016.
14. ^ Scholtes, Peter S. (February 2005). "Low: The Great Destroyer". Spin. 21 (2): 91. Retrieved November 11, 2016.
15. ^ "Ultratop.be – Low – The Great Destroyer" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved August 25, 2011.
16. ^ "Lescharts.com – Low – The Great Destroyer". Hung Medien. Retrieved August 25, 2011.
17. ^ "GFK Chart-Track Albums: Week 5, 2005". Chart-Track. IRMA. Retrieved August 25, 2011.
18. ^ "Official Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved August 25, 2011.
19. ^ "Low Chart History (Heatseekers Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved August 25, 2011.
20. ^ "Low Chart History (Independent Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved August 25, 2011.

## External links

[edit]

* The Great Destroyer at Discogs (list of releases)
* The Great Destroyer at MusicBrainz (list of releases)

* v
* t
* e

Low

* Alan Sparhawk
* Mimi Parker
* John Nichols
* Zak Sally
* Matt Livingston
* Steve Garrington

Studio albums|

* I Could Live in Hope
* Long Division
* The Curtain Hits the Cast
* Secret Name
* Things We Lost in the Fire
* Trust
* The Great Destroyer
* Drums and Guns
* C'mon
* The Invisible Way
* Ones and Sixes
* Double Negative
* Hey What

Other albums|

* One More Reason to Forget
* OwL Remix
* Paris '99: "Anthony, Are You Around?"
* A Lifetime of Temporary Relief: 10 Years of B-Sides and Rarities

EPs|

* Low
* Finally...
* Transmission
* Songs for a Dead Pilot
* Christmas
* Bombscare EP
* The Exit Papers
* In the Fishtank 7
* Tonight the Monkeys Die: Low Remixed
* Murderer

Singles|

* "If You Were Born Today (Song for Little Baby Jesus)"
* "Last Night I Dreamt That Somebody Loved Me"
* "California"

Related articles|

* Slowcore
* Solo Guitar
* The Seer
* Black Eyed Snakes
* Retribution Gospel Choir
* White Roses, My God
* Your Voice Is Not Enough

Category

Authority control databases |

* MusicBrainz release group

|

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