Cassadaga (album)

Cassadaga is the eighth studio album by Bright Eyes, released in the UK on April 9, 2007, and in the US on April 10. Around 25 to 30 songs were recorded in 2006,[14] with 13 of these appearing on the final track list. The album is named after the town of Cassadaga, Florida, a community of mediums and followers of spiritualism.[15] Z Berg of the Like, Sherri DuPree and Stacy King of Eisley, and singer-songwriter Rachael Yamagata all appear on this album. The first single, "Four Winds", was released on March 6, 2007, taken from the Four Winds EP, which contains five B-sides not on Cassadaga.[2]

Cassadaga
Studio album by
Bright Eyes
ReleasedApril 9, 2007[1]
Recorded2006
StudioNew York City; Portland, Oregon; and Lincoln, Nebraska[2]
Genre
Length62:05
LabelSaddle Creek
ProducerMike Mogis
Bright Eyes chronology
Four Winds
(2007)		 Cassadaga
(2007)		 The People's Key
(2011)
Singles from Cassadaga
  1. "Four Winds"
    Released: March 6, 2007
  2. "Hot Knives" / "If the Brakeman Turns My Way"
    Released: July 9, 2007
Singles from Cassadaga: A Companion
  1. "Middleman (Companion version)"
    Released: May 9, 2023
Professional ratings
Aggregate scores
SourceRating
Metacritic78/100[3]
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[4]
The A.V. ClubB−[5]
Entertainment WeeklyB+[6]
The Guardian[7]
Los Angeles Times[8]
MSN Music (Consumer Guide)A−[9]
NME8/10[10]
Pitchfork6.0/10[11]
Rolling Stone[12]
Spin[13]

Cassadaga debuted at number four on the Billboard 200, becoming the band's highest-charting album in the US, and sold about 58,000 copies in its first week.[16] It went on to sell over 231,000 units in US.[17] The album is the 103rd release of Saddle Creek Records. This album was number 12 on Rolling Stone's list of the Top 50 Albums of 2007.[18] Cassadaga reached number 13 on the UK Albums Chart in April 2007.[19]

The first single from the album, "Four Winds", can be heard in the background briefly during the party scene in the 2008 film Cloverfield.

The album will be reissued by Dead Oceans alongside a six-track companion EP on June 16, 2023.[20]

Cover

The CD and LP versions of the album come with a "spectral decoder" which allows users to see the true cover art on the album. One particular segment of text located on the back of the case includes a phrase in Russian: "тяните другую кровавую ванну", "draw another bloody bath", a reference to the first track's lyrics. Another hidden phrase is in (incorrect) Greek: "παρελθόν παρουσιάζω μέλλον", "the past presents the future", which is also the title of an album by Her Space Holiday, with whom Bright Eyes released a split single.

Hidden phrases in English:

  • "Dog-faced apologists pleasing themselves on the burning sand"
  • "These myths are sacred and profane!"
  • "Rocks beneath the water" (the meaning of "Cassadaga" in the Seneca language)
  • "Citrus slaves throwing dice in the dirt, amusement"
  • "We love you, Breezy, and we miss you!!!" (Breezy was the nickname of Sabrina Duim)
  • "Swollen saints bathing in a backwards river under a sliver of a moon"
  • "Mighty Saturn enters your eighth house"

Hidden phrases in French:

  • "Est-ce minuit ou midi?" ("Is it midnight or noon?")

Hidden phrases in Portuguese:

  • "Virgens doentes de sol ficando frescas no túmulo do faraó" ("Virgins sick from the sun staying fresh in the grave of the Pharaoh")
  • "Plantas de pirâmedes cheio de cores tatuado na barriga de uma puta" ("Pyramid blueprints, full of colours, tattooed on the belly of a whore")

"For Sabrina" is written on the inside of the CD case, and a separate insert on the LP, in memory of Sabrina Duim, a harpist and Stanford University undergraduate who toured with Bright Eyes and died in January 2007.[21]

On the back of the UK standard edition, "If the Brakeman Turns My Way" is converted to the British spelling of "If the Breakman Turns My Way". This UK standard edition was modified by designers at Polydor/Universal from the U.S. release (digipak, equivalent to the UK deluxe version).

On February 10, 2008, Cassadaga won a Grammy award for Best Recording Package.[22]

Track listing

All songs written by Conor Oberst, except where noted.

  1. "Clairaudients (Kill or Be Killed)" – 6:05
  2. "Four Winds" – 4:16
  3. "If the Brakeman Turns My Way" (Conor Oberst and Jason Boesel) – 4:53
  4. "Hot Knives" – 4:13
  5. "Make a Plan to Love Me" – 4:14
  6. "Soul Singer in a Session Band" – 4:14
  7. "Classic Cars" – 4:19
  8. "Middleman" – 4:49
  9. "Cleanse Song" – 3:28
  10. "No One Would Riot for Less" – 5:12
  11. "Coat Check Dream Song" (Conor Oberst and Nate Walcott) – 4:10
  12. "I Must Belong Somewhere" – 6:19
  13. "Lime Tree" – 5:53

Cassadaga: A Companion

  1. "Clairaudients (Kill or Be Killed)" (companion version) – 2:48
  2. "Middleman" (companion version) – 4:39
  3. "Coat Check Dream Song" (companion version) – 4:42
  4. "I Must Belong Somewhere" (companion version) – 4:45
  5. "Napoleon's Hat" (companion version) – 5:42
  6. "Wrecking Ball" (David Rawlings and Gillian Welch) – 5:19[23]

B-sides
B-side Availability
"Tourist Trap"Four Winds
"Reinvent the Wheel"Four Winds
"Cartoon Blues"Four Winds
"Smoke Without Fire"Four Winds
"Stray Dog Freedom"Four Winds
"Endless Entertainment"Download here
"Susan Miller Rag"3" (8 cm) with Cassadaga pre-order

"Susan Miller Rag" is a B-side to the album. The song was released on CD and vinyl formats, and was only available to customers who pre-ordered Cassadaga.

Personnel
  • Conor Oberst – voice (1–13), guitar (tracks 1, 2, 4–10, 12, 13), piano (track 3), synthesizer (track 13)
  • Mike Mogis – guitar (tracks 2, 4, 5, 7, 9, 11), bass (tracks 1, 3–6, 9), pedal steel (tracks 1, 3, 10, 11), voice (tracks 3, 9, 11), lap steel (tracks 6, 8, 9), mandolin (tracks 2, 12), dobro (tracks 4, 12), percussion (tracks 8, 9), vibraphone (tracks 1, 11), 12-string (track 2), baritone (track 8), ukulele (track 9), glockenspiel (track 1)
  • Nate Walcott – organ (1–3, 6, 7, 10, 12), piano (tracks 4, 6, 7), string arrangement (tracks 4, 10, 13), electric piano (tracks 2, 11), orchestral arrangement (tracks 1, 5), woodwind arrangement (tracks 8, 9)
  • M. Ward – guitar (tracks 1, 4, 6), voice (track 6)
  • Janet Weiss – drums (tracks 1, 4, 6)
  • Clark Baechle – percussion (track 1)
  • Stacy DuPree – voice (tracks 4, 5, 10, 11, 13)
  • Sherri DuPree – voice (tracks 4, 5, 10, 11, 13)
  • Z Berg – voice (tracks 1, 4, 5, 10, 11, 13)
  • Rachael Yamagata – voice (tracks 1, 4, 5, 10, 11, 13)
  • Hassan Lemtouni – voice (tracks 1, 11)
  • Chris MacDonald- voice (track 5, 8)
  • Suzie Katayama – conductor (tracks 1, 5)
  • Bill Meyers – conductor (tracks 4, 10, 13)
  • Dan McCarthy – bass (track 2)
  • Jason Boesel – drums (tracks 2, 3, 7, 10–12), voice (tracks 3, 8)
  • Anton Patzner – violin (tracks 2, 6)
  • Maria Taylor – voice (track 2), drums (track 5)
  • Andy LeMaster – voice (track 2)
  • David Rawlings – guitar (tracks 5, 7, 12)
  • Tim Luntzel – bass (tracks 7, 10)
  • Gillian Welch – voice (track 7)
  • Ted Stevens – voice (track 8)
  • Sean Foley – voice (track 8)
  • John McEntire – percussion (tracks 8, 9, 11), electronics (track 11)
  • Michael Zerang – percussion (tracks 8, 9)
  • Jonathan Crawford – percussion (tracks 8, 9, 11)
  • Dan Bitney – percussion (tracks 8, 9)
  • Dan Fliegel – percussion (tracks 8, 9)
  • David Moyer – bass clarinet (track 8)
  • Brian Walsh – clarinet (track 9), bass clarinet (track 8)
  • Shane Aspegren – drums (track 11), percussion (track 9)
  • Sarah Wass – flute (track 9)
  • Myka Miller – oboe (track 9)
  • Stefanie Drootin – bass (tracks 11, 12)
  • Jake Bellows – voice (track 12)

Charts
Chart performance for Cassadaga
Chart (2007) Peak
position
Australian Albums (ARIA)[24] 40
Austrian Albums (Ö3 Austria)[25] 47
Belgian Albums (Ultratop Flanders)[26] 25
Danish Albums (Hitlisten)[27] 39
Dutch Albums (Album Top 100)[28] 36
German Albums (Offizielle Top 100)[29] 19
Irish Albums (IRMA)[30] 35
Norwegian Albums (VG-lista)[31] 9
Swedish Albums (Sverigetopplistan)[32] 33
Swiss Albums (Schweizer Hitparade)[33] 59
UK Albums (OCC)[19] 13
US Billboard 200[34] 4
US Top Rock Albums (Billboard)[35] 1

References
  1. Keefe, Michael (April 10, 2007). "Bright Eyes: Cassadaga". PopMatters. Retrieved January 22, 2019.
  2. "Bright Eyes Bio". Saddle Creek Records LBJ-103. 2006. Archived from the original on February 6, 2007. Retrieved January 21, 2007.
  3. "Reviews for Cassadaga by Bright Eyes". Metacritic. Retrieved August 12, 2019.
  4. Brown, Marisa. "Cassadaga – Bright Eyes". AllMusic. Retrieved August 12, 2019.
  5. Murray, Noel (April 10, 2007). "Bright Eyes: Cassadaga / Four Winds". The A.V. Club. Retrieved August 12, 2019.
  6. Greenblatt, Leah (April 9, 2007). "Cassadaga". Entertainment Weekly. Archived from the original on April 4, 2016. Retrieved August 12, 2019.
  7. Simpson, Dave (April 6, 2007). "Bright Eyes, Cassadaga". The Guardian. Retrieved August 12, 2019.
  8. Cromelin, Richard (April 8, 2007). "Conor Oberst sails into the mystic". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved August 12, 2019.
  9. Christgau, Robert (September 2007). "Consumer Guide". MSN Music. Retrieved August 12, 2019.
  10. Martin, Dan (April 11, 2007). "Bright Eyes: Cassadaga". NME. Archived from the original on March 4, 2016. Retrieved August 12, 2019.
  11. Howe, Brian (April 9, 2007). "Bright Eyes: Cassadaga". Pitchfork. Retrieved August 12, 2019.
  12. Christgau, Robert (April 2, 2007). "Cassadaga". Rolling Stone. Retrieved August 12, 2019.
  13. Maerz, Melissa (April 2007). "Old at Heart". Spin. 23 (4): 89. Retrieved August 12, 2019.
  14. Katie Hasty (April 9, 2006). "Bright Eyes Gets Busy On New Album". Billboard. Retrieved January 21, 2007.
  15. "Cassadaga". Saddle Creek Records. Archived from the original on July 17, 2007. Retrieved April 2, 2007.
  16. Katie Hasty, "'NOW' Remains No. 1 As Bright Eyes Debuts High", Billboard.com, April 18, 2007.
  17. Ugwu, Reggie (April 28, 2014). "Conor Oberst: The Ex Boy Wonder of Indie Rock Moves to a Major Label". Billboard. Retrieved May 22, 2020.
  18. Robert Christgau, David Fricke, Christian Hoard, Rob Sheffield (December 17, 2007). "The Top 50 Albums of 2007" Rolling Stone. Retrieved December 20, 2007
  19. "Official Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved January 13, 2021.
  20. Corcoran, Nina (May 9, 2023). "Bright Eyes Announce "Companion" Reissues of Cassadaga, Noise Floor, and The People's Key". Pitchfork. Retrieved May 12, 2023.
  21. Fong, Kelley (January 18, 2007). "A tragic loss of life". The Stanford Daily. Archived from the original on September 16, 2008. Retrieved March 28, 2009.
  22. GRAMMY.com Archived April 4, 2008, at the Wayback Machine
  23. "Cassadaga: A Companion - Bright Eyes". Bandcamp. Epic Games, Inc. Retrieved July 17, 2023.
  24. "Australiancharts.com – Bright Eyes – Cassadaga". Hung Medien. Retrieved January 13, 2021.
  25. "Austriancharts.at – Bright Eyes – Cassadaga" (in German). Hung Medien. Retrieved January 13, 2021.
  26. "Ultratop.be – Bright Eyes – Cassadaga" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved January 13, 2021.
  27. "Danishcharts.dk – Bright Eyes – Cassadaga". Hung Medien. Retrieved January 13, 2021.
  28. "Dutchcharts.nl – Bright Eyes – Cassadaga" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved January 13, 2021.
  29. "Offiziellecharts.de – Bright Eyes – Cassadaga" (in German). GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved January 13, 2021.
  30. "Irish-charts.com – Discography Bright Eyes". Hung Medien. Retrieved January 13, 2021.
  31. "Norwegiancharts.com – Bright Eyes – Cassadaga". Hung Medien. Retrieved January 13, 2021.
  32. "Swedishcharts.com – Bright Eyes – Cassadaga". Hung Medien. Retrieved January 13, 2021.
  33. "Swisscharts.com – Bright Eyes – Cassadaga". Hung Medien. Retrieved January 13, 2021.
  34. "Bright Eyes Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved January 13, 2021.
  35. "Bright Eyes Chart History (Top Rock Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved June 3, 2022.
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