I Am Not Afraid of You and I Will Beat Your Ass explained
| I Am Not Afraid of You and I Will Beat Your Ass |
| Type: | studio |
| Artist: | Yo La Tengo |
| Cover: | Iamnotafraidofyou.jpg |
| Released: | September 12, 2006 |
| Recorded: | 2006 |
| Genre: | Indie rock, avant-pop[1] |
| Length: | 77:41 |
| Label: | Matador |
| Producer: | Roger Moutenot |
| Prev Title: | Summer Sun |
| Prev Year: | 2003 |
| Next Title: | They Shoot, We Score |
| Next Year: | 2008 |
I Am Not Afraid of You and I Will Beat Your Ass is the eleventh full-length album by American indie rock band Yo La Tengo, released on September 12, 2006 by record label Matador.
Content
The title of the album is rumored to be a (paraphrased) quote by NBA player Kurt Thomas. Sitting on the bench together during a game, Thomas was caught on tape by the MSG Network in a profane exchange with fellow Knick, point guard Stephon Marbury. Thomas yelled at Marbury, "Everyone in this organization is afraid of you, but I'm not, and I will beat your ass".[2] [3] [4]
Release
The record was released on CD and as a double LP vinyl.
A 7" single for "Mr. Tough" was released in the UK, September 4, 2006. On the B-side there is a cover of "I'm Your Puppet" by James & Bobby Purify.
Reception
The album has received widespread acclaim and appeared in numerous "Best of 2006" lists, including:
- a rating of 85% on Metacritic[5]
- appearing at number 13 on Metacritic's "Best of 2006" list.[6]
- appearing at number 23 on Pitchfork's "Top 50 Albums of 2006"[7]
Track listing
All songs written by Georgia Hubley, Ira Kaplan and James McNew.
- The final track is a deliberate misspelling of the band's name — the album's CD-Text reiterating this by listing the track as "The Story of Yo La Tango", followed by the message "Yes — it should be Tango!". A recurring feature on the band's web site depicts venue marquees with various misspellings of the name.
Personnel
Mastered by Greg Calbi at Sterling Sound.
- Steve Herrman – trumpet ("Mr. Tough", "Black Flowers")
- Jim Hoke – saxophone ("Mr. Tough", "Watch Out for Me Ronnie")
- Bill Huber – trombone ("Beanbag Chair", "Black Flowers") and euphonium ("Black Flowers")
- David Mansfield – violin ("I Feel Like Going Home", "Black Flowers")
- Roger Moutenot – acoustic guitar ("Song for Mahila")
- Garo Yellin – cello ("Black Flowers", "Watch Out for Me Ronnie")
Art
- Cover painting: Little Pink Lady by Gary Panter
- Photos by Reuben Cox
- Inlay photo of Ira as a kid was taken by Abraham Kaplan (Ira's father)
- Inlay photo of Ira and Georgia's dog, named Sydney, was taken by Georgia
Charts
Notes and References
- Kampwirth . Kevin . CMJ Best of 2006 . CMJ New Music Monthly . December 2006 . 144 . 26 . December 21, 2020.
- Book: Jarnow, Jesse . Big Day Coming: Yo La Tengo and the Rise of Indie Rock . Penguin . 2012-06-05 . 978-1-101-58868-0.
- News: Forde . Mike . Kurt Tweaks Marbury . New York Post . 2005-02-24 . 2024-04-29 . https://web.archive.org/web/20240124153203/https://nypost.com/2005/02/24/kurt-tweaks-marbury . 2024-01-24.
- News: Isola . Frank . Kurt, Knicks Showing Fight . New York Daily News . 2005-02-04 . 2024-04-29 . https://web.archive.org/web/20240429022912/https://www.nydailynews.com/2005/02/04/kurt-knicks-showing-fight . 2024-04-29.
- http://www.metacritic.com/music/artists/yolatengo/iamnotafraidofyouandiwillbeatyourass Yo La Tengo: I Am Not Afraid Of You And I Will Beat Your Ass (2006): Reviews
- Web site: Highest and Lowest Scoring Music and Albums at Metacritic . Metacritic.com . 2012-02-23.
- http://pitchfork.com/features/lists-and-guides/6510-top-50-albums-of-2006/?page=3 Pitchfork Feature: Top 50 Albums of 2006
- Web site: Yo La Tengo Awards. AllMusic. July 5, 2017. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20150829054740/http://www.allmusic.com/artist/yo-la-tengo-mn0000687487/awards. August 29, 2015.
