Sam's Town Explained

Sam's Town
Type:studio
Artist:the Killers
Cover:The Killers - Sam's Town.png
Alt:A female model in a bikini stands in front a trailer home wearing a sash with the word "MISS" on it. A ram also appears, looking outward to the left. The words "Sam's Town" are written in red text.
Border:yes
Recorded:February–June 2006
Studio:
  • Studio at the Palms, Las Vegas
  • Criterion (London)
Genre:
Label:Island
Producer:
Prev Title:Hot Fuss
Prev Year:2004
Next Title:Sawdust
Next Year:2007

Sam's Town is the second studio album by American rock band the Killers. It was released on September 27, 2006, by Island Records. Regarding the album, frontman Brandon Flowers noted that he "wanted to create an album that captured, chronologically, everything important that got me to where I am today".[2] Sam's Town has sold almost five million copies worldwide.

On October 7, 2016, Sam's Town was reissued as a remastered double vinyl by Bong Load Records, celebrating the 10th anniversary of the album. The reissue is limited to 5,016 copies and includes two bonus tracks—the previously unreleased demo "Peace of Mind" and a Pet Shop Boys remix of "Read My Mind".[3] [4]

Background

The album takes its name from Sam's Town Hotel and Gambling Hall, a hotel and casino in Las Vegas, the band's hometown. Sam's Town was also a huge sign that was visible to band member Mark Stoermer through his room window when he was young.

Artwork

According to photographer Anton Corbijn, the band initially wanted a "chic, gypsy look" for the album, and that "out of those discussions [for the sleeve] came these elements of faded glory."[5] The album's co-producer, Flood, is dressed as a Native American in the CD booklet. The artwork inside the album booklet is taken from a Downtown Las Vegas mural painted by Suzanne Hackett-Morgan, a local painter. The cover artwork of Sam's Town features model and singer Felice LaZae.[6] It also features a Desert bighorn sheep, the state mammal and popular symbol of Nevada, where the Killers are from.[7]

Production

The album is said to be influenced by the works of U2, Duran Duran, Bruce Springsteen, the Beatles, Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, Electric Light Orchestra, and Dire Straits, among others.[8] [9] In the October 2006 issue of Giant magazine, Flowers was quoted as saying that Sam's Town would be "one of the best albums in the past twenty years",[10] and in Entertainment Weekly he remarked that it would be "the album that keeps rock & roll afloat."

Flowers later said of production techniques used on the record, "We didn't use too many vocal effects. On the first album, we used auto-tune, and I didn't even realize what was going on with these machines and the computer. I was adamant about not using it this time. You really hear what my voice sounds like, for the first time."[11] At one point, Flowers was told that Brian Eno had passed over the chance to produce the album, a rejection that affected Flowers greatly. However, when working with Eno for Wonderful Wonderful, Eno told him that he was never offered the project in the first place.[12]

Tour

Christian Hoard of Rolling Stone gave the Killers' concert at Madison Square Garden three-and-a-half stars, saying, "The Vegas quartet's maligned new album, Sam's Town, might pack more unfortunate big-rock bombast than its new wave debut, Hot Fuss, but it shares a generous hook quotient and a Vegas-y talent for crowd-pleasing. Before a frothy crowd, the Killers proved they've become a tight live band."[13]

Critical reception

Initially, Sam's Town received generally positive reviews from music critics. At Metacritic, which assigns a normalized rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream publications, the album received an average score of 64, based on 32 reviews.

Dan Martin of The Observer awarded the album five out of five stars and noted the album's sonic similarity to Born to Run by Bruce Springsteen, writing: "Improbably, this proves to be their masterstroke. Selling Springsteen back to his homeland might look like a canny way of ensuring radio play, but there's no disputing the quality of their songs. Indeed, as Hot Fuss sporadically intimated, the Killers are among pop's foremost practitioners." Comparing Sam's Town to the band's debut album Hot Fuss, Martin stated: "Crucially, Sam's Town sounds like a complete collection, with a far better strike rate than its predecessor."[14]

In a review for NME, Krissi Murison highlighted both the similarities to Hot Fuss and the evolution of the band's sound from the debut to Sam's Town, concluding: "All this, however, isn't to say that The Killers have gone all (God forbid) serious on us. The tunes may be huger, the influences cleverer, the lyrics more adventurous and the band more self-assured, but their primary concern is still being the biggest indie-pop stars on the planet. For all their smart new ways, The Killers are still as flashy, unintentionally funny, and flagrantly affected as ever – and this time we wouldn't even pretend to have it any other way."

Conversely, Sia Michel of The New York Times called the album "painful" and ends the review with the statement that "The Killers are a talented band that evolved too fast, for the wrong reasons."[15] Similarly, Rob Sheffield of Rolling Stone noted a significant departure from Hot Fuss, writing that on Sam's Town, the band "ditch[es] their cheerfully fake Bowie moves and try to get heavy by copying Bruce Springsteen. Yes, that means glockenspiel solos. Yes, it means anthems about the road and looking for America and girls named Mary. No, it's not a good move."[16]

In later years, the album gained a cult following and has been critically lauded as a classic and one of the best rock albums of the 2000s.[17] [18] [19] [20] Despite its two-star rating by Rolling Stone, Sam's Town was voted by the magazine's readers in December 2009 as the most underrated album of the decade.[18] Q magazine ranked it as the 11th best album of the 21st century.[19] In a retrospective for Uproxx, Steven Hyden broaches the issue of pannings by notable media outlets such as Rolling Stone, arguing that these pannings have ultimately cemented the album's status as a classic: "Ten years removed from its original moment, Sam's Town has aged as all misunderstood sorta-classics do, where its deficiencies are now strengths. [...] A record that was risible to some because its attendant hype was so overbearing now has the appeal of a mistreated underdog. Against all odds, the narrative came around on Sam's Town."[20] Writing for MTV News, James Montgomery would theorize that the initial backlash to the album caused the band to change direction with their follow up album, Day & Age, calling the latter "the most un-Sam's Town album imaginable."[21]

Accolades

Ceremony! scope="col"
YearAwardResult
Brit Awards2007Best International Album
MTV Australia AwardsAlbum of the Year
Shockwaves NME AwardsBest Album
Publication! scope="col"
CountryAccoladeYearRank
QUnited KingdomQ Artists and Albums of the 21st Century201011
Rolling StoneUnited StatesMost Underrated Album of the Decade: Readers' Poll20101

Commercial performance

Sam's Town debuted at number two on the US Billboard 200, selling 315,000 copies in its first week.[22], the album had sold 1.3 million copies in the United States. It became the band's second number-one album on the UK Albums Chart, selling 268,946 copies in its first week.[23] It had sold 1.57 million copies in the United Kingdom by July 2017. The album has been certified Platinum or multi-Platinum in the US, UK, Australia, Canada, and Ireland. Sam's Town also produced multiple charting singles including the platinum chart-topping single "When You Were Young"., Sam's Town had sold almost five million copies worldwide.[24]

Popular culture

Six months after the death of American YouTuber Technoblade, his father revealed on the r/technoblade subreddit that, in his son's instructions for the video that would announce his death, he included a link to a joint YouTube video of the songs Enterlude and Exitlude. Technoblade's father was unsure of how his son wanted the song to be inserted into the video and did not include it due to problems it could cause with copyright.[25]

Popular Twitch streamer xQc has regularly used Exitlude as outro music for his streams.[26]

Track listing

All tracks are produced by Flood, Alan Moulder and the Killers.

Personnel

Credits adapted from the liner notes of Sam's Town.[27]

Studios

The Killers

Additional musicians

Technical

Artwork

Charts

Weekly charts

Chart (2006)Peak
position
European Albums (Billboard)[28] 2
Greek Albums (IFPI)[29] 14
Japanese Albums (Oricon)[30] 24
Mexican Albums (Top 100 Mexico)[31] 9

Year-end charts

Chart (2006)Position
Australian Albums (ARIA)[32] 30
European Albums (Billboard)[33] 53
Greek Foreign Albums (IFPI)[34] 45
Irish Albums (IRMA)[35] 7
Mexican Albums (Top 100 Mexico)84
New Zealand Albums (RMNZ)[36] 18
UK Albums (OCC)[37] 12
US Billboard 200[38] 95
US Top Rock Albums (Billboard)[39] 17
Worldwide Albums (IFPI)[40] 19
Chart (2007)Position
Australian Albums (ARIA)[41] 55
European Albums (Billboard)[42] 52
New Zealand Albums (RMNZ)[43] 45
UK Albums (OCC)[44] 24
US Billboard 200[45] 80
US Top Rock Albums (Billboard)[46] 16

Decade-end charts

Release history

RegionDateFormatLabelCatalog
JapanSeptember 27, 2006CDUniversalUICL-9037
AustraliaSeptember 30, 20061706722
United KingdomOctober 2, 2006Lizard King
United StatesOctober 3, 2006Picture disc LPIslandB0007221-01
CDB0007221-02

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Killers Single-Latest. Clash. April 29, 2009 . April 5, 2011. April 29, 2011. https://web.archive.org/web/20110429021450/http://www.clashmusic.com/news/killers-single-latest. live.
  2. Web site: Kent . Nick . The saints of Sin City . . October 20, 2006 . October 9, 2016 . October 11, 2016 . https://web.archive.org/web/20161011022219/https://www.theguardian.com/music/2006/oct/20/popandrock.killers . live .
  3. Web site: Strauss . Matthew . The Killers Announce Sam's Town Reissue, 10th Anniversary Party . . August 1, 2016 . October 9, 2016 . October 10, 2016 . https://web.archive.org/web/20161010074809/http://pitchfork.com/news/67233-the-killers-announce-sams-town-reissue-10th-anniversary-party/ . live .
  4. Web site: Toney . Jordan . The Killers release previously unheard 'Sam's Town'-era demo, "Peace of Mind" . . October 7, 2016 . October 9, 2016 . October 12, 2018 . https://web.archive.org/web/20181012220001/https://www.altpress.com/news/the_killers_release_sams_town_vinyl_reissue_along_with_unreleased_demo_list/ . live .
  5. Web site: McLean . Craig . Songs of praise . The Guardian . September 24, 2006 . October 9, 2016 . October 11, 2016 . https://web.archive.org/web/20161011022724/https://www.theguardian.com/music/2006/sep/24/popandrock.killers . live .
  6. Appleford . Steve . The Killers Celebrate 10 Years of 'Sam's Town' With Wild Casino Getaway . . October 3, 2016 . October 9, 2016 . October 7, 2016 . https://web.archive.org/web/20161007192636/http://www.rollingstone.com/music/news/the-killers-celebrate-10-years-of-sams-town-w443053 . live .
  7. Appleford . Steve . October 3, 2016 . The Killers Celebrate 10 Years of 'Sam's Town' With Wild Casino Getaway . August 26, 2022 . Rolling Stone . en-US.
  8. Web site: Allen . Jeremy . Sam's Town: The Killers . . October 5, 2006 . https://web.archive.org/web/20061025001840/http://www.playlouder.com/review/+sams-town-0/ . October 25, 2006.
  9. Web site: The Killers – When You Were Young [Universal] ]. AngryApe . https://web.archive.org/web/20070930152516/http://angryape.com/reviews/2006/09/the-killers-when-you-were-young . September 30, 2007.
  10. Web site: The Killers: Dressed to Kill . . September 25, 2006 . https://web.archive.org/web/20061026002918/http://www.giantmag.com/2006/09/music/dressed-to-kill/3/ . October 26, 2006 . October 9, 2016.
  11. Scaggs . Austin . Austin Scaggs . Q&A . Rolling Stone . November 30, 2006 . 0035-791X . March 8, 2012 . The Killers-Fansite . March 3, 2016 . https://web.archive.org/web/20160303183816/http://www.thekillersfansite.com/qarsnov3006.html . live .
  12. Web site: Fleming . Amy . The Killers' Brandon Flowers on New Music, Being a Man and Calling His Hero . . September 3, 2017 . September 5, 2017 . September 4, 2017 . https://web.archive.org/web/20170904200523/http://www.newsweek.com/brandon-flowers-killers-new-album-hero-man-659017 . live .
  13. Hoard . Christian . Christian Hoard . The Killers . Rolling Stone . 1013 . November 16, 2006 . 133 . 0035-791X.
  14. News: The Killers: Sam's Town . . September 17, 2006 . July 18, 2019 . Dan . Martin . July 18, 2019 . https://web.archive.org/web/20190718220139/https://www.theguardian.com/music/2006/sep/17/shopping.killers . live .
  15. News: The Killers: Sam's Town . . October 2, 2006 . July 18, 2019 . Sia . Michel . July 18, 2019 . https://web.archive.org/web/20190718220021/https://www.nytimes.com/2006/10/02/arts/music/02choi.html . live .
  16. Web site: Lapatine . Scott . Rolling Stone Pans Sam's Town . . September 26, 2006 . July 18, 2019 . July 18, 2019 . https://web.archive.org/web/20190718220053/https://www.stereogum.com/3479/rolling_stone_pans_sams_town/news/ . live .
  17. News: Manning . Craig . The Killers' 'Sam's Town' and The Hold Steady's 'Boys and Girls in America,' 10 Years Later . chorus.fm . 2016 . July 18, 2019 . July 18, 2019 . https://web.archive.org/web/20190718220028/https://chorus.fm/features/articles/the-killers-sams-town-and-the-hold-steadys-boys-and-girls-in-america-10-years-later/ . live .
  18. Readers' Rock List: Most Underrated Album of the Decade. Rolling Stone. June 14, 2017. https://archive.today/20120909211312/http://www.rollingstone.com/music/blogs/staff-blog/readers-rock-list-most-underrated-album-of-the-decade-20091214. September 9, 2012. dead. December 14, 2012.
  19. Web site: Q Artists And Albums Of The 21st Century . Rocklist.net . March 8, 2012 . June 9, 2012 . https://web.archive.org/web/20120609090109/http://www.rocklistmusic.co.uk/qlistspage3.htm#21cent . live .
  20. Web site: Hyden . Steven . Saluting The Killers' Misunderstood Sorta-Classic 'Sam's Town' On Its 10th Anniversary . . September 28, 2016 . July 18, 2019 . July 18, 2019 . https://web.archive.org/web/20190718220031/https://uproxx.com/music/the-killers-misunderstood-classic-sams-town-tenth-anniversary/ . live .
  21. Web site: Montgomery . James . The Killers' Sam's Town, Six Years Later: An American Masquerade . . October 2, 2012 . September 4, 2017 . September 4, 2017 . https://web.archive.org/web/20170904111950/http://www.mtv.com/news/1694785/the-killers-sams-town-album-anniversary/ . dead .
  22. Hasty . Katie . Evanescence Zooms By Killers To Take No. 1 . . October 11, 2006 . October 9, 2016 . September 10, 2016 . https://web.archive.org/web/20160910075418/http://www.billboard.com/articles/news/56996/evanescence-zooms-by-killers-to-take-no-1 . live .
  23. Web site: Jones . Alan . Official Charts Analysis: Gangnam Style sales increase 445% . . September 24, 2012 . February 12, 2016 . subscription . February 20, 2017 . https://web.archive.org/web/20170220093101/https://www.musicweek.com/news/read/official-charts-analysis-gangnam-style-sales-increase-445/051900 . live .
  24. Web site: Hodak . Brittany . The Killers Celebrate 'Sam's Town' Anniversary With Vegas Extravaganza, Vinyl Reissue . . August 31, 2016 . October 12, 2018 . October 12, 2018 . https://web.archive.org/web/20181012140311/https://www.forbes.com/sites/brittanyhodak/2016/08/31/the-killers-celebrate-sams-town-anniversary-with-vegas-extravaganza-vinyl-reissue/ . live .
  25. Web site: Mukherjee . Shreyan . Technoblade's father shares last message from late YouTuber, streaming community left in tears . Sportskeeda . January 26, 2023 . January 27, 2023.
  26. Web site: Galloway . Ryan . November 8, 2020 . XQC says he plans to purchase rights to his outro music to avoid DMCA . February 20, 2023 . Dot Esports . en-US.
  27. Sam's Town . liner notes . . . 2006 . B0007221-02.
  28. Hits of the World . Billboard . 118 . 42 . October 21, 2006 . 107 . 0006-2510 . Google Books.
  29. Web site: http://www.ifpi.gr/chart04.htm . el:Top 50 Ελληνικών και Ξένων Αλμπουμ . Top 50 Greek and Foreign Albums . el . . November 5–11, 2006 . February 12, 2016 . https://web.archive.org/web/20061115034131/http://www.ifpi.gr/chart04.htm . November 15, 2006.
  30. Web site: https://www.oricon.co.jp/prof/341154/products/669667/1/ . ja:サムズ・タウン ザ・キラーズ . Sam's Town The Killers . ja . . February 12, 2016 . February 12, 2016 . https://web.archive.org/web/20160212020809/http://www.oricon.co.jp/prof/341154/products/669667/1/ . live .
  31. Web site: Top 100 Album 2006 . . es. June 26, 2012 . https://web.archive.org/web/20120220004539/http://www.amprofon.com.mx/Archivos/PDF/top_anual/Top_100_Album_2006.pdf . February 20, 2012.
  32. Web site: ARIA Charts – End Of Year Charts – Top 100 Albums 2006 . . June 26, 2012 . https://web.archive.org/web/20180313091001/http://www.aria.com.au/pages/ARIACHarts-EndofYearCharts-Top100Albums2006.htm . March 13, 2018.
  33. Year End Charts – European Top 100 Albums . Billboard . 2006 . January 25, 2019 . https://archive.today/20120629080425/http://login.vnuemedia.com/bbbiz/charts/yearendcharts/2006/european_top_100_albums.jsp . June 29, 2012.
  34. Web site: Annual Chart — Year 2006 Top 50 Ξένων Αλμπουμ . el . . January 26, 2021 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20070202161722/http://www.ifpi.gr/chart01_annual.htm . February 2, 2007 .
  35. Web site: Best of 2006 – Albums . Irish Recorded Music Association . February 12, 2016 . March 16, 2016 . https://archive.today/20160316014556/http://www.irma.ie/best-of-20061 . live .
  36. Web site: Top Selling Albums of 2006 . . July 2, 2014 . January 12, 2021 . https://web.archive.org/web/20210112162109/https://nztop40.co.nz/chart/albums?chart=2218 . live .
  37. Web site: End of Year Album Chart Top 100 – 2006 . Official Charts Company . February 12, 2016 . May 24, 2015 . https://web.archive.org/web/20150524011613/http://www.officialcharts.com/charts/end-of-year-artist-albums-chart/20060108/37502 . live .
  38. Billboard 200 Albums – Year-End 2006 . Billboard . February 12, 2016 . January 1, 2015 . https://web.archive.org/web/20150101185138/http://www.billboard.com/charts/year-end/2006/top-billboard-200-albums . live .
  39. Top Rock Albums – Year-End 2006 . Billboard . February 12, 2016 . October 7, 2020 . https://web.archive.org/web/20201007192134/https://www.billboard.com/charts/year-end/2006/top-rock-albums . live .
  40. Web site: Top 50 Global Best Selling Albums for 2006 . . February 12, 2016 . https://web.archive.org/web/20090306112901/http://www.ifpi.org/content/library/top50-2006.pdf . March 6, 2009.
  41. Web site: ARIA Top 100 Albums for 2007 . Australian Recording Industry Association . January 6, 2021 . March 5, 2019 . https://web.archive.org/web/20190305110443/http://www.aria.com.au/pages/aria-charts-end-of-year-charts-top-100-albums-2007.htm . live .
  42. Web site: Year End Charts – European Top 100 Albums . Billboard.biz . 2007 . February 12, 2016 . https://web.archive.org/web/20100114233522/http://www.billboard.biz/bbbiz/charts/yearendcharts/european-top-100-albums.jsp . January 14, 2010.
  43. Web site: Top Selling Albums of 2007 . Recorded Music NZ . July 2, 2014 . January 6, 2014 . https://web.archive.org/web/20140106031815/http://nztop40.co.nz/chart/albums?chart=2088 . live .
  44. Web site: End of Year Album Chart Top 100 – 2007 . Official Charts Company . February 12, 2016 . April 3, 2015 . https://web.archive.org/web/20150403023841/http://www.officialcharts.com/charts/end-of-year-artist-albums-chart/20070107/37502 . live .
  45. Billboard 200 Albums – Year-End 2007 . Billboard . February 12, 2016 . February 28, 2015 . https://web.archive.org/web/20150228075828/https://www.billboard.com/charts/year-end/2007/top-billboard-200-albums . live .
  46. Top Rock Albums – Year-End 2007 . Billboard . February 12, 2016 . August 11, 2020 . https://web.archive.org/web/20200811123347/https://www.billboard.com/charts/year-end/2007/top-rock-albums . live .
  47. Web site: 2008 UK Year-End Charts . . 6 . February 12, 2016 . March 3, 2016 . https://web.archive.org/web/20160303165918/http://ukchartsplus.co.uk/ChartsPlusYE2008.pdf . live .
  48. Web site: 2009 UK Year-End Charts . UKChartsPlus . 8 . February 12, 2016 . February 8, 2016 . https://web.archive.org/web/20160208223456/http://www.ukchartsplus.co.uk/UKChartsPlusYE2009.pdf . live .
  49. The Noughties' Official UK Albums Chart Top 100 . Music Week . London . January 30, 2010 . 19 . 0265-1548.

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