The Great Destroyer Explained

The Great Destroyer
Type:	studio
Artist:	Low
Cover:	Low The Great Destroyer.jpg
Alt:	A painting of clouds with the album name offset
Recorded:	May 3 – September 27, 2004
Studio:	Tarbox Road Studios, Cassadaga, New York, United States
Genre:	Slowcore
Label:	Sub Pop
Prev Title:	Trust
Prev Year:	2002
Next Title:	Drums and Guns
Next Year:	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.

"California", a song about Sparhawk's mother, was released as the album's first single, backed with a demo of "Cue the Strings".^[1] A remix EP of "Monkey", entitled "Tonight the Monkeys Die", soon followed.^[2] Music videos were created for both.

The title of the album (as well as the song "Silver Rider") is taken from the story within the album art.^[3]

Critical reception

The site named it the 46th-best reviewed album of 2005.

Track listing

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

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

Notes and References

1. http://www.subpop.com/releases/low/singles/california_single Sub Pop Records : Low : California Single
2. http://www.subpop.com/releases/low/full_lengths/tonight_the_monkeys_die Sub Pop Records : Low : Tonight The Monkeys Die
3. Web site: RELEVANT Magazine - Low, The Great Destroyer . 2011-08-15 . https://web.archive.org/web/20120322133755/http://www.relevantmagazine.com/culture/music/reviews/3083-low-the-great-destroyer . 2012-03-22 . dead .