Vanishing Point (Primal Scream album)

Recording

The album was recorded with the aid of two portable eight-track recording studios at the band's Chalk Farm rehearsal rooms, where it was also written. The entire album was written and recorded in two months and mixed an additional month. On their cover of "Motorhead," Gillespie sung the first verse through a Darth Vader mask. According to an article, much of the album came from live improvisation and, "Then later on we'd layer other sounds and loops over the top, and the vocals," Gillespie said in an interview. The track "If They Move, Kill 'Em" was originally to have included a sample from Sam Peckinpah's film The Wild Bunch (the song title is one of the earliest lines of dialogue spoken in the film), but it could not be cleared in time. The album was seen by critics as a return to form after 1994's underwhelming Give Out But Don't Give Up.

Inspiration for the album

Gillespie has described the album as an anarcho-syndicalist speedfreak road-movie record. It is named after and inspired by the 1971 film Vanishing Point, especially the song "Kowalski", which is meant to be an alternative soundtrack of the movie. Lead singer Bobby Gillespie said, "The music in the film is hippy music, so we thought, 'Why not record some music that really reflects the mood of the film?' It's always been a favourite of the band, we love the air of paranoia and speed- freak righteousness. It's impossible to get hold of now, which is great! It's a pure underground film, rammed with claustrophobia."

Video

Author Irvine Welsh scripted the video for the album's first single, "Kowalski," which was directed by musician Douglas Hart. The video features a Dodge Challenger and super model Kate Moss beating up the band. Gillespie described the video as a cross between Faster Pussycat, Kill! Kill! and The Sweeney.

Reception and legacy

British music journalism magazine NME called Vanishing Point "a brilliant record". The album was also included in the book 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die.

Track listing

All songs written by Bobby Gillespie, Andrew Innes, Robert Young and Martin Duffy, unless noted.

1. "Burning Wheel" – 7:06
2. "Get Duffy" – 4:09
3. "Kowalski" – 5:50 (Bobby Gillespie, Andrew Innes, Robert Young, Martin Duffy, Gary Mounfield)
4. "Star" – 4:24
5. "If They Move, Kill 'Em" – 3:01
6. "Out of the Void" – 3:59
7. "Stuka" – 5:36
8. "Medication" – 3:52
9. "Motörhead" – 3:38 (Lemmy)
10. "Trainspotting" – 8:07
11. "Long Life" – 3:49

Notes

2009 Japan Reissue

A two-CD edition of Vanishing Point was released as part of a deluxe series consisting of their fourth through eighth albums. The first disc includes original album with five bonus tracks; the second includes an additional nine B-sides, remixes and tracks released only on singles.

Disc 1

1. "Burning Wheel" – 7:06
2. "Get Duffy" – 4:09
3. "Kowalski" – 5:50 (Gillespie/Innes/Young/Duffy/Mounfield)
4. "Star" – 4:24
5. "If They Move, Kill 'Em" – 3:01
6. "Out of the Void" – 3:59
7. "Stuka" – 5:36
8. "Medication" – 3:52
9. "Motörhead" – 3:38 (Lemmy)
10. "Trainspotting" – 8:07
11. "Long Life" – 3:49
12. "Jesus" – 4:29
13. "Know Your Rights" – 4:17 (Strummer/Jones)
14. "96 Tears" – 2:56 (Martinez)
15. "Rebel Dub" – 5:20
16. "How Does It Feel to Belong?" – 5:36

Disc 2

1. "Full Strength Fortified Dub" – 4:23
2. "Electric Soup Dub" – 4:29
3. "A Jake Supreme" – 2:01
4. "Kowalski" (Automator Mix) – 5:12
5. "Stuka" (Two Lone Swordsmen Mix) – 10:15
6. "Burning Wheel" (The Chemical Brothers Mix) – 7:17
7. "If They Move, Kill 'Em" (12" Disco Mix) – 5:43
8. "Darklands" – 6:10 (Reid/Reid)
9. "Badlands" – 7:31

Personnel

Adapted from the liner notes:

Primal Scream

Production

Guests