A Kiss Before You Go is the second studio album by Norwegian band Katzenjammer. It was released on September 9, 2011 by Propeller Recordings.[3]

A Kiss Before You Go
Studio album by
ReleasedSeptember 7, 2011 (2011-09-07)
Recorded2011
GenrePop rock, dark cabaret, alternative
LabelPropeller, Universal Music Group
ProducerKåre Chr. Vestrheim, Mike Hartung
Katzenjammer chronology
Le Pop
(2008)
A Kiss Before You Go
(2011)
A Kiss Before You Go: Live in Hamburg
(2012)
Singles from A Kiss Before You Go
  1. "I Will Dance (When I Walk Away)"
    Released: June 17, 2011[1]
  2. "Rock-Paper-Scissors"
    Released: May 7, 2012[2]

Reception

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Critical reception

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Professional ratings
Aggregate scores
SourceRating
Metacritic66/100[4]
Review scores
SourceRating
Allmusic     [5]
BBC Music(favorable)[6]
The Independent     [7]
MusicOHM    [8]

A Kiss Before You Go received generally positive reviews from music critics. At Metacritic, which assigns a normalised rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream critics, the album received an average score of 66, based on four reviews, which indicates "generally favorable reviews".[4] Jon O'Brien of Allmusic wrote "it's difficult not to be enamored by [the album's] inventiveness and inherent avant-garde charm."[5] BBC Music's Mischa Pearlman called the album "peculiar and unconventional" because it "constantly shape-shifts and surprises, but does so with a graceful, effortless ease that feels incredibly natural and utterly delightful".[6] In a review for The Independent, Hugh Montgomery said its "oompah brass [and] jaunty jigs" were "best in small doses." He also described A Kiss Before You Go as "exhilarating and nauseous".[7] MusicOHM reviewer Ben Weisz wrote that Katzenjammer's "latest effort is often raucous, occasionally majestic and close to brilliance."[8]

Chart performance

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In Norway, A Kiss Before You Go debuted at number eight on the albums chart. The following week it reached its peak position of number six.[9] The album reached number seven in Germany,[10] where it sold 100,000 copies and was certified gold.[11][12]

A Kiss Before You Go debuted at number thirty-three in Switzerland. It remained on the chart for three weeks.[13] The album also charted in the top fifty in Austria and the Netherlands.[14][15] In Belgium, it peaked at number one hundred and thirty-one.[16]

Track listing

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Songs written and composed by Mats Rybø, except where noted.

No.TitleLead vocalsLength
1."A Kiss Before You Go" (Rybø, Anne Marit Bergheim)Jørgensen1:16
2."I Will Dance (When I Walk Away)"Heilo3:50
3."Cherry Pie" (Marianne Sveen, Mike Hartung)Sveen3:01
4."Land of Confusion" (Mike Rutherford, Tony Banks, Phil Collins)Sveen3:35
5."Lady Marlene" (Solveig Heilo)Bergheim4:35
6."Rock-Paper-Scissors" (Katzenjammer, Robert Ellis Orral)Heilo3:28
7."Cocktails and Ruby Slippers"Bergheim3:59
8."Soviet Trumpeter" (Rybø, Bergheim)Heilo4:12
9."Loathsome M"Jørgensen2:41
10."Shepherd's Song" (Marianne Sveen)Sveen3:06
11."Gypsy Flee" (Sveen)Instrumental2:44
12."God's Great Dust Storm"Sveen4:06

Personnel

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Credits adapted from A Kiss Before You Go liner notes.[17]

  • Anne Marit Bergheim – instruments, vocals
  • Mathias Fossum – photography
  • Mike Hartung – arrangement, production , recording
  • Solveig Heilo – arrangement, instruments, vocals
  • Heydays – design
  • Daniel Herskedal – sousaphone
  • Hans Andreas Horntveth – recording assistant
  • Turid Jørgensen – arrangement, instruments, vocals
  • Gunnhild Mathea Olaussen – violin
  • Mr. Orkester – percussion
  • Chris Sansom – mastering
  • Marianne Sveen – arrangement, instruments, vocals
  • Kåre Chr. Vestrheim – arrangement, instruments, production, recording
  • Dweezil Zappa – electric guitar

Charts

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Chart (2011) Peak
position
Austrian Albums Chart[14] 36
Belgian Albums Chart (Flanders)[16] 131
Dutch Albums Chart[15] 41
German Albums Chart[10] 7
Norwegian Albums Chart[9] 6
Swiss Albums Chart[13] 33

Release history

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Region(s) Date[2][3][18] Format(s) Label
Austria, Germany, Switzerland September 9, 2011 CD, digital download, LP Propeller
Norway October 7, 2011
United Kingdom May 7, 2012

References

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  1. ^ "When the Laughter's Gone – Single". iTunes. Retrieved 2013-02-16.[permanent dead link]
  2. ^ a b "Rock-Paper-Scissors Update" (PDF). benallenmedia.com. Retrieved 2013-02-16.
  3. ^ a b "A Kiss Before You Go (Special Version)". iTunes. January 2011. Retrieved 2011-09-11.
  4. ^ a b "A Kiss Before You Go Reviews". Metacritic. CBS Interactive. Retrieved 2013-02-22.
  5. ^ a b O'Brien, Jon. "Katzenjammer: A Kiss Before You Go Review". AllMusic. Retrieved 2013-02-22.
  6. ^ a b Pearlman, Mischa (2012-05-11). "Katzenjammer: A Kiss Before You Go Review". BBC Music. BBC Online. Retrieved 2013-02-22.
  7. ^ a b Montgomery, Hugh (2010-07-09). "Album: Katzenjammer, A Kiss Before You Go (Propeller)". The Independent. Independent Print Limited. Archived from the original on 2012-05-11. Retrieved 2012-05-06.
  8. ^ a b Weisz, Ben (2012-05-07). "Album Reviews: Katzenjammer – A Kiss Before You Go". MusicOHM.com. Retrieved 2013-02-22.
  9. ^ a b "Katzenjammer: A Kiss Before You Go (Album)". norwegiancharts.com. Hung Medien. Retrieved 2013-02-20.
  10. ^ a b "Erweiterte Suche: Katzenjammer Album". Charts.de (in German). Media Control. Retrieved 2013-02-15.[dead link]
  11. ^ Johansen, Øystein David (2012-05-16). "Fleiper om "truseglippen" på scenen". Verdens Gang (in Norwegian). Schibsted. Retrieved 2013-02-15.
  12. ^ "Gold-/Platin-Datenbank: Katzenjammer" (in German). Bundesverband Musikindustrie. Retrieved 2013-02-15.
  13. ^ a b "Katzenjammer: A Kiss Before You Go (Album)". hitparade.ch (in German). Hung Medien. Retrieved 2013-02-20.
  14. ^ a b "Discographie Katzenjammer". austriancharts.at (in German). Hung Medien. Retrieved 2013-02-15.
  15. ^ a b "Discografie Katzenjammer". dutchcharts.nl (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved 2013-02-15.
  16. ^ a b "Katzenjammer: A Kiss Before You Go". ultratop.be (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved 2013-02-20.
  17. ^ A Kiss Before You Go (liner notes). Katzenjammer. Propeller Records. 2011.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  18. ^ "Vinyl Out Today!". katzenjammer.no. 2011-09-20. Archived from the original on 2014-01-11. Retrieved 2013-02-26.