The Odd Couple (album)

The Odd Couple is the second studio album by Gnarls Barkley, released digitally on March 18 and in stores March 25, 2008. Due to an early leak of the album over the Internet in early March 2008, the duo decided to push up the release from April 8. The album was released to the iTunes Store and Amazon MP3 on March 18.

The Odd Couple
Studio album by
Gnarls Barkley
ReleasedMarch 18, 2008 (2008-03-18)
Recorded2007–2008
GenrePsychedelic soul,[1] avant-pop[2]
Length39:12
LabelAtlantic-Downtown
ProducerDanger Mouse
Gnarls Barkley chronology
St. Elsewhere
(2006)		 The Odd Couple
(2008)
Singles from The Odd Couple
  1. "Run (I'm a Natural Disaster)"
    Released: February 5, 2008
  2. "Going On"
    Released: June 24, 2008
  3. "Who's Gonna Save My Soul"
    Released: September 4, 2008
Professional ratings
Aggregate scores
SourceRating
Metacritic76/100[3]
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[4]
DJBooth.net[5]
The Guardian[6]
NME8/10[7]
The Observer[8]
Pitchfork7.2/10[9]
PopMatters9/10[10]
RapReviews9/10[11]
Rolling Stone[12]
Uncut[13]

As of October 2010 the album has sold 250,000 copies in United States according to Nielsen SoundScan.[14]

Due to the band's inactivity, The Odd Couple would become the group's last album to date as of over a decade later.

Background

In late January, an assumed leaked track appeared on several music blogs. "Run (I'm a Natural Disaster)", the previously unknown song, was given positive reviews from most music outlets.[15] "Run" was released as the album's first single as a digital download in the US on February 5, 2008. Despite "Run (I'm a Natural Disaster)" being the lead single at the time, "Going On" was the highest charting album track on iTunes having made it as high as number 23 on the Top 100 chart as of March 25, subsequently debuting at number 88 on the Billboard Hot 100.[16] The song was then released as the second single from the album, and the song's video premiered on March 20, 2008. In March 2008, the album's third single, "Who's Gonna Save My Soul" was premiered by hip hop band The Roots' drummer Questlove through a video uploaded to YouTube.[17] The album also features Josh Klinghoffer, a touring musician for the band since 2006 and who would a year following the album's release join the Red Hot Chili Peppers as their guitarist.

An early leak of the album over the Internet in early March, 2008, prompted the duo to push the release of the album from April 8. Digital versions of The Odd Couple were released to the iTunes Store and Amazon MP3 on March 18.[18] Physical copies of the album were slated for March 25; however, some copies hit independent record stores on March 18. The album was released in the United Kingdom on March 31, 2008. An instrumental reverse edition of the album, retitled elpuoc ddo eht, was released on April 17, 2008. The entire album is fused into one 38:44 track played completely in reverse, starting with the album's last song and ending with the album's first. This unorthodox edition was released officially by Danger Mouse and is legally available as a second disc on the vinyl edition of the album.

Track listing

All tracks produced by Danger Mouse, except "A Little Better", produced by Danger Mouse and Nigel Godrich.[19]

No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Charity Case"
3:12
2."Who's Gonna Save My Soul"
3:15
3."Going On"
  • Burton
  • Callaway
  • Peter Dunton
2:54
4."Run (I'm a Natural Disaster)"
2:44
5."Would Be Killer"
2:22
6."Open Book"
  • Burton
  • Callaway
3:20
7."Whatever"
  • Burton
  • Callaway
  • Ronald Blackwell
2:18
8."Surprise"
3:50
9."No Time Soon"
  • Burton
  • Callaway
2:55
10."She Knows"
  • Burton
  • Callaway
  • Cy Payne
2:44
11."Blind Mary"
  • Burton
  • Callaway
3:25
12."Neighbors"
3:05
13."A Little Better"
  • Burton
  • Callaway
  • Pierre Naçabal
  • Michel Yvon Goudy
3:07
Total length:39:12

Samples
  • "Going On" samples "Folder Man" written by Peter Dunton and performed by Please
  • "Run (I'm a Natural Disaster)" samples "Junior Jet Set" by Keith Mansfield
  • "Would Be Killer" samples "Fluid" by Twink
  • "Open Book" incorporates sampled elements from "Träume" by Françoise Hardy
  • "Whatever" samples "The Hair On My Chinny Chin Chin" by Sam the Sham & the Pharaohs
  • "Surprise" contains elements of "Building with a Steeple" written by Ron Dante, Gene Allen and Bobby Feldman and performed by The Eighth Day
  • "She Knows" samples "Gentle Flute" performed by Cy Payne
  • "A Little Better" incorporates elements of "Trying to Be Free" written by Nacabal and Yvon-Goudy and performed by T.N.T.H.

Charts

References
  1. Hermes, Will (March 25, 2008). "Gnarls Barkley, 'The Odd Couple'". Spin. Retrieved April 11, 2015.
  2. Dalton, Stephen. "Gnarls Barkley: The Odd Couple". Uncut. May 2008. Retrieved November 29, 2020.
  3. "The Odd Couple by Gnarls Barkley". Metacritic.
  4. [The Odd Couple at AllMusic AllMusic review]
  5. "DJBooth.net review". DJBooth.net.
  6. Petridis, Alexis (28 March 2008). "CD: Gnarls Barkley, The Odd Couple". The Guardian.
  7. "Gnarls Barkley". NME. April 3, 2008. Retrieved June 20, 2020.
  8. "Reviews 11-25". The Observer. 20 April 2008 – via The Guardian.
  9. "Gnarls Barkley: The Odd Couple Album Review". Pitchfork.
  10. PopMatters review
  11. "Gnarls Barkley :: The Odd Couple :: Atlantic Records". RapReviews.
  12. "Rolling Stone review". Rolling Stone.
  13. "Uncut review". Uncut.
  14. Lipshutz, Jason (2 October 2010). "There's More to Cee Lo Green's New Album, 'The Lady Killer', Than His Recent Potty-Mouthed Viral Smash". Billboard. Retrieved 27 April 2018.
  15. "Gnarls Barkley Are The Odd Couple on New LP". Pitchfork. Archived from the original on 2008-02-01. Retrieved 2008-02-06.
  16. "Gnarls Barkley Chart History: Hot 100". Billboard. Retrieved May 30, 2020.
  17. "Pitchfork Forkcast: Video: Gnarls Barkley: "Who's Gonna Save My Soul"".
  18. Watson, Margeaux (28 March 2008). "Gnarls Barkley's unexpected success". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved 20 June 2020.
  19. The Odd Couple (booklet). Atlantic-Downtown. 2008.
  20. "Australiancharts.com – Gnarls Barkley – The Odd Couple". Hung Medien. Retrieved May 30, 2020.
  21. "Austriancharts.at – Gnarls Barkley – The Odd Couple" (in German). Hung Medien. Retrieved May 30, 2020.
  22. "Ultratop.be – Gnarls Barkley – The Odd Couple" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved May 30, 2020.
  23. "Ultratop.be – Gnarls Barkley – The Odd Couple" (in French). Hung Medien. Retrieved May 30, 2020.
  24. "Gnarls Barkley Chart History (Canadian Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved May 30, 2020.
  25. "Danishcharts.dk – Gnarls Barkley – The Odd Couple". Hung Medien. Retrieved May 30, 2020.
  26. "Dutchcharts.nl – Gnarls Barkley – The Odd Couple" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved May 30, 2020.
  27. "Lescharts.com – Gnarls Barkley – The Odd Couple". Hung Medien. Retrieved May 30, 2020.
  28. "Offiziellecharts.de – Gnarls Barkley – The Odd Couple" (in German). GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved May 30, 2020.
  29. "Irish-charts.com – Discography Gnarls Barkley". Hung Medien. Retrieved May 30, 2020.
  30. "Swedishcharts.com – Gnarls Barkley – The Odd Couple". Hung Medien. Retrieved May 30, 2020.
  31. "Swisscharts.com – Gnarls Barkley – The Odd Couple". Hung Medien. Retrieved May 30, 2020.
  32. "Official Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved May 30, 2020.
  33. "Gnarls Barkley Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved May 30, 2020.
  34. "Gnarls Barkley Chart History (Top Dance/Electronic Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved August 26, 2020.
  35. "Top Dance/Electronic Albums – Year-End 2008". Billboard. Retrieved August 26, 2020.
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