The Chemistry of Common Life

The Chemistry of Common Life
Studio album by Fucked Up
Released	October 7, 2008
Recorded	January - June 2008 at Halla Music Studios and Central Audio Studios, Toronto
Genre	Hardcore punk, experimental rock
Length	52:20
Label	Matador
Producer	Jon Drew
Fucked Up chronology
Hidden World (2006) The Chemistry of Common Life (2008) David Comes to Life (2011)

Professional ratings
Review scores
Source	Rating
Allmusic	[1]
The A.V. Club	A [2]
Dotmusic	[3]
NME	[4]
NOW	[5]
Pitchfork Media	(8.8/10.0) [6]
The Skinny	[7]
Times Online	[8]
Toronto Star	[9]

The Chemistry of Common Life is the second full-length studio album by Canadian hardcore punk band Fucked Up. It was released on October 7, 2008 on Matador Records in CD and double LP formats and on Welfare Records in Reel-to-reel Audio Tapes. The statement on the label's site describes it as "an expansive epic about the mysteries of birth, death, and the origins of life (and re-living)".

The album is named after a book by James F. W. Johnston, which (among other things) describes hallucinogenic properties of mushrooms and plants. The title for the track "The Peaceable Kingdom" is taken from a famous painting by American folk-painter Edward Hicks. The cover art depicts the phenomenon of Manhattanhenge.

The album won the 2009 Polaris Music Prize.^[10]

Track listing

1. "Son the Father" – 6:32 (guest vocals by Lullabye Arkestra)
2. "Magic Word" – 3:21
3. "Golden Seal" – 3:35
4. "Days of Last" – 4:31
5. "Crooked Head" – 5:55
6. "No Epiphany" – 4:19 (guest vocals by Vivian Girls)
7. "Black Albino Bones" – 4:14 (guest vocals by Dallas Green)
8. "Royal Swan" – 4:49 (guest vocals by Katie Stelmanis)
9. "Twice Born" – 4:26 (guest vocals by Sebastien Grainger)
10. "Looking for God" – 3:15
11. "The Chemistry of Common Life" – 7:23

The track "The Peaceable Kingdom" - 4:25 is only available on the vinyl (as track 7)/iTunes Music Store releases.

Lineup

• Pink Eyes – vocals
• 10,000 Marbles – guitar
• Gulag – guitar
• Young Governor – guitar
• Mustard Gas – bass
• Mr. Jo – drums

References

1. Allmusic review
2. The A.V. Club review
3. Dotmusic review
4. NME review
5. NOW review
6. Pitchfork review
7. The Skinny review
8. Times Online review
9. Toronto Star review
10. Ron Nurwisah, "F***** Up wins the 2009 Polaris Music Prize". National Post, September 22, 2009. Accessed 2009-09-22. Archived 2009-09-26.

External links

• The Chemistry of Common Life at Matador Records site