Plug In Baby

"Plug In Baby"
Single by Muse
from the album Origin of Symmetry
B-side "Nature_1" (7")
Released 5 March 2001
Format
Recorded 2001 (2001) at Ridge Farm Studio
(Surrey, England)
Genre
Length 3:39 (Album/single version)
3:18 (Radio edit)
Label Mushroom
Writer(s) Matthew Bellamy
Producer(s)
Muse singles chronology
"Muscle Museum"
(2000)		 "Plug In Baby"
(2001)		 "New Born"
(2001)
CD2
Origin of Symmetry track listing
"Hyper Music"
(4)		 "Plug In Baby"
(5)		 "Citizen Erased"
(6)

"Plug In Baby" is a song by English alternative rock band Muse. It was released as the lead single from the band's second studio album Origin of Symmetry on 5 March 2001. The song became the band's highest-charting single in the UK when it peaked at number 11 on the UK Singles Chart, until it was surpassed by "Time Is Running Out", which peaked at number 8 in 2003.[1] Today, "Plug In Baby" is considered one of Muse's most notable songs, and has been featured on the live albums Hullabaloo Soundtrack (2002) and HAARP (2008). The song is often praised for its opening guitar riff which Total Guitar magazine readers voted as the #1 ultimate guitar riff of the 2000s.[2] American rock band Lovedrug included a recording of "Plug In Baby" on their fan-chosen covers album from the I AM LOVEDRUG campaign.[3] The album, titled Best of I AM LOVEDRUG[4] was released on 28 June 2011.[5] The song has been featured on the video games Guitar Hero 5 and Rocksmith.

Background and composition

"Plug In Baby" is written in the key of D Major (Although the song does not begin or end on the tonic chord of the key). It's mainly guitar and bass-driven, and moves at a tempo of 135 bpm. The guitar riff is based on the harmonic minor scale. The song was first recorded in 1997, although it featured a different guitar riff. The beginning of the riff shows similarities to the toccata from Bach's "Toccata and Fugue in D minor, BWV 565". Total Guitar voted the riff as the 13th best of all-time in 2004.[6] In 2011, Spinner.com named "Plug In Baby" the 46th greatest guitar riff of all time, citing its "play on Bach's 'Toccata and Fugue in D minor, BWV 565'." One of the B-sides to the single, Execution Commentary, was described by Bellamy as the "worst song [he's] ever written." [7]

Recording

The 1997 studio demo of the song lacked the main riff of the song, although there were numerous similarities in the lyrics and structure. "Plug In Baby" was to be re-recorded under the wishes of Maverick to coincide with the US tour promoting the Origin of Symmetry album. As Maverick wished Matt to tone down the falsetto on the song, Muse left the label and "Plug In Baby", as well as the rest of the album, remained unreleased in the US until 2005.

Music video

The music video depicts the band in a room playing their instruments, with cut-aways to scenes of women, which step by step are revealed to be at least part bionic with tendrils hanging down. These connect to the title 'plug in baby' connecting the women to be electronic 'creations', or a sort of self-assembly beings. The video also has some scenes with electronic equipment affecting women who use them, one being a hairdryer and the other a set of ear phones, both leading to visual indications that they are somehow under control or possibly even being possessed. The end shows the lead singer of the band Matt Bellamy paused in a stress pose, in a way that looks like he has 'powered down' at the end of the song, again linking to the idea of bionic beings that the video has played with the whole way through.

Track listing

Promo CD (MUSE 11)
No. Title Length
1. "Plug In Baby"   3:18

UK Single

Compact Disc 1 (MUSH89CDS)
No. Title Length
1. "Plug In Baby"   3:39
2. "Nature_1"   3:40
3. "Execution Commentary"   2:30
4. "Plug In Baby" (music video) 3:41
Compact Disc 2 (MUSH89CDSX)
No. Title Length
1. "Plug In Baby"   3:41
2. "Spiral Static"   4:46
3. "Bedroom Acoustics"   2:37
7" vinyl (MUSH89S); Compact Cassette (MUSH89MC)
No. Title Length
1. "Plug In Baby"   3:39
2. "Nature_1"   3:40

International Singles

Belgium Compact Disc (PIAS 481.2006.179)
  1. "Plug In Baby" – 3:39
  2. "Nature_1" – 3:40
  3. "Spiral Static" – 4:44
  4. "Plug In Baby" (music video) – 3:39
Japan CD (Avex AVCM-65063)
  1. "Plug In Baby" – 3:39
  2. "Nature_1" – 3:40
  3. "Execution Commentary" – 2:30
  4. "Bedroom Acoustics" – 2:35
  1. "Plug In Baby" – 3:18

Personnel

Muse
Additional personnel

References

  1. ↑ "Muse". Chart Stats. Archived from the original on 30 May 2012. Retrieved 2 June 2009.
  2. ↑ "Muse song named greatest riff of the 21st century". The Independent. 2010-10-01. Retrieved 2011-03-15.
  3. ↑ Ramirez, Carlos (7 Jun 2011). "Lovedrug Cover Def Leppard's 'Hysteria'". noisecreep.com. Archived from the original on 23 September 2011.
  4. ↑ "Lovedrug: I Am Lovedrug". iamlovedrug.com. Retrieved 23 September 2011.
  5. ↑ "Lovedrug Release "Best Of I Am Lovedrug" On June 28th". melodic.net. 27 May 2011. Retrieved 23 September 2011.
  6. ↑ "Guns N' Roses top rock riff poll". BBC. 2 May 2004. Retrieved 2 June 2009.
  7. ↑ https://twitter.com/muse/status/251025749841149952

External links

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