Before Today

Before Today is the eighth studio album by American recording artist Ariel Pink, credited to "Ariel Pink's Haunted Graffiti", and released on June 8, 2010. The album marked Pink's debut on the record label 4AD.[6][7] It was his first official LP of new recordings since 2003's Worn Copy and his first written and recorded with a supporting band, referred to in the liner notes as "Ariel Pink's Haunted Graffiti".

This article is about the album by Ariel Pink. For other uses, see Before Today (disambiguation).
Before Today
Studio album by
Ariel Pink's Haunted Graffiti
ReleasedJune 8, 2010
Recorded2009–2010
Studio
  • House of Blues Studios (Encino, CA)
  • various band members' home studios[1]
Genre
Length44:48
Label4AD
Producer
  • Sunny Levine
  • Rik Pekkonen
  • Michael Wagener
Ariel Pink's Haunted Graffiti chronology
Worn Copy
(2003)		 Before Today
(2010)		 Mature Themes
(2012)

The album was critically acclaimed upon release, with Pitchfork placing the album at #9 on its list of "The Top 50 Albums of 2010".[8] Lead single "Round and Round" was also ranked by Pitchfork as the best track of 2010.[9]

Composition
Ariel Pink's Haunted Graffiti performing in 2010

The album's opening track, "Hot Body Rub" previously appeared (in an alternative version) on an EP Ariel Pink with Added Pizzazz, which was a collaboration between Vas Deferens Organization (as producers) and Ariel Pink who are friends to each other. VDO provided production for this track, as well as thanks to one of its members, Eric Lumbleau, Pink made friends with Gonzales family who appeared on it.[10]

The album contains several homages to vintage rock and pop songs, including "Bright Lit Blue Skies," written by Ronn Campisi and performed by the Rockin' Ramrods in 1966, and "Beverly Kills," which draws heavily on Ago's 1982 track "For You" and Olivia Newton-John's "Physical."[11] "Reminiscences" is an instrumental cover of an Ethiopian pop song, "I Remember a Man" by Yeshimebet Dubale.

Critical reception and legacy
Professional ratings
Aggregate scores
SourceRating
AnyDecentMusic?7.9/10[12]
Metacritic85/100[13]
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[14]
The A.V. ClubB[15]
The Guardian[16]
The Irish Times[17]
Mojo[18]
NME8/10[19]
Pitchfork9.0/10[20]
Q[21]
Spin7/10[22]
Uncut[23]

Exclaim! named "Before Today" the No. 15 Pop & Rock Album of 2010.[24] Exclaim! writer Dimitri Nasrallah said that "Before Today is a hard-earned victory lap for Pink, not only the most triumphantly realized album of his left-of-centre catalogue, but a much-needed second wind for an artist who very nearly finished off the decade as another minor curiosity in outsider-pop's long lineage." The album placed seventh in The Wire's annual critics' poll.[25]

As of 2011, it has sold 25,942 copies in the United States, according to Nielsen SoundScan.[26]

Track listing
No.TitleLength
1."Hot Body Rub"2:26
2."Bright Lit Blue Skies"2:25
3."L'estat (Acc. to the Widow's Maid)"4:26
4."Fright Night (Nevermore)"3:35
5."Round and Round"5:08
6."Beverly Kills"3:56
7."Butt-House Blondies"3:27
8."Little Wig"5:46
9."Can't Hear My Eyes"3:19
10."Reminiscences"2:34
11."Menopause Man"4:00
12."Revolution's a Lie"3:49
Total length:44:48

Personnel

Ariel Pink's Haunted Graffiti

Guest musicians
  • Tamara Cauble – violin (#1)
  • Aaron González – bass guitar (#1)
  • Dennis González – trumpet (#1)
  • Stefan González – drums (#1)
  • Jim Lehnert – alto & baritone sax (#1)
  • Eric Lumbleau – vocals (#1)
  • Chris Cohen – backing vocals (#9)
  • Max "Sax" Kaplan – saxophone (#9)
  • Nedelle Torrisi – backing vocals (#9)

Technical
  • Van Deferens Organization - production & engineering (#1)
  • Ariel Pink's Haunted Graffiti - producers (#2-12)
  • Sunny Levine – producer, engineer (#2-12)
  • HG - engineer (#2-12)
  • Rik Pekkonen – engineer (#2-12)
  • John Golden – mastering (#1-4, 6-12)
  • Christian Wright – mastering (#5)
  • Douglas Lee – artwork

References
  1. Archived April 23, 2010, at the Wayback Machine
  2. nme (August 16, 2012). "Ariel Pink's Haunted Graffiti – 'Mature Themes'". NME.
  3. Ryce, Andrew. "Review: Ariel Pink- Mature Themes". Resident Advisor. Retrieved 26 February 2019.
  4. Mrozek, Patryk (November 25, 2014). "Pom Pom". Prefix Mag.
  5. Smith, Stewart (May 27, 2020). "Music: Record Reviews". The List (657): 76. Retrieved November 9, 2020.
  6. "Ariel Pink's Haunted Graffiti - Before Today (new album / MP3)". PopMatters. Retrieved 2011-09-01.
  7. Dombal, Ryan (2010-04-06). "Ariel Pink Announces New Album | News". Pitchfork. Retrieved 2011-09-01.
  8. "Staff Lists: The Top 50 Albums of 2010 | Features". Pitchfork. 2010-12-16. Retrieved 2012-01-15.
  9. "Staff Lists: The Top 100 Tracks of 2010 | Features". Pitchfork. 2010-12-13. Retrieved 2011-09-01.
  10. Niklas Records, Jakub Krawczynski (2011, August). "Vas Deferens Organization and Brad Laner: Transcontinental Conspiracy presskit". Archived 2012-01-20 at the Wayback Machine Retrieved 09 September 2012.
  11. https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/ariel-pink-uncovers-a-sixties-garage-nugget-63809/
  12. "Before Today by Ariel Pink's Haunted Graffiti reviews". AnyDecentMusic?. Retrieved October 6, 2019.
  13. "Reviews for Before Today by Ariel Pink's Haunted Graffiti". Metacritic. Retrieved September 22, 2014.
  14. Phares, Heather. "Before Today – Ariel Pink's Haunted Graffiti". AllMusic. Retrieved November 16, 2019.
  15. Murray, Noel (June 8, 2010). "Ariel Pink's Haunted Graffiti: Before Today". The A.V. Club. Retrieved February 7, 2016.
  16. Cragg, Michael (June 3, 2010). "Ariel Pink's Haunted Graffiti: Before Today". The Guardian. Retrieved February 7, 2016.
  17. Carroll, Jim (June 11, 2010). "Ariel Pink's Haunted Graffiti". The Irish Times. Retrieved September 1, 2011.
  18. "Ariel Pink's Haunted Graffiti: Before Today". Mojo (200): 93. July 2010.
  19. Malone, Ailbhe (June 7, 2010). "Album review: Ariel Pink's Haunted Graffiti – 'Before Today' (4AD)". NME. Archived from the original on March 4, 2016. Retrieved September 1, 2011.
  20. Richardson, Mark (June 7, 2010). "Ariel Pink's Haunted Graffiti: Before Today". Pitchfork. Retrieved September 1, 2011.
  21. "Ariel Pink's Haunted Graffiti: Before Today". Q (288): 136. July 2010.
  22. Beta, Andy (June 8, 2010). "Ariel Pink's Haunted Graffiti, 'Before Today' (4AD)". Spin. Archived from the original on June 17, 2011. Retrieved September 1, 2011.
  23. "Ariel Pink's Haunted Graffiti: Before Today". Uncut (158): 105. July 2010.
  24. "Pop & Rock Year in Review". Exclaim!. Archived from the original on 2010-12-10. Retrieved 2011-01-04.
  25. "2010 Rewind: Records of the Year Top Ten". The Wire. No. 323. London. January 2011. p. 36 – via Exact Editions. (subscription required)
  26. https://web.archive.org/web/20130421005740/http://marathonpacks.tumblr.com/post/2728942718/data
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