Oracular Spectacular

Oracular Spectacular is the debut studio album by the American band MGMT, released on October 2, 2007, by RED Ink and physically on January 22, 2008, by Columbia.[1] It was produced by Dave Fridmann and is the band's first release of new content, being recorded from March to April 2007. Promotion for the album started as early as June 2007, when the song "Weekend Wars" was given away in summer issues of free monthly magazine Nöjesguiden in Stockholm, Sweden. Matching CDs could be picked up for free in all stores in three different shopping malls around Stockholm from June 26 to July 31. The album was also promoted with three singles: "Time to Pretend", "Electric Feel" and "Kids". Both "Time to Pretend" and "Kids" were re-recorded for the album; they were originally included on the band's previous release Time to Pretend (2005), with the opening track serving as a "mission statement" and the theme continuing through the album's subsequent tracks.

Oracular Spectacular
Studio album by MGMT
Released	October 2, 2007
Recorded	March and April 2007
Studio	Tarbox Road (Cassadaga, New York) Context (Brooklyn, New York)
Genre	Neo-psychedelia indie pop psychedelic pop
Length	40:30
Label	Columbia RED Ink
Producer	Dave Fridmann MGMT
MGMT chronology
Time to Pretend (2005) Oracular Spectacular (2007) Congratulations (2010)
Singles from Oracular Spectacular
"Time to Pretend" Released: March 3, 2008 "Electric Feel" Released: June 23, 2008 "Kids" Released: October 13, 2008
Alternative cover
2007 digital edition cover

Although Oracular Spectacular never sold more than 17,000 units in a week, at least 2,000 copies per week were sold during the period from January 2008 through April 2010.[2] The album received positive reviews from critics, who lauded its production style, musical direction and composition. It was nominated for the International Album award at the 2009 Brit Awards. In 2012, Rolling Stone ranked the album at number 494 on its list of The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time.[3]

Background

The duo recorded with music producer Dave Fridmann in 2007 for their major label debut, Oracular Spectacular.[4] MGMT opened for Of Montreal on tour in autumn 2007 as a five-piece touring band including Matthew Asti (bass), James Richardson (drums), and Hank Sullivant (guitar).[5]

Promotion for the album started as early as June 2007, when the song "Weekend Wars" was given away in summer issues of free monthly magazine Nöjesguiden in Stockholm, Sweden. Matching CDs could be picked up for free in all stores in three different shopping malls around Stockholm from June 26 to July 31.[6]

In November 2007, they performed for the first time in Europe, supporting the band Samantha and The Courteeners at Koko in London, England.[7] After March 2008, Hank Sullivant left the band to pursue his own band, Kuroma. Will Berman joined as the new drummer, James Richardson switched from drums to guitar, and Matthew Asti remained on bass.

The album was also promoted with three singles: "Time to Pretend", "Electric Feel" and "Kids".

Reception

Professional ratings

Aggregate scores
Source	Rating
Metacritic	76/100[8]
Review scores
Source	Rating
AllMusic	[9]
Alternative Press	[10]
The Guardian	[11]
The Independent	[12]
NME	8/10[13]
The Observer	[14]
Pitchfork	6.8/10[15]
Q	[16]
Rolling Stone	[17]
Uncut	[18]

Oracular Spectacular has received mostly positive reviews. Jason Lymangrover of AllMusic called Oracular Spectacular's tracks "some of the catchiest pop songs to come from NYC since the turn of the millennium" and stated that "the songs never feel insincere and the record is inherently strong throughout, making it a solid start to their career."[9] Prefix Magazine described the album as "a college-dorm experiment gone horribly right."[19] Giving the album a three-star honorable mention rating, Robert Christgau stated that "like Vampire Weekend, only as synth-dance rather than indie-rock, they convert a quality liberal education into thoughtful, anxious, faux-lite pop."[20]

In a mixed review, PopMatters' Matt Fiander criticized the second half of the album, writing, "The second half of the record settles into a more monotone kind of space rock that is as big as the better first half, but gives us no recognizably distinct songs or catchy melodies."[21] The album was named as the best album of 2008 by NME.[22] In 2009, Rolling Stone named it the 18th-best album of the decade, and in 2012 the magazine included it at number 494 on its list of the 500 greatest albums of all time, saying, "Two hipster geeks get some rad vintage keyboards and compose a suite of synthesized heartache".[23][24]

The album has a Metascore of 76 on Metacritic based on 22 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews".[8]

Track listing

All lyrics are written by Andrew VanWyngarden, except "The Youth" and "Electric Feel" by VanWyngarden and Ben Goldwasser; all music is composed by VanWyngarden and Goldwasser.

No.	Title	Length
1.	"Time to Pretend"	4:21
2.	"Weekend Wars"	4:12
3.	"The Youth"	3:48
4.	"Electric Feel"	3:49
5.	"Kids"	5:02
6.	"4th Dimensional Transition"	3:58
7.	"Pieces of What"	2:43
8.	"Of Moons, Birds & Monsters"	4:46
9.	"The Handshake"	3:39
10.	"Future Reflections"	4:00
Total length:		40:30

Japanese re-release[25][26]

No.	Title	Length
11.	"Metanoia"	13:49
12.	"Electric Feel" (demo version)	3:48
13.	"Electric Feel" (Justice remix)	5:27
14.	"Kids" (Soulwax remix)	5:42
15.	"Time to Pretend" (music video)	4:19
16.	"Electric Feel" (music video)	3:50
17.	"Kids" (music video)	5:06

Japanese promo version

No.	Title	Length
21.	"Time to Pretend" (Jorge Elbrecht of Violens Remix)	4:30

Notes

• An earlier recording of "Time to Pretend" appeared on Time to Pretend EP.
• An earlier recording of "Kids" appeared on We (Don't) Care, Climbing to New Lows and Time to Pretend EP.

Personnel

• Andrew VanWyngarden – lead vocals, lead and rhythm guitars, synthesizers, bass guitar, drums, percussion
• Ben Goldwasser – keyboards, synthesizers, sampling, rhythm guitar, percussion, backing vocals

Charts

Weekly charts Chart (2008) Peak position Australian Albums (ARIA)[27] 6 Austrian Albums (Ö3 Austria)[28] 72 Belgian Albums (Ultratop Flanders)[29] 10 Belgian Albums (Ultratop Wallonia)[30] 55 Canadian Albums (Billboard)[31] 24 Croatian International Albums (HDU)[32] 34 Dutch Albums (Album Top 100)[33] 45 French Albums (SNEP)[34] 22 German Albums (Offizielle Top 100)[35] 65 Irish Albums (IRMA)[36] 5 Italian Albums (FIMI)[37] 74 Japanese Albums (Oricon)[38] 114 Mexican Albums (AMPROFON)[39] 74 New Zealand Albums (RMNZ)[40] 13 Swiss Albums (Schweizer Hitparade)[41] 68 UK Albums (OCC)[42] 8 US Billboard 200[43] 38

Year-end charts Chart (2008) Position Australian Albums (ARIA)[44] 16 Belgian Albums (Ultratop Flanders)[45] 35 French Albums (SNEP)[46] 77 UK Albums (OCC)[47] 65 Chart (2009) Position Australian Albums (ARIA)[48] 85 Belgian Albums (Ultratop Flanders)[49] 79 French Albums (SNEP)[50] 96

Certifications

Region	Certification	Certified units/sales
Australia (ARIA)[51]	Platinum	70,000^^
Belgium (BEA)[52]	Gold	15,000^*
Canada (Music Canada)[53]	Platinum	100,000
France (SNEP)[54]	Gold	114,032[55]
Ireland (IRMA)[56]	2× Platinum	30,000^^
United Kingdom (BPI)[47]	Platinum	461,000[57]
United States (RIAA)[58]	Gold	606,000[2]
^*sales figures based on certification alone ^^shipments figures based on certification alone sales+streaming figures based on certification alone

Awards

Title	Award	Result
NME Awards 2009	Best Album of 2008	Won

References

1. "Oracular Spectacular on Amazon". Amazon.com. Retrieved 2008-01-01.
2. Caulfield, Keith (April 21, 2010). "MGMT's Top Debut on Billboard 200; Bieber Holds at No. 1". Billboard. Retrieved August 12, 2019.
3. "My Favorite Things, Part II". Rolling Stone. May 31, 2012. Retrieved November 26, 2018.
4. "Dave Fridmann/Tarbox News/Notes". Archived from the original on December 12, 2002. Retrieved March 24, 2007.
5. "Mystic Future Pop Duo MGMT Heading Out On Major North American Tour With Of Montreal From October–November". PR Newswire. August 16, 2007. Retrieved August 28, 2007.
6. "MGMT - Weekend Wars". Discogs. Retrieved 2017-08-04.
7. "Koko gigs archive". Archived from the original on December 10, 2007.
8. "Reviews for Oracular Spectacular by MGMT". Metacritic. Retrieved May 13, 2015.
9. Lymangrover, Jason. "Oracular Spectacular – MGMT". AllMusic. Retrieved May 13, 2015.
10. "MGMT: Oracular Spectacular". Alternative Press (235): 115. February 2008.
11. Rogers, Jude (March 7, 2008). "MGMT, Oracular Spectacular". The Guardian. Retrieved May 13, 2015.
12. Gill, Andy (March 7, 2008). "Album: MGMT, Oracular Spectacular (Columbia)". The Independent. Archived from the original on February 3, 2011. Retrieved May 13, 2015.
13. "MGMT: Oracular Spectacular". NME. February 26, 2008. Archived from the original on March 4, 2016. Retrieved May 13, 2015.
14. Hodgson, Jaimie (March 16, 2008). "Let them sow their wild Oates". The Observer. Retrieved May 13, 2015.
15. Harvey, Eric (October 22, 2007). "MGMT: Oracular Spectacular". Pitchfork. Retrieved May 13, 2015.
16. "MGMT: Oracular Spectacular". Q (262): 138. May 2008.
17. Ganz, Caryn (February 7, 2008). "Oracular Spectacular". Rolling Stone. Retrieved August 25, 2015.
18. "MGMT: Oracular Spectacular". Uncut (132): 98. May 2008.
19. Goldmeier, Jeremy. "Oracular Spectacular: Album review". Prefix Magazine. Retrieved November 26, 2007.
20. Christgau, Robert. "MGMT: Oracular Spectacular". RobertChristgau.com. Retrieved May 13, 2015.
21. Fiander, Matt (January 22, 2008). "MGMT: Oracular Spectacular". PopMatters. Retrieved June 22, 2011.
22. Chester, Tim. Revealed: NME's Top Albums Of The Year 2008. NME. 3 December 2008
23. Rolling Stone's 100 Best Albums, Songs Of The '00s. Stereogum. Retrieved 22 June 2011
24. Wenner, Jann S., ed. (2012). Rolling Stone – Special Collectors Issue – The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time. USA: Wenner Media Specials. ISBN 978-7-09-893419-6
25. "Sony Music Online Japan : MGMT : オラキュラー・スペクタキュラー＋4". Sonymusic.co.jp. 2009-10-07. Retrieved 2011-04-08.
26. Oracular Spectacular backside
27. "Australiancharts.com – MGMT – Oracular Spectacular". Hung Medien. Retrieved March 1, 2018.
28. "Austriancharts.at – MGMT – Oracular Spectacular" (in German). Hung Medien. Retrieved March 1, 2018.
29. "Ultratop.be – MGMT – Oracular Spectacular" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved March 1, 2018.
30. "Ultratop.be – MGMT – Oracular Spectacular" (in French). Hung Medien. Retrieved March 1, 2018.
31. "MGMT Chart History (Canadian Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved March 1, 2018.
32. "Top of the Shops - službena tjedna lista prodanih albuma u Hrvatskoj". Hdu-toplista.com. 2011-03-25. Retrieved 2011-04-08.
33. "Dutchcharts.nl – MGMT – Oracular Spectacular" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved March 1, 2018.
34. "Lescharts.com – MGMT – Oracular Spectacular". Hung Medien. Retrieved March 1, 2018.
35. "Offiziellecharts.de – MGMT – Oracular Spectacular" (in German). GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved March 1, 2018.
36. "Irish Album Chart 13th March 2008". Archived from the original on 2017-10-06. Retrieved 2008-04-03.
37. "Italiancharts.com – MGMT – Oracular Spectacular". Hung Medien. Retrieved March 1, 2018.
38. "MGMTの作品 | Oricon News". Oricon. Retrieved March 1, 2018.
39. "AMPROFON: Week 43" (PDF). amprofon.com.mx. Archived from the original (PDF) on December 2, 2007. Retrieved November 7, 2008.
40. "Charts.nz – MGMT – Oracular Spectacular". Hung Medien. Retrieved March 1, 2018.
41. "Swisscharts.com – MGMT – Oracular Spectacular". Hung Medien. Retrieved March 1, 2018.
42. "Official Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved March 1, 2018.
43. "MGMT Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved March 1, 2018.
44. "ARIA Top 100 Albums 2008". Aria.com.au. Retrieved 2011-04-08.
45. "Jaaroverzichten 2008". Ultratop. Retrieved August 31, 2020.
46. "Disque en France". Disque en France. Archived from the original on March 2, 2012. Retrieved April 8, 2011.
47. Official Album Chart - 2008. ukchartsplus.co.uk. Retrieved 23 June 2011.
48. "ARIA End of Year Albums Chart 2009". Australian Recording Industry Association. Retrieved August 31, 2020.
49. "Jaaroverzichten 2009". Ultratop. Retrieved August 31, 2020.
50. "Top de l'année Top Albums 2009" (in French). SNEP. Retrieved August 31, 2020.
51. "ARIA Charts – Accreditations – 2008 Albums". Australian Recording Industry Association. Archived from the original on 10 August 2020. Retrieved March 1, 2018.
52. "Ultratop − Goud en Platina – albums 2009". Ultratop. Hung Medien. Retrieved March 1, 2018.
53. "Canadian album certifications – MGMT – Oracular Spectacular". Music Canada. Retrieved March 1, 2018.
54. "French album certifications – MGMT – Oracular Spectacular" (in French). Syndicat National de l'Édition Phonographique. Retrieved March 1, 2018.
55. "Les Albums les plus Vendus de la Décennie (2000-2009)" (in French). Archived from the original on 16 July 2012. Retrieved 26 December 2020.
56. "The Irish Charts – All there is to know". Irishcharts.ie. Retrieved 2011-04-08.
57. MGMT Takes A Risk With 'Congratulations' Album. Billboard.com. 22 March 2010. Retrieved 23 June 2011.
58. "American album certifications – MGMT – Oracular Spectacular". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved March 1, 2018. If necessary, click Advanced, then click Format, then select Album, then click SEARCH. 

External links

• Oracular Spectacular at Metacritic