ITT: Interesting facts about albums

Did you know Spiderland was originally going to be called Spiderman, but was changed due to copyright complaints from Sony. The inspiration for the album name came from Steve Albini, the album's producer, who was an avid collector of Spider-Man action figures. Each track on the album is based around a Spider-Man villain.

>Each track on the album is based around a Spider-Man villain.
wut

Isn't the album's title derived from one of the band member's brothers who described the album's sound as "spidery" when asked what he thought about it?

Is this the original cover art?

The person on this album cover is actually MC Ride

Producer Brian Paulson

Lol of course not I just love this edit of it

>Mario and Luigi in the background
top kek

That was a debunked myth

>an avid collector of Spider-Man action figures
before 1990 I'd be surprised if more than 10 action figures of him had been made in the entire 30 years

This was the original artwork for Neutral Milk Hotel's seminal 1998 album, In the Aeroplane over the Sea. Suggested by Julian Koster, it was rejected by NMH frontman Heff Mangum, who repeatedly argued with Koster over whether or not it was "a tambourine or a potato"; NMH percussionist Jeremy Barnes personally thought it was a drum. The problem was solved when Robert Schneider of The Apples in Stereo simply turned the album artwork upside down, at which point the four members of Neutral Milk Hotel began applauding and asking for an encore. Schneider obliged, and we were left with the iconic album art that is instantly recognizable on all four continents.

Steve Albini didn't produce the album, though? I know he too is a big fan of Spider-Man but he had virtually no impact on this release whatsoever.

Brian Paulson however was a fan of the Spider-Man comics since his childhood, his father actually worked in a comic book store and this meant he was sort of given unlimited access to pretty much anything he wanted, but Spider-Man was really all he cared about. So when it came to the production of this album, he was very clear from day 1 that he knew this was THEIR album, he wasn't there to intervene like Steve Albini was on Tweez, he simply had one request, that they name the album Spider-Man and the haunted Spiderland, named after his favorite issue of the comics.

He was told he couldn't do it, but if you actually look at the inner sleeve of the first pressed LP, you'll find the full title printed bottom center.

Thing about spider-man villains is a lie, every single track is based around a female character in the spider-man universe, Brian nor the band members have ever specified who belongs to which track, but there are several fan theories floating around online.

>every single track is based around a female character in the spider-man universe
wut

I don't even think there's that many.

gwen stacy and mary jane were mainstays for decades

kek

>at which point the four member of Neutral Milk Hotel began applauding and asking for an encore
my fucking sides

>mama mia
Kek just noticed them
In the background.

>Spiderland, named after his favorite issue of the comics.
no such thing certainly before 1990

I just double checked

yep no such thing

Brian took some creative liberties when it came to fleshing out some of the female characters he based the songs around, for example Don, Aman is thought to be about a reporter in issue 42 of the original series, she had a brief interaction with Peter Parker and very little of her actual personality was revealed, there are a couple of hints drawn in a panel that shows her as a bit of a reclusive and possibly an introvert as she avoids eye contact with Peter Parker.

There was no actual party, and the mirror lyric at the end is actually borrowed directly from another issue, however this is another divisive subject among fans, there's a couple of panels that include mirrors and generally there's not really any one of them that is favored over the other, which has lead to some arguments online. Personally it is my belief that the lyric was inspired by Aunt May's brief interaction with a mirror, as the album is focused around the women of the universe.

>for example Don, Aman is thought to be about a reporter

betty brant?

kek

Debunked by who?

who is black metal Slint

me

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