{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}} {{Infobox album | name = Mind Bomb | type = studio | artist = The The | cover = The The - Mind Bomb CD cover.jpg | border = yes | alt = | released = 15 May 1989 (UK)<ref>{{cite magazine |title=New Albums |magazine=Music Week |date=20 May 1989 |page=46 |url= https://www.worldradiohistory.com/UK/Music-Week/1989/MW-1989-05-20.pdf |via=World Radio History |access-date=2 October 2024}}</ref><br/>11 July 1989 (US)<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.thethe.com/product/mind-bomb-2// | title=Mind Bomb | Music Back Catalogue | Official the The Merchandise }}</ref> | recorded = | venue = | studio = | genre = Alternative rock, dance-rock, college rock | length = 45:59 | label = Epic | producer = Warne Livesey, Roli Mosimann, Matt Johnson<ref name=MH/> | prev_title = Infected | prev_year = 1986 | next_title = Dusk | next_year = 1993 | misc = {{Singles | name = Mind Bomb | type = studio | single1 = The Beat(en) Generation | single1date = 1989 | single2 = Gravitate to Me | single2date = 1989 | single3 = Armageddon Days Are Here (Again) | single3date = 1989 | single4 = Kingdom of Rain | single4date = 1989 }} }} {{Album ratings | rev1 = AllMusic | rev1Score = {{Rating|4.5|5}}<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.allmusic.com/album/mind-bomb-mw0000204647|title=Mind Bomb – The The|website=AllMusic|access-date=26 September 2017|last=Erlewine|first=Stephen Thomas|author-link=Stephen Thomas Erlewine}}</ref> | rev2 = ''Chicago Tribune'' | rev2Score = {{Rating|3.5|4}}<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.chicagotribune.com/1989/08/10/the-themind-bomb-epic-starstarstar-12you-wouldnt/|title=The The: Mind Bomb (Epic)|work=Chicago Tribune|date=10 August 1989|access-date=26 September 2017|last=Heim|first=Chris}}</ref> |rev3 = ''The Encyclopedia of Popular Music'' |rev3score = {{rating|2|5}}<ref name="CL">{{cite book |last1=Larkin |first1=Colin |title=The Encyclopedia of Popular Music |date=2006 |publisher=MUZE |volume=8 |page=113}}</ref> |rev4 = ''MusicHound Rock: The Essential Album Guide'' |rev4score = {{rating|5|5}}<ref name="MH">{{cite book |title=MusicHound Rock: The Essential Album Guide |date=1999 |publisher=Visible Ink Press |page=1137}}</ref> | rev6 = ''Rolling Stone'' | rev6Score = {{Rating|3|5}}<ref>{{cite magazine|url=https://www.rollingstone.com:80/artists/thethe/albums/album/111399/review/6211005/mind_bomb|title=The The: Mind Bomb|magazine=Rolling Stone|date=7 September 1989|access-date=26 September 2017|last=Mack|first=Bob|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090515125811/http://www.rollingstone.com/artists/thethe/albums/album/111399/review/6211005/mind_bomb|archive-date=15 May 2009|url-status=dead}}</ref> |rev7 = ''The Rolling Stone Album Guide'' |rev7score = {{rating|2.5|5}}<ref name="RS">{{cite book |title=The Rolling Stone Album Guide |date=1992 |publisher=Random House |page=700}}</ref> }} '''''Mind Bomb''''' is the third studio album by the English post-punk band the The.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.allmusic.com/artist/the-the-mn0000566918/biography|title=The The | Biography & History|website=AllMusic}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=7ctjc6UWCm4C&dq=Mind+Bomb+the+the+1989&pg=PA1068|title=The Rough Guide to Rock|first=Peter|last=Buckley|date=February 4, 2003|publisher=Rough Guides|isbn=9781843531050|via=Google Books}}</ref> It was recorded late 1988 and early '89, and released by Some Bizzare/Epic on 15 May 1989. ''Mind Bomb'' is the first of two The The albums to feature guitarist Johnny Marr as a band member.
Critical reception was mixed to positive, and the album peaked at No. 4 on the UK Albums Chart.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.officialcharts.com/search/albums/mind-bomb/|title=mind bomb | full Official Chart History | Official Charts Company|website=www.officialcharts.com}}</ref>
==Overview== Matt Johnson assembled a full band of the The, retaining his role as singer, primary songwriter, frontman and guitarist (and playing keyboards and other instruments in the studio), and bringing in guitarist Johnny Marr. Johnson had known Marr since the early 1980s, and had attempted to entice him into an earlier version of the The prior to Marr forming the Smiths. Completing the lineup was former Julian Cope band bass guitarist James Eller and session drummer David Palmer (while D.C. Collard provided live keyboards). Additional instrumentation on ''Mind Bomb'' was provided by sessioneers, most notably keyboard player Wix.
Instead of the darkly polished dance-pop styling of earlier albums ''Soul Mining'' and ''Infected'', ''Mind Bomb'' opens up the music to reveal a slow, winding textured world of sound, thanks in no small measure to Marr. Lyrical subjects include politics, religion, and romance. The band would also play a world tour and record a follow-up, ''Dusk''. After that, Johnson dissolved it and went about his business alone again. A remastered version of the album was released in 2002.
==Critical reception== ''The Quietus'' called the album "slow, expansive, looming into inexorable life with a rage that smouldered rather than flamed."<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://thequietus.com/articles/16952-the-the-mind-bomb-anniversary-review|title=The Quietus | Features | Anniversary | Scorched Earth: The The's Mind Bomb Revisited|website=The Quietus|date=22 December 2014 }}</ref> ''The Encyclopedia of Popular Music'' called it "bombastic in tone and filled with lyrical diatribes and anti-religious rants allied to distinctly unmelodic songs."<ref name=CL/> The ''Los Angeles Times'' called it "an embarrassing exercise in breast-beating," writing that "this bloated record is doubly distressing considering that it’s the work of the same man who turned out one of the most mysterious and lovely pop tunes of the ‘80s, 'Uncertain Smile'."<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1989-08-06-ca-456-story.html|title=THE THE "Mind Bomb." Epic: * 1/2 : *****Great Balls of Fire:**** Knockin' On Heaven's *** Good Vibrations ** Maybe Baby * Ain't That a Shame|date=August 6, 1989|website=Los Angeles Times}}</ref> In a retrospective review, ''Stylus Magazine'' wrote that "it’s easy to let the seemingly prescient relevance of the lyrics to ''Mind Bomb'' outweigh the actual music, which would be a shame because, with or without those words, it’s still a great record."<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://stylusmagazine.com/articles/on_second_thought/the-the-mind-bomb.html|title=The The - Mind Bomb - On Second Thought - Stylus Magazine|website=stylusmagazine.com}}</ref>
==Track listing== Tracks written by Matt Johnson, except where noted.
# "Good Morning, Beautiful" – 7:28 # "Armageddon Days Are Here (Again)" – 5:40 # "The Violence of Truth" – 5:40 # "Kingdom of Rain" – 5:51 # "The Beat(en) Generation" – 3:04 # "August & September" – 5:45 # "Gravitate to Me" – 8:09 (Johnson, Johnny Marr) # "Beyond Love" – 4:22
==Personnel== ===The band=== * Matt Johnson – vocals, guitar, keyboards * Johnny Marr – guitar, harmonica * James Eller – bass guitar * David Palmer – drums
===Additional musicians=== * Sinéad O'Connor – vocals on "Kingdom of Rain" * Wix Wickens – piano, keyboards, Hammond organ, accordion * Warne Livesey – keyboards, banjo, acoustic guitar * Pandit Dinesh – percussion * Danny Cummings – percussion * Pedro Haldermann – percussion * Chris White – saxophone * Philip Todd – saxophone * Ashley Slater – trombone * John Eacott – flugel horn * Mark Feltham – harmonica * Danny Thompson – upright bass on "August & September" * Sarah Homer – clarinet * Dai Pritchard – bass clarinet * Hilary Storer – oboe * Gavyn Wright – Arabian fiddle * Astarti String Section – strings
===Artwork=== Artwork and typography by Fiona Skinner. Photography Andrew MacPherson. Back cover image was created to reference photomontagist John Heartfield Der Sinn von Genf The Meaning of Geneva AIZ Cover, Berlin, Germany, 1932
== Charts == {| class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center" |+ Chart performance for ''Mind Bomb'' ! scope="col"| Chart (1989) ! scope="col"| Peak<br />position |- {{album chart|Australia|32|artist=The The|album=Mind Bomb|rowheader=true|access-date=21 October 2022}} |- {{album chart|Netherlands|39|artist=The The|album=Mind Bomb|rowheader=true|access-date=21 October 2022}} |- {{album chart|Germany|24|id=32247|artist=The The|album=Mind Bomb|rowheader=true|access-date=21 October 2022}} |- {{album chart|New Zealand|3|artist=The The|album=Mind Bomb|rowheader=true|access-date=21 October 2022}} |- {{album chart|Sweden|30|artist=The The|album=Mind Bomb|rowheader=true|access-date=21 October 2022}} |- {{album chart|UK2|4|date=19890521|rowheader=true|access-date=21 October 2022}} |- ! scope="row"| US ''Billboard'' 200<ref>{{cite magazine|url=https://www.billboard.com/charts/billboard-200/1989-08-05/|title=Billboard 200: Week of August 5, 1989|magazine=Billboard|access-date=21 October 2022}}</ref> | 138 |}
== References == {{reflist}}
{{The The}}
{{Authority control}}
Category:1989 albums Category:The The albums Category:Epic Records albums Category:Albums produced by Roli Mosimann Category:Albums produced by Warne Livesey