United Nations of Sound (album)

United Nations of Sound
Studio album by RPA & The United Nations of Sound (Richard Ashcroft)
Released	19 July 2010
Recorded	2009 – 2010 in Los Angeles, New York and London
Genre	Alternative rock
Length	56:06
Label	Parlophone
Producer	No I.D.
Richard Ashcroft chronology
Keys to the World (2006) United Nations of Sound (2010) These People (2016)
Singles from United Nations of Sound
"Born Again" Released: 19 July 2010 "Are You Ready?" Released: 15 October 2010 (US-only)

United Nations of Sound is the debut album by British alternative rock band RPA & The United Nations of Sound (pseudonym of Richard Ashcroft, arrived at his fourth solo album), released on 19 July 2010 through Parlophone (see 2010 in British music). The album was released in the United States on 22 March 2011 under the name "Richard Ashcroft" through the record company Razor & Tie.

Reception

Professional ratings
Aggregate scores
Source	Rating
Metacritic	37/100[1]
Review scores
Source	Rating
Spin	[2]

United Nations of Sound received generally scathing reviews from critics on its initial release. At Metacritic, which assigns a normalised rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream critics, the album received an average score of 37, based on eight reviews, which indicates "Generally unfavorable reviews".^[3] UK-based review aggregation website AnyDecentMusic? correlated 23 reviews with an ADM Rating of 4.5.^[4] In the United States, Spin Magazine said the result a "fruitful collaboration" and Nylon Magazine called the new album "a commanding performance".^[5]

Track listing

No.	Title	Writer(s)	Length
1.	"Are You Ready?"	Richard Ashcroft/Maurice Gibb	6:31
2.	"Born Again"	Richard Ashcroft	4:55
3.	"America"	Richard Ashcroft	4:17
4.	"This Thing Called Life"	Richard Ashcroft	5:25
5.	"Beatitudes"	Richard Ashcroft	4:23
6.	"Good Lovin'"	Richard Ashcroft	4:45
7.	"How Deep Is Your Man?"	Richard Ashcroft/John Lee Hooker/E. Wilson/Kevin Randolph	3:28
8.	"She Brings Me the Music"	Richard Ashcroft	4:15
9.	"Royal Highness"	Richard Ashcroft	4:13
10.	"Glory"	Richard Ashcroft	3:11
11.	"Life Can Be So Beautiful"	Richard Ashcroft/David Axelrod/E. Wilson/Kevin Randolph	5:28
12.	"Let My Soul Rest"	Richard Ashcroft	4:58
Total length:			56:06

European iTunes edition
No.	Title	Writer(s)	Length
13.	"Captain Rock"	Richard Ashcroft	5:04

US edition
No.	Title	Writer(s)	Length
9.	"Third Eye"	Richard Ashcroft	4:53

Trivia

• "Are You Ready?" is featured in the 2011 Volkswagen Jetta's commercial, it has been used in Fox Sports broadcasts of Major League Baseball's postseason games including the opening of the 2010 World Series,^[6] and it was played in many ESPN promos during the 2010 FIFA World Cup.^[7] The song is also featured over the closing credits of the film The Adjustment Bureau in March 2011, along with "Future's Bright", a song written and performed specifically for the film's opening by Richard and ten-time Oscar-nominated composer Thomas Newman.^[8]
• "She Brings Me the Music" appears in an episode of Chuck, Season 4 Episode 4.^[9]

References

1. "United Nations of Sound by RPA & the United Nations of Sound". Metacritic.
2. "SPIN Review".
3. "United Nations of Sound by RPA & the United Nations of Sound". Metacritic.
4. "United Nations of Sound by RPA and the United Nations of Sound reviews". Any Decent Music. Retrieved 2012-03-13.
5. "US release date & live shows". Richard Ashcroft official website.
6. "Watching game one of the World Series tonight? Listen for 'Are You Ready?' to kick off the series on Fox!". Facebook.
7. "Are You Ready? from ESPN's World Cup coverage 2010". Richard Ashcroft official website.
8. "Are You Ready? on The Adjustment Bureau". Razor & Tie official website (Richard Ashcroft BIO).
9. "Chuck, Season 4 Episode 4 (final part)". YouTube.

External links

• Richard Ashcroft – Richard Ashcroft official website
• http://www.fye.com/United-Nations-of-Sound-Front-Page_stcVVproductId127303422VVcatId455366VVviewprod.htm