Neutral Milk Hotel – In The Aeroplane Over The Sea (New Vinyl)

NEW LP

New sealed copy. 180 gram reissue.

In the Aeroplane Over the Sea is the second studio album by American rock band Neutral Milk Hotel, released on February 10, 1998, by Merge Records. The music is predominantly indie rock and psychedelic folk, and is characterized by an intentionally low-quality sound. Traditional western instruments like the guitar and drums are paired with less conventional instruments such as a singing saw, uilleann pipes, and zanzithophone. The lyrics are surrealistic and opaque, with themes ranging from nostalgia to love, and were partially inspired by The Diary of a Young Girl by Anne Frank.

In the Aeroplane Over the Sea was recorded at Pet Sounds Studio between July to September 1997. Producer Robert Schneider worked with bandleader Jeff Mangum to improve upon the low-quality sound of the band's debut album On Avery Island. Instead of using studio equipment like guitar pedals or effects units to induce distortion, Schneider developed a recording technique that involved heavy compression. To promote the album, Neutral Milk Hotel undertook a tour of North America and Europe, and developed a reputation for chaotic and physically demanding performances.

Contemporary reviews were mostly positive, but not laudatory. Over time however, the album developed a cult following, and Mangum struggled to cope with this newfound attention. He grew tired of performing and explaining his lyrics, and disappeared from the public eye. In the years since its release In the Aeroplane Over the Sea's critical standing has risen tremendously, and has been described by music journalists as a landmark album for indie rock and as one of the best albums of the 1990s.

TRACKLIST:

A1 The King Of Carrot Flowers, Pt. One
A2 The King Of Carrot Flowers, Pts. Two & Three
A3 In The Aeroplane Over The Sea
A4 Two-Headed Boy
A5 The Fool
A6 Holland, 1945
A7 Communist Daughter
B1 Oh Comely
B2 Ghost
B3 Untitled
B4 Two-Headed Boy, Pt. Two