Almost Killed Me

Almost Killed Me is the debut studio album by Brooklyn-based rock band the Hold Steady, released on March 16, 2004, on Frenchkiss Records. It is considered by many to be a concept album, with several recurring themes such as near-death experiences, parties, and the fictional characters Hallelujah and Charlemagne. Its concept album roots are further explored with the recurring characters in Separation Sunday, the Hold Steady's second album, which uses the same characters introduced in Almost Killed Me. Almost Killed Me was ranked number 99 on Rolling Stone's 100 Best Albums of the Decade.^[9]

Almost Killed Me
Studio album by The Hold Steady
Released	March 16, 2004
Studio	Atomic Recording Co., Brooklyn, New York
Genre	Indie rock, post-punk revival
Length	42:51
Label	Frenchkiss
The Hold Steady chronology
Milkcrate Mosh/Hey Hey What Can I Do (2004) Almost Killed Me (2004) Separation Sunday (2005)

Professional ratings

Aggregate scores
Source	Rating
Metacritic	78/100[1]
Review scores
Source	Rating
AllMusic	[2]
Drowned in Sound	8/10[3]
NME	7/10[4]
Pitchfork	8.0/10[5]
Rolling Stone	[6]
Tiny Mix Tapes	4.5/5[7]
Uncut	[8]

While not a full-time member of the band at this time, future keyboard player Franz Nicolay makes a guest appearance on the album alongside the World/Inferno Friendship Society bandmate Peter Hess.

Track listing

1. "Positive Jam" (Craig Finn) – 3:19
2. "The Swish" (Finn, Tad Kubler) – 4:11
3. "Barfruit Blues" (Finn, Kubler) – 3:31
4. "Most People Are DJs" (Finn, Kubler) – 5:50
5. "Certain Songs" (Finn) – 3:54
6. "Knuckles" (Finn) – 3:46
7. "Hostile, Mass." (Finn, Kubler) – 3:42
8. "Sketchy Metal" (Finn, Kubler) – 4:17
9. "Sweet Payne" (Finn, Kubler) – 4:33
10. "Killer Parties" (Finn, Kubler) – 5:48

Australian edition bonus tracks

11. "Milkcrate Mosh" – 5:56
12. "Hot Fries" – 3:37
13. "Curves and Nerves" – 2:40
14. "Modesto Is Not That Sweet" – 3:12
15. "You Gotta Dance" – 2:00

Note

• The 2016 deluxe edition of Almost Killed Me contains the same bonus tracks as the Australian edition.

Personnel

Adapted from the album liner notes.^[10]

The Hold Steady

• Craig Finn
• Tad Kubler
• Galen Polivka
• Judd Counsell

Additional musicians

• Franz Nicolay – piano
• Peter Hess – saxophone

Technical

• Dean Baltulonis – recording
• Matt Henderson – recording
• Seth Jabour – layout, design
• Tad Kubler – photography, layout, design
• Tim Harrington – layout, design
• Dave Gardner – mastering

References

1. "Reviews for Almost Killed Me by The Hold Steady". Metacritic. Retrieved June 2, 2016.
2. Hopkin, Kenyon. "Almost Killed Me – The Hold Steady". AllMusic. Retrieved June 2, 2016.
3. Hayward, Daniel (September 17, 2004). "Album Review: The Hold Steady – Almost Killed Me". Drowned in Sound. Archived from the original on May 7, 2008. Retrieved June 2, 2016.
4. Jam, James (May 23, 2007). "The Hold Steady: Almost Killed Me / Separation Sunday". NME.
5. Petrusich, Amanda (March 24, 2004). "The Hold Steady: Almost Killed Me". Pitchfork. Retrieved June 2, 2016.
6. Sheffield, Rob (June 10, 2004). "The Hold Steady: Almost Killed Me". Rolling Stone. p. 86.
7. "The Hold Steady – Almost Killed Me". Tiny Mix Tapes. Retrieved July 31, 2019.
8. Empire, Kitty (June 2007). "The Hold Steady: Almost Killed Me / Separation Sunday". Uncut (121): 110.
9. "100 Best Albums of the 2000s". Rolling Stone. September 12, 2009. Retrieved November 29, 2016.
10. Almost Killed Me (booklet). The Hold Steady. Frenchkiss Records. 2004.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)