United (Phoenix album)

United is the debut studio album by French indie pop band Phoenix, released in 2000. Singles released from the album include "Too Young", "If I Ever Feel Better" and "Party Time".

United
Studio album by Phoenix
Released	8 June 2000
Recorded	1999–2000
Studio	Studio Gan Studio 2 Studio PlusXXX
Genre	Indie pop
Length	38:48
Label	Virgin Astralwerks Source
Producer	Phoenix Philippe Zdar
Phoenix chronology
United (2000) Alphabetical (2004)
Singles from United
"Party Time" Released: 1999 "Too Young" Released: 31 December 1999 "If I Ever Feel Better" Released: 1 June 2000

Critical reception

Professional ratings

Review scores
Source	Rating
AllMusic	[1]
The Guardian	[2]
The List	[3]
NME	8/10[4]
Pitchfork	8.6/10[5]
Q	[6]
Rolling Stone	[7]
Spin	7/10[8]

United received generally positive reviews from critics. Catherine Bromley of The List gave the album a perfect score, praising the album's diverse sound over the sound of "the Gallic house propagated by their contemporaries".^[9] Pitchfork gave the album an 8.6 out of 10, calling it "one of the most confoundingly brilliant debuts of the year, the type of album that thwarts expectations while affirming music's overwhelming capacity to amaze."^[10] Jason Birchmeier of AllMusic called it "an uncanny yet earnest showcase of what makes pop/rock pop without the gaudy trendiness that now makes the 1980s seem so distasteful."^[11]

Commercial performance

According to Virgin France, as of April 2004, the album has shipped 150,000 units worldwide.^[12]

Track listing

No.	Title	Length
1.	"School's Rules"	1:32
2.	"Too Young"	3:19
3.	"Honeymoon"	5:00
4.	"If I Ever Feel Better"	4:26
5.	"Party Time"	2:14
6.	"On Fire"	2:49
7.	"Embuscade"	3:57
8.	"Summer Days"	3:15
9.	"Funky Squaredance" "Part One" "Part Two" "Part Three"	9:38
10.	"Definitive Breaks"	1:40

All tracks are written by Phoenix

US/iTunes bonus track

No.	Title	Length
11.	"Too Young" (Zoot Woman Remix)	3:53

Personnel

Phoenix

• Laurent Brancowitz
• Christian Mazzalai
• Deck d'Arcy
• Thomas Mars Jr.

Additional musicians

Rob – clavinet ("School's Rules", "Too Young", "If I Ever Feel Better", "Embuscade") Cubain – percussion ("Too Young", "Honeymoon", "On Fire", "Embuscade") Sandrine Longuet – harp ("Honeymoon") Jean-Philippe Dary – clavinet ("On Fire") Julia and Oliza – backing vocals ("On Fire") Camille Baz Baz – Hammond organ ("On Fire") Hugo Ferran – saxophone ("On Fire", "Embuscade", "Definitive Breaks"), string and horn arrangement ("Embuscade", "Summer Days") Andrew Crocker – trumpet ("On Fire", "Embuscade") Thomas Bangalter – Yamaha CS-60 synthesizer ("Embuscade") Paddy Sherlock – trombone ("Embuscade") P. Nadal – strings conductor ("Embuscade", "Summer Days")

Marlon - drums ("Summer Days", "Funky Squaredance Part One") Eddie Efira – pedal steel ("Summer Days", "Funky Squaredance Part One") Bryce de la Menardière – Epinette ("Funky Squaredance Part One") The Love Choral Society – screams ("Funky Squaredance Part Two") Morgan – Hammond organ and Wurlitzer ("Funky Squaredance Part Two") Pedro Winter – Rapman synthesizer ("Funky Squaredance Part Two") Noe Efira – lead guitar ("Funky Squaredance Part Three") The Arcysian Vocal Ensemble – vocals ("Funky Squaredance Part Three") The Hector Berliz Choir – vocals ("Funky Squaredance Part Three") Jean-Claude Soubeyrand – conductor ("Funky Squaredance Part Three) Junior Carrera – guitar ("Definitive Breaks")

Production and design

• Phoenix – production, mixing ("Definitive Breaks")
• Stephane Briat aka Alf – production, recording, mixing ("Embuscade")
• Alex Firla – production, recording
• Philippe Zdar – mixing (all tracks except "Embuscade", "Party Time", and "Definitive Breaks")
• Jean-Paul Gonnod – mixing ("Too Young")
• Julian Delfaud – mixing ("Party Time", "Definitive Breaks")
• Mike March – mastering
• Alexandre Courtès – cover design
• Félix Lahrer – cover photograph

Charts

Chart performance for United

Year	Chart	Peak position
2001	French Albums (SNEP)[13]	90
2004	Norwegian Albums (VG-lista)[14]	37

References

1. Birchmeier, Jason. "United – Phoenix". AllMusic. Retrieved 10 April 2016.
2. Clarke, Betty (9 June 2000). "Phoenix: United (Source Records)". The Guardian.
3. Bromley, Catherine (8 June 2000). "Phoenix: United (Source)". The List (388): 56. Retrieved 25 June 2017.
4. Martin, Piers (16 June 2000). "Phoenix – United". NME. Archived from the original on 11 July 2000. Retrieved 21 August 2017.
5. Murray, S. "Phoenix: United". Pitchfork. Archived from the original on 11 May 2006. Retrieved 10 April 2016.
6. "Phoenix: United". Q (361) (30th anniversary special ed.): 118. 2016.
7. Hunter, James (26 October 2000). "Phoenix: United". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on 19 September 2003. Retrieved 26 June 2017.
8. Walters, Barry (October 2000). "Phoenix: United / Sunna: One Minute Science". Spin. 16 (10): 176–77. Retrieved 10 April 2016.
9. Bromley, Catherine (8 June 2000). "Phoenix: United (Source)". The List (388): 56. Retrieved 25 June 2017.
10. Murray, S. "Phoenix: United". Pitchfork. Archived from the original on 11 May 2006. Retrieved 10 April 2016.
11. Birchmeier, Jason. "United – Phoenix". AllMusic. Retrieved 10 April 2016.
12. Martin, James (24 April 2004). "French Phoenix Rises". Billboard. Retrieved 17 December 2018.
13. "Lescharts.com – Phoenix – United". Hung Medien. Retrieved 29 April 2014.
14. "Norwegiancharts.com – Phoenix – United". Hung Medien. Retrieved 29 April 2014.