Marvin's Marvelous Mechanical Museum (Album)
Marvin's Marvelous Mechanical Museum | |
Studio Album | |
Released | 2005, re-released in 2006, 2007 and 2008 |
---|---|
Recorded | June-October 2005, May-June 2007 (re-release) |
Length | 49:21 (2005), 01:01:35 (2008, with bonus tracks) |
Label | Quack! Media (2005), Atlantic Records (2008), Needlejuice Records (2021) |
Producer | Tally Hall, Chris Shaw (co-producer '08) |
Marvin's Marvelous Mechanical Museum (M.M.M.M.) is Tally Hall's first studio album, released under the Quack! Media label on November 22nd 2005, re-released on September 12th 2006, and finally re-recorded/remixed for release by Atlantic Records on April 1st 2008.
All of the tracks on the album are fleshed-out, finished versions of their demo tracks, with the exception of "Haiku," which was a completely new song. The album gets its name from a museum of mechanized curiosities of the same name located in Farmington Hills, Michigan.
History
2005, 2006 and 2007
Despite having a major hit on the early internet and being a popular band in their home of Michigan, Tally Hall didn't think about re-recording the songs featured on Complete Demos until they signed a recording contract with Quack!Media's Al McWilliams in 2005. The idea came to record those songs, plus newly written ones, starting in June of the same year. McWilliams would give the band 2 weeks to record the album, but they needed more time to finish the album.[1]
They would also run into budgetary concerns, as the album cost more than triple their original budget to create.[2] Part of this cost would be spent pulling in music school graduates and friends like Jeremy Kittel (Be Born) and Bobby Streng (Welcome To Tally Hall) to record parts. One track planned for recording was Inside The Mind of Simon, a track Joe Hawley penned in 2004. This however would never happen, due to budgetary and time constraints. By October 2nd, the band only had two tracks left to record[3]. Meanwhile, Court Jones was working hard on the album cover with art design by Joe Hawley.
After 4 months of recording and mixing, the album would be finished and released on November 22nd, 2005.
Later on, the album was officially re-released on September 12th, 2006. The reasons for the re-release were never clear, but this re-release coincided with additional publicity on MTV, national distribution in all major retail stores, and various other TV appearances including The Late, Late Show with Craig Ferguson.
This 2006 re-release also fixed some errors with the 2005 release and featured a slightly different mix. In the original pressing, the Zubin page in the lyric sheets was colored purple instead of blue and the spine of the CD had a typographical error. It reads "Marvin's Marvelous Mechancial Museum" as opposed to "Mechanical". Both of these errors were fixed for the 2006 re-release.
The album was reprinted once more and was likely released on January 29th, 2007[4]. This reprint was largely the same as the 2006 version except that Zubin's page in the lyric book is a different shade of blue and it featured a hype sticker on the front when sealed.
2008
Tally Hall would sign with Atlantic Records in early 2007 and was approved to go back and touch-up Marvin's Marvelous Mechanical Museum at Stratosphere Sound Recording Studios in NYC with producer Chris Shaw. Of the tracks on the album, two would be re-recorded (Just Apathy and The Bidding) and the drums on each track were re-recorded.[5] During this time the band filmed multiple vlog style videos cataloging the recording of this new version[6], culminating in a skit video ("APRIL FOOLS") promoting its release on April 1st.[7]
If you're looking for the differences between 2005 and 2008, please look for the "History" section on each song.
The first single, Good Day, was released on February 26th, 2008. Another single from the album, Welcome To Tally Hall would be released but only as a radio promotional item.[8] The new version of the album was released on April 1st, 2008 on CD and digital services and with it, a limited black vinyl LP pressing of the album.
M.M.M.M. CDs bought at Tally Hall concerts after the album's re-release included a download code for three bonus tracks. These are Mucka Blucka, Dream, and Just A Friend. Mucka Blucka and Dream were included with the iTunes release of Marvin's Marvelous Mechanical Museum along with the Good Day music video and first episode of Tally Hall's Internet Show, Marvin's Marvelous Mechanical Museum. Just A Friend however would stay exclusive to the download code for years, until the release of Admittedly Incomplete Demos in 2015.[9]
2021
After a resurgence in popularity, Tally Hall signed to Needlejuice Records and agreed to re-release physical copies of the 2008 version of Marvin's Marvelous Mechanical Museum on CD, Vinyl, and for the first time: cassette tapes. This version also includes Mucka Blucka, Dream, and Just A Friend as bonus tracks.[10] The physical releases include new artwork by Court Jones, the artist behind the original album cover.[11]
The 2021 CD release is an enhanced CD, containing the music video for Good Day and the first episode of Tally Hall's Internet Show. The Simlish version of Good Day recorded for The Sims 2 also appears for the first time on physical and digital platforms, being the "pregap" track on the 2021 CD and a hidden track on the Bandcamp release.
Marvin's Marvelous Mechanical Museum has become a favorite among many fans since its release(s) for its variety and strong tracklist, and original vinyl copies have been in high demand in recent years. Among the tracks on the album, Hidden In The Sand and The Bidding have enjoyed a big boost in popularity after the rise of the social media app TikTok.
Cover artwork
The cover was drawn by artist Court Jones. It features many references to the museum of the same name, including Marvin Yagoda, many machines from the museum, and with portraits of each band member in front. The cover features little color, only coloring in certain text and the band members themselves.
Tally Hall first found Court through the internet in college, specifically a drawing inspired by Alice in Wonderland.[12] The basic idea for the cover was created by Joe Hawley and was later sketched out sometime around June 13th 2005 (pictured top left) . Later on, Court would sketch a version much closer to what would become the cover artwork in July. This early design (pictured top right) included a hippo in a bathtub, Marvin Yagoda driving a biplane, and lighting in the sky. Court would eventually illustrate the artwork over the fall of 2005, with text and small changes added digitally. The near-final artwork would be completed on September 28th 2005, with changes made to Andrew's face over the next 3 days to finally complete the finished cover artwork on October 1st 2005.
Sometime before 2008, the band would ask Court to redraw the artwork for a new release of Marvin's Marvelous Mechanical Museum for Atlantic Records with a “woodcut illustration” art style. It was intended to feature real pictures of the band in place of illustrations, but for unknown reasons this was changed back to illustrations. The redrawn cover notably omits Banana Man and replaces a big mannequin with a clown.
Radio Promotional EP
Selections From The Upcoming Marvin's Marvelous Mechanical Museum is a promotional EP made for radio stations to showcase the then-upcoming album Marvin's Marvelous Mechanical Museum.
Despite being made not long before the album's release in November, it features alternative masters from the ones featured on the album. Specifically, Greener uses an alternative mix on this EP, using a bit more guitar than what appears on the album.
Track listing
# | Title | Writers | Lead Singers | Duration |
---|---|---|---|---|
1. | "Banana Man" | Hawley | Hawley | 4:09 |
2. | "Good Day" | Horowitz | Hawley, Cantor | 3:25 |
3. | "Greener" | Cantor | Cantor | 3:43 |
4. | "The Bidding" | Hawley | Hawley, Cantor, Sedghi | 2:29 |
Trivia
- In 2015, Tally Hall posted a "#throwbackthursday" showcasing the original sketches for the cover art[13]
- The 2008 and 2021 vinyl have track listings that differ from the other formats. Specifically, The Whole World And You had to be moved up to Side A in order for all the songs to properly fit on each side of the record.
- Though the 2006 re-release of the album corrected the purple coloring and the spine typo, it can still be hard to determine if you have a 2005 or 2006 printing when it's still sealed. The best way to know is by the barcode. The barcode for the 2005 is: 6-1689268282-0. The barcode for the 2006: is 7-8144491001-7.
- According to Joe, the hardest songs to record on the album were Taken For A Ride, Spring And A Storm, and Ruler of Everything.
Track Listings
2005 CD
# | Title | Writers | Lead Singers | Duration |
---|---|---|---|---|
1. | "Good Day" | Horowitz | Hawley, Cantor, Sedghi | 3:25 |
2. | "Greener" | Cantor | Cantor | 3:43 |
3. | "Welcome To Tally Hall" | Hawley (music & lyrics), Cantor, Sedghi (lyrics) | Cantor, Sedghi, Hawley | 5:10 |
4. | "Taken For A Ride" | Horowitz | Horowitz, Hawley | 4:40 |
5. | "The Bidding" | Hawley | Hawley, Cantor, Sedghi | 2:29 |
6. | "Be Born" | Cantor | Cantor | 3:10 |
7. | "Banana Man" | Hawley | Hawley | 4:09 |
8. | "Just Apathy" | Cantor | Cantor | 3:12 |
9. | "Spring And A Storm" | Hawley | Hawley | 4:43 |
10. | "Two Wuv" | Horowitz | Sedghi | 3:41 |
11. | "Haiku" | Cantor | Cantor, Hawley | 2:58 |
12. | "The Whole World And You" | Horowitz | Horowitz | 1:45 |
13. | "13" | n/a | n/a | 0:13 |
14. | "Ruler Of Everything" | Hawley | Hawley, Sedghi | 4:17 |
15. | "Hidden In The Sand" (hidden track) | Hawley | Hawley | 1:54 |
2008 CD
# | Title | Writers | Lead Singers | Duration |
---|---|---|---|---|
1. | "Good Day" | Horowitz | Hawley, Cantor, Sedghi | 3:26 |
2. | "Greener" | Cantor | Cantor | 3:43 |
3. | "Welcome To Tally Hall" | Hawley (music & lyrics), Cantor, Sedghi (lyrics) | Cantor, Sedghi, Hawley | 5:10 |
4. | "Taken For A Ride" | Horowitz | Horowitz, Hawley | 4:43 |
5. | "The Bidding" | Hawley | Hawley, Cantor, Sedghi | 2:40 |
6. | "Be Born" | Cantor | Cantor | 3:10 |
7. | "Banana Man" | Hawley | Hawley | 4:09 |
8. | "Just Apathy" | Cantor | Cantor | 3:11 |
9. | "Spring And A Storm" | Hawley | Hawley | 4:47 |
10. | "Two Wuv" | Horowitz | Sedghi | 3:43 |
11. | "Haiku" | Cantor | Cantor, Hawley | 3:02 |
12. | "The Whole World And You" | Horowitz | Horowitz | 1:44 |
13. | "13" | n/a | n/a | 0:13 |
14. | "Ruler Of Everything" | Hawley | Hawley, Sedghi | 4:32 |
15. | "Hidden In The Sand" (hidden track) | Hawley | Hawley | 1:53 |
16. | "Mucka Blucka" (iTunes bonus track) | Hawley | Federman | 1:38 |
17. | "Dream" (iTunes bonus track) | Horowitz | n/a | 1:49 |
2008 Bonus Downloads
# | Title | Writers | Lead Singers | Duration |
---|---|---|---|---|
1. | "Mucka Blucka" | Hawley | Federman | 1:38 |
2. | "Dream" | Horowitz | n/a | 1:49 |
3. | "Just A Friend" | Biz Markie | Cantor, Sedghi | 4:29 |
2008 & 2021 Vinyl Release
# | Title | Writers | Lead Singers | Duration |
---|---|---|---|---|
A1. | "Good Day" | Horowitz | Hawley, Cantor | 3:26 |
A2. | "Greener" | Cantor | Cantor | 3:43 |
A3. | "Welcome To Tally Hall" | Cantor, Hawley, Sedghi | Cantor, Sedghi, Hawley | 5:10 |
A4. | "Taken For A Ride" | Horowitz | Horowitz, Hawley | 4:43 |
A5. | "The Bidding" | Hawley | Hawley, Cantor, Sedghi | 2:40 |
A6. | "Be Born" | Cantor | Cantor | 3:10 |
A7. | "The Whole World And You" | Horowitz | Horowitz | 1:44 |
B1. | "Banana Man" | Hawley | Hawley | 4:09 |
B2. | "Just Apathy" | Cantor | Cantor | 3:11 |
B3. | "Spring And A Storm" | Hawley | Hawley | 4:47 |
B4. | "Two Wuv" | Horowitz | Sedghi | 3:43 |
B5. | "Haiku" | Cantor | Cantor, Hawley | 3:02 |
B6. | "13" | n/a | n/a | 0:13 |
B7. | "Ruler Of Everything" | Hawley | Hawley, Sedghi | 4:32 |
B8. | "Hidden In The Sand" (hidden track) | Hawley | Hawley | 1:53 |
2021 CD
# | Title | Writers | Lead Singers | Duration |
---|---|---|---|---|
1. | "Good Day" | Horowitz | Hawley, Cantor, Sedghi | 3:26 |
2. | "Greener" | Cantor | Cantor | 3:43 |
3. | "Welcome To Tally Hall" | Cantor, Hawley, Sedghi | Cantor, Sedghi, Hawley | 5:10 |
4. | "Taken For A Ride" | Horowitz | Horowitz, Hawley | 4:43 |
5. | "The Bidding" | Hawley | Hawley, Cantor, Sedghi | 2:40 |
6. | "Be Born" | Cantor | Cantor | 3:10 |
7. | "Banana Man" | Hawley | Hawley | 4:09 |
8. | "Just Apathy" | Cantor | Cantor | 3:11 |
9. | "Spring And A Storm" | Hawley | Hawley | 4:47 |
10. | "Two Wuv" | Horowitz | Sedghi | 3:43 |
11. | "Haiku" | Cantor | Cantor, Hawley | 3:02 |
12. | "The Whole World And You" | Horowitz | Horowitz | 1:44 |
13. | "13" | n/a | n/a | 0:13 |
14. | "Ruler Of Everything" | Hawley | Hawley, Sedghi | 4:32 |
15. | "Hidden In The Sand" (hidden track) | Hawley | Hawley | 1:53 |
16. | "Mucka Blucka" (bonus track) | Hawley | Federman | 1:38 |
17. | "Dream" (bonus track) | Horowitz | n/a | 1:49 |
18. | "Just A Friend" (bonus track) | Biz Markie | Cantor, Sedghi | 4:29 |
Liner Notes
2005/6
www.tallyhall.com
℗© 2005 american eagle company, inc. 2005
all rights reserved.
unauthorized duplication is a violation of applicable laws
printed in the USA (this time).
produced by TALLY HALL
recorded and mixed at 40 OZ. SOUND in ann arbor, mi
engineer: BEN BEGAN
assistant engineer: BORA KARACA
mastered by: GREG POLSDOFER at EXCLUSIVE VIEW
art direction and design: JOE HAWLEY
artwork: JOE HAWLEY and ZUBIN SEDGHI
cover art: COURT JONES
various things: AL McWILLIAMS
MANY THANKS TO: bora karaca, bora karaca, bora karaca, michael anuzis, ben began, steve gallagher, ari grant,
mary huliberger, the lehr-scott family, al mcwilliams, quack! media, marvin yagoda, jeremy yagoda, our
families, our friends, our fans, and bora karaca
GUEST PERFORMERS:
BANJO: jim roll (6). CELLO: Cyrus hsieh (3, 8, 13, 14); anna schultz (3, 4, 9, 13, 14). CLARINET: andres ivan navedo (12). CHOIR 1: jason
ceo, greg jaffe, bora karaca, donald milton iii, michael steelman, victor szabo, brett trzcinski, tim wagner, jon zande (1, 5, 7). CHOIR 2:
michael anuzis, lisa bakale-wise, emily barkin, rebecca blinder, stephanie fajuri, jessica fetter, ashley hurst, alison kartush, andrew
papas, karl pestka, claire smith, caitlyn thomson (4, 12). CROWD: the haiku dinner party (11, clearly). FRENCH HORN: eric brummitt
(4, 9); brittni troy (4, 9). KIDS: taylor janssen (9); roberta tamm (9). MANDOLIN: ben began (14). MARVIN: marvin yagoda (3, 15).
SAXOPHONE: bobby streng (3, 4). TROMBONE: melissa gardiner (3, 4, 12); steve peterson (5, 7). TRUMPET: jeff blim (3, 12); david
tenerelli (4, 5, 7). TUBA: matt lyon (5, 7); michael nickens (3, 4, 12). VIOLA: laurel borden (3, 4, 9, 13, 14). VIOLIN: shawn jaeger
(3, 4, 9, 13, 14); jeremy kittel (6). UPRIGHT BASS: keith reed (4, 6, 9, 12). WHISTLING: bora karaca (7).
joe hawley ross federman zubin sedghi rob cantor andrew horowitz
visit THE REAL PLACE!
marvin's marvelous mechanical museum
31005 orchard lake road
farmington hills, MI 48334 U.S.A.
marvin3m.com
References
- ↑ In A State Andrew Horowitz interview
- ↑ https://digital.bentley.umich.edu/midaily/mdp.39015071755156/355
- ↑ Doris the cat - rf. LiveJournal.
- ↑ https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000BPYKJG?psc=1&ref=ppx_yo2ov_dt_b_product_details
- ↑ Keep Up The Good Work Special Edition: Steve Loter and Rob Cantor discuss The Ghost and Molly McGee
- ↑ NYC I: RE-MMMM
- ↑ APRIL FOOLS (Tally Hall, re-upload)
- ↑ Tally Hall – Welcome To Tally Hall. Discogs.
- ↑ Just a Friend. Bandcamp.
- ↑ https://needlejuicerecords.com/product/marvinsmarvelousmechanicalmuseum/ Marvin's Marvelous Mechanical Museum. Needlejuice Records. 2021.
- ↑ Court Jones designing new gatefold art
- ↑ Instagram post from Joe Hawley about the Marvin's artwork inspiration.
- ↑ Tally Hall #throwbackthursday 2005. July 2nd, 2015.