Jerusalem and Dopesmoker are two versions of the third album by the American heavy metal band Sleep. The former title was released in 1999 by The Music Cartel and the latter was released by Tee Pee Records in 2003. The music for these albums comprises an extended hour-length piece (either split into multiple shorter tracks or presented as a single track), developed over four years and recorded in 1996 under the auspices of Sleep's label at the time, London Records. When recording had completed, London was unhappy with the finished product and refused to release it, leading to Sleep's disbandment and the album surfacing on bootlegs and unauthorized indie releases in subsequent years. All versions of the album received very positive reception from music critics, who described it as a high-water mark in both the stoner metal and doom metal genres.
After positive reviews from the heavy metal press and the release of the album Sleep's Holy Mountain (1992) on Earache Records, Sleep's label announced that they would release their follow-up record.[3][4][5] Sleep had been touring in Europe with Cathedral and in the United States with Nik Turner's version of Hawkwind in support of Sleep's Holy Mountain when the group felt they had to write new material.[3][6] The new album was going to be an hour-long song.[6] This song was written and practiced at sound checks, motel rooms and in friends' houses.[7]Matt Pike said the songwriting process was long and that they were "working on [the song] for like four years. We also had two other songs that were working on that were really long, too—like 15 and 20 minutes. But we never recorded them."[6]Al Cisneros stated that smoking cannabis was important to the song's creative process: "I was really dependent on the space I got into when I was using it, and some of the lyrics are about that...The line, 'Drop out of life [with bong in hand],' was kind of a creed at that point."[7] The song was originally known and performed live under the title "Dopesmoker". After their tour, the group began to be interested in a Middle Eastern desert theme which led to Sleep referring to the song as "Jerusalem" during later practice sessions.[8]
Sleep were ready to record the album in 1995 but did not record it until 1996 as the band was still contracted with Earache.[7] Cisneros said that there was "about a year and half of legal wrangling between their managers and lawyers at Earache" and that Earache owner Digby Pearson "waited to make the most prime conditions for himself before he let [Sleep's] contract [go]."[7] Sleep were in talks with both London Records and Elektra Records to release their next album. They chose to sign to London, as they were promised complete artistic freedom and more money, and since the label did not have any metal bands, Sleep felt they would receive special treatment.[6][9] The members of Sleep were poor, and used the majority of money they received from London Records to cover for the debt they were in at that time.[6]
The song was recorded at Record Two Studio in Comptche, California.[10] While recording the song, it began to develop differently from the original vision.[10] Pike stated that the "song was getting slower and slower and then it got weird. We started tripping out and second guessing ourselves."[10] Recording the album was difficult. Pike recalled that "there was so much to memorize for that album, and we had to do it in like three different sections because a reel-to-reel only holds 22 minutes. It was really cool, but it was one of the hardest things I've ever done in my life."[9] Sleep were in the studio for one month then went home to rehearse and returned for another month. Pike noted that they ended up with two or three different versions of the song.[8]
Part of the song's signature sound is thanks to custom-built amps designed to be so loud, no one from the band was capable of going into the same room as them. More than half a dozen microphones were used to pick up the sound from the amps.[11]
Release
Within a few weeks of signing with London, the A&R member who was negotiating with Sleep had been transferred and replaced.[6] After sending the finished album to London Records, the label told Sleep that they were not going to release the album in its current format.[12] London Records had David Sardy remix the album but the label was still confused as to what to do with the album.[13] Sleep refused to have the album released in any edited form which led to a deadlock between London and the band.[5] The members of Sleep have mixed feelings whether the album should have been released in general. Cisneros felt it should not have been released, while Pike was content with its release, saying "We did all the work so why leave it sitting around?"[14]
By 2009, there had been four versions of the album released: a rare London Records promotional disc, a bootleg with cover art by Arik Roper, the Rise Above/Music Cartel Records album, and a release by Tee Pee Records.[15] The Rise Above/Music Cartel release was an unauthorized edited version, released in 1999 under the title Jerusalem.[3][5]Jerusalem runs at 52 minutes and is a single composition split into six identically named tracks.[16] The version of the album titled Dopesmoker was released on April 22, 2003, by Tee Pee Records on compact disc and vinyl with a 63-minute running time.[4][17] Cisneros spoke most positively about the 2003 Dopesmoker release, saying "I don't think the Dopesmoker thing is the exact version that we submitted, but that's the closest one that's come out of the four. If I had to pick a favorite, that would be it."[15] Parts of the song were used in the film Broken Flowers by Jim Jarmusch. Jarmusch stated that he was a fan of Sleep and listed them along with Earth and Sunn O))) as an influence for creating the film: "I love these kind of visual landscapes they make, and they really inspired things for me for my film The Limits of Control".[18]
In March 2012, Southern Lord Records announced plans for a deluxe reissue of the album, adding of the pending release that "The audio is clearer, louder, and at last brings a true representation of Sleep's hour-plus Weedian chronicle".[19] The reissue features new artwork by the band's artist Arik Roper, a recording mastered from the original studio tapes by From Ashes Rise guitarist Brad Boatright, and a live version of the song "Holy Mountain", recorded at the I-Beam in San Francisco in 1994.[20] This version of the album reached number 14 on the Top Heatseekers chart.[21]
On August 22, 2022, Third Man Records announced the release of a remastered version of Dopesmoker on music streaming services on August 26, 2022, featuring "Hot Lava Man", a track that hadn't been released digitally before. Along with this digital release, a vinyl reissue of the album is set to ship on December 9, 2022,[22] as well as a deluxe "Weedian High-Fi" vinyl pressed with "authentic cannabis leaves" which is only available to purchase at Third Man's Detroit storefront.[23]
Both Dopesmoker and early releases of the album received positive reviews from the music press. In the December 2000 issue of Spin the album was referred to as "brilliant" and as a "stoner touchstone".[30]CMJ New Music Monthly wrote positively about the song, saying that the "monotony rarely becomes tedious, because Al Cisneros and company are unpredictable and sensual in their drug-induced pounding of early Sabbath terrain."[32] Online music database AllMusic gave the Jerusalem album four stars out of five stating that "Either version is worth investigating for adventurous metal enthusiasts, but Dopesmoker is clearly the final and definitive presentation of this work".[16] In 2006, the extreme metal magazine Decibel included the album in their hall of fame of "extreme metal masterpieces".[26]
The album continued to receive praise after the release of Dopesmoker. Eduardo Rivadavia of online music database AllMusic gave the album four and a half stars out of five stating "Dopesmoker is [...] an instant doom metal classic—some might even say a masterpiece".[17] The British music magazine Mojo gave the album a rating of five out of five stars proclaiming that Dopesmoker is "A benchmark by which all that dares call itself stoner rock must surely be judged."[28]Exclaim! praised Dopesmoker's production value and noted that the album was an "ultimately better version of 1999's stoner opus Jerusalem."[27]Stylus Magazine's Stewart Voegtlin defined Dopesmoker as "a 60-minute song about the spliff, a monstrous rock ode to stinky buds". Voegtlin pointed out that London Records' refusal to "share Sleep's affection or vision, [led the band to] disbanding in disgust. Matt Pike went on to form High on Fire; Al Cisneros and Chris Hakius contemplate the universe's navel with Om."[31] A New York Times critic wrote: "What seems disorienting and monochromatic at first grows richer and more rewarding upon repeated exposure. It's like a Mark Rothko painting hitting you over the head with a bag of hammers."[33]
The 2012 Southern Lord Records re-issue was also praised. On Metacritic, it has a score of 94 out of 100, based on 9 reviews.[24]Exclaim! noted that this issue was "cleaner and more powerful, the guitars sound heavier, with a much larger presence, and the mesmerizing complexity of the track has been reinvigorated."[34]Pitchfork Media gave the album an 8.5 out of 10 and listed it as one of "the best new reissues" noting that "It's an hour of adventure and momentum, where the lumber and the repetition somehow always push ahead."[29]Consequence of Sound gave the album three and a half stars out of five, stating that "It's not for everybody, certainly; all but the biggest potheads/metalheads may burn out after so much grinding. It's no showcase for songwriting, either, but it makes up for that with heady atmosphere."[25]
Track listings
All music written and composed by Sleep.[16][17][35]
^"Jim Jarmusch unedited". The Wire. November 2009. Retrieved October 2, 2010.
^"Southern Lord to Unleash Dopesmoker Deluxe Reissue". March 9, 2012. Retrieved March 9, 2012.
^"Deluxe Reissue of Sleep's 'Dopesmoker' Due in May". March 30, 2012. Retrieved March 30, 2012.
^"Dopesmoker – Sleep". Billboard. Retrieved May 21, 2012.
^"Dopesmoker". Third Man Store. from the original on August 24, 2022. Retrieved August 26, 2022.
^"Sleep & Third Man Records unveil "Weedian High-Fi" deluxe repressing of landmark album Dopesmoker, with actual cannabis leaves in the vinyl". Third Man Store. August 22, 2022. from the original on August 23, 2022. Retrieved August 26, 2022.
^ ab"Dopesmoker (Reissue) – Sleep". Metacritic. Retrieved August 15, 2012.
^ abTrunick, Austin (May 11, 2012). "Album Review: Sleep – Dopesmoker". Consequence of Sound. Retrieved May 30, 2012.
^ abAyers, Chris (September 2003). . Exclaim!. Archived from the original on November 11, 2017. Retrieved September 3, 2009.
^ abMojo. October 2003. p. 111. 5 stars out of 5 – '...A benchmark by which all that dares call itself stoner rock must surely be judged...'{{cite magazine}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
^ abGross, Joe (December 2000). "Racket to Bits: Indie Metal: Your Source for Precious Alloys". Spin. Vol. 16, no. 12. SPIN Media LLC. p. 140. ISSN 0886-3032. Retrieved September 8, 2010.
^ ab"Into the Void: Stylus Magazine's Beginner's Guide to Metal – Article – Stylus Magazine". Stylus Magazine. January 9, 2006. Retrieved September 8, 2010.
^Christe, Ian (December 1997). "Metal". CMJ New Music Monthly. CMJ Network, Inc. 52: 64. ISSN 1074-6978. Retrieved October 2, 2010.
^David Rees for the New York Times Magazine. Jan 21, 2016. Letter of Recommendation: Sleep, 'Dopesmoker'
jerusalem, dopesmoker, versions, third, album, american, heavy, metal, band, sleep, former, title, released, 1999, music, cartel, latter, released, records, 2003, music, these, albums, comprises, extended, hour, length, piece, either, split, into, multiple, sh. Jerusalem and Dopesmoker are two versions of the third album by the American heavy metal band Sleep The former title was released in 1999 by The Music Cartel and the latter was released by Tee Pee Records in 2003 The music for these albums comprises an extended hour length piece either split into multiple shorter tracks or presented as a single track developed over four years and recorded in 1996 under the auspices of Sleep s label at the time London Records When recording had completed London was unhappy with the finished product and refused to release it leading to Sleep s disbandment and the album surfacing on bootlegs and unauthorized indie releases in subsequent years All versions of the album received very positive reception from music critics who described it as a high water mark in both the stoner metal and doom metal genres Jerusalem and DopesmokerDopesmoker 2003 album coverStudio album by SleepReleased1999 April 22 2003 Recorded1996StudioRecord Two Studio in Comptche CaliforniaGenreDoom metalstoner metal 1 2 Length52 08 63 36 63 36 LabelRise Above The Music Cartel Tee Pee ProducerBilly Anderson SleepSleep chronologySleep s Holy Mountain 1992 Jerusalem and Dopesmoker 1999 The Sciences 2018 Reissue coverDopesmoker 2012 album coverJerusalemJerusalem 1999 album cover Contents 1 Production 2 Release 3 Critical reception 4 Track listings 5 Personnel 6 See also 7 Notes 8 References 9 External linksProduction EditAfter positive reviews from the heavy metal press and the release of the album Sleep s Holy Mountain 1992 on Earache Records Sleep s label announced that they would release their follow up record 3 4 5 Sleep had been touring in Europe with Cathedral and in the United States with Nik Turner s version of Hawkwind in support of Sleep s Holy Mountain when the group felt they had to write new material 3 6 The new album was going to be an hour long song 6 This song was written and practiced at sound checks motel rooms and in friends houses 7 Matt Pike said the songwriting process was long and that they were working on the song for like four years We also had two other songs that were working on that were really long too like 15 and 20 minutes But we never recorded them 6 Al Cisneros stated that smoking cannabis was important to the song s creative process I was really dependent on the space I got into when I was using it and some of the lyrics are about that The line Drop out of life with bong in hand was kind of a creed at that point 7 The song was originally known and performed live under the title Dopesmoker After their tour the group began to be interested in a Middle Eastern desert theme which led to Sleep referring to the song as Jerusalem during later practice sessions 8 Sleep were ready to record the album in 1995 but did not record it until 1996 as the band was still contracted with Earache 7 Cisneros said that there was about a year and half of legal wrangling between their managers and lawyers at Earache and that Earache owner Digby Pearson waited to make the most prime conditions for himself before he let Sleep s contract go 7 Sleep were in talks with both London Records and Elektra Records to release their next album They chose to sign to London as they were promised complete artistic freedom and more money and since the label did not have any metal bands Sleep felt they would receive special treatment 6 9 The members of Sleep were poor and used the majority of money they received from London Records to cover for the debt they were in at that time 6 The song was recorded at Record Two Studio in Comptche California 10 While recording the song it began to develop differently from the original vision 10 Pike stated that the song was getting slower and slower and then it got weird We started tripping out and second guessing ourselves 10 Recording the album was difficult Pike recalled that there was so much to memorize for that album and we had to do it in like three different sections because a reel to reel only holds 22 minutes It was really cool but it was one of the hardest things I ve ever done in my life 9 Sleep were in the studio for one month then went home to rehearse and returned for another month Pike noted that they ended up with two or three different versions of the song 8 Part of the song s signature sound is thanks to custom built amps designed to be so loud no one from the band was capable of going into the same room as them More than half a dozen microphones were used to pick up the sound from the amps 11 Release EditWithin a few weeks of signing with London the A amp R member who was negotiating with Sleep had been transferred and replaced 6 After sending the finished album to London Records the label told Sleep that they were not going to release the album in its current format 12 London Records had David Sardy remix the album but the label was still confused as to what to do with the album 13 Sleep refused to have the album released in any edited form which led to a deadlock between London and the band 5 The members of Sleep have mixed feelings whether the album should have been released in general Cisneros felt it should not have been released while Pike was content with its release saying We did all the work so why leave it sitting around 14 By 2009 there had been four versions of the album released a rare London Records promotional disc a bootleg with cover art by Arik Roper the Rise Above Music Cartel Records album and a release by Tee Pee Records 15 The Rise Above Music Cartel release was an unauthorized edited version released in 1999 under the title Jerusalem 3 5 Jerusalem runs at 52 minutes and is a single composition split into six identically named tracks 16 The version of the album titled Dopesmoker was released on April 22 2003 by Tee Pee Records on compact disc and vinyl with a 63 minute running time 4 17 Cisneros spoke most positively about the 2003 Dopesmoker release saying I don t think the Dopesmoker thing is the exact version that we submitted but that s the closest one that s come out of the four If I had to pick a favorite that would be it 15 Parts of the song were used in the film Broken Flowers by Jim Jarmusch Jarmusch stated that he was a fan of Sleep and listed them along with Earth and Sunn O as an influence for creating the film I love these kind of visual landscapes they make and they really inspired things for me for my film The Limits of Control 18 In March 2012 Southern Lord Records announced plans for a deluxe reissue of the album adding of the pending release that The audio is clearer louder and at last brings a true representation of Sleep s hour plus Weedian chronicle 19 The reissue features new artwork by the band s artist Arik Roper a recording mastered from the original studio tapes by From Ashes Rise guitarist Brad Boatright and a live version of the song Holy Mountain recorded at the I Beam in San Francisco in 1994 20 This version of the album reached number 14 on the Top Heatseekers chart 21 On August 22 2022 Third Man Records announced the release of a remastered version of Dopesmoker on music streaming services on August 26 2022 featuring Hot Lava Man a track that hadn t been released digitally before Along with this digital release a vinyl reissue of the album is set to ship on December 9 2022 22 as well as a deluxe Weedian High Fi vinyl pressed with authentic cannabis leaves which is only available to purchase at Third Man s Detroit storefront 23 Critical reception EditProfessional ratingsAggregate scoresSourceRatingMetacritic94 100 24 Review scoresSourceRatingAllMusic 16 AllMusic 17 Consequence of Sound 25 Decibel favorable 26 Exclaim favorable 27 Mojo 28 Pitchfork 8 5 10 29 Spin favorable 30 Stylus Magazine favorable 31 Both Dopesmoker and early releases of the album received positive reviews from the music press In the December 2000 issue of Spin the album was referred to as brilliant and as a stoner touchstone 30 CMJ New Music Monthly wrote positively about the song saying that the monotony rarely becomes tedious because Al Cisneros and company are unpredictable and sensual in their drug induced pounding of early Sabbath terrain 32 Online music database AllMusic gave the Jerusalem album four stars out of five stating that Either version is worth investigating for adventurous metal enthusiasts but Dopesmoker is clearly the final and definitive presentation of this work 16 In 2006 the extreme metal magazine Decibel included the album in their hall of fame of extreme metal masterpieces 26 The album continued to receive praise after the release of Dopesmoker Eduardo Rivadavia of online music database AllMusic gave the album four and a half stars out of five stating Dopesmoker is an instant doom metal classic some might even say a masterpiece 17 The British music magazine Mojo gave the album a rating of five out of five stars proclaiming that Dopesmoker is A benchmark by which all that dares call itself stoner rock must surely be judged 28 Exclaim praised Dopesmoker s production value and noted that the album was an ultimately better version of 1999 s stoner opus Jerusalem 27 Stylus Magazine s Stewart Voegtlin defined Dopesmoker as a 60 minute song about the spliff a monstrous rock ode to stinky buds Voegtlin pointed out that London Records refusal to share Sleep s affection or vision led the band to disbanding in disgust Matt Pike went on to form High on Fire Al Cisneros and Chris Hakius contemplate the universe s navel with Om 31 A New York Times critic wrote What seems disorienting and monochromatic at first grows richer and more rewarding upon repeated exposure It s like a Mark Rothko painting hitting you over the head with a bag of hammers 33 The 2012 Southern Lord Records re issue was also praised On Metacritic it has a score of 94 out of 100 based on 9 reviews 24 Exclaim noted that this issue was cleaner and more powerful the guitars sound heavier with a much larger presence and the mesmerizing complexity of the track has been reinvigorated 34 Pitchfork Media gave the album an 8 5 out of 10 and listed it as one of the best new reissues noting that It s an hour of adventure and momentum where the lumber and the repetition somehow always push ahead 29 Consequence of Sound gave the album three and a half stars out of five stating that It s not for everybody certainly all but the biggest potheads metalheads may burn out after so much grinding It s no showcase for songwriting either but it makes up for that with heady atmosphere 25 Track listings EditAll music written and composed by Sleep 16 17 35 Jerusalem No TitleLength1 Jerusalem 9 262 Jerusalem 8 263 Jerusalem 9 014 Jerusalem 10 285 Jerusalem 5 456 Jerusalem 9 03Total length 52 08 Dopesmoker Tee Pee issue No TitleLength1 Dopesmoker 63 312 Sonic Titan live 9 36Total length 73 07 Dopesmoker Southern Lord reissue No TitleLength1 Dopesmoker 63 342 Holy Mountain live 11 35Total length 75 09 Dopesmoker 2022 Remastered Version No TitleLength1 Dopesmoker 63 342 Hot Lava Man 8 25Total length 71 01Personnel EditSleep Al Cisneros vocals bass Matt Pike guitar Chris Hakius drumsJerusalem Sleep producer Philo Hayward assistant engineer Doug Henderson assistant engineer Fred Kervorkian editing Adam Munoz assistant engineerDopesmoker 2003 Tee Pee issue Sleep producer liner notes Billy Anderson producer engineer Mark Keaton mastering Arik Roper artwork Dopesmoker 2012 Southern Lord reissue Sleep producer liner notes Billy Anderson producer engineer Brad Boatright mastering Arik Roper artworkSee also Edit 1990s portal1999 in music 2003 in music List of songs about JerusalemNotes Edit This refers to the Dopesmoker 2003 release of the album This refers to the Dopesmoker 2012 reissue release of the album This refers to the Jerusalem 1999 release of the album References Edit Terich Jeff Blyweiss Adam April 20 2017 10 Essential Stoner Rock Albums Treblezine Retrieved May 21 2017 Dome Malcolm October 16 2016 10 Essential Stoner Rock Albums Metal Hammer Retrieved May 21 2017 a b c Earache Staff Sleep Earache Archived from the original on December 20 2007 Retrieved May 19 2008 a b Tee Pee Staff Tee Pee Records Bands Tee Pee Records Archived from the original on May 10 2008 Retrieved May 19 2008 a b c Rivadavia Eduardo allmusic Sleep gt Biography AllMusic Retrieved May 19 2008 a b c d e f Bennett 2009 p 294 a b c d Bennett 2009 p 295 a b Bennett 2009 p 297 a b Bennett 2009 p 293 a b c Bennett 2009 p 296 Riff Monster October 14 2019 Dopesmoker How Sleep s Magnum Opus Ended the Band s Career Monster Riff Retrieved September 12 2020 Bennett 2009 p 298 Bennett 2009 p 299 Bennett 2009 p 301 a b Bennett 2009 p 300 a b c d Deming Mark Jerusalem Overview AllMusic Retrieved September 18 2011 a b c d Rivadavia Eduardo allmusic Dopesmoker gt Overview AllMusic Retrieved September 18 2011 Jim Jarmusch unedited The Wire November 2009 Retrieved October 2 2010 Southern Lord to Unleash Dopesmoker Deluxe Reissue March 9 2012 Retrieved March 9 2012 Deluxe Reissue of Sleep s Dopesmoker Due in May March 30 2012 Retrieved March 30 2012 Dopesmoker Sleep Billboard Retrieved May 21 2012 Dopesmoker Third Man Store Archived from the original on August 24 2022 Retrieved August 26 2022 Sleep amp Third Man Records unveil Weedian High Fi deluxe repressing of landmark album Dopesmoker with actual cannabis leaves in the vinyl Third Man Store August 22 2022 Archived from the original on August 23 2022 Retrieved August 26 2022 a b Dopesmoker Reissue Sleep Metacritic Retrieved August 15 2012 a b Trunick Austin May 11 2012 Album Review Sleep Dopesmoker Consequence of Sound Retrieved May 30 2012 a b Bennett 2009 p 292 a b Ayers Chris September 2003 Aggressive Tendencies Metal amp Hardcore reviews Sleep Dopesmoker Exclaim Archived from the original on November 11 2017 Retrieved September 3 2009 a b Mojo October 2003 p 111 5 stars out of 5 A benchmark by which all that dares call itself stoner rock must surely be judged a href Template Cite magazine html title Template Cite magazine cite magazine a Missing or empty title help a b Currin Grayson May 15 2012 Sleep Dopesmoker Pitchfork Media Retrieved May 30 2012 a b Gross Joe December 2000 Racket to Bits Indie Metal Your Source for Precious Alloys Spin Vol 16 no 12 SPIN Media LLC p 140 ISSN 0886 3032 Retrieved September 8 2010 a b Into the Void Stylus Magazine s Beginner s Guide to Metal Article Stylus Magazine Stylus Magazine January 9 2006 Retrieved September 8 2010 Christe Ian December 1997 Metal CMJ New Music Monthly CMJ Network Inc 52 64 ISSN 1074 6978 Retrieved October 2 2010 David Rees for the New York Times Magazine Jan 21 2016 Letter of Recommendation Sleep Dopesmoker Falzon Denise May 15 2012 Sleep Dopesmoker Exclaim Retrieved May 30 2012 Raggett Ned Dopesmoker CD Southern Lord Records LORD 158 AllMusic Retrieved June 1 2012 Other sources Bennett J 2009 High Times The Making of Sleep s Jerusalem In Mudrian Albert ed Precious Metal Da Capo Press ISBN 978 0 306 81806 6 Retrieved September 8 2010 External links EditIndepth Review by Julian Cope Dopesmoker at Tee Pee Records Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Jerusalem and Dopesmoker amp oldid 1134270398, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
