Magic Potion (album)
Magic Potion is the fourth studio album by American rock duo the Black Keys. It was released in 2006 and was their first record released on Nonesuch Records, the band's current label. This album marks the first time they wrote and composed entirely original material, unlike on previous albums and EPs.
| Magic Potion | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | September 12, 2006 | |||
| Recorded | The Audio Eagle Nest (Akron, OH) | |||
| Genre | ||||
| Length | 40:55 | |||
| Label | Nonesuch | |||
| Producer | The Black Keys | |||
| The Black Keys chronology | ||||
| ||||
| Singles from Magic Potion | ||||
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| Aggregate scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| Metacritic | 69/100[1] |
| Review scores | |
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic | [2] |
| The A.V. Club | B[3] |
| Entertainment Weekly | A−[4] |
| Mojo | [5] |
| NME | 6/10[6] |
| Pitchfork | 6.0/10[7] |
| Q | [8] |
| Rolling Stone | [9] |
| Slant Magazine | [10] |
| Spin | [11] |
Recording edit
Like the group's first two albums, Magic Potion was recorded in the basement of drummer Patrick Carney;[12] in his estimation, the record was made using "$5,000 worth of crappy equipment".[13] The group's guitarist Dan Auerbach explained the decision behind the recording location:[12]
We like the sound of odd rooms. It's got concrete floors and walls. The upstairs floor is the ceiling. The mixing desk and computer are on top of the tool desk built by the old guy who used to live there. You can hear all of that. Lots of new records have no individuality to the sound. I wanted it to sound like a band in the basement of a house in the Midwest.
Carney expressed disappointment in the quality of the finished record:[13]
We paid $350 to get it mastered, took it home and there was, like, no bass on it. And we just dropped it in a FedEx envelope, mailed it to Warner Brothers and were done with it. Of all things that we've ever done, that's my biggest regret—is that we just kind of were like, "Oh, OK."
Track listing edit
All tracks are written by Dan Auerbach and Patrick Carney
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Just Got to Be" | 3:01 |
| 2. | "Your Touch" | 2:45 |
| 3. | "You're the One" | 3:29 |
| 4. | "Just a Little Heat" | 3:42 |
| 5. | "Give Your Heart Away" | 3:27 |
| 6. | "Strange Desire" | 4:22 |
| 7. | "Modern Times" | 4:22 |
| 8. | "The Flame" | 4:36 |
| 9. | "Goodbye Babylon" | 5:56 |
| 10. | "Black Door" | 3:31 |
| 11. | "Elevator" | 3:44 |
Cover art edit
The cover art depicts a Fabergé egg. Inside the album is a picture of a fried egg. The back cover depicts a falcon.
Personnel edit
- Dan Auerbach – guitar, 12 string guitar, slide guitar, lap steel, vocals
- Patrick Carney – drums, percussion
Charts edit
Certifications edit
| Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
|---|---|---|
| United Kingdom (BPI)[20] | Silver | 60,000‡ |
| ‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone. | ||
References edit
- ^ "Reviews for Magic Potion by The Black Keys". Metacritic. Retrieved May 14, 2014.
- ^ Jurek, Thom. "Magic Potion – The Black Keys". AllMusic. Retrieved May 14, 2014.
- ^ Phipps, Keith (September 19, 2006). "The Black Keys: Magic Potion". The A.V. Club. Retrieved February 19, 2015.
- ^ Collis, Clark (September 15, 2006). . Entertainment Weekly. No. 897. Archived from the original on July 15, 2015. Retrieved May 14, 2014.
- ^ "The Black Keys: Magic Potion". Mojo (155): 96. October 2006.
- ^ "The Black Keys: Magic Potion". NME: 21. September 2, 2006.
- ^ Crock, Jason (September 11, 2006). "The Black Keys: Magic Potion". Pitchfork. Retrieved May 14, 2014.
- ^ "The Black Keys: Magic Potion". Q (243): 118. October 2006.
- ^ Greene, Andy (September 7, 2006). . Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on January 25, 2008. Retrieved February 19, 2015.
- ^ Jones, Preston (September 11, 2006). "The Black Keys: Magic Potion". Slant Magazine. Retrieved February 19, 2015.
- ^ Eddy, Chuck (October 2006). "The Black Keys: Magic Potion". Spin. 22 (10): 94. Retrieved February 19, 2015.
- ^ a b Anderman, Joan (October 31, 2006). "Black Keys retexture the blues". The Boston Globe. p. E3.
- ^ a b NPR Staff (May 13, 2014). "'Bound To Sound Different': The Black Keys On Going Big". NPR Music. NPR. Retrieved May 14, 2014.
- ^ "Australiancharts.com – The Black Keys – Magic Potion". Hung Medien. Retrieved April 8, 2024.
- ^ "Ultratop.be – The Black Keys – Magic Potion" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved April 8, 2024.
- ^ "Lescharts.com – The Black Keys – Magic Potion". Hung Medien. Retrieved April 8, 2024.
- ^ "Official Scottish Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved April 8, 2024.
- ^ "Official Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved April 8, 2024.
- ^ "The Black Keys Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved April 8, 2024.
- ^ "British album certifications – Black Keys – Magic Potion". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved July 23, 2023.