Album

The Empyrean

John Frusciante

2009 · Rock

9 collectors on Gatefold own this

The Empyrean by John Frusciante

The Empyrean is a Rock album by John Frusciante, originally released in 2009. On Gatefold: 13 pressings tracked, owned by 9 collectors.

About

<i>The Empyrean</i> opens with a modest nine-minute guitar solo that suggests Chili Pepper John Frusciante's been listening to Funkadelic's <i>Maggot Brain</i> and decided to attempt a similar opening salvo. It's not quite as gut wrenching as Eddie Hazel's overdriven guitarwork but it contains shadows of its doom. As a solo artist, Frusciante has shown impressive reach, writing and performing everything from quirky pop songs to impressionistic tone poems to metronomic Krautrock. He prefers live performances, capturing the chemistry between musicians and allowing the "mistakes" to speak for themselves. <i>The Empyrean</i> is more carefully composed, featuring guest spots from Johnny Marr, Flea, Sonus Quartet, and the New Dimension Singers. Tim Buckley's "Song to the Siren" is given a quiet emotive read. "Unreachable" sports a psychedelic pop that slows to a crawl. Frusciante's love for pop music, experimental rock and consistently shifting textures is evident throughout, as the guitar solos explode into new other-worldly dimensions and the vocals swing from pop to eerie choir incantations ("Dark / Light").

via Apple Music

The Clerk says

The Clerk knows this whole record — the pressing quirks, the credits, the take.

Start your shelf to read the full take →

Open this record in GatefoldThe full album page. Every pressing and its live price unlocks with Mosh Pit.→

Tracklist

  1. 1Before The Beginning9:09
  2. 2Song To The Siren3:33
  3. 3Unreachable6:10
  4. 4God3:23
  5. 5Dark / Light8:30
  6. 6Heaven4:03
  7. 7Enough Of Me4:15
  8. 8Central7:16
  9. 9One More Of Me4:06
  10. 10After The Ending3:57

Sound DNA

  • Rock
  • Psych Rock
  • layered
  • yearning
  • psychedelic

Notes from the original pressing. Later editions may differ.

Standard jewel case with sticker on cover (shrink-wrap) with artist name and title, clear tray & 16-page lyrics booklet.

Credits

The people behind it.

Performers

  • Alfie SilasBACKING VOCALS VOCALS
  • Andrew DucklesENSEMBLE , VIOLA PERFORMER , VIOLA VIOLA
  • Caprisha SmylesBACKING VOCALS VOCALS
  • Caroline CampbellENSEMBLE , VIOLIN PERFORMER , VIOLIN VIOLIN
  • Donald TaylorBACKING VOCALS , DIRECTED BY PERFORMER , CONDUCTOR VOCALS
  • Donald Taylor And The New Dimension SingersVOCALS
  • John FruscianteLEAD VOCALS, GUITAR, BASS, SYNTHESIZER, DRUM MACHINE, ARRANGED BY VOCALS, PIANO, ARRANGED BY ACOUSTIC GUITAR
  • Josh KlinghofferORGAN BACKING VOCALS BACKING VOCALS , ORGAN, ELECTRIC PIANO, DRUMS
  • Lawrence YoungBACKING VOCALS VOCALS
  • Neel HammondENSEMBLE , VIOLIN PERFORMER , VIOLIN VIOLIN
  • Nikki ErwinBACKING VOCALS VOCALS
  • O'Nita HuttonBACKING VOCALS VOCALS
  • Pat LeeBACKING VOCALS VOCALS
  • Sharon BryantBACKING VOCALS VOCALS
  • Sonus QuartetSTRINGS
  • Tamara MitchellBACKING VOCALS VOCALS
  • Tony WilkinsBACKING VOCALS VOCALS
  • Tracy CarterBACKING VOCALS VOCALS

9 collectors on Gatefold own this · 13 pressings tracked on Gatefold

View this release on Discogs →

Start your shelf.

Track your pressings of The Empyrean, get the Clerk's take, and see what the record is worth — free.

Start your shelf →

Free forever. Works with 10 records or 10,000.