I Am Not Afraid of You and I Will Beat Your Ass
2006 studio album by Yo La Tengo
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I Am Not Afraid of You and I Will Beat Your Ass is the eleventh studio album by American indie rock band Yo La Tengo, released on September 12, 2006 by record label Matador.
| I Am Not Afraid of You and I Will Beat Your Ass | ||||
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| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | September 12, 2006 | |||
| Recorded | 2006 | |||
| Genres | Indie rock, avant-pop[1] | |||
| Length | 77:41 | |||
| Label | Matador | |||
| Producer | Roger Moutenot | |||
| Yo La Tengo chronology | ||||
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| Singles from I Am Not Afraid of You and I Will Beat Your Ass | ||||
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Content
The title of the album is rumored to be a (paraphrased) quote by NBA player Kurt Thomas. Sitting on the bench together during a game, Thomas was caught on tape by the MSG Network in a profane exchange with fellow Knick, point guard Stephon Marbury. Thomas yelled at Marbury, "Everyone in this organization is afraid of you, but I'm not, and I will beat your ass".[a][4][5][6]
Release
The record was released on CD and as a double LP vinyl.
A 7" single for "Mr. Tough" was released in the UK, September 4, 2006. On the B-side there is a cover of "I'm Your Puppet" by James & Bobby Purify.
Reception
| Aggregate scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| Metacritic | 85/100[7] |
| Review scores | |
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [8] |
| The A.V. Club | A−[9] |
| Entertainment Weekly | A[10] |
| The Guardian | [11] |
| Mojo | [12] |
| MSN Music (Consumer Guide) | A−[13] |
| NME | 6/10[14] |
| Pitchfork | 8.3/10[15] |
| Rolling Stone | [16] |
| Spin | [17] |
The album has received widespread acclaim and appeared in numerous "Best of 2006" lists, including:
- a rating of 85% on Metacritic[18]
- appearing at number 13 on Metacritic's "Best of 2006" list.[19]
- appearing at number 23 on Pitchfork's "Top 50 Albums of 2006"[20]
Track listing
All songs written by Georgia Hubley, Ira Kaplan and James McNew.
| No. | Title | Vocals | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Pass the Hatchet, I Think I'm Goodkind" | Kaplan | 10:47 |
| 2. | "Beanbag Chair" | Kaplan, Hubley | 3:03 |
| 3. | "I Feel Like Going Home" | Hubley | 4:14 |
| 4. | "Mr. Tough" | Kaplan | 4:06 |
| 5. | "Black Flowers" | McNew | 4:28 |
| 6. | "The Race Is on Again" | Hubley, Kaplan | 4:37 |
| 7. | "The Room Got Heavy" | Hubley | 5:10 |
| 8. | "Sometimes I Don't Get You" | Kaplan | 3:16 |
| 9. | "Daphnia" | instrumental | 8:51 |
| 10. | "I Should Have Known Better" | Kaplan, McNew | 3:16 |
| 11. | "Watch Out for Me Ronnie" | Kaplan, McNew, Hubley | 3:02 |
| 12. | "The Weakest Part" | Hubley, Kaplan | 3:04 |
| 13. | "Song for Mahila" | Kaplan | 3:40 |
| 14. | "Point and Shoot" | Kaplan, Hubley, McNew | 4:18 |
| 15. | "The Story of Yo La Tango" | Kaplan | 11:49 |
- The final track is a deliberate misspelling of the band's name — the album's CD-Text reiterating this by listing the track as "The Story of Yo La Tango", followed by the message "Yes — it should be Tango!". [citation needed] A recurring feature on the band's web site depicts venue marquees with various misspellings of the name.
Personnel
Mastered by Greg Calbi at Sterling Sound.
- Steve Herrman – trumpet ("Mr. Tough", "Black Flowers")
- Jim Hoke – saxophone ("Mr. Tough", "Watch Out for Me Ronnie")
- Bill Huber – trombone ("Beanbag Chair", "Black Flowers") and euphonium ("Black Flowers")
- David Mansfield – violin ("I Feel Like Going Home", "Black Flowers")
- Roger Moutenot – acoustic guitar ("Song for Mahila")
- Garo Yellin – cello ("Black Flowers", "Watch Out for Me Ronnie")
Art
- Cover painting: Little Pink Lady by Gary Panter
- Photos by Reuben Cox
- Inlay photo of Ira as a kid was taken by Abraham Kaplan (Ira's father)
- Inlay photo of Ira and Georgia's dog, named Sydney, was taken by Georgia
Charts
| Chart (2006) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| French Albums (SNEP)[21] | 179 |
| German Albums (Offizielle Top 100)[22] | 70 |
| US Billboard 200[23] | 66 |
| US Top Independent Albums (Billboard)[23] | 3 |
Notes
- Some contemporary sources attributed the quote to Knick Tim Thomas instead.[2][3]