Millions Now Living Will Never Die
1996 studio album by Tortoise
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Millions Now Living Will Never Die is the second studio album by American post-rock band Tortoise. The album was released on January 30, 1996, by Thrill Jockey.
| Millions Now Living Will Never Die | ||||
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| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | January 30, 1996 | |||
| Recorded | June–September 1995 | |||
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| Genre | ||||
| Length | 42:56 | |||
| Label | Thrill Jockey | |||
| Tortoise chronology | ||||
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| Singles from Millions Now Living Will Never Die | ||||
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The album's title is a reference to a phrase used in the Jehovah's Witness faith in the 1920s.[2][3] It is, for instance, the title of an essay by Joseph Franklin Rutherford, who was the second president of the Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society.[4]
Reception
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |  [5] |
| Alternative Press | 5/5[6] |
| The Encyclopedia of Popular Music |  [7] |
| NME | 8/10[8] |
| Orlando Sentinel | [9] |
| Record Collector | [10] |
| The Rolling Stone Album Guide | [11] |
| Spin | 7/10[12] |
| Uncut | 9/10[13] |
| The Village Voice | B−[14] |
Millions Now Living Will Never Die was released to positive critical reviews, and it has since been renowned as a groundbreaking album for the post-rock genre.[15] Outersound wrote that not long after the album's release, the group was "hailed as godfathers of the American 'post-rock' movement".[15] The Wire named it the record of the year in its annual critics' poll[16] and NME named it the 35th best album of 1996.[17]
By March 1998, the album had sold over 50,000 copies, with 80% as CDs and the remainder as LPs.[18]
In 2006 and 2008, Millions Now Living Will Never Die was performed live in its entirety as part of the All Tomorrow's Parties-curated Don't Look Back concert series. The album also appears in the book 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die.[19]
Track listing
All tracks are written by Tortoise (Dan Bitney, John Herndon, Douglas McCombs, John McEntire and David Pajo), except where noted.
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Djed" | 20:57 | |
| 2. | "Glass Museum" | 5:27 | |
| 3. | "A Survey" | 2:52 | |
| 4. | "The Taut and Tame" |
| 5:01 |
| 5. | "Dear Grandma and Grandpa" | 2:49 | |
| 6. | "Along the Banks of Rivers" | 5:50 | |
| Total length: | 42:56 | ||
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 7. | "Gamera" | 11:55 |
| 8. | "Goriri" | 6:39 |
| 9. | "Restless Waters" | 3:41 |
| Total length: | 65:11 | |
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 10. | "A Grape Dope" | 4:12 |
| Total length: | 69:23 | |
Personnel
Credits for Millions Now Living Will Never Die adapted from album liner notes.[20]
Tortoise
- Dan Bitney
- John Herndon
- Douglas McCombs
- John McEntire
- David Pajo
Production
- John McEntire – mixing, recording
- Roger Seibel – mastering
Artwork and design
- Dan Osborn – layout assistance, "computer magic"
- Tortoise – sleeve design
Samples
The song "Dear Grandma and Grandpa" contains a sample of German band Dom's song "Silence", from their 1972 album Edge of Time.