| The Altogether | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | 30 April 2001 | |||
| Length | 62:40 (UK) / 70:26 (US) | |||
| Label | FFRR London/Sire (US) | |||
| Producer | Orbital | |||
| Orbital chronology | ||||
| ||||
| US edition cover | ||||
| Aggregate scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| Metacritic | 66/100[1] |
| Review scores | |
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [2] |
| Alternative Press |  [3] |
| Blender | [4] |
| Mojo | [5] |
| Muzik | [6] |
| NME | 5/10[7] |
| Pitchfork | 5.2/10[8] |
| Q | [9] |
| Rolling Stone | [10] |
| URB | [11] |
The Altogether is Orbital's sixth studio album and was released in 2001. It features guest vocals by the Hartnolls' brother-in-law David Gray, a sampled Ian Dury, a sample from "Sober" by Tool and a version of the Doctor Who theme. It was Orbital's last studio album for FFRR and received a mixed critical reception.
Describing the album shortly before it was released, Phil Hartnoll said, "Whereas Middle of Nowhere was written for a detached mood, for sitting in a field and listening to by yourself, The Altogether is for listening to at a party with your mates. That's what I take it to mean anyway. Paul thinks it's about not having any clothes on."[12]
As of 2001, it had sold 135,000 copies worldwide.[13] As of 2004, the album had sold 58,000 copies in United States.[14]
- ^ "The Altogether by Orbital". Metacritic.
- ^ Bush, John. "Orbital: The Altogether > Review" at AllMusic. Retrieved 18 October 2011.
- ^ While the album certainly is a lot of fun, it may turn off fans who have come to expect moody electronica from the Hartnolls. [Oct 2001, p.98]
- ^ Their grooves can sometimes roll on as if unattended -- which is fine for living-room techno, but not for the pop songs they're trying to emulate. [Jun/Jul 2001, p.114]
- ^ Mojo (Publisher) (5/01, p.116) – "...The trademark lush, sweeping soundscapes are here, but THE ALTIGETHER is more of an album of one-offs and collaborations, odd sound-sources and aural digs....the sound of a band having a lot of fun..."
- ^ Muzik (5/01, p.61) – 5 out of 5 – "...Slick, self-assured...Hartnolls' ability to surprise remains firmly intact....Orbital not only remind you how good the 'Dr Who' theme is – but they can make you dance to it as well..."
- ^ "Orbital : The Altogether". NME. 12 September 2005.
- ^ "Orbital: The Altogether". Pitchfork.
- ^ Q (6/01, p.110) – 3 stars out of 5 – "...Their spikiest, most experimental album in some time...acknowledging their punk roots by sampling Ian Dury, The Cramps and Crass..."
- ^ Blashill, Pat (11 October 2001). "Orbital: The Altogether". Rolling Stone. No. RS 879. Straight Arrow. ISSN 0035-791X. Archived from the original on 28 April 2007.
- ^ The Altogether is, all stated evidence to the contrary, a remarkable work. Why? Because it is the product of two brothers who, understanding that they can kid neither the audience nor themselves, mapped a musical course based on their root love -- musical energy -- and never strayed. [Sep 2001, p.147]
- ^ Abrahams, Tim (26 April 2001). "Naked ambitions". The List. Retrieved 19 August 2020.
- ^ "Billboard". 11 August 2001.
- ^ Paoletta, Michael (21 August 2004). "Dance Acts Go Beyond The Dancefloor" (PDF). Billboard. p. 31. Retrieved 13 September 2020 – via World Radio History.